KS3 Year 7

Autumn

Introduction to Dance

This unit in an introduction to dance at Purbrook, covering some basic performance and choreographic skills including unison, direction and simple canon.

Musical Theatre

Pupils study 3 different well known musicals, exploring how character plays a significant role in musical theatre. They learn how dance links with drama and music.

Spring

Spies

This creative begins with pupil understanding how to work to a brief. They start to explore floorwork and develop a basic understanding of dynamics.

African dance.

Pupils Watch a variety of African dance and practically explore the key features. They learn the history of African dance and gumboot, practically exploring it. Pupils begin to look at the importance of rhythm.

Summer

Recipes

This unit examines the use of words in dance. Pupils study nouns and verbs and how they can be used in an abstract way to develop a dance. They learn how to create and develop a motif.

Pop videos

Understanding the term ‘dance for film’ is the main focus for this unit. Pupils explore the main differences between live dance and dance for film. They recreate their own film version of Thriller or Rhythm Nation using videostar.

KS3 Year 8

Autumn

Exploring Professional Works: Young Men

Pupils develop an understanding of how a professional piece is created. Pupils will briefly look at the different components of the piece which contribute to the theme and intention. Pupils will use a range of creative tasks which relate to the choreographers' approach when creating the piece. Pupils will also gain an understanding of contact work: counterbalance, counter tension, support and lifts. 

Musical Theatre

Pupils Study 2 different well-known musicals exploring how different dance eras play a significant role in musical theatre. They develop performance skills, including characterisation.

Spring

Chance Dance

Pupils explore Merce Cunningham's choreographic approach. They will use resources such as dice to create 'random' and original movement material.

Indian Dance

A vibrant unit which includes watching a variety of Indian dances and practically explore the key features. Pupils study the use of hand gestures within Indian choreography, including Khatak.

Summer

Sport and Dance

Pupils will use a range of sports as inspiration and turn the actions typically seen in the sport into a piece of dance. They will link these actions with interesting transitions, as well as developing their choreography with a range of choreographic devices.

Street Dance

Our final KS3 unit looks at different umbrellas of styles within street dance.

Pupils enjoy exploring various styles practically to include; locking, breakdance, popping, old school and krumping.

KS4 Year 9

Autumn

Dance skills

This unit focuses on dance technique and progression. Pupils set themselves SMART targets to improve as dancer.  The development of physical and technical skills is at the heart of this SOW.

Performing Dance

Pupils learn set choreography for school production. They develop understanding and use of performance skills including confidence, projection and facial expression. Pupils review and complete SMART targets set in Dance Skills unit.

Spring

Exploring Choreography

Throughout this unit the pupils use a choreography booklet to explore different stimuli including poetry, paintings, props and music. They create group pieces using more complex devices such as fragmentation, complex canons, question and answer, inversion. They learn the basic structures of dance including binary, ternary, rondo, narrative and episodic.

Exploring professional work

Pupils will watch GCSE set work: Emancipation of Expressionism and analyse its key components. They learn how Kenrick Sandy has fused Urban dance with Contemporary dance and practically explore this. Perform pieces to younger year groups.

Summer

Motif Development

Pupils will learn the GCSE set motifs and look at how they can develop them for the choreography element of the exam

KS4 Year 10

Autumn

Component 1: Exploring the Performing Arts

Pupils will look at a professional work called 'Young Men' and workshop this as a potential choice for their Component 1 Exam.

Component 2: Developing skills and Techniques in the Performing Arts - MOCK

This is a predominantly practical unit in which pupils develop their skills and techniques through the reproduction of professional repertoire.  They apply these skills in a performance for an invited audience.  Pupils review their own development and contribution to performance. (This will be a mock exam ready for year 11).

Spring

Component 1: Exploring the Performing Arts

Pupils complete their final project for Component 1. They write up all their findings of the chosen practitioner and their work, making comparisons and drawing conclusions about the dances. They explore the interrelationships between constituent features of existing performance materials.

Summer

Component 3: Responding to a Brief - MOCK

Pupils do a mock of the external exam. Pupils select and develop skills and techniques in response to the brief. They then apply these skills to create a final performance piece of 8 minutes. Pupils evaluate the success of the performance.

KS4 Year 11

Autumn

Component 2: Developing skills and Techniques in the Performing Arts

This is a predominantly practical unit in which pupils develop their skills and techniques through the reproduction of professional repertoire.  They apply these skills in a performance for an invited audience.  Pupils review their own development and contribution to performance.

Spring

Component 3: Responding to a Brief

Pupils sit the external exam, including 3 written controlled tests. Pupils select and develop skills and techniques in response to the brief. They apply these skills to create a final performance piece of 8 minutes which they perform to an invited audience. Pupils evaluate the success of the performance.

Summer

Completion of Component 3

Pupils review their dance and write an essay on its success in a controlled test.