1 Dance

Level 1 NCEA Dance is a subject which involves the exploration of the body through thinking processes. In this subject students will develop confidence to choreograph and perform movement material. There is an element of self exploration as students discover their personal voice for choreography. This is an opportunity for students to gain endorsement in a physical environment.                                       

Dance is an embodied language. Students develop literacy in dance as they learn about, and develop, skills in movement, performance, and choreography. They learn to understand and respond to a variety of dance genres, styles, and forms from a range of contexts, past and present. Teachers enable students to understand and explore dance forms and develop their own ideas, expression, and sense of identity. 

Students learn that dance is a holistic experience which links the mind, body, and emotions – integrating thinking, moving, and feeling. They explore dance elements, vocabularies (eg the key features of dance genres or styles), and processes to express personal, group, and cultural identities. Dance also provides space to ask questions, challenge assumptions, promote difference, and provoke alternative thinking.

Dance is a way of strengthening relationships. Through Dance, a number of transferable skills are nurtured that ākonga can carry with them beyond the learning environment, such as collaboration, communication, teamwork, problem solving, and creative thinking. Ākonga carry their identities into the classroom and recognise that their personal prior experiences are valid and valued components of learning in Dance, facilitating an environment that supports whanaungatanga. Working together as a collective and emphasising core values of mutual respect and alofa, dance also supports the nurturing of Vā in our learning spaces. Such values are fundamental to positive learning experiences that will support learners' potential in dance.

Ākonga will continue to deepen their technical expertise and knowledge that underpins Dance as a subject, such as the knowledge about the development of a dance genre or style. As an embodied language, Dance is expressed through movement, which may include locomotor or non-locomotor movement, spatial concepts, the use of positive and negative shapes, relationships of individuals and groups to each other and to their environment, and the effect of timing, as well as rhythmic and energy qualities. 

In exploring movement vocabulary and choreography, learners synthesise ideas through dynamic interplays of dance processes and conventions. For example, composition of a dance sequence may involve personal ways of moving that emerge from improvisation and creative developmental work. It may also consist of stylistic techniques and movements usually associated with particular dance genres or styles. Learners will generate and refine ideas through cycles of action to create cohesive, fluid expressions of dance forms. They will reflect and determine which process is appropriate at a specific point. Technologies may help ākonga to curate and develop their performances.

He atua, he tipua, he tangata – Dance is a descendant of culture The creation and exploration of dance nurtures whakawhanaungatanga Dance is an embodied language where people can explore and communicate ideas, culture, and identities Dance provides space to ask questions, challenge assumptions, promote difference, and provoke alternative thinking Dance involves processes of exploration, selection, refinement, practice, reflection, synthesis, and editing

5 Key Competencies in Dance:

1. Thinking

- participate in processes of refinement, practice, and reflection

- seek to understand the communication of dance

- structure and manipulate specific movements and communicate their meaning

2. Using language, symbols and texts

- understand that dance knowledge and information can be represented in many ways, such as physical, verbal, and written

- interpret and communicate dance as an embodied language

- be able to examine the whakapapa of its many genres, styles, and forms

- recognise that dance is an embodied language with its own structures and systems of communication

- gain a sense of identity through designing dance movements and choreography.

3. Relating to others

- collaborate and communicate with other learners as they engage in dance processes

- gain a sense of community and belonging

- be able to explore te ao Māori

- connect to the wider world by embracing the diversity of people, cultures, and contexts.

4. Managing self

- be able to nurture their curiosity and creativity in order to explore movement as they make new meanings and experiences through dance

- develop self-discipline, perseverance, adaptability, and openness to learning.

5. Participating and contributing

- participate in group settings and understand that this can take many forms, such as leading, following, or observing

- be able to share ideas and offer meaningful contributions, negotiate outcomes, and value the participation and ideas of others when performing and composing movement.

Te toi whakairo, ka ihiihi, ka wehiwehi, ka aweawe te ao katoa - Artistic excellence makes the world sit up in wonder