11–12Dance 11–12 Syllabus (2025)

The student will perform two solo dance works.

The examination for Performance is conducted in the following sequence:

• performance of the first dance work (3–4 minutes)
• 3-minute break
• performance of the second dance work (2–3 minutes)
• cool-down (1 minute)
• further 2-minute break
• structured interview (6–8 minutes).

After the performances, a structured interview will take place between the markers and the student.

In the structured interview, the student responds to questions asked by the markers. These questions provide the student with opportunities to communicate and physically demonstrate their applied knowledge and understanding of context, the components of performance, dance technique and stylistic characteristics to communicate the intent.

When awarding marks for Performance, the markers will assess the skills and understanding demonstrated by the student both in the performance of the dance works and in the structured interview.

Marking guidelines for Practical examination: Performance are available under Loading .

The student choreographs a solo dance work of between 3–5 minutes duration to be performed by the student themselves or by another student from the school.

The examination for Choreography is conducted in the following sequence:

• performance of the choreographed dance work (3–5 minutes)
• 3-minute break (including cool-down if required)
• structured interview (6–8 minutes).

After the performance of the choreographed dance work, a structured interview will take place between the markers and the student.

In the structured interview, the student responds to questions asked by the markers. These questions provide the student with opportunities to communicate and physically demonstrate their applied knowledge and understanding of their research about a prescribed practitioner, context and the components of choreography. Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate how this research was used as stimulus and how it led to the intent of the choreographed dance work.

When awarding marks for Choreography, the markers will assess the skills and understanding demonstrated by the student both in the choreographed dance work and in the structured interview.

The skill of the dancer will neither advantage nor disadvantage the student as it is the choreography and intent of the work that is being examined not its execution by the dancer.

To request variations to these course requirements in relation to choreography, the principal must write to:

Dance Coordinator
Marking and Quality NESA
Email: hscpracticals@nesa.nsw.edu.au

The email should outline the reasons why the school/student is seeking approval from NESA for a change to course requirements. It must be sent by the principal.

Marking guidelines for Practical examination: Choreography are available under Loading .

Development of the Dance performances and choreography is to commence at the beginning of the HSC course.

Dance students, and their supervising teachers, will be required to declare that the practical examinations are based on material covered in the course work, and that the practical examinations are the student’s own work. The provision of adjustments for students with disability during the development of the performances and choreography should not impact judgements about students' ownership of their work. Certification is in accordance with the rules and requirements described here and in the Assessment Certification Examination (ACE) rules and requirements.

The teacher must keep a brief written record of each student’s progress throughout the development of the practical examinations. This record should be retained at the school together with assessment records. This record is not submitted to NESA for marking. A written record may be requested in exceptional circumstances where the markers require further information or where non-certification is submitted to NESA by the teacher. A Dance 11–12 Practical components progress proforma will be available to download from Loading . For further information see Certifying HSC practical components.

Principals will also be advised of their students’ practical examination schedules via Schools Online.

Schools are reminded that if the development of the performances and choreography is assessed, appropriate school-based marking guidelines should be developed. Use of the external HSC marking guidelines is not appropriate.

Information regarding the provision of the Stage 6 Dance Year 11 course and Year 12 course with external tutors is available on the NESA ACE site:

• ACE 13.7 Study with an outside tutor
• ACE 13.4 External provider.

Some students with disability may require adjustments in the development of the performances and/or choreography. Decisions about adjustments can be made by the school in collaboration with the student and parents/carers. More information about adjustments can be found on the NESA website:

• Students with disability
• Adjustments.

Where a student’s disability impacts their functioning in the practical tasks, schools will need to apply through NESA’s HSC exam provisions program. More information about HSC exam provisions can be found on the NESA website:

• HSC exam provisions
• ACE 6.1 HSC exam provisions program.

Schools may also request that an examiner/marker be made aware of a specific impact of a student’s disability, so that a student’s disability can be noted when conducting the practical examination. The ‘Examiner/marker aware’ provision does not involve variation to the marking guidelines. More information about the ‘Examiner/marker aware’ provision can be found on the NESA website.

Students undertaking Dance Life Skills are not required to undertake the practical examinations for Dance. Where it is meaningful and appropriate for students undertaking Dance Life Skills to complete an individual performance or choreography and be viewed by markers, schools should contact the Dance Coordinator at NESA at hscpracticals@nesa.nsw.edu.au by the end of Term 2 of the examining year. Markers will not provide feedback on these individual performances.

Practical examinations, including the structured interviews will be administered and marked at special centres or schools in August/September. Information about the times and centres for these examinations will be forwarded to schools via Schools Online before the examinations. Only students studying with an outside tutor will be contacted directly about their examination date/time. In these cases, NESA liaise directly with the student, the school where the student is enrolled or the outside tutor. Any student who has not received examination advice by August must contact NESA’s Marking and Quality Branch at NESA at hscpracticals@nesa.nsw.edu.au. It is the student’s own responsibility to do this – alleged non-receipt of details is not grounds for an illness/misadventure appeal.

All accompaniment used in Performance and Choreography should contain only the accompaniment to be used, with a separate track for each component of the examination. It may be recorded and played on a digital device (e.g. MP3 player, phone, tablet, laptop, etc.) or on a CD.

The recording must:

• be recorded to include any special consideration, such as silence
• conform to stated time limits
• be cued to start
• not be stopped and started during the examination.

If a digital device is used for playback in the examination, it must:

• be in flight mode and disconnected from the internet
• have an appropriate docking system/connection available in the examination room (itinerant centres only)
• be of good sound quality
• contain the accompaniment to be used in a separate folder/file for each examination component.

If CDs are used in the examination, they must:

• be of good sound quality
• contain only the accompaniment to be used – a separate CD must be provided for each component of the examination.

A backup recording is strongly advised.

For Performance:

• Plain (colour and style) form-fitting dance wear (i.e. leotards, tights or unitard) must be worn.
• Costumes and the use of props are not permitted for Performance.
• Footwear must be appropriate to dance technique.
• The student accepts responsibility for choice of footwear.
• Hair is tied back where necessary.
• No accessories are allowed.

For Choreography:

• Simple props and costumes that are integral to the Choreography are permitted.
• Footwear should be appropriate to the context of the work.
• The student accepts responsibility for choice of footwear.

The use of make-up is optional and, if used, should be kept to a minimum and be integral to the dance work.

The performance space will be:

• a minimum width of 8 metres to a maximum width of 10 metres
• a minimum depth of 6 metres to a maximum depth of 8 metres.

Schools must submit an application to NESA to change the examination venue if the requested location is different from the student’s enrolled school. To request variation to the venue the principal must email:

Dance Coordinator
Marking and Quality NESA
Email: hscpracticals@nesa.nsw.edu.au

The email should outline the reasons why the school/student is seeking approval from NESA for a change to the examination venue. It must be sent by the principal.

Formal applications to NESA for illness/misadventure in relation to the Performance and Choreography cannot be made until the HSC performance date. For internal school assessment teachers should follow individual school policy and guidelines.

Dance students who are injured during the Year 11 course where the injury is considered long term should not consider Dance as an HSC course if they are unable to meet the course requirements for Performance.

For more information about practical HSC examinations see Understanding HSC practical exams.