Dance

Why choose Dance?

If you find written exams stressful, and love to dance then this is the course for you. There is no requirement for previous dance experience, although this is beneficial. The course gives lots of opportunity for employability skills such as teamwork, self-discipline, being organised and learning good time management. There are no formal written exams, the course is assessed with performance based tasks and assignments.

60% of the course is assessed internally, with the final 40% marked externally by the exam board.

The course is made up of three components, focusing heavily on practical work and its application.

Dance Options Information Video

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Component 1

Exploring the Performing Arts. (30%) For this aspect of the course we research already created works. We look at how they are created (choreography, set, lighting, sound and costume design) and we learn some sections from these performances to recreate them for ourselves. This gives an insight into how the works came together, as well as teaching new skills. This year (2019/2020) we studied Chicago (Jazz), 5 Soldiers (Contemporary) and A Linha Curva (Cultural Dance). These three dance styles allow us to study a varied repertoire and gain a good understanding of how a dance performance is created for an audience. The assessment for this component is a written assignment.

Component 2

Developing Skills and Techniques in the Performing Arts. (30%) For this aspect of the course we learn a specific work and recreate it. We participate in a series of workshops and rehearsals and study how we improve as performers. This year (2019/2020) we studied A Linha Curva, and had a workshop with the Ballet Rambert. The assessment for this component is participation in the workshops and rehearsals with a final performance in front of an audience, and a written log detailing our journey as we learned.

Component 3

Performing to a Brief. (40%) This aspect of the course is the only section marked externally. In January of Year 11 the exam board release a Set Brief, which requires four different tasks. These tasks focus around a group performance which must relate to the brief given. The three written tasks are all completed in an hour in school time.

Task 1 – Ideas Log. This is a written task where we explain our ideas based on the information given by the exam board.

Task 2 – Skills Log. This is a written task explaining the different skills we needed to use to create our performance.

Task 3 – Workshop Performance. This is a choreographed performance (7-15 mins long) in front of an audience.

Task 4 – Evaluation Log. This is a written task where we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of our performance/ideas.