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 5 and 6

Years 5 and 6 Band Description

In Years 5 and 6, 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 the arts, students explore meaning and interpretation, and social and cultural contexts of the arts. They evaluate the use of forms and elements in artworks they make and observe.

Students extend their understanding of safety in the arts. In Years 5 and 6, their understanding of the roles of artists and audiences builds on previous bands. They develop their understanding and use of performance or technical skills to communicate intention for different audiences. They identify a variety of audiences for different arts experiences as they engage with more diverse artworks as artists and audiences.

In Dance, students:

  • extend their awareness of the body as they combine movements that use body parts and actions with those involving body zones and bases
  • extend their understanding and use of space, time, dynamics and relationships including performing in groups of varying sizes
  • extend their use of various combinations of fundamental movement skills and technical skills, developing competence, body control and accuracy
  • explore meaning and interpretation, forms and elements of dance, including the use of space and energy in dances as they make and respond to dance.

Years 5 and 6 Content Descriptions

Explore movement and choreographic devices using the elements of dance to choreograph dances that communicate meaning (ACADAM009 - Scootle )
Numeracy

Using measurement
  • Estimate and measure with metric units

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

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

Estimating and calculating with whole numbers
  • Estimate and calculate

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

Reflecting on thinking and processes
  • Reflect on processes
  • Transfer knowledge into new contexts

  • improvising new movement to communicate ideas in response to stimulus, for example, exploring the relationship of close proximity of dancers grouped together to represent overcrowded cities
    Critical and Creative Thinking

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

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

    Personal and Social Capability

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

    Self-management
    • Develop self-discipline and set goals

  • exploring stimulus or analysing other dances to devise a variety of movement possibilities, for example, different ways to jump and land, roll and stand or spiral down to the ground
    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

    Critical and Creative Thinking

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

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Transfer knowledge into new contexts
    • Reflect on processes
    • Think about thinking (metacognition)

    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

    Personal and Social Capability

    Self-awareness
    • Recognise personal qualities and achievements
    • Develop reflective practice

    Social management
    • Work collaboratively

  • exploring character and mood by experimenting with elements of dance in a range of set, teacher-directed or student-devised dances
    Personal and Social Capability

    Self-management
    • Work independently and show initiative
    • Become confident, resilient and adaptable
    • Develop self-discipline and set goals

    Social management
    • Work collaboratively

    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

  • Considering viewpoints – meanings and interpretations: For example – How is the movement of the body used to represent a story, character or idea? How does space, costume and/or multimedia communicate meaning in this dance?
    Critical and Creative Thinking

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

  • selecting, combining, arranging and refining movement using choreographic devices such as canon and unison
    Personal and Social Capability

    Self-management
    • Develop self-discipline and set goals

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

    Critical and Creative Thinking

    Reflecting on thinking and processes
    • Transfer knowledge into new contexts
    • Reflect on processes

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

    Generating ideas, possibilities and actions
    • Consider alternatives

    Numeracy

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

    Estimating and calculating with whole numbers
    • Estimate and calculate

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

    Using measurement
    • Estimate and measure with metric units

Develop technical and expressive skills in fundamental movements including body control, accuracy, alignment, strength, balance and coordination (ACADAM010 - Scootle )
Numeracy

Using measurement
  • Estimate and measure with metric units

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

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

Estimating and calculating with whole numbers
  • Estimate and calculate

  • rehearsing a combination of fundamental movements with or without accompaniment to refine technical and expressive skills, for example, galloping, jumping, sliding, rolling, slithering, spinning, shrinking, exploding, collapsing
    Personal and Social Capability

    Social management
    • Make decisions
    • Work collaboratively

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

    Self-management
    • Develop self-discipline and set goals

  • practising and refining technical skills in movements in response to teacher’s and peers’ feedback
    Numeracy

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

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

    Using measurement
    • Estimate and measure with metric units

    Estimating and calculating with whole numbers
    • Estimate and calculate

    Personal and Social Capability

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

    Self-management
    • Develop self-discipline and set goals

  • rehearsing a range of learnt and devised dances with an awareness and appreciation of their body capabilities
    Personal and Social Capability

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

    Self-management
    • Work independently and show initiative
    • Develop self-discipline and set goals
    • Become confident, resilient and adaptable

    Numeracy

    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

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

  • Considering viewpoints – meanings and interpretations: For example – How is the movement of the body used to represent a story, character or idea? How does the use of space, costume and/or multimedia communicate meaning in this dance? Why did they/you make this dance?
    Critical and Creative Thinking

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

Perform dance using expressive skills to communicate a choreographer’s ideas, including performing dances of cultural groups in the community (ACADAM011 - Scootle )
Personal and Social Capability

Social awareness
  • Appreciate diverse perspectives

Social management
  • Communicate effectively
  • Work collaboratively
  • Make decisions

Self-management
  • Express emotions appropriately

Numeracy

Using measurement
  • Estimate and measure with metric units

Estimating and calculating with whole numbers
  • Estimate and calculate

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

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

Intercultural Understanding

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

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

  • developing expressive skills of focus, clarity of the movement, confidence and facial expression/character to present dance ideas in performance for an intended audience
    Personal and Social Capability

    Self-management
    • Express emotions appropriately

    Social management
    • Communicate effectively
    • Make decisions
    • Work collaboratively

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

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

  • Considering viewpoints – forms and elements: For example – How did the dancers/you use space and energy to create a feeling of strength/isolation/happiness? What is the relationship between the dancers and the audience? What relationship are you aiming to create between the dancers and the audience?
    Critical and Creative Thinking

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

  • applying the elements of dance in dance contexts to communicate ideas to audience, for example, stop and start/percussive arm and upper body movements to express basketball actions in a game, or rhythmic and accented movement to express the passage of time or the actions of a clock
    Personal and Social Capability

    Social management
    • Communicate effectively

    Self-management
    • Express emotions appropriately

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

    Numeracy

    Using measurement
    • Estimate and measure with metric units

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

    Estimating and calculating with whole numbers
    • Estimate and calculate

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

  • Considering viewpoints – forms and elements: For example – How did the dancers/you use space and energy to create a feeling of strength/isolation/happiness? What is the relationship between the dancers and the audience? What relationship are you aiming to create between the dancers and the audience?
  • presenting dances, using costumes and/or props where appropriate to enhance different contexts, such as performing dances with representatives of the cultural group from the community
    Personal and Social Capability

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

    Intercultural Understanding

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

  • presenting their performances using internet-based technologies, including social media
    Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability

    Communicating with ICT
    • Understand computer mediated communications

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

    Personal and Social Capability

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

Explain how the elements of dance and production elements communicate meaning by comparing dances from different social, cultural and historical contexts, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance (ACADAR012 - Scootle )
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
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
  • Develop respect for cultural diversity

Personal and Social Capability

Social awareness
  • Appreciate diverse perspectives

Self-management
  • Express emotions appropriately

Social management
  • Make decisions

Critical and Creative Thinking

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

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

Literacy

Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
  • Compose texts
  • 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

  • discussing the purpose of movements, elements of dance, production elements, and use of projection and focus, and how these affect the mood of audience and the relationship between dancers and the audience
    Personal and Social Capability

    Social management
    • Make decisions

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

    Self-management
    • Express emotions appropriately

    Critical and Creative Thinking

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

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

    Literacy

    Grammar knowledge
    • Express opinion and point of view

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

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

  • Considering viewpoints – evaluations: For example – Which dance elements were used well and for which purpose? How was your mood changed by this dance? (refer to: the energy, shapes, tempo, music, staging in your answer)
    Critical and Creative Thinking

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

  • identifying and discussing meanings and significance intended by the choreographer’s use of movement, space and energy, referring to their knowledge of the context in which the dance was created, for example, an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander dance, a Chinese ribbon dance, or a Sumatran tambourine dance
    • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
    • Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia
    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

    Personal and Social Capability

    Social management
    • Make decisions

    Self-management
    • Express emotions appropriately

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

    Literacy

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

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

    Composing texts through speaking, writing and creating
    • Use language to interact with others

    Grammar knowledge
    • Express opinion and point of view

    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
    • Develop respect for cultural diversity

  • Considering viewpoints – meanings and interpretations: For example – How is the movement of the body used to represent a story, character or idea? How does did you use space, costume and/or multimedia to communicate meaning in this dance?
    Critical and Creative Thinking

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

  • discussing social and cultural influences to recognise the role of dance and dancers in societies, cultures, environments and times, for example, conventions of a Kecak dance from Bali, or the protocols for performing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance, including when it is not able to be viewed
    • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
    • Asia and Australia’s Engagement with Asia
    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
    • Consider and develop multiple perspectives
    • Communicate across cultures

    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

    Grammar knowledge
    • Express opinion and point of view

    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
    • Consider alternatives
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action

    Personal and Social Capability

    Social management
    • Make decisions

    Social awareness
    • Appreciate diverse perspectives

    Self-management
    • Express emotions appropriately

  • Considering viewpoints – societies and cultures: For example – What are the traditions, customs and conventions of this dance? What different performance spaces are used for dances and why?
  • accessing real or virtual performances that are representative of different times and places and comparing how elements of dance and production elements communicate meaning in each
    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
    • Seek solutions and put ideas into action
    • Consider alternatives

    Literacy

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

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

    Visual Knowledge
    • Understand how visual elements create meaning

    Word Knowledge
    • Understand learning area vocabulary

    Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability

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

    Investigating with ICT
    • Select and evaluate data and information
    • Locate, generate and access data and information


Years 5 and 6 Achievement Standards

By the end of Year 6, students explain how ideas are communicated in artworks they make and to which they respond. They describe characteristics of artworks from different social, historical and cultural contexts that influence their art making.

Students structure elements and processes of arts subjects to make artworks that communicate meaning. They work collaboratively to share artworks for audiences, demonstrating skills and techniques.

By the end of Year 6, students explain how the elements of dance, choreographic devices and production elements communicate meaning in dances they make, perform and view. They describe characteristics of dances from different social, historical and cultural contexts that influence their dance making.

Students structure movements in dance sequences and use the elements of dance and choreographic devices to make dances that communicate meaning. They work collaboratively to perform dances for audiences, demonstrating technical and expressive skills.


Years 5 and 6 Work Sample Portfolios