Subject description

Dance is a 20-credit subject at Stage 2.

In Stage 2 Dance students develop aesthetic and kinaesthetic intelligence, using the body as an instrument for the expression and communication of ideas. Through the development of practical movement skills and choreographic and performance skills as an artist and experiencing performance as part of an audience, students explore and celebrate the human condition. They consider the role of dance in diverse contexts that may include those of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and its place in transmitting culture. They develop an appreciation of dance as an art form, as well as a life-enrichment opportunity connected to mental and physical well-being.

Students specialise in a dance genre and also explore dance in diverse contexts. Genre refers to the broad categories of dance based on shared, identifiable characteristics, such as contemporary, ballet, jazz, tap, ballroom, break-dancing, hip hop, and world dance (e.g. classical Indian dance, Thai classical dance, Irish dance). The genre chosen will depend on the interests and abilities of the student cohort, the expertise of the teacher, and the availability of facilities and resources.

Dance prepares young people for participation in the 21st century by equipping them with transferrable skills, including critical and creative thinking skills, and intercultural understanding. Dance develops individuals who are reflective thinkers, enabling them to refine their thinking and technical and expressive skills to communicate and give expression to social, cultural, and personal experience. Students learn to pose and solve problems, and work independently and collaboratively.

Dance has its own movement vocabulary and specific techniques and processes that students learn and apply to their own work as a dancer and choreographer and use to interpret, understand, and appreciate the work of others.

As students engage with dance practice and practitioners in diverse contexts, they develop imaginative and innovative ways to make meaning of the world. Dance establishes a basis for further education and employment across many fields, including the arts and culture industries. It also provides opportunities to pursue lifelong social and recreational activities.