Dance A Level
A Level Dance provides you with the opportunity to gain experience of performance and choreography and to develop critical thinking about dance. You will develop understanding and knowledge as well as critical skills for the analysis of choreography and performance within your own work and in professional repertoire. You will also 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 use of movement, theme, and features of production such as costume, lighting and set design.
Curriculum Intent
In Dance at Key Stage 5 we aim to develop technical skill, deepen creative exploration and widen analytical and reflective practice through written and practical study.
What will you study
Component 1 - Performance and Choreography (50%)
- Solo performance linked to a specific practitioner
- Performance in a quartet
- Group Choreography
Component 2 - Critical Engagement (50%)
2 hour 30 min exam
- Knowledge, understanding and critical appreciation of a compulsory set work and its location within a corresponding area of study
- Knowledge, understanding and critical appreciation of one optional set work and its location within a corresponding area of study
How the course is assessed
- Component 1 - Performed in an exam environment in the dance studio with an external assessor
- Component 2 - 2 hour 30 minute written exam
Entry requirements
- Five subjects at grade 4 or above, including English and maths
- Previous qualifications in GCSE or BTEC Dance are recommended but not required
Why study A Level Dance at Windsor Sixth Form?
- Excellent achievement rates - We have had 100% A*-A grade results for the last 4 years since starting the course
- Performance opportunities - Windsor Dance Department provides a range of performance opportunities including our three 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.
- Outstanding teaching - Our three dance teachers provide expertise in their own specialisms to ensure students achieve exceptionally good results.
Other courses that go well with A Level Dance
Dance can work well with a range of subjects, those within the arts such as drama, music and art are most obvious. However, 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 this course?
Below are examples of courses that 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 progress to performing professionally in the UK and around the world, to become private dance teachers and teachers in education.
Student success stories
- Students have gone on to study BA Hons in Dance and are training to teach dance as well as other subjects in secondary school including English
- One of our students is currently at university studying to be a primary school teacher another graduated in law and history and is now studying for her masters