Dance - Key Stage 3

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What pupils will learn

How it builds on learning

Key Elements in Dance

Performance & Choreography Skills:

Pupils will be introduced to the fundamentals of Dance through the participation in a unit during PE, learning how to use improvisation as a tool to explore a variety of movements, how to apply the key elements of dance, what performance skills are needed and how to appreciate the work of their peers.

There will be an emphasis on exploring the key elements in dance:

Relationships, Actions, Dynamics, Space. Students will then be given creative tasks by exploring ‘Action and reaction’, ‘Manipulation and power’.

These tasks will build on learning and demonstrate how we can use our bodies in space with others by focusing on three key words: Over, Under and Round

By understanding how to explore these key elements, students will develop their knowledge of dance improvisation as a group. They will gain an understanding of how to use the music as a starting point. 

Students will learn how to use the key elements of dance to create a choreography through group work, duets, trios, and ensemble work; they will learn three key choreographic devices to develop their dance further: Unison, Cannon, and Motif.

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Introduction to a Stimulus

Pupils will be given a piece of music as a starting point for choreography.

Students will understand how to explore their response to a musical stimulus by applying and exploring the key elements of dance.

Safety in Dance

Pupils will learn how to warm up and cool down correctly.

Laying the foundations of understanding safe practices, which will help to prevent injury and improve technical skills.

Pupils will develop spatial awareness.

This encourages the students to improvise with the dance space around them using it as a tool to explore a variety of movements.

8

What students will learn

How it builds on learning

Autumn Term: ‘Let’s Explore Dance’

Pupils will revisit the Key Elements deepening their understanding of Relationships, Actions, Dynamics, Space.

This will help to build and develop their knowledge of the fundamental skills required.

Dance Techniques

Through the delivery of the class warm up and by learning a dance routine, students will get the chance to explore contemporary dance techniques, commercial dance, street/hip hop styles.

This will give the students a greater understanding of the safe practices in dance and will progress their dance technique further. 

Choreography From a Stimulus

Pupils will be given a stimulus as a starting point for choreography which will be to create their own celebration dances inspired by the Rambert Dance company’s performance at the opening & closing ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

This exercise progresses knowledge of choreographic devices; using a stimulus as a starting point will help to develop themes and ideas. It will also challenge the student to think of dance in a cultural context. Students will be able to develop their own ideas by choosing their own music and exploring themes that relate to them for their performance.

Spring Term: Hip Hop Meets Contemporary

Dance Appreciation

Students will be introduced to dance appreciation as we study a professional dance. The scheme of work is inspired by professional works of Boy Blue Entertainment, ‘Emancipation of Expressionism’ choreographed by Kenrick ‘H20 Sandy. This unit is an insight into learning the diverse signature movements of hip hop fused with contemporary dance as art forms, which is an exciting combination to learn.

Through discussion and analysis of watching the professional works, students will develop their knowledge and ideas for their own choreography and performance.

Choreography Skills and Performance skills

Students will look at the choreographic approach and what key elements of dance are used with particular focus on Relationships. Pupils will also develop their understanding of the principles in choreography and how to use choreographic devices such as structure and use of space, unison, cannon, formation, motif. Pupils will learn how to utilise and apply these skills to their choreography. A musical stimulus will be given which was a key starting point for the professional choreography; the musical stimulus inspires the idea of being free and how to express as an individual and together through movement from creative tasks. Using improvision as a tool to explore movement, pupils will build on their dance awareness and learn and understand how to explore movement and be able to express as individuals. Focusing on the theme of ‘The beginning’ - the starting point of our journey and how we grow from these struggles and experiences - pupils are introduced to the themes of ‘Connection/Flow’ and ‘Empowerment’. They will explore these as a stimulus through discussion and analysis of watching the professional works. ‘Connection/Flow’ focuses on the key element ‘Relationships’. Pupils will explore these as a stimulus through discussion and analysis of watching the professional works. Understanding what the choreographic approach and intentions are, students will learn how to adapt and abstract signature hip-hop movements using contemporary dance art forms from phrases they have been taught. They will learn hip-hop signature movements and a contemporary dance phrase based on the themes. Students are then required to create their own phrases of movement based on the professional work in response to these intentions from the choreographer. Exploring ‘Action/Reaction’, ‘Empowerment’, ‘Connection and Flow’ as a relationship device, the application of transitions to their dance using choreographic devices, including creating motifs. Accompanied by learning set movement and learning how to understand and utilise and apply choreographic devices with particular focus on structure, motif, formations, cannon, and unison, use of space and performance focus.

This unit continues the growth of learning and understanding how to use a stimulus as a starting point to devise choreography and understand the principles. The unit aims to develop learners’ knowledge further through these key areas of creative process, improvisation, choreography, performance, and dance appreciation of professional works. The creative process will include a response to a musical stimulus and themes that will contrast the hip-hop style of movement. Improvisational tasks will inspire pupils to enhance their movement skills further to create and devise their group choreography. Pupils will develop deeper understanding of how different dance ideas develop in response to a range of different stimuli; the fundamentals of the key elements in dance will be established with students being able to demonstrate and identify RADS through different styles of dance and choreography. Throughout the unit there is a key focus on musicality as a stimulus and performance students will perform their final pieces for assessment.

Summer Term: Musical Theatre, Ensemble Performance

Pupils will be introduced to an Introduction to Musical Theatre and Ensemble Performance. Some learners may already have experience of Musical Theatre dance and performance through being involved in our extracurricular musical theatre clubs. All learners will be familiar with musical theatre songs having looked at them in their music lessons. Students will be shown some different musicals focusing on ensemble dance and how to tell a story through this genre using dance. Students will appreciate and explore the musical theatre and how it is delivered. They will be set a creative task to choreograph their own version of dance for the musical song. Through dance appreciation and the stimulus to inspire them to create their own musical theatre choreography, students will discuss, understand, and learn how to apply these skills to in for performance. The scheme of work will focus on the style of choreography and how it relates to the narrative and music as a stimulus to express the feeling and mood of the song, with particular focus on the importance of performance skills in musical theatre and why it is so important in this genre and how ensemble dance is key to create the impact of performance for Musical Theatre.

Through dance appreciation, students will study ensemble dance and learn how each individual performance plays a key part for the musical theatre performance together. There will be emphasis on working as a team and a company together to demonstrate how this genre works on stage. Pupils will have the opportunity to appreciate and understand the different variety of musicals. Students will learn a set musical dance phrase and will perform as an ensemble together at the end of the unit.

This scheme of work will allow students to build from prior learning of understanding what a stimulus is and how to apply it through dance and use this idea to create choreography. The skills that they have already learnt through the key elements of choreography, improvisation and creative tasks will enable students to express themselves creatively through this process and to use these skills for musical theatre genre of dance and performance. The Musical Theatre unit provides the opportunity for students to engage with a storyline by using the stimulus to express themselves creatively and apply these skills physically to the choreography, whilst improving their appreciation and understanding of the importance of performance skills. Students will learn and understand that each Musical Theatre song and dance tells a different story through performance; this will help students engage with their social and emotional development by understanding and empathising with the characters and their journey in which each character encounters a range of themes. Along with developing a range of different dance styles within the musicals, students will build on learning to perform as a soloist in a duet or group and as a full ensemble - all of which are important aspects of performing arts and identify the different types of musical.  Students will build from prior learning of how to use a stimulus and how to portray the narrative through dance. Students will also be able to describe and explain the stylistic features of musical theatre, describe different features of production and explain how they support the dance idea. At the end of the unit students will perform an ensemble performance. This unit will focus on developing appreciation of professional dance and peers.

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What pupils will learn

How it builds on learning

Autumn Term: Contact ‘The Frantic Method'

The unit aims to develop physical and technical skills, with a key focus on contemporary dance technique, creating and devising choreography by using approaches from contemporary dance forms and physical theatre. Pupils will learn how to explore weight, space, connection, using receptive skills. The schemes of work will explore contact in dance. Pupils will learn how to progress to the next level of advanced dance technique. Through dance appreciation students will look at contact and contemporary dance. Looking at professional works by Frantic Assembly, pupils will learn ‘The frantic method’ and techniques; building blocks, round- by- through, push hands; we will explore these methods through contact and dance to drive forward the narrative. Pupils will gain an understanding of performing and demonstrate choreographic intentions and artistry through movement. The choreography will be individual and collective piece with an exciting a mix of lifts, duet work, athletic pace, and sensitivity and set phrase that will be taught and utilised within the choreography through devising and creative process.

Pupils will have secured their knowledge of the Key Elements of Dance from Year 7 exploring over and under techniques, reaction and action, and the four key elements in dance. Now it is time to take them to the next level and build their skills to progress further through dance, play and improvisation. This scheme of work will prepare learners for more challenging creative tasks and advanced contemporary dance techniques for Key Stage 4. They will have progressed their own practical skills and recognition of how to improve key skills needed for Dance in preparation for learning more challenging choreography and applying their knowledge through the devising and creative process. Pupils will have developed an appreciation for peer work and professional dance, understanding the artistic and choreographic intentions of Dance. Students will know what a stimulus is and how stimuli are used as a catalyst to inspire and create choreography for performance. Students will lead contemporary dance warm ups exploring technique that will strengthen their ability to progress and develop contact and devising skills further through creative tasks using practitioners’ methods to understand and create their own contact duets and ensemble piece for performance. Pupils will gain a deeper knowledge through exploring improvisation and contact techniques at a higher and more challenging level. The ‘Frantic methods’ will improve their skills by breaking boundaries, taking risks, exploring new movement through contact improvisation. Students will then build on this by applying their knowledge of choreographic skills and devices to their work. Pupils will have sound understanding of use of narrative and how to push this forward using performance skills and physical technique of contact work.

This unit builds on students’ knowledge by exploring contemporary dance techniques and forms whilst learning and exploring a physical theatre aspect which runs cross curricular with drama topics. Students will perform as an ensemble choreography together. This unit will challenge students by taking them out of their comfort zone through improvisation, physical and choreography skills and with a key focus on workshop and creative process and strong performance skills.

Spring Term: Street Dance

Pupils will explore Street Dance and the social culture, background and context, as well as its key elements: moving and grooving, use of character, originality and unique style, intention, creativity, and social interaction, through dance appreciation of the professional work ‘Into the Hoods’ performed by ZooNation, choreographed by Kate Prince. The professional work is based on fairy tales ‘Once upon a time’ based on original characters that have been given a contemporary twist using Street Dance techniques, hip-hop flavour, and style. The characters and theme follow the narrative of a traditional fairy-tale with a contemporary take on traditional characters. Students will learn signature hip-hop movements and stylistic features of Street dance and the importance of storytelling through dance and performance. Through the scheme of work students will utilise their acting skills through character and performance and will creatively explore street dance style movements for their characters. Dance appreciation of the professional works along with using tradition fairy-tale story will be the stimulus for devising this piece of choreography in groups. Pupils will learn and explore key features of different street foundations and Hip-Hop movements and be able to make links with the stylistic qualities of these styles to the characters within the professional work. Learners will discuss critical appreciation skills to be able to understand, explore repertoire of the professional dance work and will learn how to recreate from the professional work to begin creating their own choreography in groups based on the fairy-tale narrative and exploring these characters through this dance style. Collaboration, individual movement vocabulary and social interaction will be explored through the scheme of work and style of street dance.

Pupils have already been introduced to signature hip- hop movements in Year 8 and the key elements of dance. Students build on how to express the dance style from the inspiration of appreciation of professional works. Learners can advance their skills through dance appreciation by exploring style and repertoire and using improvisation as a tool to express and respond to an idea or theme. This will build and develop their choreography and devising skills. Students have prior knowledge and understanding of how to apply the key elements in dance. This scheme of work will help to expand their choreography skills which will enhance the devising process. Students will build on their dance appreciation skills taking them to the next level through the Appreciation of Dance analysis, by watching ‘Into the Hoods’ by ZooNation choreographed by Kate Prince. This will give them the idea to develop their characters: through creative tasks and improvisation students will explore the movement style they would like for their characters; they will understand how to recall the movement and develop from memory using ideas from the repertoire of the professional works. Learners will use the prior knowledge to begin devising their choreography by starting with the theme and focus upon characters, theme, and story line. As a group we will look and analyse the works again exploring choreographic skills which students will use to build their knowledge and develop their choreography and progress further by understand the style and stylistic features of Hip Hop to develop choreographic skills: unison, canon, formation, repetition, level, direction, mirror, dynamics, question and answer, accumulation and retrograde. Students will then focus on interpretive skills such as timing, focus, fluency, musicality, dynamics, projection, energy, expression, quality, and emphasis. Throughout the unit and building from prior learning, developing technical and physical skills throughout the process, these skills are fundamental when performing. Musicality is a key part of street dance history, culture and context, and an influence that demonstrates the key features and styles of the characters. Students will perform their pieces at the end of the unit.

Summer Term: Advanced Contemporary dance skills and technique: ‘This is how we feel’

This unit is aimed to bridge the gap and prepare students on their journey to take to the next level in Key stage 4. The unit aims to develop physical and technical skills. With a key focus on contemporary dance technique, students will devise choreography by using approaches from contemporary dance forms and physical theatre.

The stimulus for the choreography is explored through dance appreciation, inspired by professional works of Company Chameleon, ‘Witness & Witness this,’ a brave choreography that highlights mental health and wellbeing, its impact on others around us, how we cope with individual circumstances and how we can support each other. Turning the spotlight on mental health, dancer, performer, and choreographer Kevin Turner explores his own journey of mental health and how he uses this as a catalyst to express himself through contemporary dance forms.

Students will be led through a creative process of how to explore the professional works through interpretation and response to the stimulus ‘This is how we feel’. Students will explore the stimulus using the professional works as a starting point and theme for their work. Their response to ‘This is how we feel’ will be a starting point for their ideas. Each lesson will be delivered through practical dance workshops, engaging students through participation and response to the stimulus. Students will research, plan, and explore their response to the stimulus by developing different ideas using contemporary dance forms, contemporary dance techniques, improvisation trust exercises, lifts, weight bearing, connections. They will learn how to apply the choreographic processes, by using choreographic devices and methods through dance workshops. The students will have the freedom to explore creativity, push boundaries, and use their expressive skills. Students will gain an understanding of performing and demonstrate choreographic intentions and artistry through movement. The choreography will be individual and collective piece with an exciting a mix of lifts, duet work, athletic pace, and sensitivity, response to a stimulus demonstrating the narrative through their choreography and performance skills. 

Students will already have sound understanding of how to respond to a stimulus. They will have the freedom to build on their knowledge and explore creativity, push boundaries, and use their expressive skills. This unit is the most in-depth scheme of work where students can utilise and apply their knowledge and understanding of dance physically and mentally from prior learning. They will analyse and reflect on the two choreographies in depth; they will be able to recognise how the dancers physically respond to the stimulus. Students will demonstrate the skills they have learnt throughout their dance units. Through prior learning the narrative and choreographic intention of the dance should clear. This will be their most advanced choreography and performance.