Dance

“There’s no other way to move. The idea of dance is freedom. It is not exclusiveness, it’s inclusiveness.”

Judith Jamison

Dance is the oldest known art form and for centuries it has allowed for human expression through movement. This non-verbal form of communication has been an integral part of every known culture and has followed the evolution of humanity. In dance, we listen, not just to the music but to the world around us. The world is our stimulus to create art using the body as an instrument for communication.

Dance is an engaging medium for learning and facilitates physical, creative and intellectual development through Performance, Composition and Appreciation. Dance enables students to explore expressive possibilities through the development of their dance technique, the creation of original compositions and analysis of dance works of art.

The UWCSEA Dance curriculum has a holistic approach, developing students' knowledge and understanding through the interrelated components of Performance, Composition and Appreciation. The Dance course caters for students with no previous experience as well as those with highly developed skills. Engaging with dance will contribute to physical and emotional development whilst encouraging lifelong participation and enjoyment.

Grade 8 Subject Selection Video.mp4

Course Aims

Appreciate dance as an artform that fosters an understanding of culture and traditions

Understand how movement can be used as a means to communicate themes and ideas

Acquire technical and expressive skills across a variety of dance styles

Explore methods to generate movement to understand its expressive possibilities

Recognise how knowledge can be developed both through physically immersive and analytical processes

Course Outline

Students will engage in a variety of units that develop their skills in the interrelated components of Performance, Composition and Appreciation. The UWCSEA Dance curriculum will explore dance as an art form through these components with units designed to give students appropriate depth and breadth to prepare them for the IB Dance Diploma Programme. These units will include disciplinary-specific learning with opportunities for interdisciplinary learning.

Skills Developed

Grade 9 focuses on building foundational technical and expressive skills and using the elements of dance to communicate an intention within a clear structure. Grade 10 elevates the complexity by focusing on relationships, exploring digital mediums, fusing styles, and using dance for social commentary.

Creativity and Innovation
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Collaboration and Communication
Adaptability and Flexibility
Leadership and Responsibility
Ethical and Cultural Awarness

Performance Skills

Acquire technical and expressive skills
Employ specific technical skills to perform movement with appropriate aesthetics.
Integrate expressive skills to enhance the choreographic intention and convey artistic choices.
Develop personal capabilities
Maintain health and well-being

Compositional Skills

Generate Movement using the elements of dance: space, time, and dynamics
Manipulate movement using compositional devices
Apply a creative process
Explore digital media to communicate meaning through dance
Collaborate effectively with others
Innovate and fuse dance styles

Appreciation Skills

Critically analyse both professional and personal dance works
Appreciate dance as an art form that fosters understanding of culture and traditions.
Deconstruct questions to understand their scope, identify instructional verbs to structure a relevant argument.
Develop descriptive, analytical and evaluative writing for clear expression when writing about dance.

Assessment

The UWCSEA Dance curriculum assessments focus on three key components: Performance, Composition, and Appreciation. Practical assessments, which make up approximately 70% of the course, will primarily involve performance and composition. Appreciation will be assessed through written tasks and presentations. While students will collaborate with peers throughout most units, formal assessments will largely be conducted individually.

Misconceptions About Dance

"I do 7 hours of dance outside of school, therefore I don't need to do it as a subject."

Taking dance classes outside of school can significantly enrich your progress in Dance as a subject. Just as extra tutoring can support learning in Maths or Science, additional dance training can deepen your skills and confidence. While success in dance isn’t solely dependent on technical ability, continued practice will only strengthen your development.

"You need to be an experienced Ballet dancer."

You don’t need any prior dance experience to choose Dance as a subject. While previous training can offer useful background knowledge, your success in the course does not depend on having existing dance skills.

"It doesn't add to your university application."

Dance is a niche IB subject, with only around 900 candidates worldwide taking the exam each May session. This small global cohort means that choosing Dance can help your university applications stand out. It signals individuality, creativity, and a willingness to pursue a specialised discipline.

Dance is also a highly disciplined artform. It requires commitment, focus, resilience, and consistent practice, qualities that are widely admired by universities and employers. Through the course, students develop transferable skills such as collaboration, time management, critical thinking, cultural understanding, and the ability to communicate ideas through movement. These attributes are valuable in any field of study or career pathway, making Dance a subject that strengthens your overall academic and professional profile.

"I don't want to become a dancer."

Selecting Dance does not mean you intend to pursue a career in Dance. Many students, if not most, go on to pursue careers outside of the Arts. Students from UWCSEA East have gone on to do university degrees in Finance, Science, Education, Business and more.

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