BC Education - Dance 11 and 12

Performance 11 and 12 focus on dance as a performance art. By participating in formal and informal performances in a variety of settings, students increase their knowledge and develop skills in all phases of dance preparation and production. The emphasis is on refining students' control of the elements of movement and presentation. Developing their awareness of the social contexts in which dance occurs is also important.

Dance performance is collaborative in nature. In Performance 11 and 12, students learn the skills and attitudes necessary to work within a performance group, including teamwork, adaptability, support, leadership, and responsibility for stagecraft elements such as props, costumes, lights, music, and scenery. Self-assessment, goal setting, and response and reflection skills are developed as part of the rehearsal process and are used to evaluate the performances of self and others.

A dancer's performance occurs at one end of a continuum that begins with learning new movement and develops through rehearsing and refining toward a polished product. This course emphasizes the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required throughout this process.

The Performance 11 and 12 Curriculum

As discussed in the Introduction to this IRP, the prescribed learning outcomes for dance are grouped according to the same four curriculum organizers used for Kindergarten to Grade 12. The following descriptions define the specific course content for Performance 11 and 12.

Elements of Movement

Applying the essential elements and principles of movement helps students develop greater technical proficiency. Refining technique is a means to an end, enabling students to become more versatile performers.

Creation and Composition

Performance is a creative act. Applying the creative process (exploration, selection, combination, refinement, and reflection) in interpreting and developing roles and in collaborating with choreographers and other dancers enables students to understand and develop their own artistic choices as performers. Performance requires ongoing use of the creative process . For this reason, the ability to formulate criteria for evaluating their own and others' work is an essential tool for dancers' growth.

Presentation and Performance

Dancers seek a connection with the audience--everything they do in rehearsal or in performance is a means toward that end. To achieve this connection, dancers go through a cycle of self-discovery and personal growth that involves collaboration with co-performers as well as with the audience. Students learn to refine and polish their performance skills to achieve this connection and to further their artistic growth. The process of refining and polishing requires dancers to self-assess constantly and continue to set new performance goals based on feedback from peers and teachers.

Dance and Society

Dance exists within personal, historical, and cultural contexts. A skilled performer draws from a secure knowledge of the various social issues that influence and are influenced by the practice of dance as an art form, and is therefore able to establish meaningful communication with the audience.

Working in a performance group develops valuable personal and interpersonal skills that students can apply in broader social and career contexts. These skills include the ability to:

act responsibly and demonstrate commitment
accept direction and take on leadership roles as appropriate
give and receive criticism
conduct ongoing self-assessment of goals
recognize the role of the individual within the group, and put the needs of the group ahead of personal needs as appropriate
demonstrate respect for diversity

Fine Arts Graduation Requirements

Performance 11 and Performance 12 are two of the provincially approved four-credit courses that satisfy the two-credit fine arts requirement for graduation. Schools are encouraged to provide opportunities for students to take more than one dance course (or fine arts course) at any given grade level. Each course must address all the learning outcomes for its designated grade.

Classroom Considerations

The success of a dance program depends on establishing a relaxed but regulated atmosphere. By fostering an environment of both structure and enjoyment, teachers will ensure a classroom atmosphere in which students feel safe and comfortable enough to learn and create. Specifically, teachers can facilitate the creation of a productive environment by working with students to establish guidelines and routines for the following:

determining the purpose of each lesson and exercise (so that all students in the class know why a particular exercise or activity is being used and are aware of the goals of the program)
clothing and footwear as appropriate for given activities
warmup and cooldown routines
forming partners or groups, choosing working buddies, and making transitions between groupings (being aware of cultural taboos and personal discomfort with regard to boy-girl partnerships and touching)
using personal and general space
appropriateness of artistic choices (e.g., for music, movement content, props, costumes)
distributing and collecting props, costumes, and equipment
selecting and playing music (including consideration of more than one piece of music playing at the same time)
giving and receiving constructive criticism and respecting the contributions of others

Although some components of the curriculum can be carried out in regular classrooms, dance performance courses for Grade 11 and Grade 12 have some special facility considerations. When choosing or designing a facility for teaching dance, consider the following questions:

Is the space open and unobstructed (including a high-enough ceiling)?
Is there adequate lighting, heating, and ventilation?
Is there access to changing rooms, showers, lockers, and drinking water?
Does the facility have a resilient (sprung) floor with an appropriate surface and with protection from dirt and foreign objects? Is the floor cleaned daily?
Are there mirrors (with curtains) and barres?
Does the facility have the capacity for subdivision and sound insulation (for several small groups working separately with different pieces of music)?
Is the facility enclosed and private?
Is there access to video equipment and an adequate sound system with remote control?
Is there access to computer systems (for research and networking with dance professionals, and for computer notation of choreography)?
What storage facilities are available (for equipment, costumes, music)?
Is there access to a variety of props and musical instruments to enhance performance and choreography and to inspire movement?
Does the facility allow provision of a variety of musical and non-musical stimuli for movement?
Is there access to a theatrical performance environment (e.g., with adjustable lighting, sound, sets, staging)?
What access will students have to rehearsal space out of class time?

Teachers wishing to emphasize multimedia performance but who are unable to purchase all the required supplies may be able to access specialized equipment from other departments in the school or district (e.g., music, visual arts, drama, technology education, business education), as well as from local colleges, television and radio stations, studios, and businesses. This equipment includes:

video recording equipment (camera and batteries, VCR, lighting kits, tripods, filters)
video editing systems (mixer, titler, edit controller)
still cameras with lenses, flash equipment, and filters
computers with imaging, multimedia presentation, and animation capabilities with appropriate software (including Internet access, CD-ROM, video capability, MIDI capability, digital camera, scanners, colour printers)
sound production and mixing equipment (tape decks, CD players, microphones and amplifiers, headphones, mixing board, synthesizers, piano, percussion instruments)

Next Organizer

Revised: January 25, 1999

BC Ministry of Education Home Page