It is our intent that, through studying Dance for 3 years, students will build personal skills that they can draw upon to succeed, not only in Dance but beyond the curriculum and in future employment. This happens through the disciplines of performance, choreography and appreciation, and analysis. Students are encouraged to assess and evaluate their own work and work of others and develop plans to enhance performance. They are also provided with analytical skills enabling them to critique movement and production features of professional work. 

Dance is a powerful, unique form of communication and social interaction that can change the way students feel, think and act. It brings together intellect, feelings and enables personal expression, reflection, and emotional development through movement. As an established part of the school culture, it helps students understand themselves and relate to others, forging important creative links between themselves and the wider world. 

Diversity, resilience, empathy and an appreciation for others’ ideas – within the constraints of the specification – are skills that are implicitly taught. We allow and encourage students to access a range of professional pieces and practitioners, showing aspects of other races, cultures and identities e.g. Him by Kyle Hanagami, choreographers of different race and gender, e.g. Kenrick Sandy and Kate Prince and breaking down stereotypes of male dancers.   

Whilst in Dance we gain the knowledge of choreographic processes, performance skills and production features, also at the heart of the subject are such skills as engagement, communication and projection, creative imagination, leadership, confidence and commitment. Opportunities are embedded for students to be able to hone and develop performance talent but equally important is the ability to understand the purpose of dance we create.