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Dance
The vision of the Dance department at Bishop Justus CofE school is to instil a great love of dance, while inspiring self-confidence, discipline and creativity as an integral part of holistic learning. Dance is an expressive art form that can nurture confidence and the love of dance can take on many different styles. We will develop dancers of all abilities, should they so choose to pursue the arts in further education or just as a hobby. We believe Dance develops a wide variety of key skills for all students and is something students can come back to during all stages of their life.
Updated VCM details will be available from 18/01/24
Year 7 Term 1
Term 1
What?What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging? Students learn a dance in musical theatre style from a popular children’s musical: Encanto. They are taught the teacher’s sequence which they will then build on in groups each week with their own choreography to represent a chosen characters power from the film. The challenging aspect is to recall the teacher’s sequence and choreographing their own sequence that identifiably represents a specific character. |
Why?Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? For the students first experience of Dance at Bishop Justus, they are welcomed with a fun, familiar song with simple taught movements to create a positive and accessible start to their dance education. They are able to showcase their own creativity right from lesson 1 and engage in some teambuilding with their new peers. |
How?How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? Core knowledge: Students will learn the performance style and the importance of synchronisation in Dance as well as good collaboration to choreograph as a small team. They will know that meaning can be communicated with their audience via specific dance moves to represent their chosen character. All students learn the teacher’s sequence with adapted versions for those who might require it. The sequence is taught by the teacher modelling all moves and rehearsing it with the class as well as being displayed on the board in written form. |
How well?What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well? Because they can….perform the teachers sequence confidently and accurately in time with the music as well as their own choreography. What should they be able to know? How to count to music and how dance can be used to communicate meaning without words. What should they be able to do? Perform the teacher’s sequence and their own choreography, with dance moves chosen specifically to display the powers of their chosen Encanto character. Learning checkpoints and assessment: informal visual assessments each lesson with feedback to monitor student engagement, effort, and attainment with a formal end of term assessment. Students self-assess as well as peer-assess each lesson to build confidence and a supportive environment. |
Where next?
Where do we go from here?
The following term sees students learn a new, slightly more challenging sequence that includes floor work, with more opportunity for creativity in choreography.
Year 7 Term 2
Term 2
What?What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging? Students will learn a dance sequence to a song from a popular children’s musical: The Lion King. The teacher’s taught sequence includes floor work which as an added challenge from the previous topic. They will be introduced to a use specific Dance terminology that will be interleaved throughout their Dance education. |
Why?Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? By including floor work, students are required to engage different muscles and have an increased demand on their balance and co-ordination. The new terminology will allow them to choreograph in a more intricate way. The moves draw on African influence to introduce (or refamiliarise) students with non-western style of dancing to ensure students are learning from a range of styles from very early on. |
How?How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? Core knowledge:
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How well?What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well? Because they can….perform the teacher’s sequence confidently and accurately as well as their own choreography with the inclusion of the key terms What should they be able to know? What the key terms for this term mean and how to include them in their own choreography. What should they be able to do? Choreograph their own sequence in the given style or learn the choreography of those in their group. Learning checkpoints and assessment: informal visual assessments each lesson to monitor engagement, effort, attainment and safe practice as well as an end of topic formal assessment with feedback delivered throughout from the teacher and the opportunity to self-assess and peer-assess. |
Where next?
Where do we go from here?
The following topic sees students study the Brazilian martial art dance style of Capoeira. Capoeira is more physically challenging and the introduction of floor work in term 2 is vital to give them an example of what is to follow.
Year 7 Terms 3&4
Term 3&4
What?What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging? Students learn about Capoeira and Disney and their influence on the dance world as well as how to perform within these specific genres. |
Why?Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? Students look at this at this point in year 7 to continue their learning around different practical performance styles and develop performance skills. |
How?How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? Core knowledge: Students will learn the performance style and the importance of synchronisation in Dance as well as good collaboration to choreograph as a small team. They will know that meaning can be communicated with their audience via specific dance moves to represent their chosen character. All students learn the teacher’s sequence with adapted versions for those who might require it. The sequence is taught by the teacher modelling all moves and rehearsing it with the class as well as being displayed on the board in written form. |
How well?What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well? Because they can….perform the teachers sequence confidently and accurately in time with the music as well as their own choreography. What should they be able to know? How to count to music and how dance can be used to communicate meaning without words. What should they be able to do? Perform the teacher’s sequence and their own choreography. Learning checkpoints and assessment: informal visual assessments each lesson with feedback to monitor student engagement, effort, and attainment with a formal end of term assessment. Students self-assess as well as peer-assess each lesson to build confidence and a supportive environment. |
Where next?
Where do we go from here?
The following term sees students learn a new, slightly more challenging sequence that includes floor work, with more opportunity for creativity in choreography.
Year 8 Term 1
Term 1
What?What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging? Students will learn a dance sequence in the style of Disco, they will be reminded of terminology from year 7 such as direction and position regarding where they are on their dance stage. Students will be challenged to change their group formation and/or the direction they are facing to add complexity to their choreography. |
Why?Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? Continuing with the exploration of different dance styles started in year 7, the first focus in year 8 explores another decade of music to expand their dance and music knowledge from different eras; introducing them to a fun style that is both accessible and challenging. |
How?How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? Core knowledge:
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How well?What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well? Because they can….perform the teacher’s sequence with the addition of their own choreography in the style of Disco with changes in formation and/or facings to add intricacy to their performance. What should they be able to know? How to perform in the style of Disco, a range of influential musicians/labels of the genre and how changing formation and/or facing has an impact on a performance. What should they be able to do? Perform the teacher’s sequence and choregraph their own sequence in the style of disco. Learning checkpoints and assessment: informal visual assessments each lesson to monitor engagement, effort, skill and creativity as well as end of term formal practical assessments which sees the students perform to Disco music showing the teacher’s sequence as well as their own choreography for a set number of counts. |
Where next?
Where do we go from here?
The following term sees students study the Bollywood dance style. By studying specific styles and eras, students are taken on a trip around the world and through time to experience a variety of dance styles.
Year 8 Term 2
Term 2
What?What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging? Students are introduced to the Bollywood style of dancing. Previous dance knowledge is interleaved such as formation, facing, mirroring, canon etc with the challenging aspect being to change the tempo at varying points as well as introducing call and response movements that are in time and accurately performed to increase intricacy in the taught sequence as well as students own choreography. |
Why?Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? Continuing with the exploration of a diverse range of dances from around the world and their influences to ensure we are all represented and included in each subject. Students are taught to consider spatial aspects of their dancing and how this is used in Bollywood dance and cinema. Students are revisiting skills they developed in year 7 and applying them to a different style of music. |
How?How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? Core knowledge:
All teacher taught sequences are modelled by the teacher and rehearsed with the class before they add their own choreography; opportunity for group leaders/feedback leaders to allow students to play to their strengths. |
How well?What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well? Because they can….Perform the teacher’s sequence confidently and accurately with their own choreography including changes in tempo, some movements in call and response and movement on stage to consider visual patterns What should they be able to know? How to perform in the Bollywood style and which dance moves are appropriate when choreographing. What should they be able to do? Accurately perform some effective call and response moves as well as choreographing movement on stage to create visual patterns. Learning checkpoints and assessment: informal visual assessment through each lesson as well as knowledge recall on our topic of Bollywood. At the end of term students will have a practical assessment that will be as per the success criteria. |
Where next?
Where do we go from here?
The following term sees the students continue their exploration of eras as they approach a term on the dance style Rock’N’Roll that requires them to consider how to dance with a partner in a range of approaches.
Year 8 Term 3&4
Term 3&4
What?What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging? Students learn about different Dance styles and the musical Matilda! They will focus on how to create performance work and also how to analyse and evaluate it as well as the specific skills of the Dancer. |
Why?Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? Students look at this at this point in year 8 in order to further extend their knowledge of how to be a successful Dance performer as well as different cultural styles of Dance. |
How?How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? Core knowledge:
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How well?What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well? Because they can….perform the teachers sequence confidently and accurately in time with the music as well as their own choreography. What should they be able to know? How to count to music and how dance can be used to communicate meaning without words. What should they be able to do? Perform the teacher’s sequence and their own choreography. Learning checkpoints and assessment: informal visual assessments each lesson with feedback to monitor student engagement, effort, and attainment with a formal end of term assessment. Students self-assess as well as peer-assess each lesson to build confidence and a supportive environment. |
Where next?
Where do we go from here?
The following term sees students learn a new, slightly more challenging sequence that includes floor work, with more opportunity for creativity in choreography.
Year 9 Term 1
Term 1
What?What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging? Students will learn Line Dances for different time periods including 1950’s Stroll and Madison, 1970’s Electric Slide to 2019 Jerusalema’ The set sequence (Motif A) will be teacher led. In the follow up lesson students recap ‘Motif A’ and will develop into a Motif B) to form a binary structure (AB) They ‘choreographic devices’, to give them a a foundation of key vocabulary in preparation for dance in KS4. All students will learn tier 2 vocabulary. Tier 3 vocab will be offered in all lessons as an extra challenge. |
Why?Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? At the end of KS3 it is expected that all students will have mastered a range of vocabulary in relation to RADS. By year 9, students will be exposed to key vocabulary in relation to accredited dance in KS4 |
How?How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? Core knowledge: Students will learn Motif A (the set phrase). They will them create Motif B, that will show contrast to motif A. They will explore, repetition, highlights and add climax to the end. They will then practice the structure of their dance to ensure it has a beginning, middle and ending. For a challenge, selected student will be provided with the opportunity to fragment a phrase to develop the structure into ABA. |
How well?What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well? Because they can….Practice and perform with confidence, have good movement memory. Reproduce the set phrase and developments accurately. What should they be able to know? Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary in order to have a clear structure. What should they be able to do? Choreograph on their own as part of a group. Listen and negotiate in groups, lead and take directions within groups. Confidence in performance, use self-directed time productively Learning checkpoints and assessment: Observations of groups during the development stage, effort and engagement throughout the lesson. Leadership, use of self-directed time, assessment in performance and demonstration of movement memory. Knowledge and use of key vocabulary during feedback. Assessment and K grade. |
Where next?
Where do we go from here?
The following up lesson will be Dance in The Media. Key vocab will re visit and master ‘dynamics’. Also an introduction to ‘choreographic intent’.
Year 9 Term 2
Term 2
What?What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging? Students will explore Dance in the Media adverts (Gap, Samsung and Citroen)) They will learn a teacher phrase. In the follow up lesson students recap the teacher phrase, develop it using a range of dynamics to communicate the ‘choreographic intent’. All students will learn tier 2 vocabulary. Tier 3 vocab will be offered in all lessons as an extra challenge. |
Why?Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? At the end of KS3 it is expected that all students will become more confident as chorographers having mastered RADS. Dynamics being the most challenging of the 4 components require additional time to enable students to apply in choreography in preparation for accredited dance in KS4 |
How?How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? Core knowledge: Students will learn a teacher phrase). They will develop it to show a range of dynamics using reoccurring ‘themes’ to get across their choreographic intent (meaning) to an audience. This will be achieved using YouTube clips, discussion, modelling and Q & A. They will also explore relative moods and themes. |
How well?What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?
Because they can….Practice and perform with confidence, have good movement memory. Reproduce the set phrase and developments accurately. What should they be able to know? Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary in order to communicate the choreographic intent What should they be able to do? Choreograph on their own as part of a group. Listen and negotiate in groups, lead and take directions within groups. Confidence in performance, use self-directed time productively Learning checkpoints and assessment: Observations of groups during the development stage, Q & A, effort and engagement throughout the lesson. Leadership, use of self-directed time, assessment in performance and demonstration of movement memory. Knowledge and use of key vocabulary during feedback. Assessment and K grade. |
Where next?
Where do we go from here?
This will move onto stimuli based dance in relation to choreographic assessment tasks in KS4
Year 9 Term 3&4
Term 3&4
What?What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging? Students will look at how to respond to stimuli in Dance to develop their own choreography. They will also look at physical theatre and its links to performance work in Drama and how it comes from Dance. |
Why?Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? At the end of KS3 it is expected that all students will become more confident as chorographers having mastered RADS. Dynamics being the most challenging of the 4 components require additional time to enable students to apply in choreography in preparation for accredited dance in KS4 |
How?How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? Core knowledge: Students will learn a teacher phrase). They will develop it to show a range of dynamics using reoccurring ‘themes’ to get across their choreographic intent (meaning) to an audience. This will be achieved using YouTube clips, discussion, modelling and Q & A. They will also explore relative moods and themes. |
How well?What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well?
Because they can….Practice and perform with confidence, have good movement memory. Reproduce the set phrase and developments accurately. What should they be able to know? Tier 2 and 3 vocabulary in order to communicate the choreographic intent What should they be able to do? Choreograph on their own as part of a group. Listen and negotiate in groups, lead and take directions within groups. Confidence in performance, use self-directed time productively Learning checkpoints and assessment: Observations of groups during the development stage, Q & A, effort and engagement throughout the lesson. Leadership, use of self-directed time, assessment in performance and demonstration of movement memory. Knowledge and use of key vocabulary during feedback. Assessment and K grade. |
Where next?
Where do we go from here?
This will move onto stimuli based dance in relation to choreographic assessment tasks in KS4
Year 11 Term 1
Term 1
What?What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging? In practical lessons students will recap ‘set phrases’ (Shift and Breath) in preparation for GCSE practical exam in week 6. They will respond to feedback to improve their performance skills. They will also develop practical exercises to underpin their knowledge and effectiveness of ‘Performance Skills’ to enable them to resend to 6 marker questions in section B. In theory students will recap the Emancipation of Expressionism. Each lesson will focus on a production feature. |
Why?Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? Contemporary dance is rooted in the GCSE dance syllabus. Developing movement vocabulary will provide students with a good practical foundation and appreciation for viewing and reviewing works within the dance anthology. The set phrase and motifs form a core part of component 1 ‘Performance’. |
How?How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? Core knowledge: Students will be provided with written feedback on 3 of the 4 Performance skills. This will be Raged. Student will map performance skills with definition. Students will then create practical exercises to improve in these areas. They will have access to exemplary Video recordings as set out by AQA including the professional model and OTT videos of past students. A second recording will be made on week three to allow students to observe personal improvements from recording in term 6 2022/2023. All students are expected to attend a rehearsal schedule outside of lesson time. Targeted students will attend one-to-ones |
How well?What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well? Because they can…. Perform solo with confidence, have good movement memory, demonstrated good musicality and performance skills What should they be able to know? Students should understand the importance of attending practical lessons and rehearsal schedule and how this impacts on improvement on their mental skills. What should they be able to do? Student will demonstrate all areas of Performance skills. They will peer assess using AQA making scheme to enable them to understand the 4 performance and how they will be graded within component 1 Learning checkpoints and assessment: Responding to feedback. Knowledge of performance skills. Responding to plenaries which will have exam style questions 2/4 and 6 markers. |
Where next?
Where do we go from here?
Students will lean selected motifs from the remaining 2 set phrases to for their performance in a duet/trio.
Year 11 Term 2
Term 2
What?What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging? In practical lessons student will learn choreography for ‘performance in a duet’. This will be mainly teacher led. The stimuli for the dance will be ‘Two’s company, Three is a crowd’. Students will learn specific motifs from Flux and Scoop for their GCSE practical exam at the end of term 2. They will develop knowledge on the choreographic process, choreographic intent and choreographic approaches. Students will contribute to the choreographic process by completing tasks-based activities and build on prior knowledge of choreographic devices. to enable them to respond to questions in section A. In theory students will recap the A Linha Curva. Each lesson in this will focus on a production feature. |
Why?Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? Contemporary dance is rooted in the GCSE dance syllabus. Developing movement vocabulary will provide students with a good practical foundation and appreciation for viewing and reviewing works within the dance anthology. The set phrase and motifs form a core part of component 1 ‘Performance’. |
How?How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? Students will be provided with verbal feedback on 3 of the 4 Performance skills. Student will map performance skills with definition. Students will then create a rehearsal schedule for their group to improve task-based work and performance skills. They will have access to OTT videos of past students. A recording will be made on week 6. This will enable teacher feedback that will be RAGed. All students will be expected to attend a rehearsal schedule outside of lesson time. Letters to parent will be sent home Targeted students will attend rehearsal under teacher observations.
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How well?What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well? Because they can…. Perform solo with confidence, have good movement memory, demonstrated good musicality and performance skills What should they be able to know? Students should understand the importance of attending practical lessons and rehearsal schedule and how these impact on improvement on their mental skills and that of their group. What should they be able to do? Student will demonstrate all areas of Performance skills. They will peer assess using AQA making scheme to enable them to understand the 4 performance skills and how they will be graded within component 1 Learning checkpoints and assessment: Responding to feedback. Knowledge of performance skills. Responding to plenaries which will have exam style questions 2/4 and 6 markers. Teacher marks improve overtime |
Where next?
Where do we go from here?
Students will have more understanding of choreographic process, choreographic intent and choreographic approaches to enable them to work authentically. This will be needed for the choreographic assessment task that will be released by AQA, January 2024
Year 11 Term 3&4
Term 3&4
What?What are we learning? What’s interleaved? What’s challenging? Shadows, artificial things and within her eyes will be the key areas of theoretical study in these two terms, recapping and revising them from their work in year 10. They will also have a significant focus on developing their choreography and rehearsing their duet/trio performances. |
Why?Why do we need to deliver this (vision statement)? Why now? Students need to be the best possible dancers before approaching the performances above, they need the most possible time to create this work prior to performing it to their examiner. We recap this element of the theory here as it is the only part that is not covered in the creation of their own dance work. |
How?How will they achieve this? How will all access this (inclusion for all/ SEND)? Core knowledge: Performance work and how to create it. Knowledge of set works and deliberate meaning created by them. |
How well?What should they be able to know? What should they be able to do? How do they know they have done this well? Because they can…. Perform several different pieces of dance. What should they be able to know? How the different set works create meaning for an audience. What should they be able to do? Perform a Duet/trio and a piece of their own choreography. Learning checkpoints and assessment:
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Where next?
Where do we go from here?
A level or BTEC level 3 Dance.
