In this course, students are prepared for AQA GCSE Dance (8236). The following eight units are studied sequentially across Years 10 and 11.
Year 10
| Unit | Content |
|---|---|
| Unit 1 Emancipation of Expressionism
| Students begin their GCSE by revisiting Emancipation of Expressionism, a professional work by Boy Blue Entertainment. They develop their knowledge of the piece by making connections between features of its production and Kenrick Sandy's choreographic intent. They learn aspects of hip hop and street dance, and focus on Kenrick's use of unison and group dynamics. Students also learn their first assessed movement phrase, and begin their journey of recognising and improving their physical performance skills. Sources and/or texts:
Key knowledge developed:
Key skills developed:
Assessment: Students' learning is assessed in class by their teacher and peers, based on their understanding of the concepts studied and on their ability to demonstrate physical performance skills. |
| Unit 2 | In this unit, students study Christopher Bruce's professional piece, Shadows, focusing on the choreographer's use of motif development and characterisation. Using the narrative structure and contemporary style of this work, students will complete their own choreography projects, in pairs, in preparation for their formal assessment in Year 11. Sources and/or texts:
Key knowledge developed:
Key skills developed:
Assessment: Students are assessed on an on-going basis in lessons during their choreographic project. Feedback comes from teachers, peers and self-assessment. All students perform their choreographed dance piece in a Dance Showcase, receiving formal feedback from their teacher. |
| Unit 3 | In this unit, students study the professional work A Linha Curva by Itzik Galili. They learn the basics of capoeira and samba, and develop motifs from Galili's piece, incorporating elements of its spatial design and movement style. They make connections between Galili's choreographic intent and various features of production. Students also learn the second AQA set phrase 'Breathe', and continue to track their progress of key performance skills. Sources and/or texts:
Key knowledge developed:
Key skills developed:
Assessment: Students are assessed across the unit by their teacher and peers. They receive written and verbal feedback on mock exam answers. |
| Unit 4 Infra | In this unit, students study a professional work, Infra, exploring its use of pedestrian movement and its fusion of ballet and contemporary styles. They analyse and make connections between features of production and its choreographic intent. Students develop a small paired composition, using the style of Infra, further improving their ability to perform with another dancer. Sources and/or texts:
Key knowledge developed:
Key skills developed:
Assessment: Students undertake their practical and theory mock assessment during this unit. They receive detailed feedback from their teacher. |
| Unit 5 Artificial Things | In this unit, students start to learn their final performance-assessed duet or trio piece, tracking their progress in the performance skills they demonstrate. They also study a further professional work, Artificial Things, comparing the features of production to its choreographic intent. This highly emotional piece explores life’s limitations and resolutions through dancers' personal experiences. Sources and/or texts:
Key knowledge developed:
Key skills developed:
Assessment: Students are assessed across the unit by their teacher and peers. At the end of the unit, they undertake a mock practical exam for the duet/trio component and receive detailed feedback. |
| Unit 6 Within Her Eyes | This unit provides students with detailed knowledge of another professional work, Within Her Eyes, a site-sensitive work exploring the relationship between two dancers, one of whom never touches the floor. Students analyse and understand its features of productions and movement styles, and make connections to its creator's choreographic intent. Students work in pairs to create a site-sensitive composition based on lifts and relationships between dancers. Towards the end of the unit, students complete a solo choreographic task. Sources and/or texts:
Key knowledge developed:
Key skills developed:
Assessment: Students are assessed throughout the term and receive feedback on their performance skills. In this unit, they are formally assessed for the practical element of their AQA Dance GCSE. |
Year 11
| Unit | Content |
|---|---|
| Unit 7 Assessed choreography task | At the beginning of this unit, AQA releases its choreography assessment task. Students work independently to apply their knowledge and skills by creating a solo or group dance piece. They evaluate the five given stimuli, and create their own choreographic intent, carefully reflecting on how they can suitably demonstrate this in their dance. Key skills developed:
Assessment: Students' original dance pieces are assessed by the teacher based on the AQA assessment criteria. |
| Unit 8 | Students continue to develop their performance skills and self-assess their dance pieces in preparation for their set phrases assessment. Students also consolidate their learning of the professional dance works and apply their knowledge and understanding of them in 'compare and contrast' questions. Key skills developed:
Assessment: Students are assessed throughout the term and receive feedback on their performance skills. They are formally assessed for the practical element of their Dance GCSE this term. |
