Quality teaching and dance

The units of work on this site have been written with consideration for the Quality teaching in NSW public schools model. The following overview of Quality Teaching in dance is provided to stimulate discussion about how teachers can address each element of the model in teaching, learning and assessment.

Intellectual quality and dance

Dance knowledge is based on the language of dance, which is a symbol system that can be read, interpreted and written.

Deep knowledge
Knowledge in dance is embodied, that is, students learn through the body as well as the mind. Therefore the central, big ideas crucial to learning in dance incorporate theoretical and embodied practices. Significant concepts and ideas should always be addressed through the interrelated practices of performing, composing and appreciating.

Deep understanding
In demonstrating deep understanding, students must show what they have learned through the body, as well as through oral or written modes. Kinaesthetic literacy, including technical facility, interpretive quality, and ability to construct personalised movement that communicates meaning to an audience, is a prime demonstration of deep understanding.

Problematic knowledge
In dance, students engage in reflective and critical processes in each of the practices. In composition, the construction of works incorporates individual reflection and class discussion and deconstruction. In performance, students are encouraged to apply knowledge to their own bodies and understand that everybody has individual capabilities and limitations. In appreciation, students share perspectives on dance works of art to construct and question meanings communicated.

Higher order thinking
In dance students regularly engage in higher order thinking processes, in particular organising, reorganising, analysing and evaluating.
Substantive communication
Students in dance can have sustained conversations through discussion and through movement. Collaborative tasks and journal writing can be a sustained conversation between students and between student and teacher.

Metalanguage
Examples of metalanguage in dance could include imagery and technical explanations, examination of stylistically codified body shapes and movement patterns, discussion about how symbols communicate meaning in dance works and comparison of texts (dance works).

Quality learning environment and dance

Dance classrooms are, more often that not, places that students want to be. The collaborative nature of the learning, teamed with the physical and intellectual rigour of the content provides both a challenging and supportive environment.

Explicit quality criteria
In performance, explicit quality criteria will be focused on dance technique and performance quality. In composition, criteria and ideas of quality are applied to tasks. In appreciation, focus questions and analysis frameworks provide explicit quality criteria.

Engagement
Engagement in dance is highlighted by it’s physical and practical nature and the fact that it is highly personalised. In most cases, the nature of tasks and activities demands engagement.

High expectations
Dance learning has risk-taking embedded. When students perform and compose they express themselves physically and intellectually. Dance teachers need to draw attention to, and reward this risk-taking.

Social support
Collaborative learning in dance supports and enhances mutual respect.

Student’s self-regulation
Student-centred, practically-oriented learning in dance enhances student’s self-regulation.

Student direction
In dance practices there are many opportunities for students to direct the manner in which they respond to tasks.

Significance and dance

Dance learning needs to make connections with students’ prior knowledge and background, and the context of the world outside the classroom, including cultural perspectives. These connections will provide meaning for students, making learning important for them.

Background knowledge
This element can be incorporated in dance learning by ensuring a spiral sequence of learning and personalising tasks (relating performance learning to individual’s capabilities and limitations and personalising the use of stimulus in composition tasks).

Cultural knowledge
Dance has cultural knowledge embedded. it is important to make this knowledge explicit in teaching and learning.

Knowledge integration
Regularly interrelating practices creates connections within the subject of dance. There are many possibilities for integrating knowledge from other artforms and KLA’s e.g. visual arts, music and drama, maths, science, history, PDHPE.

Inclusivity
Effective dance classrooms always value the participation and responses of individuals.

Connectedness
Students share their works with a range of audiences, within and outside the classroom.

Narrative
Narratives about choreographers and the way they make works can be a feature of appreciation. Personalising tasks in performance and composition provides opportunity for narrative.

A range of information, school ideas, research and resources to support the Quality teaching in NSW public schools: Discussion paper (May 2003) can be found on the Curriculum K–12 Directorate web site at http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/qualityteach/index.htm In addition, Quality teaching dimensions and elements have been mapped in the DET Dance 7–10 units of work and the annotated units will be progressively uploaded to this site.

Download an annotate unit sample:
Arts as stimulus quality teaching sample - pdf 176kb

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