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Introduction

Dance is well-established within the curriculum at Abbs Cross Academy and Arts College and is a vibrant, ever-changing subject, which enables our students to develop their communication, problem-solving and confidence, as well as maturing their memory, creativity and initiative.

Dance is taught at both Key Stage 3 and 4 at Abbs Cross Academy.  It is within the Performing Arts faculty and increases students’ knowledge of physical, technical and expressive skills, through practical activity.

GENERAL OUTCOMES AND OBJECTIVES OF DANCE

  • Promotion of fitness, healthy lifestyle, teamwork and creativity
  • Develops independent learning
  • Allows for critical and reflective thinking
  • Matures students’ understanding of a range of dance styles through performance, creation and appreciation
  • Advances physical, technical and expressive skills, which you are able to communicate choreographic intention and individuality as a performer

 

WE EXPECT

  • All students to participate to the best of their ability, focusing on improvement in movement memory through rehearsal and performance tasks
  • All students to comply with changing expectations, both male and female, getting changed into their dance kit, in less than 7 minutes
  • All students to wear the Abbs Cross Academy green polo shirt, with Abbs Cross Academy black shorts
  • All students to tie up their hair
  • All students to rehearse and perform bare foot
  • If a non-participant, students should bring in a note that is dated and signed by a parent/carer/ guardian.
  • All non-participants are expected to bring in their kit and will complete a non-participant worksheet.

KS3

In KS3, students are enriched with multiple genres of dance, where they can increase their physical and mental skills, enhancing teamwork, communication skills and practical ability. 

Students are able to observe professional works and peers, to aspire and encourage further improvements in performances.

 

Year 7

Year 8

Year 9

Autumn

An Introduction to Dance:

 

 

5 Basic Body Actions

 

 

 

 

Dance For Film:

 

 

Iconic Music

and Dance

 

 

 

Dance Genres:

 

 

Evolution of Dance

 

Dance For Musicals:

 

 

Charlie and the

Chocolate Factory

Spring

Sports Dance:

 

Physical Skills

 

 

Dance For Musicals:

 

 

Matilda and Aladdin

 

 

World Dance:

 

 

Samba

 

Creating A Dance:

 

Action and Space

Summer

Dance For Musicals:

 

 

The Greatest

Showman

 

 

 

World Dance:

 

 

Bollywood

 

 

 

 

Dance Genre:

 

 

Hip Hop

Dance Genre:

 

 

Street Jazz

KS4

GCSE Dance helps students to develop technical and expressive skills as well as knowledge and understanding of dance through performance, choreography and critical appreciation.

The course combines practical and written skills with a focus on choreography and performance, as well as analysis and criticism of dance.

The subject content details the knowledge, understanding and skills that students are expected to learn during the course of study. This is set out below in three core areas of dance: performance, choreography and appreciation.

  • Component 1A: Performance - Students must develop and apply the following knowledge, understanding and skills to perform dance as a soloist for approximately one minute and in a duet/trio for a minimum of three minutes.
  • Component 1B: Choreography - Students must learn how to respond creatively to an externally set stimulus, to choreograph their own complete dance. The dance created must be either: • a solo dance of a minimum of two minutes and a maximum of two and a half minutes or • a group dance of a minimum of three minutes and a maximum of three and a half minutes for two to five dancers.
  • Component 2: Dance Appreciation - Through written communication and use of appropriate terminology, students must be able to critically analyse, interpret and evaluate their own work in performance and choreography and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of professional practice in the six set works in the GCSE Dance Anthology. This is the end of year 11 written exam.

 

 

Year 10

Year 11

Autumn

Practical:

Physical, Technical and Expressive Skills

Set Phrases

Anthology 1: Shadows; Christopher Bruce

Anthology 2: EOE; Kendrick H2O Sandy

 

Theory:

Dance Appreciation – The Background Knowledge

Anthology 1: Shadows; Production Aspects

Anthology 2: EOE; Production Aspects

Practical:

Group Choreography

 

Theory:

Anthology 5: Within Her Eyes; James Cousins

Anthology 6: Infra; Wayne McGregor

Exam style questions and revision

Spring

Practical:

Choreography From A Stimulus

Choreographic Process

Duo/ Trio Performance

 

Theory:

Anthology 3: ALC; Production Aspects

Anthology 4: Artificial Things; Production Aspects

Dance Appreciation topics and revision

Practical:

Performance: Set Phrases

Performance: Duo/Trio Performance

Choreography

 

Theory:

Anthology revision

Exam style questions and revision

Summer

Practical:

Duo/ Trio Performance

Anthology 4: Artificial Things; Lucy Bennett

Working From A Stimulus

 

Theory:

Section B – Personal Experiences

Section A – Holistic Choreography

Section C – The Anthologies

Practical:

None

 

Theory:

Anthology revision

Exam style questions and revision

Future careers after GCSE Dance:

  • Arts Administrator
  • Community Arts Worker
  • Dance Psychotherapist
  • Events Manager
  • Professional Dancer
  • Teacher

 

GCSE Results 2022

Congratulations to the Year 11 students on achieving 100% grades 9-4.

GCSE Results 2023

Congratulations to the Year 11 students on achieving 85.7% grades 9-4.

Extra Curricular

The Dance Studio is open multiple times a week for clubs, studies, interventions and additional rehearsals. There is a termly timetable for morning and lunchtime spaces, which students can use to either rehearse for a piece of class work, school performances or an outside school event. 

The Dance Department offer a variety of dance clubs and companies:

Yr7 Dance Club

This exciting club runs across the academic year. Students work on hip-hop and lyrical pieces, building on their movement memory and timing within an ensemble.  Students work towards performances for the Winter and Summer Showcase and year group assemblies.

Yr8 Dance Club

This dance club looks at musicals and hip hop, focusing on performance skills such as facial expression and projection, as well as developing confidence in technique.  The club starts in the Autumn term, allowing for 15 weeks of technique and performance skills.  Students work towards performances for the Winter and Summer Showcase and year group assemblies.

Yr9 Dance Studies

This extracurricular focuses on skills needed for GCSE Dance, focusing on physical, technical and expressive skills across two genres of dance; contemporary and hip hop.   Students continue to grow in mental skills, such as confidence, concentration and commitment and on occasions, branch off into solo performances. Students work towards performances for the Winter and Summer Showcase, Yr6 Induction showcase and year group assemblies.

AX Dance Company

The Dance Company was founded in 2003. Year 10 and 11 students audition for their place in the company and compete in multiple external competitions, performances and internal events throughout the academic year. The company rehearse once a week before/after school.

KS4 Intervention

The sessions run in the morning and at lunchtime to allow Year 10 and 11 GCSE Dance students to rehearse and refine performance and choreography units, ready for examinations and internal events including Winter and Summer showcases, the Evening of Dance and year group assemblies.

Useful Links

GCSE Dance AQA Specification

https://filestore.aqa.org.uk/resources/dance/specifications/AQA-8236-SP-2016.PDF

GCSE Dance AQA Glossary

https://www.aqa.org.uk/resources/dance/gcse/dance/teach/subject-specific-vocabulary

Sadler’s Wells Performances

https://www.sadlerswells.com/

GCSE Dance Anthologies


https://www.aqa.org.uk/resources/dance/gcse/dance/teach/dance-anthology

Google classroom

This is a fantastic tool, utilised weekly by the Performing Arts faculty.  The online application allows for paperless communication, between staff and students and for staff to streamline curriculum, classwork, examinations and homework.