GCSE Dance

Innovation Dance is delighted to offer the NEW GCSE Dance course at their Finchley Studio, giving students the opportunity to develop as dancers through an exciting and diverse specification:

"We've worked with dance teachers and subject experts to create a qualification that gives you the freedom to create lessons that will inspire and motivate all your students.

Dance is a powerful and expressive subject which encourages students to develop their creative, physical, emotional and intellectual capacity, whatever their previous experience in the subject.

This specification recognizes the role of dance in young people’s lives and students will study a range of dance styles and style fusions. Apart from the solo performance, they can choose any style in which to perform and choreograph, providing it meets the assessment criteria.

The study of the anthology of professional works will develop their ability to critically appraise professional dance works and provide a springboard for engaging in practical tasks."

AQA Exam Board (http://www.aqa.org.uk/)

  • If you have a passion for all aspects of dance
  • If you have previous sustained dance experience
  • Want to improve your skills as a performer and choreographer
  • Want to study for a recognized qualification
  • Work towards becoming a professional dancer

Then Innovation Dance's GCSE Dance is for you...

GCSE provides the opportunity to engage with dance in a different way from other purely practical courses. It teaches them to employ dance as the method of study too – not only developing their practical dance and interpersonal skills but also enhancing their analytical and creative thinking.

Innovation Dance offer a first-rate Twilight GCSE Dance course that runs outside of school hours allowing students to study in their own time, at a professional studio, gaining an extra specialist qualification, as well as showing commitment and initiative to potential collages and universities.

Knowledge/Skills Gained

"This specification focuses on the aesthetic and artistic qualities of dance and the symbolic use of movement to express and communicate ideas and concepts through the interrelated processes of performance, choreography and appreciation. Dance is a powerful and empowering form of non-verbal communication and it is both physical and expressive, which makes it similar to and different from other art forms and physical activities. Dance develops creative, imaginative, physical, emotional and intellectual capacities.

This specification acknowledges the important role that dance plays in young people’s lives. GCSE students will study a range of dance styles which acknowledge aspects of the repertoire of dance that can be seen in the United Kingdom today."

AQA Exam Board (http://www.aqa.org.uk/)

 

Course Outline

This qualification is linear. Linear means that students will sit all their exams and submit all their non-exam assessment at the end of the course.

Subject content

Core content

  1. Performance
  2. Choreography
  3. Dance appreciation

Assessments

Students must complete both assessment components.

Component 1: Performance and choreography
What's assessed

Performance

  • Set phrases through a solo performance (approximately one minute in duration)
  • Duet/trio performance (three minutes in a dance which is a maximum of five minutes in duration)

Choreography

  • Solo or group choreography – a solo (two to two and a half minutes) or a group dance for two to five dancers (three to three and a half minutes)
How it's assessed

Internally marked and externally moderated

Performance

  • 30% of GCSE
  • 40 marks

Choreography

  • 30% of GCSE
  • 40 marks

Total component 60%

Non-exam assessment (NEA) marked by the centre and moderated by AQA.

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Component 2: Dance appreciation
What's assessed

  • Knowledge and understanding of choreographic processes and performing skills
  • Critical appreciation of own work
  • Critical appreciation of professional works
How it's assessed

  • 40% of GCSE
  • Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • 80 marks
QuestionsBased on students' own practice in performance and choreography and the GCSE Dance anthology.

 

Details

Course start date: September 
Course duration: 2 school years
Course fee: Paid in termly amounts, please call for details

The fess include a 2 hour session per week during term time plus the scheduled holiday revisions and exam sessions, all resources including; dance folders, text books, professional work guides, one to one exam tuition and exam fees.

Course requirements: applicants should have a sustained level of dance experience and a passion for learning (assessment will be made in a trial class before a place can be offered on the course). They must also commit to a Ballet or Contemporary session per week at Innovation Dance.

*Students typically take this course in Year 9 & 10, prior to exams in Year 11. However please inquire if you require special consideration in Year 10-11.