Key Stage 4 Dance

"Dance is vital, an activity both exhilarating and liberating to watch or do. the instinct to dance is fundamentally joyous and no matter how hard you try you can't get away from that for long. It can also be a huge force for good, effectively drawing people together levelling everyone through sheer hard work. it can speed up your heart rate it can enliven your being, it can change your life."

Richard Alston CBE

The study of dance as an art form contributes to students' aesthetic and social development.  As a physical activity it promotes fitness and well-being.  As performers, students develop confidence and self-esteem.  They develop self and body awareness as well as sensitivity to others and team working skills.  Effective performance requires physical effort and the determination to succeed and improve.  Effective choreography requires imagination and the ability to mould a number of elements together to create a finished piece.

Course Content: A student of GCSE Dance will study three areas in the subject:

PERFORMANCE

• Good studio practice
• The technical nature of dance skills
• The expressive nature of dance skills
• Factors which influence the achievement of high quality dance performance

CHOREOGRAPHY

• The process of creating choreography
• Choreographic structure
• Other geatures of a dance - music, costume, set etc.

APPRECIATION

• Analysis and interpretation of dances, both professional and students' own work
• The historical and socail context of dances

Assessment:

• Unit 1: Critical Appreciation of Dance
  Written Paper 1Hr 20%
• Unit 2: Set Dance - Solo Dance
  Practical Performance 20%
• Unit 3: Performance in a Duo or Group Dance
  Controlled Assessment 20%
• Unit 4: Choreography
  Task 1: Solo Composition 15%
  Task2 : Choreography 40%

Controlled Assessment Dates:

Unit 4: task 1 - May 2012
Unit 3 & Unit 4: Task 2 - April 2013

Career Paths:
GCSE Dance offers students a stepping-stone to further study in dance and other related art forms at A-level and degree.  But that is not all!  As a creative art form GCSE Dance also develops valuable skills in communication, research, evaluation, analysis and self-confidence.  All skills that are required now by employers in the world of work.  Possible careers could include: Dancer, Choreographer, Teacher, Events Planner, Theatre Manager, Artistic Director, Dance Critic, Physical Therapist, Arts Council Advisor or Marketing.

Last updated: 06 July 2011

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Dance has developed into a thriving subject at QE and has produced some good results for its students. It is a joy to see many students successfully continuing their studies in Dance by taking AS level Dance and auditioning for Dance & Performing Arts Schools and Colleges.