Overview

Dance is a powerful and expressive subject that encourages students to develop their creative, physical, emotional and intellectual capacity, whatever their previous experience in the subject. This course recognises the role of dance in young people’s lives and students will study a range of dance styles. They can choose any style to perform and choreograph in, providing it meets the assessment criteria. The study of the anthology of professional works will develop their ability to critically appraise dances of different styles and cultural influences and provides a springboard for engaging practical tasks.

This specification focuses on the aesthetic and artistic qualities of dance and the symbolic use of movement to express and communicate ideas and concepts through the interrelated processes of performance, choreography and appreciation. Dance is an effective form of nonverbal communication and it is both physical and expressive, which makes it similar to and different from other art forms and physical activities. Dance develops creative, imaginative, physical, emotional and intellectual capacities. Whilst many students will bring some previous experience of dance, others will have very little. This specification aims to value and build on whatever experience they have. GCSE students will study a range of dance styles that acknowledge aspects of the repertoire of dance for theatre that can be seen in the United Kingdom today.

Dance GCSE offers students the opportunity to develop skills, knowledge and understanding of dance as a choreographer, performer and critic. It is important to be committed to all aspects of the course.

The course is open to all students who have a strong interest in creating their own work as well as performing alone and in small groups.  Students who opt for dance must be self-disciplined and be prepared to rehearse at lunch times and after school during examination periods.

Assessments

Course Requirements:

60% Practical

40% Theory

Students are assessed in the following areas:

Performance (30%)

• Set phrases through 2 solo performances

  • You will perform 2 set phrases, each approximately 30 seconds long. Out of a possible 12 marks.

• Duo/Trio performance

  • You will be expected to perform in a duet/ trio, lasting 3½ minutes. Out of a possible 24 marks.

Solo or Group Choreography (30%)

You will be expected to choreograph either a solo (2 to 2½ mins) or a group (with 2 to 5 dancers) lasting 3 to 3½ minutes.  The dance will be based on a prescribed list of stimuli. Out of a possible 40 marks.

Written Examination (40%)

Dance Appreciation

You will answer questions based on your knowledge and understanding of choreographic processes and performing skills, critical appreciation of your own and professional works. The paper is marked by the examination board, out of a possible 80 marks.

FAQs

Do I need to have lots of experience in dance already?

No - we welcome all abilities. We would, however, encourage you to attend a co-curricular club to enhance your dance technique and movement vocabulary.

Do we have to perform a solo?

Yes - Component 1: Performance is made up of 2 short solos, as well as a duet/ trio. Don’t worry though - we teach you the solo and give you lots of time to practice before your practical exam!

What type of dance is in the GCSE Dance specification?

The AQA GCSE Dance is a contemporary dance style course. However, within the course you learn about different professional works, which include: street dance, hip hop, ballet, contemporary, capoeira.

I’m worried about taking dance because none of my friends are taking it.

One of the great things about dance is how it brings people together - the course will help you to make new friends and work as a team in creating dances together.

How much practical/ theory is there?

Most of the work we do is practical - we want to keep lessons as active and fun as possible. There is a written element to the course though, so expect to be able to write about dance in class and as homework.

Will I be expected to perform in front of others?

Yes, absolutely. It’s one of the key aspects of the subject. But we understand that this can be daunting for some students, so it’s something that we will support you in doing.

I complete my dance grades outside of school, so there’s no point in me taking GCSE Dance, is there?

The course teaches you how to choreograph, exposes you to professional dance works and companies that you may otherwise not know, gives you additional performance opportunities and is very different to taking dance grades.

Will there be coursework or work to do outside of lessons?

No coursework but you will be organising your rehearsals for your choreographies outside of lesson time. This means you will have to put in some extra hours other than in lesson.

What else could I do in order to prepare me for the GCSE Dance course?

It’s great to be proactive about this - there are lots of things you can do to put you in the best position for GCSE Dance. Work on your dance technique, join a dance club, attend any dance trips offered in school, watch lots of dances online and in different styles, practice writing about dance by writing short reviews, take any opportunity you can to watch live dance in the theatre… immerse yourself as much as possible!