Dance GCSE

SPECIFICATION

This specification focuses on the aesthetic and artistic qualities of dance and the use of dance movement as a medium of expression and communication in the performance, creation and appreciation of dance.

The content has been chosen for the way in which it enables candidates to develop knowledge, skills and understanding of creating and interpreting images/ideas/concepts embodied in dance development. The study of dance works, including those of the professional repertoire, within artistic and social contexts, is an essential component in the development of this understanding.

It is the specification’s emphasis on the study of how movement can be designed/formed to communicate and/or evoke responses that places it within the realms of Performing Arts. It is not anticipated that a dance can be used for assessment purposes in both GCSE Physical Education and GCSE Performing Arts: Dance because of the significant difference in stated assessment criteria. In GCSE Expressive Arts, candidates are required to integrate two art forms.

Candidates need to demonstrate the potential to engage in a study of dance which is broadly-based. This includes the ability to develop knowledge, skills and understanding of performance, choreography and appreciation of dance to levels appropriate for the award of GCSE. 

Some candidates will show this ability through their achievements in Years 7&8; others will have certificates from the Private Dance Sector, for example, Children’s Grades 2/3; others will have no formal recognition of attainment but through their own dancing and their ability to talk about the dance of others, show the potential to achieve the necessary standard.

COURSEWORK

Performance and Choreography. Coursework - 60% of the total marks.

Written exam – Critical appreciation – 40% of total marks.

HOMEWORK

Each week, usually related to choreography and performance preparation or linked to written paper.