Directed By: Nathaniel Lamond

Dance is the language of movement. It is the realisation of the body’s potential as an instrument of expression. Throughout history and in different cultures, people have explored the dancer’s ability to communicate and give expression to social and personal experience. The study of dance provides the opportunity to explore the potential of movement as a medium of creative expression through diverse approaches. This study is designed to develop students’ understanding and appreciation of dance as an art form that is based on the investigation and communication of ideas, themes and concepts. The potential range of expressive intentions that a choreographer, alone or in collaboration with others, can explore is extensive. The elements or formation of movement itself can be the source of inspiration as can personal life experience, or observations of and reflection on the world we live in. The study focuses on development of students’ technical and physical skills, personal movement vocabulary, and application of choreographic and analytical principles. Students create and perform their own dance works as well as studying the dance works of others through performance and analysis. They consider cultural influences on the expressive intention, form and movement vocabulary of their own dances and also on works created by choreographers working in a range of styles and/or traditions. Cultural influences on technical and production aspects in dance works are also studied. Throughout the study students undertake systematic training in technical and physical skills, which enables them to safely execute a diverse range of expressive body actions. Students develop and refine their technical and choreographic skills by exploring personal and learnt movement vocabularies and ways in which movement can be created and arranged to communicate, in a safe way, the expressive intention of the dance-maker. Students perform choreographed or learnt solo and group dance works using different dance-making processes, and study ways in which ideas are communicated choreographically and through performance skills in their own and others’ dances.

Structure
The study is made up of four units. Each unit deals with specific content and is designed to enable students to achieve a set of outcomes. Each outcome is described in terms of key knowledge and skills. Units 1 & 3 are studied in Term 1 & 2  Units 2 & 4 are studied in Term 3 & 4

Outcomes

Outcomes define what students will know and be able to do as a result of undertaking the study. Outcomes include a summary statement and the key knowledge and skills that underpin them. Only the summary statements have been reproduced below and must be read in conjunction with the key knowledge and skills published in the study design.