Dance
Rationale
The Arts have the capacity to engage, inspire and enrich all students, exciting the imagination and encouraging them to reach their creative and expressive potential. The term 'creativity' plays a critical role in all arts subjects. For the Western Australian Curriculum, the following explanation of the creative process is useful:
[There are] … four characteristics of creative processes. First, they always involve thinking or behaving imaginatively. Second, overall this imaginative activity is purposeful: that is, it is directed to achieving an objective. Third, these processes must generate something original. Fourth, the outcome must be of value in relation to the objective. We therefore define creativity as: Imaginative activity fashioned so as to produce outcomes that are both original and of value. Robinson, K. (1999) National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education: "All Our Futures: Creativity, Culture and Education". p. 30
The Arts learning area comprises five subjects: Dance, Drama, Media Arts, Music and Visual Arts. Together they provide opportunities for students to learn how to create, design, represent, communicate and share their imagined and conceptual ideas, emotions, observations and experiences, as they discover and interpret the world.
The Arts entertain, inform, challenge, and encourage responses, and enrich our knowledge of self, communities, world cultures and histories. The Arts contribute to the development of confident and creative individuals, nurturing and challenging active and informed citizens. Learning in the Arts is based on cognitive, affective and sensory/kinaesthetic response to arts practices as students revisit increasingly complex content, skills and processes with developing confidence and sophistication through the years of schooling.
Dance
Dance is expressive movement with purpose and form. Through Dance, students represent, question and celebrate human experience, using movement as the medium for personal, social, emotional, physical and cultural communication.
Active participation as dancers, choreographers and audiences promotes wellbeing and social inclusion. Learning in and through Dance enhances students' knowledge and understanding of diverse cultures and contexts and develops their personal, social and cultural identity.
Drama
Drama is the expression and exploration of personal, emotional, social and cultural worlds, through role and situation, that engages, entertains and challenges. Students create meaning as drama makers, performers and audiences as they engage with and analyse their own and others' stories and points of view.
In making and staging drama, they learn how to be focused, innovative and resourceful, collaborate and take on responsibilities for drama presentations. Students develop a sense of curiosity and empathy by exploring the diversity of drama in the contemporary world and in other times, traditions, places and cultures.
Media Arts
Media Arts enables students to analyse past technologies, and use existing and emerging technologies as they explore imagery, text and sound to create meaning. Students participate in, experiment with, and interpret cultures, media genres and styles, and different communication practices.
Students learn to be critically aware of ways that media are culturally used and negotiated, and are dynamic and central to the way they make sense of the world and themselves. They learn to interpret, analyse and develop media practices through their experiences in making media arts. They are inspired to imagine, collaborate and take on responsibilities in planning, designing and producing media artworks.
Music
Music has the capacity to engage, entertain, challenge, inspire and empower students. Studying music stimulates imaginative and innovative responses, critical thinking and aesthetic understanding, and encourages students to reach their creative and expressive potential.
Music exists distinctively in every culture and is a basic expression of human experience. Students' active participation in music, individually and collaboratively, draws on their own traditions and life experiences. These experiences help them to appreciate and meaningfully engage with music practices and traditions of other times, places, cultures and contexts.
Visual Arts
Visual Arts incorporates all three fields of art, craft and design. Students create visual representations that communicate, challenge and express their own and others' ideas, both as artists and audience members. They develop perceptual and conceptual understanding, critical reasoning and practical skills through exploring and expanding their understanding of their world, and other worlds.
Visual Arts engages students in a journey of discovery, experimentation and problem-solving relevant to visual perception and visual language. Students undertake this journey by utilising visual techniques, technologies, practices and processes. Visual Arts supports students' ability to recognise and develop cultural appreciation of visual arts in the past and contemporary contexts through exploring and responding to artists and their artworks.
Aims
Dance
Dance knowledge and skills ensure that, individually and collaboratively, students:
- develop confidence to become innovative and creative dancers to communicate meaning through body awareness, technical dance skills and performance skills
- apply the elements of dance and choreographic skills through group processes to create dance that communicates meaning to an audience
- develop aesthetic, artistic and cultural appreciation of dance in past and contemporary contexts as choreographers, performers and audience members
- develop respect for, and knowledge of, the diverse purposes, traditions, histories and cultures of dance by making and responding as active participants and informed audiences.
Drama
Drama knowledge and skills ensure that, individually and collaboratively, students develop:
- confidence, empathy and self-awareness to explore, depict and celebrate human experience, take risks and extend their own creativity through drama
- knowledge of how to analyse, apply and control the elements, skills, techniques, processes, conventions, forms and styles of drama in traditional and contemporary drama to engage and create meaning for audiences
- knowledge of the role of group processes and design and technology in the creative process of devising and interpreting drama to make meaning for audiences
- knowledge of traditional and contemporary drama through responding as critical and active participants and audience members.
Media Arts
Media Arts knowledge and skills ensure that, individually and collaboratively, students develop:
- confidence to participate in, experiment with, and interpret the media-rich culture and communications practices that surround them
- aesthetic knowledge developed through exploration of imagery, text and sound to express ideas, concepts and stories using effective teamwork strategies to produce media artwork
- creative and critical thinking skills to explore different perspectives in media as producers and consumers
- awareness of their active participation in local and global media cultures, including using safe media practices when publishing online materials.
Music
Music knowledge and skills ensure that, individually and collaboratively, students:
- develop the confidence to be creative, innovative, thoughtful, skilful and informed musicians
- develop skills and techniques to actively listen, analyse, improvise, compose and perform music
- interpret and apply the elements of music, engaging with a diverse array of musical experiences as performers and audience members
- develop aesthetic appreciation and respect for their own and others' music practices and traditions across different times, places, cultures and contexts.
Visual Arts
Visual Arts knowledge and skills ensure that, individually and collaboratively, students:
- demonstrate confidence, curiosity, imagination and enjoyment when engaged in visual arts making
- apply visual arts techniques, materials, processes and technologies to create artworks through the design and inquiry process
- apply visual language and critical creative thinking skills when creating and responding to artwork
- develop aesthetic, artistic and cultural appreciation of visual arts in past and contemporary contexts, both as artists and art critics.
Organisation
Content Structure
The Arts learning area comprises five subjects: Dance, Drama, Media Arts, Music and Visual Arts.
The Arts curriculum is written on the basis that all students will study at least two Arts subjects from Pre-primary to the end of Year 8. It is a requirement that students study a performance subject and a visual subject.
In Years 9 and 10 the study of the Arts is optional.
In the Arts, it is desirable that schools provide students with the opportunity to engage with all five Arts subjects across Pre-primary to Year 10.
Each of the five Arts subject is organised into two interrelated strands: Making and Responding.
Making
Making in each Arts subject engages students' cognition, imagination, senses and emotions in conceptual and practical ways and involves thinking kinaesthetically, critically and creatively. Students develop knowledge and skills to plan, produce, present, design and perform in each arts subject independently and collaboratively. Students work from an idea, an intention, particular resources, an imaginative impulse, or an external stimulus.
Part of making involves students considering their work in the Arts from a range of points of view, including that of the audience. Students reflect on the development and completion of making in the Arts.
Responding
Responding in each Arts subject involves students reflecting, analysing, interpreting and evaluating in the Arts. Students learn to appreciate and investigate the Arts through contextual study. Learning through making is interrelated with, and dependent upon, responding. Students learn by reflecting on their making and responding to the making of others. The points of view students hold, shift according to different experiences in the Arts.
Students consider the Arts' relationships with audiences. They reflect on their own experiences as audience members and begin to understand how the Arts represent ideas through expression, symbolic communication and cultural traditions and rituals. Students think about how audiences receive, debate and interpret the meanings of the Arts.
Relationships between the strands
Making and Responding are intrinsically connected. Together they provide students with knowledge and skills as practitioners, performers and audience members and develop students' skills in critical and creative thinking. As students make in the Arts, they actively respond to their developing work and the works of others; as students respond to the Arts, they draw on the knowledge and skills acquired through their experiences to inform their making.
Year level descriptions
Year level descriptions provide an overview of the key concepts addressed, along with core content being studied at that year level. They also emphasise the interrelated nature of the two strands and the expectation that planning will involve integration of content from across the strands.
For the five Arts subjects, the year level description includes forms, genres, styles, contexts, materials, practices and/or elements relevant to each Arts subject that informs approaches to teaching and learning in the Arts.
Content description
Content descriptions set out the knowledge, understanding and skills that teachers are expected to teach and students are expected to learn. They do not prescribe approaches to teaching. The core content has been written to ensure that learning is appropriately ordered and that unnecessary repetition is avoided. However, a concept or skill introduced at one year level may be revisited, strengthened and extended at later year levels as needed.
Additional content descriptions are available for teachers to incorporate in their teaching programs. Schools will determine the inclusion of additional content, taking into account learning area time allocation and school priorities.
The additional content will not be reflected in the Achievement Standard.
Achievement standards
From Pre-primary to Year 10, achievement standards indicate the quality of learning that students should typically demonstrate by a particular point in their schooling. An achievement standard describes the quality of learning (e.g. the depth of conceptual understanding and the sophistication of skills) that would indicate the student is well-placed to commence the learning required at the next level of achievement.
Glossary
A glossary is provided to support a common understanding of key terms and concepts included in the core content.
Student Diversity
The School Curriculum and Standards Authority is committed to the development of a high-quality curriculum that promotes excellence and equity in education for all Western Australian students.
All students are entitled to rigorous, relevant and engaging learning programs drawn from the Western Australian Curriculum: The Arts. Teachers take account of the range of their students' current levels of learning, strengths, goals and interests and make adjustments where necessary. The three-dimensional design of the Western Australian Curriculum, comprising learning areas, general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities, provides teachers with flexibility to cater for the diverse needs of students across Western Australia and to personalise their learning.
Students with disability
The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005 require education and training service providers to support the rights of students with disability to access the curriculum on the same basis as students without disability.
Many students with disability are able to achieve educational standards commensurate with their peers, as long as the necessary adjustments are made to the way in which they are taught and to the means through which they demonstrate their learning.
In some cases, curriculum adjustments are necessary to provide equitable opportunities for students to access age-equivalent content in the Western Australian Curriculum: The Arts. Teachers can draw from content at different levels along the Pre-primary – Year 10 sequence. Teachers can also use the general capabilities learning continua in Literacy, Numeracy and Personal and social capability to adjust the focus of learning according to individual student need.
Adjustments to the practical delivery of movement-based activities will be necessary to ensure some students with a physical disability can access, participate in, and achieve on the same basis as their peers. Teachers may also need to consider adjustments to assessment of students with disability to ensure student achievement and demonstration of learning is appropriately measured.
English as an additional language or dialect
Students for whom English is an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) enter Western Australian schools at different ages and at different stages of English language learning, and have various educational backgrounds in their first languages. While many EAL/D students bring already highly developed literacy (and numeracy) skills in their own language to their learning of Standard Australian English, there are a significant number of students who are not literate in their first language, and have had little or no formal schooling.
While the aims of the Western Australian Curriculum: The Arts are the same for all students, EAL/D students must achieve these aims while simultaneously learning a new language and learning content and skills through that new language. These students may require additional time and support, along with teaching that explicitly addresses their language needs. Students who have had no formal schooling will need additional time and support in order to acquire skills for effective learning in formal settings.
Gifted and talented students
Teachers can use the Western Australian Curriculum: The Arts flexibly to meet the individual learning needs of gifted and talented students.
Teachers can enrich students' learning by providing students with opportunities to work with learning area content in more depth or breadth (e.g. using the additional content descriptions); emphasising specific aspects of the general capabilities learning continua (e.g. the higher-order cognitive skills of the critical and creative thinking capability); and/or focusing on cross-curriculum priorities. Teachers can also accelerate student learning by drawing on content from later year levels in the Western Australian Curriculum: The Arts, and/or from local, state and territory teaching and learning materials.
Ways of Teaching
The 'ways of teaching' aim to support teachers with planning for curriculum delivery across the years of school, with the teaching in each year extending learning in previous years.
The 'ways of teaching' complement the principles of teaching and learning in the Western Australian Curriculum and Assessment Outline (http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/). The principles focus on the provision of a school and class environment that is intellectually, socially and physically supportive of learning. The principles assist whole-school planning and individual classroom practice.
Making and Responding are intrinsically connected. Together they provide students with knowledge, understanding and skills as artists, performers and audience members and develop students' skills in critical and creative thinking. As students make in the Arts, they actively respond to their developing work and the works of others; as students respond in the Arts, they draw on the knowledge and skills acquired through their experience in making artworks.
Teachers have the freedom to apply aspects of the strands, Making and Responding, to plan teaching programs. Through the combination of both, teachers can provide rich opportunities to extend students' knowledge, skills and capacity to analyse and reflect. Responding occurs throughout the creative learning process.
To engage students in the Arts, teachers typically create learning experiences which:
- use all aspects of perception: sensory, emotional, cognitive, physical and relational to make learning experiential for students
- develop skills in students through modelling, coaching, practising and reflecting
- enable students to work individually and collaboratively, using flexible grouping to accommodate their needs and strengths
- encourage students to take risks and extend their ideas
- foster participation in projects in a flexible, dynamic learning environment
- provide opportunities for students to experience the Arts in live or virtual settings
- explore significant and recognisable examples of the Arts from different times and cultures to develop in students an aesthetic and cultural appreciation of the Arts.
Many aspects of the Arts syllabus are recurring and teachers should provide ample opportunities through practice for revision and consolidation of previously introduced knowledge and skills. The diagram below presents one version of the creative learning process in the Arts.
Figure 1 is a visual representation of 'ways of teaching' in the Arts.
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| Figure 1:" Ways of teaching in The Arts |
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| Figure 2:" Ways of teaching in The Arts |
Safe working practices in the Arts are an essential aspect of the teaching and learning. These include providing or adapting an appropriate space to work; teaching students guiding principles to care for their voice and bodies; working safely with others and with specialist equipment; and appropriate warm-up procedures before class or a performance. Safe working practices also include the responsibility teachers and students have in the maintenance of safe social and emotional spaces for the Arts. Without this aspect of safe working practices, risk-taking becomes difficult for many students. To ensure the development of creative processes where students are willing to risk making mistakes in the Arts, teachers will need to establish and maintain a safe learning environment in the classroom.
Although Dance, Drama, Media Arts, Music, and Visual Arts are distinct subjects in the Arts, teachers may create opportunities for students to study and make artworks that feature a fusion of traditional art forms and practices to develop hybrid and/or cross-arts projects. This learning involves the exploration of traditional and contemporary arts practices, including those from different cultures that acknowledge community and cultural protocols. Such works might:
- combine performance, audio and/or visual aspects
- combine processes typical of the different Arts subjects
- involve other learning areas
- exist in physical, digital or virtual spaces
- combine traditional, contemporary and emerging media and materials
- be created individually or collaboratively.
Teachers in schools are the key to providing students with rich, sustained, rigorous learning in each of the subjects in The Arts. The Arts industry complements the provision of the Arts syllabus in schools through programs and partnerships. The industry increasingly provides specialist services for schools, as appropriate, through experiences such as visiting performances; demonstrations and exhibitions; artists in residence; professional development for teachers; and access for students and teachers to specialised facilities in galleries, concert halls, theatres and other arts venues.
Figure 2 is a visual representation of guiding questions whilst experiencing live or digital arts events.
For information on how to collect evidence to inform planning for ongoing learning experiences in the Arts, refer to 'Ways of Assessing'.
Ways of Assessing
The 'ways of assessing' complement 'ways of teaching' and aim to support teachers in developing effective assessment practices in The Arts.
The 'ways of assessing' also complement the principles of assessment contained in the Western Australian Curriculum and Assessment Outline. The assessment principles, reflective questions and assessment snapshots support teachers in reflecting on their own assessment practice in relation to each of the assessment principles. Here teachers will find:
- background information for each principle
- reflective questions
- guidance for addressing the principle within their own assessment practice.
Refer to the Western Australian Curriculum and Assessment Outline (http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au) for further guidance on assessment principles, practices and phases of schooling.
The key to selecting the most appropriate assessment is in the answers to several reflective questions. For example:
- How do you use assessment as the starting point of your lesson planning?
- Do your assessments have a clear purpose?
- Do you design assessment tasks in a way that meets the dual purposes of formative and summative assessment?
- How do you use your observations of students (during the course of classroom activities, in assignments and in tests) to determine how learning can be improved?
- How do you identify students' misconceptions or gaps in their learning?
- How do you identify the next skill or understanding a student, or group of students, needs to learn?
- What information do you collect to evaluate your own teaching?
- How do you work with colleagues to evaluate student achievement data and how does this work inform your teaching?
- What range of evidence do you draw on when you report student performance and evaluate your teaching?
Refer to the Judging Standards tool in the Western Australian Curriculum and Assessment Outline (http://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/judging-standards) when reporting
against the Achievement Standards; giving assessment feedback; or explaining the differences
between one student's achievement and another's.
In the Arts, assessment tasks typically address the syllabus content in interconnected ways within relevant, meaningful contexts to students. Assessment tasks should identify the specific applications of knowledge and skills students will use, individually and/or in groups, to achieve clear, creative goals. This provides students with opportunities to find innovative ways to solve creative challenges.
The following table provides examples of assessment strategies which can enable teachers to understand where students are in their learning. Assessments should also be based on the integration of a range of types and sources of evidence.
| Subject | Examples of assessment strategies | Examples of sources of evidence |
|---|---|---|
Dance | Movement skills: students practise planned, movement-based exercises to develop a variety of technical dance skills and performance skills. |
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Choreographic skills: students create their own dance through completing task-based activities that engage in the use of the elements of Dance: body, energy, space and time (BEST), choreographic structures and choreographic devices. | ||
Reflective practice: students reflect, either orally or in written form, using dance terminology, on their own work and the work of others. Reflections will include analysis of the use of BEST, choreographic devices and structures, and design concepts in dance works. |
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Dance and contexts: students become familiar, in written or oral form, with historical, social and/or cultural contexts in which dance exists. This can be completed through investigation, where appropriate, and/or by viewing live or digital dance performances as audience members. | ||
Drama | Improvised/devised drama: based on stimuli, students engage in the development of original drama based on particular drama forms and styles and drama skills and conventions. May include the use of design and technology to support meaning. |
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Scripted drama: based on complete scripts or script extracts (published or unpublished), students engage in the interpretation of drama texts. May include the use of design and technology to support meaning. | ||
Reflective practice: students reflect, either orally or in written form, using drama terminology and language, on their own work and the work of others and the use of the elements of drama, and design and technology in drama. |
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Response analysis: students respond to, in written or oral form, using drama terminology and language, the application of elements of drama to create drama forms and styles and dramatic meaning; in particular drama performances (theatre) presented to students live or via digital format. May also include discussion about the role of design and technology. | ||
Media Arts | Media production: students develop skills in all phases of media production, from pre-production and media production, to post-production. Students develop practical skills through the experience of producing in various media forms, styles and genres. |
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Reflective practices: students reflect on their own and others', media productions using media terminology. This includes reflecting on group work and problem-solving strategies about media codes and conventions for the purpose of the production and the intended audience. |
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Media Arts and Contexts: students investigate, where appropriate, in oral or written form, the influence of the media, media history, and the contexts that shape the media. Points of view and values that shape productions and audience readings may also be considered. |
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Music | Aural and theory: students complete aural and theory tasks identifying and applying the elements of music. They develop music literacy and listening skills through practical and written activities. |
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Composing and arranging: students complete short tasks that reinforce learning concepts, or extended works that incorporate stylistic features and conventions in structured composition activities. Students can use invented and conventional notation, appropriate music terminology and technology, working individually or collaboratively. | ||
Analysis and context: students complete aural and visual analysis tasks using scores and recordings or by listening to live performances. They identify, compare and evaluate the use of music elements, contextual and stylistic characteristics and/or cultural and historical features in a range of musical examples. |
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Performance: students sing and/or play instruments to reinforce an aural or theoretical principle; communicate a compositional idea; or create and/or improvise musical ideas. Performance may be a solo or ensemble activity where students practise, rehearse and refine technical and expressive skills, and develop stylistic awareness. |
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Visual Arts | Production: students engage in the development of a resolved artwork to develop their skills and technical abilities for the relevant chosen medium and to demonstrate their creativity and knowledge of the visual conventions. |
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Analysis: students analyse, in written or oral form, using visual arts terminology, their own artwork and the artwork of others, based on selected frameworks. |
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Reflective practice: students reflect, in written or oral form, on their own artwork and the artwork of others, using the elements and principles of design, to refine and resolve artworks. | ||
Artists and contexts: students explore the social, cultural and/or historical contexts of artists through investigation, where age appropriate. |
General Capabilities
The general capabilities encompass the knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that will assist students to live and work in the 21st century. Teachers may find opportunities to incorporate the capabilities into the teaching and learning program for the Arts. The general capabilities are not assessed unless they are identified within the content.
Literacy
Students become literate as they develop the knowledge, skills and dispositions to interpret and use language confidently, for learning and communicating in and out of school, and for participating effectively in society. Students use literacy when listening to, reading, viewing, speaking, writing and creating oral, print, visual and digital texts. Literacy involves students using and modifying language for different purposes in a range of contexts.
In the Arts, students use literacy along with the kinetic, symbolic, verbal and visual languages of the five Arts subjects. This enables students to develop, apply and communicate their knowledge and skills as artists and as audiences. Through making and responding, students enhance and extend their literacy skills as they create, compose, design, analyse, comprehend, discuss, interpret and evaluate their own, and others', artworks.
Each Arts subject requires students to learn and use specific terminology of increasing complexity as they move through the curriculum. Students understand that the terminologies of the Arts vary according to context and they develop their ability to use language dynamically and flexibly. They use their literacy skills to access knowledge, make meaning, express thoughts, emotions and ideas, as well as interact with, and challenge, others.
Numeracy
Students become numerate as they develop the knowledge and skills to use mathematics confidently across all learning areas at school and in their lives more broadly. Numeracy involves students recognising and understanding the role of mathematics in the world and having the dispositions and capacities to use mathematical knowledge and skills purposefully.
In the Arts, students select and use relevant numeracy knowledge and skills to plan, design, make, interpret, analyse and evaluate artworks. Across the Arts subjects, students can recognise and use numbers to calculate and estimate; spatial reasoning to solve problems involving space, patterns, symmetry, 2D and 3D shapes; scale and proportion, to show and describe positions, pathways and movements; and measurement to explore length, area, volume, capacity, time, mass and angles.
Through making and responding across the Arts, students use numeracy skills to choreograph and perform dance; build, rehearse, sequence and time plays; plan, direct and edit media texts; compose, produce and record music; and design, construct and display art. Students work with a range of numerical concepts to organise, analyse and create representations of data relevant to their own, or others', artworks, such as diagrams, charts, tables, graphs and motion capture.
Information and communication technology (ICT) capability
Students develop ICT capability as they learn to use ICT effectively and appropriately to access, create and communicate information and ideas, solve problems, and work collaboratively in all learning areas at school, and in their lives beyond school. The capability involves students learning to make the most of the digital technologies available to them; adapting to new ways of doing things as technologies evolve; and limiting the risks to themselves and others in a digital environment.
In the Arts, ICT capability enables students to engage with digital and virtual technologies when making and responding to artworks. Students can, for example, use interactive multimedia platforms, communication and editing software, and virtual tools and environments, to design, create and share their artworks. They can enhance their ICT capability as they generate ideas and explore concepts and possibilities by exploiting available technologies.
Students learn to apply social and ethical protocols and practices in a digital environment, particularly in relation to the appropriate acknowledgment of intellectual property and the safeguarding of personal security when using ICT. They use digital technologies to locate, access, select and evaluate information, work collaboratively; share and exchange information; and communicate with a variety of audiences.
Critical and creative thinking
Students develop capability in critical and creative thinking as they learn to generate and evaluate knowledge, clarify concepts and ideas, seek possibilities, consider alternatives and solve problems. Critical and creative thinking is integral to activities that require students to think broadly and deeply. Students will use skills, behaviours and dispositions such as reason, logic, resourcefulness, imagination and innovation in all learning areas at school and in their lives beyond school.
In the Arts, critical and creative thinking is integral to making and responding to artworks. In creating artworks, students draw on their curiosity, imagination and thinking skills to pose questions and explore ideas, spaces, materials and technologies. They generate, design and analyse art forms, consider possibilities and processes, and make choices that assist them to take risks and express their ideas, concepts, thoughts and feelings creatively. In responding to the Arts, students learn to analyse traditional and contemporary artworks and identify possible meanings and connections with self and community. They consider and analyse artists' motivations and intentions and possible influencing factors and biases. They reflect critically and creatively, both individually and collectively, on the thinking and design processes that underpin arts making. They offer and receive effective feedback about past and present artworks and performances, and communicate and share their thinking, visualisation and innovations to a variety of audiences.
Personal and social capability
Students develop personal and social capability as they learn to understand themselves and others, and manage their relationships, lives, work and learning more effectively. The capability involves students in a range of practices, including recognising and regulating emotions; developing empathy for others and understanding relationships; establishing and building positive relationships; making responsible decisions; working effectively in teams; handling challenging situations constructively; and developing leadership skills.
In the Arts, personal and social capability assists students to work, both individually and collaboratively, to make and respond to artworks. Arts learning provides students with regular opportunities to recognise, name and express their emotions while developing art form-specific skills and techniques. As they think about ideas and concepts in their own and others' artworks, students identify and assess personal strengths, interests and challenges. As art makers, performers and audience members, students develop and apply personal skills and dispositions, such as self-discipline, goal setting and working independently, and show initiative, confidence, resilience and adaptability. They learn to empathise with the emotions, needs and situations of others, to appreciate diverse perspectives, and to understand and negotiate different types of relationships. When working with others, students develop and practise social skills that assist them to communicate effectively, work collaboratively, make considered group decisions and show leadership.
Ethical understanding
Students develop ethical understanding as they identify and investigate the nature of ethical concepts, values and character traits, and understand how reasoning can assist ethical judgment. Ethical understanding involves students in building a strong personal and socially oriented ethical outlook that helps them to manage context, conflict and uncertainty, and to develop an awareness of the influence that their values and behaviour have on others.
In the Arts, students develop and apply ethical understanding when they encounter or create artworks that require ethical consideration, such as work that is controversial, involves a moral dilemma or presents a biased point of view. They explore how ethical principles affect the behaviour and judgment of artists involved in issues and events. Students apply the skills of reasoning, empathy and imagination, and consider and make judgments about actions and motives. They speculate on how life experiences affect and influence people's decision making and whether various positions held are reasonable.
Students develop their understanding of values and ethical principles as they use an increasing range of critical thinking skills to explore ideas, concepts, beliefs and practices. When interpreting and evaluating artworks and their meaning, students consider the intellectual, moral and property rights of others.
Intercultural understanding
Students develop intercultural understanding as they learn to value their own cultures, languages and beliefs, and those of others. They come to understand how personal, group and national identities are shaped, and the variable and changing nature of culture. The capability involves students learning about, and engaging with, diverse cultures in ways that recognise commonalities and differences, create connections with others and cultivate mutual respect.
In the Arts, intercultural understanding assists students to move beyond known worlds to explore new ideas, media and practices from diverse local, national, regional and global cultural contexts. Intercultural understanding enables students to explore the influence and impact of cultural identities and traditions on the practices and thinking of artists and audiences. Students might explore forms and structures, use of materials, technologies, techniques and processes, or treatment of concepts, ideas, themes and characters. They develop and act with intercultural understanding in making artworks that explore their own cultural identities and those of others, interpreting and comparing their experiences and worlds, and seeking to represent increasingly complex relationships.
Students are encouraged to demonstrate empathy for others and open-mindedness to perspectives that differ from their own and to appreciate the diversity of cultures and contexts in which artists and audiences live. Through engaging with artworks from diverse cultural sources, students are challenged to consider accepted roles, images, objects, sounds, beliefs and practices in new ways.
Cross-Curriculum Priorities
The cross-curriculum priorities address the contemporary issues that students face in a globalised world. Teachers may find opportunities to incorporate the priorities into the teaching and learning program for The Arts. The cross-curriculum priorities are not assessed unless they are identified within the core content.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
In the Western Australian Curriculum: The Arts, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures enrich understanding of the diversity of arts practices in Australia. Exploration of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures provides a rich opportunity to build a greater understanding of Australian history as well as fostering mutual understanding and respect between cultures. The study of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures for making and responding should be undertaken by teachers and students in ways that are culturally sensitive and responsible through the support of relevant elders and communities.
Asia and Australia's engagement with Asia
In the Western Australian Curriculum: The Arts, the Asia region represents a highly diverse spectrum of cultures, traditions and peoples with a third of the world's population located immediately north of Australia. Engaging in a respectful exploration of particular traditions from countries like China, India, South Korea and Japan, for example, will enable students to understand more deeply the values and histories of our near neighbours with whom it shares important interrelationships. The study of the Arts from the Asia region provides further opportunities for partnerships with relevant practitioners to develop arts practices.
Sustainability
In the Western Australian Curriculum: The Arts, the sustainability priority provides engaging and thought-provoking contexts in which to explore the nature of art-making and responding.
The sustainability priority enables the exploration of the role of the Arts in maintaining and transforming cultural practices, social systems and the relationships of people to their environment. Through making and responding in the Arts, students consider issues of sustainability in relation to the resource use and traditions in each of the Arts subjects. The Arts provides opportunities for students to express and develop world views, and to appreciate the need for collaboration within and between communities to implement more sustainable patterns of living.
Dance
ABLEWA Stage A
Year Stage Description
In Stage A, students are exposed to dance. Dance assists them to attend to and explore the world around them with as much independence as possible. They experience dance and are encouraged to use gestures and body movements to react and respond to the world around them.
Students become aware of their bodies and experience body movements used in dance. They experience space, time, dynamics and relationships as they are supported to make and observe dances. Students experience the roles of artist and audience, and they provide feedback to their dance experiences. They share their dance with peers, experience safe dance practices, and experience dance as audiences.
Students experience a range of dances from different cultures, times and locations, including dances from their local community.
Stage A Content Descriptions
Explore and Represent Ideas
Experience dance, safe movement possibilities and move their body parts intentionally in response to stimulus (VCADAE001)
Dance Practices
Show general awareness of body position and own body when being moved by others during fundamental movement and dance sequences (VCADAD002)
Present and Perform
Be involved in making and sharing dance that communicates ideas (VCADAP003)
Respond and Interpret
React to dance (VCADAR004)
Achievement standard
By the end of Stage A, students participate in dance activities. They move body parts safely and react to aspects of dance they make, perform and view.
ABLEWA Stage B
Year Stage Description
In Stage B, students explore dance. They explore how dance can represent the world and they make dances to represent their ideas about the world. They share their dance with peers and experience dance as audiences.
Students become aware of their bodies and explore the body bases, parts and zones used safely in dance. They experience space, time, dynamics and relationships as they make and observe dances. They explore locomotor and non-locomotor movements, learn some fundamental movement skills and perform their own dance. They experiment with simple technical and expressive skills in their own dances and begin to learn about choreographic devices through practicing dance sequences movements, observing dances and their own performances.
Students experience dances from a range of cultures, times and locations, including dances form their local community.
Stage B Content Descriptions
Explore and Represent Ideas
Move body parts and experience safe movement possibilities when learning fundamental dance movements (VCADAE005)
Dance Practices
Explore ways of moving in response to stimulus (VCADAD006)
Present and Perform
Share dance to communicate a given idea (VCADAP007)
Respond and Interpret
Respond to own and others’ dance (VCADAR008)
Achievement standard
By the end of Stage B, students follow safe practice when moving body parts and performing dance sequences.
Students communicate responses to dances they make, perform and view.
ABLEWA Stage C
Year Stage Description
In Stage C, students explore dance. They learn about how dance can represent the world and they make dances to represent their ideas about the world. They share their dance with peers and experience dance as audiences.
Students become aware of their bodies and learn about the body bases, parts and zones used safely in dance. They explore space, time and dynamics as they make and observe dances. Students explore locomotor and non-locomotor movements and use these fundamental movement skills in their own dance. They experiment with simple technical and expressive skills.
Students experience dances from a range of cultures, times and locations, including dances from cultures in their local community.
Stage C Content Descriptions
Explore and Represent Ideas
Explore dance ideas that use safe fundamental movement patterns (VCADAE009)
Dance Practices
Explore dance movements to communicate ideas (VCADAD010)
Present and Perform
Perform movement sequences to express ideas, feelings and/or observations (VCADAP011)
Respond and Interpret
Respond to own and others’ dance and explore where and why people dance (VCADAR012)
Achievement standard
By the end of Stage C, students follow safe dance practice to make and share dance sequences and movement patterns.
Students communicate ideas and feelings about aspects of their own and others’ dance.
ABLEWA Stage D
Year Stage Description
In Stage D, students explore dance. They learn about how dance can represent the world and they make dances to represent their ideas about the world. They share their dance with peers and experience dance as audiences.
Students become aware of their bodies and learn about the body bases, parts and zones used safely in dance. They explore space, time, dynamics and relationships as they make and observe dances. They explore locomotor and non-locomotor movements, and use these fundamental movement skills in their own dance. Students experiment with simple technical and expressive skills and begin to learn about choreographic devices through assisting to select and organise movements for small group and in their own dances.
Students experience dances from a range of cultures, times and locations, including dances from cultures in their local community.
Stage D Content Descriptions
Explore and Represent Ideas
Develop safe fundamental movements and technical skills when exploring dance ideas (VCADAE013)
Dance Practices
Improvise and sequence dance movements to communicate moods and feelings (VCADAD014)
Present and Perform
Perform dance that communicates ideas, feelings, observations and/or experiences to an audience (VCADAP015)
Respond and Interpret
Respond to dance and describe some of the characteristics they observe (VCADAR016)
Achievement standard
By the end of Stage D, students make and share a simple dance sequence and demonstrate safe dance practice.
Students provide a simple explanation about the features and purpose of their own dance.
Pre-primary year Syllabus
The syllabus is based on the requirement that all students will study at least two of the five Arts subjects from Pre-primary to Year 8. It is a requirement that students study a performance subject and a visual subject.
Year Level Description
In Pre-primary, learning in Dance builds on the dispositions developed in the early years.
Students engage with purposeful play in structured activities to become aware of how the body moves through space. They explore movement ideas and learn about two of the elements of dance ( body and space ).
Students develop body control and coordination through exploring locomotor and non-locomotor movements.
Students experience performing dance and, as an audience, they learn how to focus their attention on the performance. They make simple observations of the dances they view and make.
They have the opportunity to explore different places and occasions where people dance.
Making
Ideas
Use of stimuli to explore movement ideas to create simple dance sequences (ACADAM001)
Skills
Locomotor (walking, skipping, running) and non-locomotor-movements (twisting, bending, turning, swaying) to develop body control and coordination (ACADAM002)
Safe dance practices, including being aware of personal space (ACADAM002)
Achievement standard
At Standard, students respond to different stimuli to explore mostly familiar movements as a basis for creating short dance sequences that connect body shapes and levels in space. They demonstrate locomotor and non-locomotor movements showing some body awareness and some control of the whole body in space. Students perform dance sequences, sometimes acknowledging the audience.
Students respond briefly to familiar movements that are used in their own and others’ dance. They identify some places and occasions where people dance in their own lives and communities.
Year 1 Syllabus
The syllabus is based on the requirement that all students will study at least two of the five Arts subjects from Pre-primary to Year 8. It is a requirement that students study a performance subject and a visual subject.
Year Level Description
In Year 1, learning in Dance builds on the dispositions developed in the early years.
Students use their natural curiosity to explore improvised movement responding to a variety of stimuli. Students continue to develop control and coordination of locomotor and non-locomotor movements and begin to experiment with three of the elements of dance ( body, space and time ) to create simple dance sequences in a supportive, safe environment.
They have the opportunity to perform dance expressing ideas through movement to an audience. As an audience, students make simple observations of dances they view and make, exploring what they like and why.
Students discover different types of dance and when these are performed.
Making
Ideas
Exploration and improvisation of movement ideas to create simple dance sequences (ACADAM001)
Skills
Locomotor (walking, skipping, running) and non-locomotor (twisting, bending, turning, swaying) movements to develop body control, coordination and strength (ACADAM002)
Safe dance practices, including respecting others in the dance space (ACADAM002)
Achievement standard
At Standard, students respond to different stimuli to explore some familiar and imaginative movement ideas to create short dance sequences by connecting body shapes, body actions, levels and directions in space. They demonstrate locomotor and non-locomotor movements showing body awareness and some control of the whole body and varied body parts in space. Students perform improvised and rehearsed dance sequences, sometimes acknowledging the audience.
Students respond briefly to how key moments in their own and others’ dance sequences made them feel. They identify different types of dance in their own lives and communities, and when they are performed.
Year 2 Syllabus
The syllabus is based on the requirement that all students will study at least two of the five Arts subjects from Pre-primary to Year 6. It is a requirement that students study a performance subject and a visual subject.
Year Level Description
In Year 2, learning in Dance builds on the dispositions developed in the early years.
Students continue to explore and improvise with movement ideas to create dance with a beginning and ending. They further explore and experiment with the elements of dance ( body, space and time ). They continue to build on their fundamental movement skills to develop control, posture, strength, balance and coordination.
Students begin to develop performance skills when presenting dance. As an audience, they make observations about the use of the elements of dance ( body, space and time ) in their own and others’ dance. They have an opportunity to explore the reasons why people dance.
Making
Ideas
Exploration, improvisation and organisation of movement ideas to create a dance, demonstrating a beginning and ending (ACADAM001)
Skills
Exploration of, and experimentation with, three (3) elements of dance
- Body:
- Space:
- levels (medium, low, high)
- direction (forward, backward)
- personal space and general space
- dimensions (big, small)
- shape (straight, curved, angular, twisted, closed, circular, symmetry to asymmetry)
- pathways (in the air with the arms, under, over)
- Time:
- tempo (fast, slow, slowing down, speeding up)
to create dance (ACADAM001)
Locomotor (walking, skipping, running) and non-locomotor (twisting, bending, turning, swaying) movements to develop control, posture, strength, balance and coordination (ACADAM002)
Safe dance practices, including being aware of the dance space boundaries when involved in dance lessons or rehearsals (ACADAM002)
Achievement standard
At Standard, students explore familiar and some imaginative movement ideas and use the elements of dance (body, space and time) to create dance sequences that have a distinct beginning and ending. They demonstrate locomotor and non-locomotor movements showing body awareness and some control of the whole body, varied body parts and bases in dance sequences. Students perform rehearsed dances to an audience, using some appropriate performance skills.
Students outline, using some dance terminology, how body, space and time are used to create key moments in their own and others’ dance sequences. They identify some suitable reasons why people dance in daily life.
Year 3 Syllabus
The syllabus is based on the requirement that all students will study at least two of the five Arts subjects from Pre-primary to Year 8. It is a requirement that students study a performance subject and a visual subject.
Year Level Description
In Year 3, students extend their exploration and improvisation skills to create dance that tells a story. They are introduced to the fourth element of dance: energy and continue to experiment with and select body, space and time to organise dance sequences.
Students continue to develop body awareness, coordination, control, and balance through simple combinations of fundamental movement skills. They work individually and collaboratively to create and rehearse sequences and consider safe dance practices.
Students experience performing dance and, as an audience, learn to respect the dance of others.
As students make and respond to dance, they consider how the elements of dance ( body, energy, space and time ) are used in their own and others’ dance. They explore the purpose of dance from different times.
Making
Ideas
Exploration, improvisation and selection of movement ideas to create a dance that has a narrative structure (ACADAM005)
Skills
Exploration of, and experimentation with, four (4) elements of dance (BEST)
- Body:
- Energy:
- controlling and combining different movement qualities (sharp to soft, floppy to stiff)
- Space:
- levels (medium, low, high)
- direction (forward, backward, diagonal)
- personal space and general space
- dimensions (big, small, narrow, wide)
- shape (straight, curved, angular, twisted, closed, circular, symmetry to asymmetry, angular to curved)
- pathways (in the air with the arms, under, over, on the floor)
- Time:
- tempo (fast, slow, slowing down, speeding up)
- rhythm (regular, irregular)
to create dance (ACADAM005)
Combinations of fundamental movement skills that develop body awareness, coordination, control and balance (ACADAM006)
Safe dance practices, including following warming-up and cooling down procedures (ACADAM006)
Responding
Appropriate responses to, and respect for, dance of others as performers and audience members (ACADAR008)
Purpose of dance from different times (ACADAR008)
Responses that involve identifying and reflecting on the use of the elements of dance, in their dance and the dance of others', using dance terminology (ACADAR008)
Achievement standard
At Standard, students explore and select familiar and, on occasion, new movements and combine the elements of dance ( body, energy, space, time ) with some purpose to create dances using a narrative structure. They demonstrate some control of simple combinations of fundamental movement skills. Students use performance skills that are related to the narrative of the dance and acknowledge the audience throughout most of the performance.
Students outline, using some dance terminology, how the elements of dance (BEST) are used in their own and others’ dance. They identify some purposes of dance from different times.
Year 4 Syllabus
The syllabus is based on the requirement that all students will study at least two of the five Arts subjects from Pre-primary to Year 8. It is a requirement that students study a performance subject and a visual subject.
Year Level Description
In Year 4, students select and combine the elements of dance ( body, energy, space and time ) to create dance sequences that express an idea or message. They begin to use choreographic devices of repetition and contrast.
There is a continued focus on safe dance practices, as students demonstrate combinations of fundamental movement skills that build on developing body awareness, coordination, control, balance and strength.
Students are given opportunities to practice their performance skills in front of an audience.
As students make and respond to dance, they consider how the elements of dance ( body, energy, space and time ) and choreographic devices are used in their own and others’ dance. They have the opportunity to consider the purpose of dance from different cultures.
Making
Ideas
Exploration, improvisation, selection and combination of movements to create dance that expresses an idea or message (ACADAM005)
Skills
Integration of the four (4) elements of dance (BEST)
- Body:
- Energy:
- controlling and combining different movement qualities (sharp to soft, floppy to stiff, smooth to jagged)
- force (strong to gentle)
- Space:
- levels (medium, low, high, moving between levels)
- direction (forward, backward, diagonal, circular)
- personal space and general space
- positive and negative space
- dimensions (big, small, narrow, wide)
- shape (straight, curved, angular, twisted, closed, circular, symmetry to asymmetry, angular to curved)
- pathways (in the air with the arms, under, over, on the floor)
- Time:
- tempo (fast, slow, slowing down, speeding up)
- rhythm (regular, irregular)
- stillness (pausing, freezing, holding a shape then continuing dance sequence)
to create dance (ACADAM005)
Use of the choreographic devices of repetition and contrast when organising dance sequences (ACADAM005)
Combinations of fundamental movement skills that develop body awareness, coordination, control, balance and strength (ACADAM006)
Safe dance practice of body protection strategies including hydration, appropriate clothing and footwear when participating in a dance lesson (ACADAM006)
Responding
Considered responses to, and respect for, the dance of others as performers and audience members (ACADAR008)
Purpose of dance from different cultures (ACADAR008)
Responses that involve identifying and reflecting on how the elements of dance in their own and others’ dance are used to communicate meaning, using dance terminology (ACADAR008)
Achievement standard
At Standard, students explore, select and combine mostly familiar movements to express an idea or message in dances they choreograph. They use the elements of dance (BEST) and choreographic devices (repetition and contrast) to create variation when structuring dances. Students demonstrate some control and coordination of combinations of fundamental movement skills in dance sequences. They demonstrate, on occasion, performance skills using some appropriate facial expression and audience acknowledgement when performing dance.
Students outline, using some dance terminology, how the elements of dance (BEST) are used to communicate meaning in their own and others’ dance. They identify some purposes of dance from different cultures.
Year 5 Syllabus
The syllabus is based on the requirement that all students will study at least two of the five Arts subjects from Pre-primary to Year 8. It is a requirement that students study a performance subject and a visual subject.
Year Level Description
In Year 5, students continue to integrate the elements of dance ( body, energy, space and time ) and use the choreographic devices of repetition, contrast and unison to create dance that communicates an idea/theme.
There is a continued focus on safe dance practices as students are introduced to increasingly complex fundamental movement skills that develop body awareness, coordination, control, balance, strength and accuracy.
Students work collaboratively throughout the rehearsal process in preparation for dance performance.
In making and responding to dance, students consider the elements of dance ( body, energy, space and time ) and choreographic devices, and make observations of their use in dance. They have the opportunity to investigate the characteristics of dance from different cultures.
Making
Ideas
Exploration, improvisation, selection and combination of movements to choreograph dance based on an idea/theme (ACADAM009)
Skills
Integration of the four (4) elements of dance (BEST)
- Body:
- Energy:
- controlling and combining different movement qualities (sharp to soft, floppy to stiff, smooth to jagged)
- force (strong to gentle)
- weight (heavy, light)
- Space:
- levels (medium, low, high, moving between levels)
- direction (forward, backward, diagonal, circular)
- group formations (small or large groups of dancers in lines, circles, diagonals, clusters, squares) throughout the space
- personal space and general space
- positive and negative space
- dimensions (big, small, narrow, wide)
- shape (straight, curved, angular, twisted, closed, circular, symmetry to asymmetry, angular to curved)
- pathways (in the air with the arms, under, over, on the floor)
- Time:
- tempo (fast, slow, slowing down, speeding up)
- rhythm (regular, irregular)
- stillness (pausing, freezing, holding a shape then continuing dance sequence)
- duration (long and short movements)
- acceleration/deceleration
to choreograph dance (ACADAM009)
Use of the choreographic devices of repetition, contrast and unison when choreographing group dance (ACADAM009)
Combinations of increasingly complex fundamental movement skills incorporating directional changes that develop body awareness, coordination, control, balance, strength and accuracy (ACADAM010)
Safe dance practices, including knowing their own body capabilities when participating in dance lessons or rehearsals (ACADAM010)
Achievement standard
At Standard, students explore, improvise, select and combine, in familiar ways, the elements of dance (BEST) and use choreographic devices (repetition, contrast and/or unison) to structure dance to communicate an idea/theme. They demonstrate some control and coordination of combinations of fundamental movement skills in dance sequences incorporating spatial changes. Students demonstrate, on occasion, performance skills of focus, appropriate facial expression and audience acknowledgement when performing dance.
Students outline, using dance terminology, how the elements of dance (BEST) and specified choreographic devices are used in their own and others’ dance to communicate an idea/theme. They outline the characteristics of dance from diverse cultures.
Year 6 Syllabus
The syllabus is based on the requirement that all students will study at least two of the five Arts subjects from Pre-primary to Year 8. It is a requirement that students study a performance subject and a visual subject.
Year Level Description
In Year 6, students continue to choreograph dance, exploring character and mood, using and integrating a selection of the elements of dance ( body, energy, space and time ) and choreographic devices.
There is a continued focus on safe dance practices as students use increasingly complex combinations of fundamental movement skills that further develop their body awareness, coordination, control, balance, strength, accuracy and clarity of movement.
Students continue to use rehearsal processes to improve their dance performance. They are given opportunities to present dance using performance skills.
In making and responding to dance, students consider the elements of dance ( body, energy, space and time ), choreographic devices and design concepts, and provide explanations of their use in dance. They also consider factors that have influenced dance in particular cultures and times.
Making
Ideas
Exploration, improvisation and experimentation of movement ideas to choreograph dance that explores character/mood and communicates meaning (ACADAM009)
Skills
Selection and integration of the four (4) elements of dance (BEST)
- Body:
- Energy:
- controlling and combining different movement qualities (sharp to soft, floppy to stiff, smooth to jagged)
- force (strong to gentle)
- weight (heavy, light)
- flow (connection of movements, tight and contained or freely moving)
- Space:
- levels (medium, low, high, moving between levels)
- direction (forward and backward, diagonal, circular)
- group formations (small or large groups of dancers in lines, circles, diagonals, clusters, squares) throughout the space
- personal space and general space
- positive and negative space
- dimensions (big, small, narrow, wide)
- shape (straight, curved, angular, twisted, closed, circular, symmetry to asymmetry, angular to curved, centre, off‑centre, complementary, contrasting)
- pathways (in the air with the arms, under, over, on the floor)
- Time:
- tempo (fast, slow, slowing down, speeding up)
- rhythm (regular, irregular)
- stillness (pausing, freezing, holding a shape then continuing dance sequence)
- duration (long and short movements)
- acceleration/deceleration
- accent (emphasis placed on a movement)
to choreograph dance (ACADAM009)
Use of the choreographic devices of repetition, contrast, unison and canon when choreographing group dance (ACADAM009)
Combinations of increasingly complex fundamental movement skills, incorporating directional and spatial changes that develop body awareness, coordination, control, balance, strength, and accuracy (ACADAM010)
Safe dance practices, including knowing their own body capabilities when participating in dance lessons or rehearsals (ACADAM010)
Achievement standard
At Standard, students use improvisation skills, and sometimes experiment with movement choices drawn from stimuli, to choreograph dance that explores character/mood and communicates some meaning. They combine the elements of dance (BEST) in familiar ways, and use choreographic devices (repetition, contrast, unison and/or canon) when structuring dance. Students demonstrate some control and precision of combinations of a range of fundamental movement skills. They demonstrate, on occasion, performance skills of focus and clarity of movement and use some appropriate facial expression to reflect character/mood. Students perform dance generally acknowledging the audience.
Students outline, using dance terminology, how the elements of dance (BEST), specified choreographic devices and design concepts are used in their own and others’ dance to reflect character/mood. They outline some factors that influence dance in particular cultures, times and/or contexts.
Year 7 Syllabus
The syllabus is based on the requirement that all students will study at least two of the five Arts subjects from Pre-primary to Year 8. It is a requirement that students study a performance subject and a visual subject.
Year Level Description
In Year 7, Dance students build on their understanding of improvising and experimenting with the elements of dance (BEST) and choreographic devices to create dance that communicates an idea. They continue to improve their dance skills, focusing on developing technical competence in relation to body control, accuracy, posture/alignment , strength, flexibility, balance and coordination. They are provided with opportunities to present dance to an audience, developing their performance skills of expression, projection and focus. As they make dance and respond to it, they reflect on the meaning, interpretations and purposes of dance.
Safe dance practices underlie all experiences, as students perform within their own body capabilities and work safely in groups.
A suggested learning focus should enable teaching the content through student interest in dance. Suggested genres or styles that may be taught, but are not limited to, include contemporary, ballet, jazz, hip hop, street dance, tap and cultural dance, for example Spanish, Indian, Bollywood.
The learning focus that teachers select should shape and drive the teaching of the content.
Making
Choreographic processes
Improvisation skills to explore new movement ideas (ACADAM013)
Different elements of dance: body, energy, space, time (BEST), explored and combined to develop choreographic intent (ACADAM014)
Choreographic devices ( unison, canon, repetition) and choreographic structure ( narrative ) to create dance that communicates meaning (ACADAM016)
Group work practices (sharing ideas, problem-solving, giving feedback, listening skills) in dance (ACADAM017)
Skills and techniques
Safe dance practice of style-specific techniques (ACADAM015)
Responding
Dance reflecting and analysing
Reflective processes, using dance terminology, on their own and others’ work, and the use in dance works of the elements of dance and design concepts (lighting, music/sound, multimedia, costume, props, sets, staging) (ACADAR018)
Dance in context
Distinguishing features and purposes of dance (ACADAR019)
Achievement standard
At Standard, students use improvisation skills to explore some new movement ideas and to rearrange known movement. They combine the elements of dance (BEST), use specified choreographic devices and structure, with some purpose, to choreograph dance that communicates an idea. Students execute technical dance skills safely in a particular genre/style, demonstrating some body control and coordination of movement. They perform dance to an audience demonstrating, on occasion, projection, focus, retention and clarity of movement and appropriate expression.
Students use some specific dance terminology and reflective processes to outline how BEST and design concepts are used to create meaning in their own and others’ dance. They identify and outline distinctive features and purposes of dance.
Year 8 Syllabus
The syllabus is based on the requirement that all students will study at least two of the five Arts subjects from Pre-primary to Year 8. It is a requirement that students study a performance subject and a visual subject.
Year Level Description
In Year 8, Dance students continue to use improvisation skills to build on their movement vocabulary. They choreograph dances using the elements of dance (BEST) and choreographic devices for a purpose. They further develop their dance skills to explore the technical aspects of different dance styles. Students are given opportunities to present dance to an audience, further developing their performance skills of retention and clarity of movement, projection, focus and expression. They discuss how dance can communicate meaning and how dance genres/styles differ.
Safe dance practices underlie all experiences, as students perform within their own body capabilities and work safely in groups.
A suggested learning focus should enable teaching the content through student interest in dance. Suggested genres or styles that may be taught, but are not limited to, include contemporary, ballet, jazz, hip hop, street dance, tap and cultural dance, for example Spanish, Indian, Bollywood.
The learning focus that teachers select should shape and drive the teaching of the content.
Making
Choreographic processes
Improvisation skills to find ways to make literal movement into abstract movement (ACADAM013)
Elements of dance: body, energy, space, time (BEST), selected and combined to create dance that communicates choreographic intent (ACADAM014)
Choreographic devices (unison, canon, repetition, abstraction) and choreographic structures ( narrative, binary ) to create dance that communicates meaning (ACADAM016)
Group work practices (sharing ideas, problem-solving, listening skills, providing constructive feedback) in dance (ACADAM017)
Skills and techniques
Safe dance practice of style-specific techniques (ACADAM015)
Responding
Dance reflecting and analysing
Reflective processes, using dance terminology, on their own and others’ work, and the effectiveness in dance works of the use of the elements of dance and design concepts (lighting, music/sound, multimedia, costume, props, sets, staging) (ACADAR018)
Dance in context
Differences in dance genres/styles and eras of dance (ACADAR019)
Achievement standard
At Standard, students use improvisation skills to sometimes generate abstract movement from literal movement. They select and combine the elements of dance (BEST), use specified choreographic devices and structure to choreograph dance that explores and develops some relationship to choreographic intent. Students execute technical dance skills safely in a particular genre/style, demonstrating some control of body placement and coordination of movement. They perform dance to an audience demonstrating, on occasion, accuracy in retention and clarity of movement, projection, focus and appropriate expression.
Students use some specific dance terminology and reflective processes to outline the effectiveness of how BEST and design concepts are used to communicate meaning in their own and others’ dance. They identify and outline differences in dance genres/styles from different eras of dance.
Year 9 Syllabus
The syllabus is based on the requirement that in Years 9 and 10 the study of the Arts is optional.
Year Level Description
In Year 9, Dance students are given further opportunities to choreograph using the elements of dance (BEST), choreographic devices and structures to develop choreographic intent. They build on and refine technical competence in their dance skills in specific dance styles. Students are given opportunities to present dance to an audience, focusing on retention and clarity of movement, projection, focus, expression and musicality. They further discuss the choreographer's use of the elements of dance, choreographic devices and structures, and design concepts for choreographic intent in the dances they make and view. They investigate the evolution of particular dance genres/styles.
Safe dance practices underlie all experiences, as students perform within their own body capabilities and work safely in groups.
A suggested learning focus should enable teaching the content through student interest in dance. Suggested genres or styles that may be taught, but are not limited to, include contemporary, ballet, jazz, hip hop, street dance, tap and cultural dance, for example Spanish, Indian, Bollywood.
The learning focus that teachers select should shape and drive the teaching of the content.
Making
Choreographic processes
Improvisation skills to find new movement possibilities for the same idea (ACADAM020)
Elements of dance: body, energy, space, time (BEST), selected and manipulated to create dance that communicates choreographic intent (ACADAM021)
Choreographic devices ( unison, canon, repetition, abstraction, contrast, motif ) and choreographic structures ( narrative, binary, ternary ) to create group dance that communicates choreographic intent (ACADAM023)
Group work practices (collaborative dance planning, giving and applying critical feedback) in dance (ACADAM024)
Skills and techniques
Safe dance practice of style-specific techniques (ACADAM022)
Importance of warm-up and cool down procedures for dance and rehearsal preparation (ACADAM022)
Responding
Dance reflecting and analysing
Reflective writing, using dance terminology, on their own and others’ work, evaluating the effectiveness of choices made in dance making (ACADAR025)
Interpretation using dance terminology, of how the elements of dance and design concepts (lighting, music/sound, multimedia, costume, props, sets, staging) contribute to the meaning of a dance work (ACADAR025)
Dance in context
Evolution of various dance genres/styles (ACADAR026)
Achievement standard
At Standard, students use improvisation skills to sometimes explore new movement possibilities. They select and combine the elements of dance (BEST), use specified choreographic devices and structure, with some purpose, to choreograph dance that communicates choreographic intent. Students execute technical dance skills safely in a particular genre/style, demonstrating coordination, some control of body placement and alignment appropriate to the choreography. They perform dance to an audience demonstrating, on occasion, accuracy in retention and clarity of movement, projection, focus, musicality and appropriate expression, reflecting the choreographic intent throughout the performance.
Students use reflective writing to describe the effectiveness of the choices made in the use of BEST and design concepts, and how they contribute to the meaning in their own and others’ dance. They use some relevant dance terminology. Students outline the evolution of particular dance genres/styles.
Year 10 Syllabus
The syllabus is based on the requirement that in Years 9 and 10 the study of the Arts is optional.
Year Level Description
In Year 10, Dance students continue to extend their use of the elements of dance (BEST) and choreographic processes to expand their choreographic intentions in their choreography. They extend their technical dance skills to include style-specific movement skills.
Through performance, students continue to work on confidence, accuracy, clarity of movement and projection. They refine their discussion of the use of the elements of dance, choreographic processes and design concepts in their own dance and the dance of others. They investigate dance and influences of the social, cultural and historical contexts in which it exists.
Safe dance practices underlie all experiences, as students perform within their own body capabilities and work safely in groups.
A suggested learning focus should enable teaching the content through student interest in dance. Suggested genres or styles that may be taught, but are not limited to, include contemporary, ballet, jazz, hip hop, street dance, tap and cultural dance, for example Spanish, Indian, Bollywood.
The learning focus that teachers select should shape and drive the teaching of the content.
Making
Choreographic processes
Introduction to structured improvisation to find solutions to simple movement tasks (ACADAM020)
Elements of dance: body, energy, space, time (BEST), selected and manipulated to create dance that communicates choreographic intent (ACADAM021)
Choreographic devices ( unison, canon, repetition, abstraction, contrast, motif ) and choreographic structures ( narrative, binary, ternary ) selected and combined to communicate choreographic intent in group and duo dance (ACADAM023)
Group work practices (strategies for collaborative dance preparation, evaluation processes) in dance (ACADAM024)
Skills and techniques
Safe dance practice of style-specific techniques, including working in the contemporary genre (ACADAM022)
Importance of warm-up and cool down procedures relevant to the genre/style for dance and rehearsal preparation (ACADAM022)
Performance
Systematic and corrective rehearsal strategies (practising transitions between dance sequences, exits and entrances appropriate to genre/style) (ACADAM022)
Dance performance opportunities, demonstrating appropriate expression, projection, focus, commitment to movement and musicality (ACADAM024)
Responding
Dance reflecting and analysing
Reflective writing, using dance terminology, on their own and others' work, analysing and evaluating choices made in dance making (ACADAR025)
Analytical writing, using dance terminology, about how the elements of dance, choreographic processes and design concepts (lighting, music/sound, multimedia, costume, props, sets, staging) contribute to the choreographic intention of a dance work (ACADAR025)
Dance in context
Dance genres/styles are influenced by the social, cultural and historical contexts in which they exist (ACADAR026)
Achievement standard
At Standard, students use structured improvisation to sometimes expand movement vocabulary. They select and manipulate, with some purpose, the elements of dance (BEST), use specified choreographic devices and structure to choreograph dance that communicates choreographic intent. Students execute technical dance skills safely in a particular genre/style, demonstrating coordination, some control of body alignment and some inconsistencies in accuracy of movement appropriate to the choreography. They perform dance to an audience demonstrating, on occasion, accuracy in retention and clarity of movement, projection, focus, musicality, appropriate expression and commitment to the movement, reflecting the choreographic intent throughout the performance.
Students use reflective and some analytical writing to discuss the effectiveness of the choices made in the use of BEST, choreographic processes and design concepts and how they contribute to the choreographic intention of their own and others’ dance. They use some relevant dance terminology. Students outline how particular dance genres/styles are influenced by the contexts in which they exist.