Dance

We believe that Dance is a powerful medium for students to explore their individuality, develop emotional intelligence, and connect with the world around them. Dance encourages a different approach to physical activity and improves well being. 

We are very proud to offer every KS3 student an hour each week with a specialist Dance teacher which will allow them to build skills and knowledge from which to continue onto GCSE Dance and A Level Dance here at Welling. 

Dance is an essential part of the PE National Curriculum for KS2 and KS3, so all students will come to Welling having experienced a small amount of Dance at primary school and will have a clear memory of the joy of their end of KS2 school production! 

We expect students to approach physical and creative tasks with an open mind and come well-prepared for every lesson. They should support one another, working efficiently both independently and as part of a team.

There are a wealth of opportunities for students to take part in performances, making a positive contribution to the life of the school. Students are invited to the theatre at all key stages, as well as experiencing workshops with visiting professional artists. 

The department is welcoming and supportive, students feel confident to experiment and challenge their abilities. Mrs White is a graduate of University of Winchester and Trinity Laban and has over 17 years of experience teaching Dance at all key stages. Mrs White has also been A Level Dance examiner and was also a contributor to the book “Huh Curriculum conversations between subject and senior leaders” by Mary Myatt and John Tomsett. Miss Thompson trained at Urdang Academy and brings lots of experience and contacts from urban dance and musical theatre. 

How can you support your child?

• Ensure they have access to google classroom where the knowledge organiser and weekly tasks will be set 

• Check that your child has packed their Dance kit for lessons, this will be their PE and trainers for Street Dance units

• Ensure your child has a water bottle to hydrate after class 

• Book a ticket to come into school to see your child’s exam performances and production performances

• Encourage your child to join Relevé Dance Company, a weekly club which runs every Thursday from 3:15-4:15 or to audition for the cast of our yearly panto and/or musical production 

• Encourage your child to watch a much dance as possible - BBC iplayer is often a great place to start

GCSE Dance

Exam board: AQA

Component 1 60%  

Performance

• Set phrases through a solo performance (approximately one minute in duration)
• Duet/trio performance ( three minutes in a dance which is a maximum of five minutes in duration)

Choreography

• Solo or group choreography – a solo ( two to two and a half minutes) or a group dance for two to five dancers ( three to three and a half minutes)

Component 2 40% 

Knowledge and understanding of choreographic processes and performing skills
Critical appreciation of own work
Critical appreciation of professional works
Written exam: 1 hour 30 minutes

A Level Dance

Exam board: AQA 

A-Level Dance is a dynamic qualification which encourages students to develop their creative and intellectual capacity, alongside transferable skills such as team work, communication and problem solving. All of these are sought after skills by both higher education and employers, helping students to stand out in the workplace whatever their choice of career. The course is 50% practical and 50% theory, there is a focus on contemporary dance with roots in the early 20th century to present day, studying world renowned choreographers such as Christopher Bruce and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.  At the end of the course students will perform a solo, quartet and create a piece of choreography to a visiting examiner and will also complete a written exam paper.

Specific GCSE requirements 

A Grade 5 in English GCSE is also advisable due to the demands of the written components.

Ideally you should have studied Dance at GCSE and obtained at least a Grade 6.  It is possible that you could be considered without a GCSE in Dance, but in this case you would need to be able to demonstrate an aptitude for the subject through an audition workshop.

AQA | Dance | A Level | A-level Dance

• 50% theory and 50% practical 
• No coursework 
• No internally assessed work

Component 1: Performance and Choreography: 

Example paper component 1

What's assessed?

• Solo performance linked to a specified practitioner within an area of study 
• Performance in a quartet- 
• Group choreography

How it's assessed

• Practical exam with a visiting examiner Spring of Year 13 
• 80 marks
• 50% of the A Level

Component 2 Critical engagement:

Example paper component 2

What's assessed?

• Knowledge, understanding and critical appreciation 
• One compulsory set work within the compulsory area of study: Rambert Dance Company 1966- 2002 
• One compulsory set work Little Red Rooster - Christopher Bruce (youtube.com)
• One optional area of study: Independent Contemporary Dance in Britain 2000 - present day 
• One optional set work: Sutra by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui - Sutra // Sadler’s Wells (youtube.com)

How it's assessed

• Written exam: 2 hours 30 minutes-  summer series Year 13 
• 100 marks
• 50% of A-Level

How can you find out more about A Level Dance at Welling?

2025 Welling School A Level Dance flyer

Or alternatively contact Mrs White:

katie.white@wellingschool-tkat.org