Our curriculum is broad and balanced by looking at contrasting styles and genres. The curriculum has a focus on cross-curricular links to help students to explore other parts of the curriculum through dance and to embed learning from other subjects. The curriculum also looks at wider PSHE and how students can explore themes such as cultural differences, historical and political issues. Through their dance education, students will develop many transferable skills including: confidence, leadership, and the ability to self-manage and collaborate effectively with their peers. We aim to equip our students with the necessary skills and resilience to succeed in a career within the performing arts industry. Dance has a wide range of physical and mental health benefits for students including increased fitness levels, stronger bones and muscles and reduced stress levels. The benefit of dance is not only that of increased exercise, but the participation in an art form, which is routed in technique, and giving the opportunity for a creative outlet.
In Key Stage 3, the dance curriculum at Monkton Wood aims to provide a solid foundation for students’ understanding and abilities in dance. Students start with a baseline assessment to evaluate their prior knowledge and attainments. They learn key techniques, terms, and principles related to dance, such as health and safety, choreography, performance, and appreciation. Various dance styles and stimuli are introduced, including Bollywood, contemporary, ballet, and world dance. Students explore different choreographic devices, performance skills, and the significance of stage lighting. The curriculum is interdisciplinary, linking dance with subjects like PE, drama, art, PSHE (Personal, Social, Health, and Economic Education), English, geography, RPE (Religious, Philosophical, and Ethical Studies), music, DT (Design and Technology), textiles, history, and geography.
At Key Stage 4, students deepen their understanding and skills in dance. In Year 10, students are introduced to dance technique and cover aspects such as health and safety, expressive skills, physical skills, and choreography. They study professional dance works and repertoire for their components. In Year 11, students complete internal assessments for components 1 and 2, including theory assessments and practical work based on professional repertoire. Component 3 focuses on group work, where students create a dance piece based on an assignment brief and complete written tasks and practical assessments under supervised conditions. The course concludes with the completion of the components and the assessment of students’ coursework.
The dance curriculum offers students the opportunity to develop their dance skills, creativity, and understanding of the art form. Through performance, choreography, and appreciation, students gain a comprehensive foundation in dance that allows them to progress and express themselves confidently in this vibrant discipline.
