Rationale:

Dance has existed as a vital part of every known culture throughout time. It is a distinct form of nonverbal communication that uses the body as an instrument of expression, articulating the culture and society from which it emerges. Dance exists today in many forms and is performed for a variety of purposes in differing contexts.

The study of dance as an artform is the philosophical base of the Dance Years 7–10 Syllabus. ‘Dance as an artform’ distinguishes the content and teaching approaches that are used in the teaching of dance as art in education. It underpins the students’ artistic, aesthetic and cultural education through dance. The conceptual basis of the study of dance as an artform centres on the three practices of performance, composition and appreciation of dance as works of art. Equal emphasis is placed on the processes of experience and end products. Students learn both movement principles and stylised techniques, and they learn through both problem-solving and directed teaching. The development of creativity, imagination and individuality is emphasised equally with knowledge of theatre dance.

Dance involves the development of physical skill as well as aesthetic, artistic and cultural understanding. Learning in dance and learning through dance enables students to apply their own experiences to their study of dance. They learn to express ideas creatively as they make and perform dances, and analyse dance as works of art. They think imaginatively and share ideas, feelings, values and attitudes while physically and intellectually exploring the communication of ideas through movement.

The integration of the practices of performance, composition and appreciation is a key feature of the syllabus and the elements of dance are the components that link the study of the practices. The practices are interrelated and equally important and they inform one another, providing opportunities for students to explore and understand their world. In practice, learning in dance is spiral in nature, incorporating earlier stages and building on itself. Safe dance practice is embedded through the practices to ensure that students are able to maintain safe, healthy and rewarding lives.

Aim:

The aim of the Dance Years 7–10 Syllabus is for students to experience, understand, value and enjoy dance as an artform through the interrelated study of the performance, composition and appreciation of dance.

Objectives:

Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

Students will develop knowledge, understanding and skills about dance as an artform through:

• dance performance as a means of developing dance technique and performance quality to communicate ideas

• dance composition as a means of creating and structuring movement to express and communicate ideas

• dance appreciation as a means of describing and analysing dance as an expression of ideas within a social, cultural or historical context.

Values and Attitudes

Students will value and appreciate:

• their engagement in the study of dance as an artform.

Content:

Dance as an Artform:

Dance as an artform is the overarching philosophy of the syllabus and it defines the students’ artistic, aesthetic and cultural education through dance. In the study of dance as an artform students develop knowledge, understanding, skills, values and attitudes ‘through’ and ‘about’ the interrelated experiences of performing, composing and appreciating their own dances, the dances of others, and dances as works of art in the public domain. Experience with the elements of dance and the language of dance (ie terminology) enables students to communicate physically, verbally and in written forms in all aspects of performance, composition and appreciation. Through the practices of performance, composition and appreciation students learn about the distinctive ways in which they can express their own experiences. They also learn about the development of cultural meanings and artistic traditions.

Performance:

Dance is an art that is meant to be performed for an audience. A performance refers to the application of dance technique and performance quality to a dance that communicates an idea. A dance performance can be the informal or formal presentation of a classroom sequence, a student composition, a choreographed dance or an excerpt of a dance work of art which is based on the elements of dance, expresses a concept/intent, ideas and/or styles, and reflects the syllabus outcomes.

The Dance Years 7–10 Syllabus employs a generic dance training described as ‘dance technique’ based on the fundamentals of classical ballet and modern dance techniques through which students acquire appropriate strength, flexibility, coordination, endurance and skill. Through safe dance practices students develop a working knowledge of the basic physiology of the human body as it relates to the dancer and the common causes, prevention and care of dance injury. Students develop an articulate body as they perform non-locomotor and locomotor combinations, sequences and choreographed dances of increasing complexity. They perform turns, falls, balance and elevation with increasing control. They perform a range of dances, individually and with others, in a variety of styles (performance/ choreographic/theatrical).

Composition:

Dance expresses ideas, feelings and experiences, and is developed through the creative methods of dance composition. Students engage in problem-solving tasks and manipulate the elements of dance as they explore, devise, select, refine and structure movement in a personal response to various stimuli to communicate ideas. 

•       Processes: exploration, improvisation, reflection, selection, refinement, analysis of a variety of stimuli

•       Elements of construction: the elements a dance composer/choreographer would consider as the foundation for the communication of an intent or idea, including sequence, transition, repetition, variation, contrast to achieve unity or design

•       Choreographic forms: binary form, ternary form, rondo form, theme and variations, canon, narrative form, and others.

Appreciation:

Dance provides opportunities for students to gain understanding of people, culture and society. In Appreciation, students study and analyse dance. They observe and describe performances, compositions and dance works of art (professional choreography intended to be performed for an audience) through the elements of dance, reinforcing the students’ understanding of their own dance performance and composition. In describing dance, students learn to deconstruct various components of a dance that contribute to the communication of ideas, including the body, and the spatial, temporal, dynamic and relationship features of a dance. Students analyse dance works of art within a social, cultural or historical context as a reflection of the society from which it has emerged. Students communicate their personal responses to dance effectively using appropriate dance terminology in oral, written and physical forms.