Dance
Year 7
In year 7, students will build skills in Choreography, Performance and Appreciation. Students should understand what physical and expressive skills are required to perform successfully. Students will develop teamwork skills and confidence throughout the year. Every two lessons a new theme will be adopted where students are required to choreograph alongside a theme. This will challenge students to think creatively and academically through dance appreciation. Students will develop the required skills to reflect on their own learning and the learning of others using strategies to respond to feedback effectively.
In addition to this, students will have the opportunity to take part in PDT after school clubs where they can gain a variety of extra experience in different dance styles. This will allow students to make an informed decision at the end of year 8 regarding their GCSE options.
Year 7 Curriculum Overview - Dance
Year 8
Year 8
In year 8, students will build skills in Choreography, Performance and Appreciation. Students should understand what physical and expressive skills are required to perform successfully. Students will develop teamwork skills and confidence throughout the year. This year students will be challenged choreographically to develop motifs through their actions, space, dynamics and relationships. They will need to think creatively and academically through dance appreciation. Students will develop the required skills to reflect on their own learning and the learning of others using strategies to respond to feedback effectively.
In addition to this, students will have the opportunity to take part in PDT after school clubs where they can gain a variety of extra experience in different dance styles. This will allow students to make an informed decision at the end of KS3 regarding their GCSE options.
Year 8 Curriculum Overview - Dance
Year 9
In year 9, students will build skills in Choreography, Performance and Appreciation. Students should understand what physical and expressive skills are required to perform successfully. Students will develop teamwork skills and confidence throughout the year. This year students will be challenged choreographically to develop motifs through their actions, space, dynamics and relationships. They will need to think creatively and academically through dance appreciation. Students will develop the required skills to reflect on their own learning and the learning of others using strategies to respond to feedback effectively. In year 9 students will also develop skills on how to appreciate other professional dance works.
Year 9 Curriculum Overview - Dance
Year 10
Year 10
In Year 10, students begin their formal GCSE Dance journey by deepening their understanding of choreography, performance and appreciation. They will refine their physical, technical and expressive skills through set phrases and longer performance tasks, developing accuracy, control and confidence. Students will explore choreographic devices in greater depth, learning how to structure movement material and communicate intention effectively.
Throughout the year, students study a range of professional dance works from the AQA anthology, building their analytical skills and learning how to interpret key features such as movement components, choreographic intention, staging and lighting. They will begin to apply this knowledge to written responses, developing the academic language required for the GCSE exam.
Students will also work collaboratively and independently to create original choreography, experimenting with action, space, dynamics and relationships to develop sophisticated motifs and movement ideas. By the end of Year 10, students will have a strong foundation in both practical and theoretical elements of the course, preparing them for the demands of Year 11.
