Big Ideas
Big Ideas
Growth as a dancer requires risk taking
making an informed choice to do something where unexpected outcomes are acceptable and serve as learning opportunities
, perseverance, resilience, and reflection.
The rehearsal and performance processes of a dance company
a performance-based ensemble
offer ways of exploring our identity and sense of belonging.
Choreographic works communicate ideas, emotions, and perspectives through movement, sound, costumes, lights, and set design.
Artistic choices communicate the choreographer’s intent.
Content
Learning Standards
Content
roles and responsibilities within a dance company
rehearsal and performance skills
the technical, expressive, and cognitive skills necessary for learning, refining, and performing movement
technical
the ability to reproduce movement accurately in relation to movement principles, elements of dance, and style
and expressive skills includes projection, focus, confidence, musicality, spatial awareness, facial expression, sensitivity to other dancers, dynamics, and embodiment of the elements of dance to communicate the style or choreographic intent
stage etiquette
the accepted behaviours and attitudes required throughout the production process, including auditions, rehearsals, and performances
elements of dance
body, space, time, dynamics, relationships:
- body: the primary instrument of expression in dance; what the body is doing (e.g., whole- or partial-body action; types of movement, such as locomotor and non-locomotor)
- space: where the body is moving (e.g., place, level, direction, pathway, size/reach, shape)
- time: how the body moves in relation to time (e.g., beat/underlying pulse, tempo, rhythmic patterns)
- dynamics: how energy is expended and directed through the body in relation to time (quick/sustained), weight (strong/light), space (direct/indirect), and flow (free/bounded)
- relationships: with whom or what the body is moving; movement happens in a variety of relationships (e.g., pairs, groups, objects, environments)
techniques
examples in modern dance: suspend, fall, breath, weight, oppositional pull, swing, contraction, spiral; examples in hip hop: grooving, isolations, rhythm, foot patterns, body rolls, freestyle; examples in ballet: positions of the feet and arms, turnout of the legs, barre and centre work, including plié, tendu, fondu, rond de jambe
and movement principles including but not limited to alignment, weight transfer, flexibility, strength, balance, coordination
compositional skills, forms, and structures
the shape or structure of a dance; the orderly arrangement of thematic material (e.g., AB, ABA, rondo, canon, theme and variation, call and response, narrative)
choreographic devices
methods applied to change or develop movement (e.g., level, dynamics, retrograde, repetition, body part)
principles of design
unity, variety, repetition, contrast, sequence, climax, proportion, harmony, balance, transition
kinesthetic and spatial awareness
safety protocols
procedures to prevent injury or harm to self and others, involving, for example, environment, biomechanics, clothing, and footwear
dance notation
the codified, symbolic representation of dance movement and form
contributions of key dance innovators in specific genres, contexts, periods, and cultures
traditional and contemporary First Peoples worldviews and cross-cultural perspectives communicated through movement and dance
ethics of cultural appropriation
use of a cultural motif, theme, “voice,” image, knowledge, story, song, or drama, shared without permission or without appropriate context or in a way that may misrepresent the real experience of the people from whose culture it is drawn
and plagiarism
Curricular Competency
Learning Standards
Curricular Competency
Explore and create
Rehearse and perform choreographic works using a variety of dance elements, skills, and techniques from historical and contemporary cultures
Create, rehearse, refine, and perform with a dance company for a variety of purposes and contexts
Develop an articulate body
the primary instrument of expression in dance; what the body is doing (e.g., whole- or partial-body action; types of movement, such as locomotor and non-locomotor)
as an instrument of expression
Explore the interplay of movement, sound, image, and form to convey meaning in dance
Apply anatomically and developmentally sound movement principles
Express a range of ideas, intents, and emotions through dance
Recall, rehearse, and perform movement phrases both collaboratively and as an individual
Explore the influences of context
for example, personal, social, cultural, environmental, and historical contexts
on a dance technique, genre, or style for example, classical, contemporary, culturally specific
Take creative risks to develop as a dance artist and express choreographic intent
Consider audience, venue, and place
any environment, locality, or context with which people interact to learn, create memory, reflect on history, connect with culture, and establish identity. The connection between people and place is foundational to First Peoples perspectives on the world.
while composing, rehearsing, and performing
Engage physically and mentally to prepare for and recover from rehearsals and performances
Engage in rehearsal and performance processes with a variety of choreographers
for example, students, teachers, guest artists
Reason and reflect
Use the language of dance to describe, interpret, and analyze dance works
Work co-operatively and collaboratively with an ensemble in rehearsal and performance
Reflect on rehearsal and performance experiences
Apply constructive feedback on rehearsal and performance skills
Demonstrate an awareness of self, audience, and others
including stage crew and design personnel
during rehearsals and performances
Communicate and document
Use technical vocabulary to describe, document, and respond critically to rehearsals, compositions, and performances
Communicate ideas and emotions related to the choreographer’s intent
Connect and expand
Demonstrate personal and social responsibility associated with creating, performing, and responding to dance, including movement, music, thematic, and costume choices
Explore educational, personal, and professional opportunities in dance or related fields
Explore First Peoples perspectives and knowledge, other ways of knowing
First Nations, Métis and Inuit, gender-related, subject/discipline-specific, cultural, embodied, intuitive
, and local cultural knowledge to gain understanding through movement and dance
Connect with local issues and communities through dance
Consider personal safety, injury prevention, and physical health when planning, rehearsing, and performing choreography