AS Dance

Dance
This course offers the opportunity to study Dance as part of a dynamic and successful Theatre Arts Department. Dance A Level will encourage you to broaden your knowledge and understanding of Dance, by looking at a range of dance works and choreographers from a variety of genres and styles, in order to inform your own work and your appreciation of Dance as an art form. Study at AS level provides a sound foundation for A2 Level, where you have the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of specific study areas and professional works as well as connecting areas of practice with your own developing skills and theoretical understanding. This provides a suitable foundation for study in higher education and for employment.

You will have many opportunities to choreograph and perform work in Dance Studies. You will create a solo, a duet and a group dance as part of your assessment and there will be many extra curricular activities that will be available should you wish to extend your performance work further.

Dance takes place in our on site, purpose built dance studio.

What Will I Learn On This Course?

· How to choreograph and structure a solo, duet and group dance.
· How to interpret and transpose dance ideas into polished work
· How to perform and communicate your choreographic intention
· How to analyse professional dance work, breaking down its constituent features
· You will discuss and analyse work in terms of choreographic intentions and the effectiveness of the communication of these ideas.
· You will gain knowledge of dance history and contexts of the works you study
· How to work safely in class with relation to alignment, technique and physical skills
· How to prevent and treat dance injuries
· You will gain understanding of the importance of a balanced diet for a dancer

How to think independently and apply your own imagination, judgements and research into your work.

Course Content And Method Of Assessment

AS Level

During the AS course you will work in both theoretical and practical way. You will create and perform a solo and duo choreography and complete a written examination paper based on your knowledge of safe practice and dance analysis.

Unit 1- Understanding dance

You will answer short answer questions based on you knowledge of safe studio practice and choreographic processes. You will then answer two essay questions based on the analysis of some of the six pieces of dance you will study over the course of the year.

Unit 2- choreography and performance

You will choreograph and perform a solo dance, between two and three minutes duration. Questions are set and pre-released by AQA in November preceding the examination, from which you will select one to transpose into a solo. You will also create a duet and you will be assessed on the effectiveness of the choreographic structure and your performance in the work.

A2 Level

At A2 level you will go on to study a genre of dance in more depth and a set piece of dance, and complete a written exam based on your knowledge. You will also choreograph a group dance based on a question set by the examination board and perform a solo based on the practitioner you have studied over the course of the year.

After The Course

You could go on to train at a Dance school in a variety of different styles or follow a degree course based in Dance. You may also put your experience towards a performing arts based subject at Degree level.

Dance has many transferable skills such as teamwork and problem solving. It will also increase your ability to analyse and present ideas to a group or audience.

Subject Combinations

Dance combines well with all other subjects. It is not a matter of choosing this option only if you wish to follow a career in dance. If you enjoy dance and would like to follow a course, which offers both a practical element and a study of the theory of dance, then it is a course well worth following. Past dance students have gone on to dance schools, drama schools, University to study dance, music, medicine, history, biology, geography and many other subjects.

Entry Requirements

All students on a full A2 or AS level programme are expected to have a minimum of five GCSE's at grade C or above. It is not essential to have studied Dance at GCSE, but this is an advantage. General dance experience is essential and contemporary dance experience is an advantage. Students are encouraged to keep up classes outside of college to maintain technique.