Subject content

The A-level Dance specification requires students to develop, demonstrate and articulate practical and theoretical knowledge, understanding and experience of:

  • technical and performance skills
  • the process and art of choreography
  • the interrelationship between the creation, presentation and viewing/appreciation of dance works
  • the development of dance placed within an artistic and cultural context
  • professional dance works and the significance of these works
  • subject specific terminology and its use.

Knowledge, understanding and skills will be developed and demonstrated within performance, choreography and critical engagement with the study of professional repertoire located within specific areas of study. The study of professional dance works, within the areas of study, promotes the integration of theory and practice and underpins students’ own approaches to performance and choreography.

Areas of study provide students with the opportunity to investigate the key changes in the development of dance linked to a genre(s) and allow students to demonstrate contextual understanding through written communication and performance.

In Component 1, there are three practical dance tasks. Two tasks assess the subject content for Performance and the other task assesses the subject content for Choreography. Component 2 is the written exam and assesses the subject content for Critical engagement.