Dance (Version 8.4)

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Rationale

This rationale complements and extends the rationale for The Arts learning area.
Dance is expressive movement with purpose and form. Through dance, students represent, question and celebrate human experience, using the body as the instrument and movement as the medium for personal, social, emotional, spiritual and physical communication.

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Aims

In addition to the overarching aims of the Australian Curriculum: The Arts, dance knowledge, understanding and skills ensure that, individually and collaboratively, students develop:

body awareness and technical and expressive skills to communicate through movement confidently, creatively and intelligently

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Structure

Learning in Dance
Learning in Dance involves students exploring elements, skills and processes through the integrated practices of choreography, performance and appreciation. The body is the instrument of expression and uses combinations of the elements of dance (space, time, dynamics and relationships) to communicate and express meaning through expressive and purposeful movement.

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Example of knowledge and skills

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Years 3 and 4

Years 3 and 4 Band Description

In Years 3 and 4, learning in The Arts builds on the experience of the previous band. It involves students making and responding to artworks independently and collaboratively with their classmates and teachers.

As they experience The Arts, students draw on artworks from a range of cultures, times and locations. They explore the arts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and of the Asia region and learn that they are used for different purposes. While the arts in the local community should be the initial focus for learning, students are also aware of and interested in the arts from more distant locations and the curriculum provides opportunities to build on this curiosity.

As they make and respond to artworks, students explore meaning and interpretation, elements and forms, and social and cultural contexts of the arts. They make personal evaluations of their own and others’ artworks, making connections between their own artistic intentions and those of other artists.

Students continue to learn about safe practices in the arts and in their interactions with other artists. Their understanding of the role of the artist and the audience builds on their experience from the previous band. As an audience, students focus their attention on the artwork and respond to it. They consider why and how audiences respond to artworks.

In Years 3 and 4, students’ awareness of themselves and others as audiences is extended beyond the classroom to the broader school context.

In Dance, students:

  • extend their awareness of the body as they incorporate actions using different body parts, body zones and bases
  • explore and experiment with directions, time, dynamics and relationships using groupings, objects and props
  • extend their fundamental movement skills by adding and combining more complex movements
  • use technical skills including accuracy and awareness of body alignment
  • explore meaning and interpretation, elements and forms including shapes and sequences of dances as they make and respond to dance
  • use expressive skills including projection and focus when performing dance for themselves and others.

Years 3 and 4 Content Descriptions

Improvise and structure movement ideas for dance sequences using the elements of dance and choreographic devices (ACADAM005 - Scootle )
Critical and Creative Thinking

Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
  • Organise and process information
  • Identify and clarify information and ideas

Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
  • Imagine possibilities and connect ideas
  • Seek solutions and put ideas into action

Numeracy

Using measurement
  • Estimate and measure with metric units

Using spatial reasoning
  • Visualise 2D shapes and 3D objects

Recognising and using patterns and relationships
  • Recognise and use patterns and relationships

Estimating and calculating with whole numbers
  • Estimate and calculate

  • using contrast and repetition to explore and generate new movement in response to stimuli such as stories, memories and the environment
    Personal and Social Capability

    Social management
    • Make decisions

    Self-awareness
    • Develop reflective practice

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Imagine possibilities and connect ideas
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Transfer knowledge into new contexts

  • exploring known movements to find alternative ways of performing them, for example, waving hello or shaking hands and then doing the same action at a different level, in a different direction, bigger/smaller, using a different body part
    Personal and Social Capability

    Self-management
    • Become confident, resilient and adaptable

    Self-awareness
    • Develop reflective practice

    Social management
    • Make decisions

  • altering movements in a set, teacher-directed or student-devised dance using the elements of space, time, dynamics and relationships to express ideas, for example, increasing the size of a movement to represent growth
    Personal and Social Capability

    Self-awareness
    • Develop reflective practice

    Social management
    • Make decisions

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Consider alternatives

    Numeracy

    Using spatial reasoning
    • Visualise 2D shapes and 3D objects

    Using measurement
    • Estimate and measure with metric units

    Recognising and using patterns and relationships
    • Recognise and use patterns and relationships

    Estimating and calculating with whole numbers
    • Estimate and calculate

  • selecting and combining movements using choreographic devices such as contrast and repetition, for example, combining movements learned in a dance from Asia with other dance movements, or repeating movement to show emphasis
    • Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia
    Intercultural Understanding

    Interacting and empathising with others
    • Consider and develop multiple perspectives
    • Communicate across cultures

    Recognising culture and developing respect
    • Explore and compare cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices

    Personal and Social Capability

    Social management
    • Make decisions

    Self-awareness
    • Develop reflective practice

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Consider alternatives
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Transfer knowledge into new contexts

  • Considering viewpoints – forms and elements: For example – How did the/does your dance begin? Was/is there a middle part? How did/does the dance end? What shapes did you see/make? (individual and group)
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

Practise technical skills safely in fundamental movements (ACADAM006 - Scootle )
  • practising combinations of fundamental locomotor and non-locomotor movements to a range of musical accompaniment, for example, running and sliding; bending and stretching; running, swinging, walking and stretching
    Numeracy

    Recognising and using patterns and relationships
    • Recognise and use patterns and relationships

    Estimating and calculating with whole numbers
    • Estimate and calculate

    Using spatial reasoning
    • Visualise 2D shapes and 3D objects

    Using measurement
    • Estimate and measure with metric units

    Personal and Social Capability

    Self-management
    • Become confident, resilient and adaptable

    Self-awareness
    • Develop reflective practice
    • Recognise personal qualities and achievements
    • Understand themselves as learners

  • developing body awareness and refining technical skills of body control, accuracy, alignment, strength, balance and coordination in fundamental movements in response to teacher’s feedback and observation of other dancers’ technical skills
    Personal and Social Capability

    Self-management
    • Become confident, resilient and adaptable

    Self-awareness
    • Develop reflective practice
    • Recognise personal qualities and achievements
    • Understand themselves as learners

  • demonstrating safe dance practices, for example, warming up their bodies before executing more complex movement patterns in dance sequences and cooling/calming down afterwards; removing socks if the floor surface is slippery (and clean)
    Personal and Social Capability

    Self-awareness
    • Recognise personal qualities and achievements
    • Develop reflective practice
    • Understand themselves as learners

    Self-management
    • Become confident, resilient and adaptable

  • building confidence and resilience through practising technical skills
    Personal and Social Capability

    Self-awareness
    • Understand themselves as learners
    • Develop reflective practice
    • Recognise personal qualities and achievements

    Self-management
    • Become confident, resilient and adaptable

Perform dances using expressive skills to communicate ideas, including telling cultural or community stories (ACADAM007 - Scootle )
Intercultural Understanding

Interacting and empathising with others
  • Consider and develop multiple perspectives
  • Communicate across cultures

Recognising culture and developing respect
  • Develop respect for cultural diversity
  • Explore and compare cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices

Personal and Social Capability

Self-awareness
  • Recognise personal qualities and achievements

Self-management
  • Become confident, resilient and adaptable

  • using expressive skills of projection and focus to communicate dance ideas to an audience (school assembly, community festival, etc.); for example, looking out and up to the ceiling and extending movements outwards to express a feeling of joy
    Personal and Social Capability

    Self-management
    • Express emotions appropriately

    Social management
    • Make decisions
    • Work collaboratively
    • Communicate effectively

  • exploring the elements of dance to communicate ideas clearly, such as telling cultural stories in a dance with or without music; for example, travelling lightly using hands and feet to represent a bilby, or skipping vigorously and at a high level to express joy, or rolling softly on the floor using different body shapes to represent shells washed by the sea
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action
    • Imagine possibilities and connect ideas

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Numeracy

    Recognising and using patterns and relationships
    • Recognise and use patterns and relationships

    Estimating and calculating with whole numbers
    • Estimate and calculate

    Using measurement
    • Estimate and measure with metric units

    Using spatial reasoning
    • Visualise 2D shapes and 3D objects

    Intercultural Understanding

    Recognising culture and developing respect
    • Explore and compare cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices
    • Develop respect for cultural diversity

    Interacting and empathising with others
    • Consider and develop multiple perspectives
    • Communicate across cultures

    Personal and Social Capability

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

    Social management
    • Work collaboratively
    • Communicate effectively
    • Make decisions

    Self-management
    • Express emotions appropriately

  • Considering viewpoints – meanings and interpretations: For example – Is there a story in the dance? How are you using grouping or pathways to communicate ideas or intentions in your dance?
  • rehearsing and presenting an appropriate dance to celebrate and appreciate diversity of cultures, based on research into dance tradition, in the school or at a local community event
    Personal and Social Capability

    Self-management
    • Develop self-discipline and set goals

    Self-awareness
    • Understand themselves as learners
    • Develop reflective practice

    Social management
    • Work collaboratively
    • Make decisions
    • Communicate effectively

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

    Intercultural Understanding

    Recognising culture and developing respect
    • Explore and compare cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices
    • Develop respect for cultural diversity

    Interacting and empathising with others
    • Consider and develop multiple perspectives
    • Communicate across cultures

  • presenting their dance using internet-based technologies
    Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability

    Creating with ICT
    • Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks
    • Generate ideas, plans and processes

    Literacy

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Use language to interact with others
    • Deliver presentations
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Visual Knowledge
    • Understand how visual elements create meaning

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Personal and Social Capability

    Social management
    • Work collaboratively
    • Communicate effectively
    • Make decisions

    Self-management
    • Work independently and show initiative

  • respecting other students’ dancing when dancing and being an attentive audience member
    Personal and Social Capability

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

    Self-management
    • Express emotions appropriately

    Social management
    • Work collaboratively
    • Negotiate and resolve conflict

Identify how the elements of dance and production elements express ideas in dance they make, perform and experience as audience, including exploration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance (ACADAR008 - Scootle )
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
Intercultural Understanding

Recognising culture and developing respect
  • Develop respect for cultural diversity
  • Explore and compare cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices

Interacting and empathising with others
  • Communicate across cultures
  • Consider and develop multiple perspectives

Literacy

Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
  • Deliver presentations
  • Compose texts
  • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
  • Navigate, read and view learning area texts
  • Comprehend texts
  • Interpret and analyse learning area texts

Word Knowledge
  • Understand learning area vocabulary

Critical and Creative Thinking

Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
  • Seek solutions and put ideas into action
  • Imagine possibilities and connect ideas

Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
  • Organise and process information
  • Identify and clarify information and ideas

Personal and Social Capability

Social awareness
  • Appreciate diverse perspectives

  • identifying meaning and describing purposes in dances from different social, cultural or historical contexts such as dances that include digital, visual or theatrical elements
    Literacy

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts
    • Use language to interact with others

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Visual Knowledge
    • Understand how visual elements create meaning

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Consider alternatives

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

    Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability

    Communicating with ICT
    • Understand computer mediated communications

    Creating with ICT
    • Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks

  • comparing the expectations and requirements of performers and audience in different cultural settings
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Consider alternatives

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Intercultural Understanding

    Interacting and empathising with others
    • Consider and develop multiple perspectives

    Recognising culture and developing respect
    • Investigate culture and cultural identity

    Personal and Social Capability

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

  • Considering viewpoints – societies and cultures: For example – Do you recognise new movements in the dance? Why do you think people from different cultures dance? Where are these dances performed?
    • Sustainability
  • examining dances in their community and comparing them to other dances of different peoples, times and cultures
    Literacy

    Comprehending texts through listening, reading and viewing
    • Interpret and analyse learning area texts
    • Navigate, read and view learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Organise and process information
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas

    Analysing, synthesising and evaluating reasoning and procedures
    • Apply logic and reasoning

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Consider alternatives

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Reflect on processes

    Intercultural Understanding

    Recognising culture and developing respect
    • Explore and compare cultural knowledge, beliefs and practices
    • Investigate culture and cultural identity

    Interacting and empathising with others
    • Consider and develop multiple perspectives

    Personal and Social Capability

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

  • Considering viewpoints – meanings and interpretations: For example – Is there a story in the dance? How are you using grouping or pathways to communicate ideas or intentions in your dance?
    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

  • writing about and discussing with others the meaning and intended purposes of their own dance using dance terminology
    Personal and Social Capability

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

    Self-awareness
    • Understand themselves as learners
    • Develop reflective practice

    Social management
    • Communicate effectively
    • Work collaboratively
    • Make decisions

    Self-management
    • Express emotions appropriately

    Literacy

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Use language to interact with others
    • Compose spoken, written, visual and multimodal learning area texts

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Grammar knowledge
    • Express opinion and point of view

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Inquiring – identifying, exploring and organising information and ideas
    • Identify and clarify information and ideas
    • Organise and process information

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action
    • Consider alternatives


Years 3 and 4 Achievement Standards

By the end of Year 4, students describe and discuss similarities and differences between artworks they make and those to which they respond. They discuss how they and others organise the elements and processes in artworks.

Students collaborate to plan and make artworks that communicate ideas.

By the end of Year 4, students describe and discuss similarities and differences between dances they make, perform and view. They discuss how they and others organise the elements of dance in dances depending on the purpose.

Students structure movements into dance sequences and use the elements of dance and choreographic devices to represent a story or mood. They collaborate to make dances and perform with control, accuracy, projection and focus.


Years 3 and 4 Work Sample Portfolios