7–10Dance 7–10 Syllabus

Figure 1 is an overview of Dance 7–10 showing that knowledge, understanding and skills are built through engagement with the 3 practices: Performance, Composition and Appreciation which are the focus areas.

Image long description: Organisational diagram of Dance 7–10. The focus areas Performance, Composition and Appreciation are positioned vertically across the 3 content groups Context, The dancing body and Elements of dance connected by one line, intersecting them.

Focus areas

Dance is studied through the 3 practices:

Performance: the roles, responsibilities and practices of the performer in expressing and communicating intent in dance. It involves knowing how to dance and the application of technique(s) to dance performance of different styles and contexts.

Composition: the roles, responsibilities and practices of the composer in creating and structuring movement to communicate an idea and intent. It involves building a movement vocabulary in a personal style in response to different stimuli and the ability to refine the expression of an idea and intent.

Appreciation: the roles and responsibilities of the viewer in being able to describe, analyse and make informed judgements about dance works. It involves combining students’ previous engagement with performance and composition together with their understanding of context (artistic, cultural, social and personal) to appreciate dance works.

Content groups

The 3 content groups in each focus area are:

Context

Context provides transparency and background knowledge. It provides the circumstances under which a dance work was made, performed, viewed, analysed and consequently appreciated. It is pivotal to the understanding of culture, traditions, conventions, roles and responsibilities across the 3 focus areas.

The dancing body

The dancer as the medium of expression and communication of idea and intent in dance in artistic, cultural, social and personal contexts.

Elements of dance

The tools (space, time and dynamics) used to perform, compose and appreciate dance works in artistic, cultural, social and personal contexts.

Dance may be studied as a 100-hour or a 200-hour course in Stage 4 and/or Stage 5.

Students may commence the elective study of Dance at different points and may progress at different rates across Years 7–10.

Elective courses in Stage 5 contribute towards the RoSA.

Course numbers:

• 200-hour elective: TBA
• 100-hour elective: TBA
• 200-hour Life Skills elective: TBA
• 100-hour Life Skills elective: TBA

Exclusions: Students may not access Life Skills outcomes and other outcomes from the same subject.

NESA is committed to working in partnership with Aboriginal communities and supporting teachers, schools and schooling sectors to improve educational outcomes for Aboriginal children and young people.

In Dance, consideration of the dynamic and evolving Cultural Knowledges of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander dance works, practices or practitioners are informed by principles and protocols. Cultural Knowledge holders include Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples who have choreographed and performed dance works as well as Communities, families or people who own the Cultural Knowledges associated with the dance works.

Community roles, such as Elders, men and women, may influence how dance can be embodied and shared with audiences. In Dance, students should be taught respectful protocols for performing, composing and appreciating dance developed by or in collaboration with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander practitioners and local Communities. The sites or locations of customary and ceremonial Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performances hold Cultural significance.

The development of the Dance 7–10 Draft Syllabus follows Recommendation 2: ‘Clarify and strengthen writing content in syllabus documents’ from Teaching Writing: Report of the Thematic Review of Writing (NESA 2018).

Creating written texts facilitates learning as it promotes explicitness, encourages the integration of ideas, supports reflection, fosters personal engagement and aids learners to think about the significance and implication of ideas. Each subject has particular and specific writing demands relevant for communicating within and about the discipline. Writing about content enhances understanding across subjects and stages.

The secondary curriculum includes:

• systematic development of expectations for creating written texts which align with the English K–10 Syllabus (2022)
• explicit writing content to support students to become fluent creators of texts and to deepen their understanding of the subject area
• opportunities to practise the process of creating written texts to develop and communicate knowledge, understanding and ideas
• a focus on development of word consciousness and precise use of subject-specific terminology.

Creating written texts refers to the act of composing and constructing a text for a particular purpose, audience and context.

Various methods of transcription may be employed, and a student’s preferred communication form(s) should be considered when teaching.