3.3 Dance appreciation
Through written communication and use of appropriate terminology, students must be able to critically analyse, interpret and evaluate their own work in performance and choreography and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of professional practice in the six set works in the GCSE Dance Anthology.
Dance appreciation is assessed through a written exam of one and a half hours duration.
Please refer to Component 2: Dance appreciation for more information about the structure of the written exam.
Critical appreciation of own work
To critically appreciate their own performance and choreography, through describing, analysing, interpreting, evaluating and reflecting, students must know and understand:
Knowledge and understanding of critical appreciation of own work | |
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Performance |
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Choreography |
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Critical appreciation of professional set works
The GCSE Dance Anthology provides the focus for learning how to critically appreciate professional set works. The anthology contains the following professional set works:
Dance work | Dance company | Choreographer |
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Artificial Things | Stopgap Dance Company | Lucy Bennett |
A Linha Curva | Rambert Dance Company | Itzik Galili |
Infra | The Royal Ballet | Wayne McGregor |
Shadows | Phoenix Dance Theatre | Christopher Bruce |
Within Her Eyes | James Cousins Company | James Cousins |
Emancipation of Expressionism | Boy Blue Entertainment | Kenrick H2O Sandy |
Students must study all six works in their entirety and be prepared to describe, analyse, interpret, evaluate and reflect on the works in response to short answer and extended writing questions.
The GCSE Dance Anthology, with details of all six professional works, including films of each performance and interviews with the choreographer or company associate, is available at aqa.org.uk/dance
Students must know and understand the defining characteristics of each set professional work, including:
Knowledge and understanding for critical appreciation of professional set works | |
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Features of production, including: |
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Performance environments, including: |
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Choreographic approaches | As exemplified in the interview with each choreographer. |
Choreographic content, including: |
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Choreographic intent, including: |
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- the similarities and differences between the defining characteristics of each dance (as above)
- the contribution of choreography (as above), performance and features of production to the audience's understanding of the work
- the relationships between choreography, performance and features of production (as above) and the ways in which these have been used together to enhance audience understanding of the choreographic intention
- the purpose or significance of different performance environments in which the dance was created and performed.
Changes to GCSE Dance Anthology
We do not expect to change the set professional works within the lifetime of the specification. However, the set professional works will be reviewed each year and we will give at least nine months’ notice of any changes prior to first teaching of a two-year course. Notice of any change will be communicated via our exam bulletins and at aqa.org.uk/dance
AQA dance glossary
Please refer to the AQA GCSE Dance glossary for meanings of the terms used in this specification at aqa.org.uk/dance