BTEC Dance Level 3 Extended Diploma
The BTEC Dance Level 3 Extended Diploma provides you with the opportunity to gain experience of performance and choreography and to develop critical thinking about dance. You will develop understanding, knowledge and critical skills for the analysis of choreography and performance within your own work and in professional repertoire. You will gain experience of choreography and performance through practice, gain in-depth knowledge of specific study areas and professional works.
You will need to be willing to perform and step out of your comfort zone in terms of trying new choreographic techniques. You will need a passion for dance and an interest in the mechanics and development of professional dance pieces including the use of movement, theme, and features of production such as costume, lighting and set design.
What you will study
Equivalent in size to three A Levels: there are 13 units of which 7 are mandatory. 42% (4 units) is externally assessed. The Extended Diploma is a two-year, full-time course that meets entry requirements in its own right if you want to progress to higher education courses in performing arts areas before entering employment.
There are many units to study within the three courses some of which include:
- Developing skills and techniques for live performances
- Employment opportunities in the performing arts
- Performing arts in the community
- Contemporary dance technique
- Choreography
- Street dance technique
- Physical theatre
How the courses are assessed
You will be assessed in both practical and theory work. Externally assessed work will be filmed or written in exam conditions and sent off to the exam board. Internally assessed units are coursework based and assessed by the teacher.
Entry requirements
Previous qualifications in GCSE or BTEC Dance are recommended but not required.
Why study BTEC Dance Level 3 at Windsor Sixth Form?
- Excellent achievement rates - We have had 100% Distinction* - M grade results
- Outstanding opportunities - Windsor Dance Department provides a range of performance opportunities including our 3 annual dance productions where we hire professional performance environments for our students to experience the performing arts industry. We also arrange for external professional companies to work with our students and arrange trips locally to the theatre as well as residential trips which have previously included London and Baltimore USA.
- Exceptional teaching - Our 3 dance teachers provide expertise in their own specialisms to ensure students achieve exceptionally good results.
Other courses that go well with BTEC Dance Level 3
Dance can work well with a range of subjects. Those within the arts such as drama, music and art are most obvious, but in fact we have had students combine dance with maths, english, science as well as law, psychology and sociology. This is because the practical and theory elements of the dance course encourage skills useful in all subjects and adds variety to your portfolio of qualifications.
What you can do after the course
Further study and apprenticeships
Many students who continue their studies in Dance choose to follow a degree path towards:
- Performance
- Teaching dance
- Events management
- Choreography
- Dance therapy
- Dance journalism
- Dance – costume / lighting, notation
- Dance fundraising/marketing
Some students also go on to study at dance conservatoires where they study courses in a range of dance styles.
Careers
- Performing
- Choreography
- Teaching privately and within educational settings
- Dance therapy
- Events management
- Dance journalism
- Community Arts Director
Where do our students progress to after the course?
Below are examples of courses our students have gone on to study.
- BA (Hons) Contemporary Dance - Trinity Laban
- Diploma in Professional Musical Theatre or Professional Dance - Urdang Academy
- BA Hons Dance Studies - Wolverhampton University
- BA Hons Urban Dance - University of East London
- BA Honours in Professional and Commercial Dance - Shockout Arts
We have had students go on to perform professionally in the UK and around the world, to become private dance teachers and teachers in education.
Student success stories
- One of our students attended Performers College, London following her BTEC course and has since performed around the world in China, Paris, Greece, and within the UK
- We have had a number of students go on to study at performing arts conservatoires such as Addict, Urdang, Shockout, London Studio Centre and LIPA
- We have had students study dance amongst other A levels and then go on to teach at primary and secondary school and complete degrees and masters degrees in other subjects such as law, history and events management.