Year 7

Dance is taught on a two-week rotation throughout the year. The Schemes work are accumulative in knowledge and skills. Year 7 considers the health and safety and an understanding of how our body works and what our own strengths and weaknesses are which feeds into the Performance pillar of dance. We learn about the action, space and dynamics within the lessons and students are taught to choreograph and problem solve. The basic foundation of movement is considered through the basic shapes and actions of dance. An emphasis is placed on creating dance with a storyline or meaning to introduce structuring. Homework supports the learning within the lesson and woven info the lesson content and learning. A mask competition linked to a study of costume and its impact in Year 7 provides a natural opportunity for a whole year group competition.

Year 8

Dance in Year 8 is a preparation for options and therefore the emphasis on the three major pillar is created. Students are given more autonomy over choreographic and performance work. A key emphasis is placed on dance vocabulary and how the understanding of the devices can create meaning and atmosphere. Students are introduced to motif development and variation and begin to consider the importance of how music, lighting and costume combine with dance work for an audience’s understanding. Finally, students are made aware of the history of popular dance and the world around them keeping in line with the National Curriculum requirement to study a range of dances styles.

Year 9

Yr 9 Dance further aims to cement the skills acquired in Yr8. The emphasis on evaluation and analysis of dance work both in practical and theoretical terms. A greater emphasis on technique and performance skill is linked to student’s analysis and self-reflection – the ability to improve through targeted feedback. Students study a range of choreographers work to provide a wide range of styles and themes. The curriculum introduces complex choreography work and musical theatre and links to the National Curriculum request to study other dance styles. The Year 9 Scheme of work have a natural link to History through the topics of War and Dance in popular movies and social history.

Year 10

Students at Year 10 are split into GCSE and BTEC groups according to their strengths within the subject area. GCSE dance students will consider the contents of the course, Component 1 Performance and Choreography, set phrases and Component 2 Dance appreciation; the Anthology. BTEC students also consider the structure of their examination to include Component 1 the study of three practioners, Component 2 Performance work from set repertoire and finally Component 3 Responding to a Brief. Dance students in Year 10, across both courses, are introduced to more complicated choreographic devices and structuring enabling them to create sophisticated dance work for public performance and coursework.

Year 11

Students at GCSE complete and refine performance work on the set phrases and Duet/Trio performance work from Component 1, with a firm concentration of technique and performance skills. Students complete the major choreography task worth 40 marks in this final year and complete their study of the set six Anthology dance works.

BTEC students also complete final recordings of practical coursework and theoretical research whilst completing their response to final Brief set by the exam board Pearson at the end of January.

Further information on the courses can be found by viewing the specifications, linked below:

• BTEC Performing Arts
• GCSE Dance

BTEC tech Performing Arts Dance pathway is run by Pearson Excel is a full award. The two-year course has three major components that all need to be completed to achieve an accumulative level in Year 11. Grading working in Levels and Students can achieve from aL1P through to a L2D*

GCSE dance run by the examination board AQA is a full GCSE .  The students will study the major strands of Performance, choreography and Appreciation in a 60/40 split,.

Extra-Curricular

The dance department offers a regular well attended dance club over a lunchtime, which provides opportunity for all students to participate and work on a ‘Dance for all’, basis. The Club is split between performance work and student choreography. This platform provides students opportunity to perform in the Dance evenings offered by the department twice a year.

Dance club also offers a performance group that runs after school.

Dance is additionally part of the whole school productions and the wider work of the Performing Arts department. Students are offered the opportunity to audition for major school productions that include drama and musical theatre with 24hr Musical challenges. Students have also had the opportunity to work with professional choreographers from the West End during production time and visiting Post 16 providers.

Enrichment

The Dance department works well with is Post 16 providers and often has combined workshops. Most recently the department has worked with Hereford College of arts in an Ariel Dance workshop for the Year 7 year group and a company visit from Ignite dance company from Kidderminster who provided a lecture demonstration and workshops on their repertoire. As part of the Performing Arts Department, the department has also supported the annual visit of Year 8 to the Pantomime.

Dance as part of Performing Arts Department is heavily involved in the Transition workshops for Year 5 and Year 6 where production work is performed and presented in an interactive workshop style.