Dance – EDUQAS Level 2 Vocational Award in Performing Arts

This subject cannot be chosen in a combination with Music or Drama

Contact: Miss. R Deekes, Faculty Leader for Performing Arts or Miss C Harris, Teacher of Dance

Why study Dance?    

Dance is a fun and exciting course which is both mentally and physically challenging.  You will have opportunity to create your own choreography, learn professional repertoire and plan your own Dance production. You will also learn new skills in lighting, costuming and sound. Dance opens doors for many different career pathways in and outside of the Arts. The course will help you develop many interpersonal and transferable skills for the future, skills such as teamwork, creativity, confidence, time-management and much more. These are skills you can use in any career pathway, meaning you will be more employable. Alongside the course, you will have new enriching experiences. You will get the opportunity to have workshops with professional dance companies, you will get to see live work at the theatre, and you will be given opportunities to perform work at different venues. These opportunities will develop your knowledge and skills on the course and give you a breadth of understanding of the Arts. Dance is intense, yet a highly rewarding subject at GCSE level. Students who thrive in Dance often, have prior Dance experience through attending Dance clubs outside of school, enjoy practical work, enjoy creating and physical exercise. 

What content is studied?  

We study EDUQAS Level 2 Vocational Award in Performing Arts syllabus, with us following the Dance route. This provides students with the key skills associated with Dance, as well as a variety of transferable skills, such as planning, analysing, and evaluating. The course provides a solid basis for students to continue Performing Arts at A-Level, as well as other vocational courses. The course is split into theory and practical components, with an even split of both theory and practical work.    

What content is covered?	How is it assessed?
Unit 1  Performing	Within this unit students look at performing from a holistic view, with them studying a broad number of various pieces of Dance Repertoire. Unit 1 places a key emphasis on the importance of research in preparation for a performance. Students will learn the importance of credible referencing, as well as the importance of copyright law, and health & safety laws; and the importance of them as key transferable life skills. Students will learn the value of rehearsal, and why self-evaluation is critical in the creative process, before performing their piece of choice in front of a live audience.	Unit 1 is assessed on three learning outcomes:   Research & Rehearsal   Performance   Review and Reflect   This unit is internally assessed through controlled assessment with 60 marks available for this unit.  Overall, this unit equates to 30% of the student’s overall GCSE grade.
Unit 2  Creating	Unit 2 acts as the natural extension to Unit 1, with students learning how to respond creatively to a set brief. Students’ practical skills are tested vigorously, with the expectation of being able to clearly showcase varied styles of Dance Technique, being paramount. Students will work together to respond to a creative brief, which they shall then document, and perform in front of a live audience. Students must then evaluate the success of their work.	Unit 2 is assessed on three learning outcomes:    Explore and Develop   Applying knowledge and skills to create original work.    Review, reflect and refine.    This unit is internally assessed through controlled assessment with 60 marks available for this unit. Overall, this unit equates to 30% of the students overall GCSE grade.
Unit 3  Performing Arts in Practice	Unit 3 is the concluding unit of the course. Unit 3 provides students with the opportunity to plan, develop, and commission a festival in line with real industry commissions. Students will not only need to be good artists, but also savvy businesspeople, who understand the importance of, business management, marketing practices, and leadership qualities that are vital for a successful career in the arts. The unit focusses heavily on providing students with the tools to run their own business within the creative industry and reflecting on the success of their festival on completion.	Unit 3 is assessed on three learning outcomes:   Planning Performance Work   Promoting and Pitching    Evaluating and Reflecting    This unit is externally assessed through controlled assessment with 80 marks awarded for this unit. Overall, this unit equates to 40% of the students overall GCSE grade.