Helena Romanes / Dance

Dance

Dance increases your confidence and self-esteem, improves problem-solving and creativity and allows you to make knowledgeable decisions about dances.

Why Study a GCSE/A Level in Dance?

  • It promotes fitness, a healthy lifestyle, teamwork and creativity.
  • It develops independent learning and critical and reflective thinking.
  • It develops an understanding of a range of dance styles through performance, creation and appreciation.
  • It develops physical, technical and expressive skills which enable you to communicate choreographic intention and individuality as a performer.
  • It helps you to build an understanding of choreography through which you are able to communicate ideas and meaning, drawn from a range of dance styles.
  • It develops a critical appreciation of dance in its physical, artistic, aesthetic and cultural settings.

Development in Dance

The study of dance as an art form contributes to your aesthetic and social development and, as a physical activity, it promotes fitness and well-being. It also supports learning across a range of subjects. Studying dance helps you to develop:

  • as a performer, building up confidence and self-esteem
  • self and body awareness as well as sensitivity to others and team-working skills
  • effective performance requiring physical effort and determination to succeed and improve
  • as a choreographer, employing problem-solving, creativity by using imagination and the ability to synthesize a number of elements
  • interpersonal and communication skills
  • critical skills, making informed decisions about the dances you see
  • articulation of knowledge, opinions and preferences, and

GCSE Dance Assessment

Unit 1: Performance and Choreography – Practical Exam 60%

  • Perform set phrases through a solo performance (30%).
  • Solo or group choreography (30%).

Unit 2: Dance appreciation – Written Exam 1½ hours 40%

  • Based on students own practice in performance and choreography and the GCSE Dance anthology.

A Level Dance Assessment

  • Component 1: performance and choreographyWhat’s assessed
    Solo performance linked to a specified practitioner within an area of study
    performance in a quartet
    Group choreographyHow it’s assessed:
    Practical exam
    80 marks
    50% of A level
  • Component 2: Critical engagementWhat’s assessed
    Knowledge, understanding and critical appreciation of two set works.

    • One compulsory set work within the compulsory area of study
    • One optional set work within the corresponding area of study, from a choice of four.


    How it’s assessed
    Written exam: 2 hours 30 minutes
    100 marks
    50% of A-level

    Questions
    Section A:     short answer questions (25 marks) and one essay question (25 marks) on the compulsory set work/area of study.
    Section B:     two essay questions on the second set work/area of study (25 marks for each essay).