Vision
At Magna Academy, we believe that Dance provides students with experiences that enable them to explore their inner creativity and spark greater curiosity. Blending physical activity with artistic qualities helps students to experience moving in order to create meaning. The key concepts in Dance are skills based with the intention to build personal skills, which can be relied upon to succeed, not only in dance, but also beyond academy life and in employment. Dance develops students into creative and imaginative thinkers and focuses on their physical, emotional and intellectual development. Dance is also a cultural form through which all young people can excel and express themselves. They are encouraged to use their own identities and cultures within performance.
Intent
Studying Dance at Magna Academy enables students to learn to express themselves in a safe and engaging environment. Students will experience a multitude of different topics, themes and stimuli that they would not normally have the opportunity to do outside of the classroom. Dance helps students to develop their imagination, creativity, confidence and communication skills.
We pride ourselves on providing an ambitious dance curriculum for all which allows students to learn about dance practitioners, choreographers, dance styles and performances that explore a variety of cultural and social issues through dance. Our structure is based on the expectations for A Level Dance using key concepts and skills required by the end of year 13 which are fed down into schemes of work from year 7 upwards. This in turn challenges and enables students to extend and deepen their knowledge, providing opportunities at all stages to experience dance
Implementation
In lessons, students have opportunities to work on dance technique, choreograph their own work and interpret the work of professional choreographers. Students develop their physical, technical, expressive and mental skills in performing to an audience and explore how meaning is communicated to an audience through choices of form, style and convention. Through analysis, students are encouraged to recognise their strengths and weaknesses as well as engage in constructive feedback to their classmates. Students also respond to a range of stimuli and analyse the works of professional choreographers.
Outside the classroom, there are many opportunities for students to be involved with extracurricular activities such as dance club, drama club, vocal group, workshops with local and touring companies, The Magna Musical, Magna’s Got Talent and Young Performer of the year.
Dance Curriculum Overview
Dance age related expectations
Impact
Dance enables young people to gain artistic skills and discipline, as well as developing their ability in physical interaction, team working, problem solving, and observing, evaluating, verbal and non-verbal communication. Dance can improve self-esteem, build confidence and resilience, creative thinking, empathy and can widen aspiration. The experiences on offer at Magna Academy broaden student knowledge and understanding of how Dance can be used outside the classroom whilst learning an abundance of new skills based around performing to a wider audience. As students enter Years 10 and 11, they are expected to take an active role in their dance education by taking advantage of the extra-curricular opportunities to enhance the knowledge gained from lessons.
By the end of Key Stage 3 students will have developed their dance ability and be able to perform in front of their peers with confidence and commitment. They will be able to work in a group on a performance using simple choreographic devices. Students will also be able to reflect on their own performance and identify strengths and areas for improvement for future performances.
By the end of Key Stage 4 students will have developed their own dance ability, staying committed to their own performance. They will be able to create their own group choreographies from a stimulus and will be able to reflect on their choreographic process for future practice. Students will also be able to perform work that has a clear structure and intent. Students will be able to write confidently and be able to effectively review the work of others and of the professional repertoire using a range of subject specific vocabulary.
By the end of Key Stage 5 students will gain a lifelong passion for dance and a desire to continue to appreciate dance in community and professional performances alongside their chosen career path. Students will perform to an advanced level and will have greatly developed their technical and physical dance ability, staying completely committed, focused for all performances. They will be able to perform as a soloist in the style of a practitioner and within a group forming more complex choreographies from set stimuli. Students will be able to effectively reflect on their choreographic process for future practice. Students will be able to write confidently analysing an extremely diverse range of works from a variety of practitioners.