Curriculum intent
The aim of the dance curriculum at Tuxford Academy is to give students the opportunity to express creativity through performance, choreography and appreciation of dance. Our intention is to provide an experience that inspires students to embark on creative opportunities beyond their school life. Dance also provides a medium through which students become more physically active supporting their wellbeing.
In key stage 3, students are introduced to key skills that can be applied to multiple themes or styles. They will discover how dance provides an alternate medium for communication and develop knowledge on how to interpret varying stimuli from multiple perspectives. Through exploration of numerous styles, students can appreciate the social, cultural and historical influences on dance. Our curriculum allows students to develop a deeper understanding of the wider dance community through cross curricular links, exposure to a range of creative roles and the study of professional works. Students are encouraged to take creative risks and are given the freedom to express individuality.
Our curriculum provides a breadth of experience to enable students to make an informed choice as to whether they wish to purse GCSE dance in key stage 4. GCSE dance students work towards developing their technique and learn material in various dance styles. They are challenged with choreographic tasks that allow them to tap into their creative mind and gives them a sense of autonomy over the work they produce. Students also learn how to articulate their interpretations of professional performance thereby effectively analysing and evaluating work. This provides students with the tools needed to engage successfully with GCSE dance assessment as well as opportunities beyond the GCSE curriculum.
Students learn how to effectively collaborate with their peers thereby developing teamwork and leadership skills. Student’s persistence is also developed as they work on refining their ideas. A key aim of the curriculum is to develop student’s confidence in their ability to perform, devise and analyse dance. In doing so, students will gain an increased understanding of dance techniques and develop their subject specific vocabulary. Our extracurricular programme gives students the opportunity to expand their experience and further develop as dance practitioners.