Welcome to Dance!
Year 7
Autumn Term 1: Keith Haring
Focus on using Keith Haring artwork as a stimulus for the development of choreography. Introduction of action, space, dynamics & relationships (ASDR)
Autumn Term 2: Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker
Focus on using Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker (By Invitation Only scene) to develop sweet inspired choreography. Focus on developing action and dynamic content. Critical appreciation & analysis of the original choreography.
Spring Term 1: Bollywood
Focus on introducing students to dance from a different culture. Students learn traditional hand gestures and apply them to their own choreography. Students focus on the application of canon & unison & spatial elements.
Spring Term 2: African Dance
Students explore dance from another culture. Students look at the origins of African dance and its importance in African society. Students will create a fusion choreography blending traditional African dance with modern Afrobeats movement.
Summer Term 1: The Periodic Table
Focus on students using a range of choreographic devices to develop choreography inspired by elements from the periodic table. Students use the periodic table as a stimulus and look at the choreographic process from start to end.
Summer Term 2: Zoonation’s Mad Hatters Tea Party
Focus on developing choreography focussing on mental health. Full range of ASDR & CD’s to be used in choreography. Critical appreciation of the original choreography.
Year 8
Autumn Term 1: Rosas Danst Rosas
Focus on dynamic content & communication of choreographic intention. Use of props. Critical appreciation of the original work by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker
Autumn Term 2: Christopher Bruces’ Swansong
Focus on the further use of props in choreography. Students develop stage combat skills and apply to help communicate the choreographic intention. Students create work in the style and with the original. Critical appreciation of the original work by Christopher Bruce.
Spring Term 1: Set Study, Find It
Focus on the accurate replication of a set study. Emphasis on developing physical, technical and expressive skills. Students learn to develop their analysis of their own performance.
Spring Term 2: Dance Through The Decades
This unit tracks the evolution of dance from 1920s Charleston, 1930s Lindyhop, 1950s Jive, 1960s Twist, 1970s Disco to the 1980s and the emergence of Breakdance. Students learn key movement from each era. Students create a fusion choreography blending elements of all decades studied.
Summer Term 1: Capoeira
Exploring movement from a different culture. Focus on introducing students to the basics of Capoeira and dance from a different culture. Students focus on the physical and technical skills to create Capoeira inspired choreography.
Summer Term 2: Musicals
This unit explores the dance and movement of musicals specifically Hairspray. This unit focuses on developing students' expressive skills. Students are able to develop key motifs from musicals to create their own choreography. Students learn how to structure choreography for musical theatre.Students develop ability to perform with the appropriate use of expressive skills.
Year 9
Autumn Term 1: Stimulus Choreography
Focus on generating creative choreographic intentions from a visual stimulus and creating choreography through ASDR & Choreographic devices which help communicate the intention.
Autumn Term 2: Boy Blue Entertainment Emancipation of Expressionism
Focus on learning motifs & motif development from the original choreography. Focus on different styles presented in the work (krumping, breakdance, waacking,..) Critical appreciation of original choreography.
Spring Term 1: Balletboyz Young Men
This unit is a theoretical unit of live performance analysis. This unit requires analysis and descriptive work on costume, lighting, setting, accompaniment, movement material, use of choreographic devices and the production choices contribution to the choreographic intention and overall performance.
Spring Term 2: Choreographers & Companies
This unit focuses on the processes and work of a range of choreographers and companies including; Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, Christopher Bruce, Matthew Bourne, Motionhouse & Akram Khan.
Summer Term: Dance for camera
Students focus on learning and exploring the genres and sub genres of street dance. Basics of parkour will be covered. Final aim is to produce a piece of work for film in the street dance/ parkour genres. Students look at the critical appreciation of a range of site specific work.