Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information presented in this handbook at the time of going to print. However, the Rambert School reserves the right to make changes as necessary to ensure the smooth running of learning, teaching and assessment.
CONTENTS
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INTRODUCTION |
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SECTION 1: |
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PROGRAMME INFORMATION AND STUDY GUIDES |
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Programme Specifications |
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Modules Specifications |
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RA 2001 |
22 |
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RA 2002 |
29 |
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RA 2003 |
36 |
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RA 2004-8 |
43 |
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RA 2005 |
49 |
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RA 2006 |
56 |
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RA 2007 |
62 |
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SECTION 2: |
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ACADEMIC CONVENTIONS |
68 |
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Introduction |
70 |
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Academic Offences |
70 |
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How to Reference |
73 |
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How to Present a Bibliography and Other Sources |
82 |
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Presentation of Written Work |
87 |
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Some Examples |
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Referencing: Some Examples |
90 |
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Presenting Work: An Example |
93 |
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Presenting A Bibliography An Example |
95 |
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SECTION 3: |
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STUDY SKILLS AND ACADEMIC WRITING |
97 |
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Introduction |
98 |
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Locating and Using Resources |
98 |
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Note Taking |
99 |
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Writing Assignments |
100 |
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Format of Written Assignments |
105 |
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FDA IN BALLET AND CONTEMPORARY DANCE
The focus of this handbook is on teaching, learning and assessment in relation to your programme of study. It includes information and advice related to both practical and theoretical work. The Handbook is divided into several sections for ease of reference.
Section 1 includes information about your course and a Module Study Guide for each module of your programme for this academic year. The guides set out the context for the area of study and include the learning outcomes, module content, assessment tasks, assessment criteria, assessment/study guidelines and reading lists. Please read these thoroughly and use them as a continual point of reference during the year.
Section 3 focuses on study skills and academic writing. It includes general guidelines and advice for approaching both practical and theoretical areas of study. The Assessment Guidelines section of each of the Module Study Guides includes specific advice regarding the assessment tasks for the module. Your tutors will give further advice during class and in tutorials.
Section 4
As you progress through your programme of study, you are expected to demonstrate an increased self-reliance in managing, organising and initiating your own learning although tutorial support is available throughout. It is expected that you refine your study skills and that you deepen your practical and theoretical understanding of the work undertaken to help you successfully meet the demands of the course and to prepare for the demands of the dance profession.
You are advised therefore to use the Programme Handbook as a constant point of reference throughout the academic year.
University of Kent at Canterbury
Rambert School
FDA in Ballet and Contemporary Dance
Year Two
Programme Specifications
Degree and Programme Title
1. Awarding Institution/Body University of Kent
2. Teaching Institution Rambert School
3. Teaching Site Rambert School
4. Programme Accredited by:
5. Final Award Foundation Degree
6. Programme
7. UCAS code
8. Relevant QAA subject benchmarking Dance, Drama and Performing Arts
9. Date of Production/Revision
10. Applicable Cohort(s)
1. Educational Aims of the Programme
Aims of the programme are consonant with the distinctive features of Foundation Degrees. They thus reflect that the programme provides students with the knowledge, understanding and skills that employers need. The aims listed below and the degree itself have been formulated through employer involvement. It is delivered and monitored through employer involvement and partnership. It is also characterised accessibility, articulation and progression, and flexibility.
The Programme aims to:
1.To provide an education and training in the technical execution of Ballet and Contemporary Dance to the level of professional competence.[1]
2.To enable students to realise their individual potential as professional performers, to a level of professional competence, through the development of their capacity for experience and expression in dance.
3.To enable students to find, to a level of professional competence, their individual choreographic voices and/or the capacity to contribute to choreography through improvisation or building product out of material provided by a choreographer and/or the capacity to productively inform their work as dance performers through knowledge and understanding of choreographic structures, styles and methods as performers.
4. To provide students with subject knowledge concerning the technical and stylistic development of Ballet and Contemporary Dance as genres such that this contributes to their capacity as dance artists.
5. To enable students to contribute to the advancement of the genres of Ballet and Contemporary Dance during their subsequent careers.
6. To provide students with a secure body of knowledge, understanding and skills through the study of the underlying concepts and principles of Dance Technical Studies, Choreographic Studies and Critical Studies.
7. To provide students, through the consideration of qualitative and quantitative data, with the ability to develop lines of argument, make critical judgements and solve problems through different approaches in accordance with the basic theories and concepts of their subject categories and through these to identify broader principles, issues and impacts. This will be done through knowledge, understanding and skills in the use of the academic methodologies of critical thinking, discussion and debate, reflection, writing, presentation, analysis, interpretation and evaluation.
8. To allow the student to undertake further training and develop new skills within a structured and managed environment.
9. To cause or allow a holistic educational experience through the provision of an attitude, environment and methodology, as regards teaching and learning, that supports students in their development such that they may achieve their unique potential as people and as artists. Through this to provide students with the opportunity to move forward in their vision, awareness, knowledge and insight into their world and their selves.
2. Programme Outcomes[2]
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas. The programme outcomes have references to the subject benchmarking statement for
Knowledge and Understanding
1. Comprehension and intelligent engagement through secure knowledge and understanding, of the components of, and the processes by which, Ballet and Contemporary Dance performance are created and realised.
2. Comprehension and intelligent engagement with, group and collective processes as these relate to the production and performance of Ballet and Contemporary Dance.
3. Comprehension of, and intelligent engagement with, the potential of the use of movement quality, musicality, presence, commitment, empathy and co-operation, and dance technical ability towards allowing dance to become a vehicle of expressivity.
4. Comprehension of the creative uses, and the potential of, the interplay between the performers’ conscious and subconscious resources in the act of dance itself, in dance-making and in the realisation of performance.
5. Comprehension of, and intelligent engagement with, the interplay between practice and theory within the fields of Ballet, Contemporary Dance and dance-making.
Teaching and learning strategies and methods[4]
Teaching and learning as concerns knowledge and understanding, intellectual skills, subject specific skills and transferable skills are interwoven. There are three principal categories of study. Dance Technical Studies and Choreographic Studies are most obviously taught in sessions associated with dance studios and performance spaces. Critical Studies are most obviously taught in sessions associated with class and seminar rooms. Nonetheless, it is a tenet of the programme that the teaching and learning of these three categories of study should be deeply integrated.
The following methods are deployed as regards all areas of knowledge, understanding and skills and for all categories of teaching and learning;
- dance technical classes,
- group learning and individual learning in workshop situations,
- performances,
- lectures,
- tutorials,
- seminar presentations,
- project work including that conducted through student leadership,
- resource based learning,
Assessment[5]
Assessment specific to each of the three principal categories of learning of the programme are given in the modules. The integrated assessment processes of the programme include;
- regular dance technical classes,
- test dance technical classes,
- rehearsals,
- performances (public and internal),
- showings of solos,
- assessed course work; seminar and discussion,
- written work,
- project reports.
Skills and Other Attributes
B. Intellectual Skills:[6]
1. The ability to consider and investigate concepts and principles associated with the traditional academic method in accordance with the accepted conventions of this through the cognitive skills of critical thinking, discussion and debate, reflection, writing, presentation, analysis, interpretation, evaluation.
2. The ability to evaluate the appropriateness of different approaches to solving problems and making sound judgments.
3. The ability to intellectually process qualitative and quantitative data and identify relationships within it using defined techniques.
4. The ability to communicate the results of study accurately and reliably through structured and coherent arguments.
Teaching and learning strategies and methods
The programme depends on an integrated system of Teaching and learning. Intellectual work involves coming to understand how to apply conscious cognitive or intellectual skills in critical thinking, discussion and debate, reflection, writing, presentation, analysis, interpretation and evaluation. These processes are employed in pursuance of the traditional academic method as well as in the practical or technical study of dancing and making dance.
C. Subject-specific Skills[7]
D. Transferable Skills
The following outcomes are consonant with, and integrated within, the teaching of the programme’s learning outcomes.
information technology skills including word processing, electronic mail, and accessing
Teaching and learning strategies and methods
- transferable skills are developed throughout the programme.
3. Programme Structures and Requirements, Levels, Modules, Credits and Awards
Structure
This Foundation Degree is a two-year, full-time course. Each year of the course is of 36 weeks and divided into two semesters. The year is divided into a number of study modules of 10 or 20 credits where the accumulated credit value is equal to 120 credits. All modules delivered in the first year of the course are required in order to progress to the second year. All modules are required in the second year of the course in order to be awarded the Foundation Degree.
Modules delivered on the first year of the course are designated at Certificate Level [C], while modules on the second year of the course are designated at Intermediate Level [I].
Students who fail to gain sufficient credits at the end of Level 2 (240) may be awarded a HE Certificate (120 credits) in Ballet and Contemporary Dance.
Students who successfully complete Level 2 may proceed to the one-year BA (Hons) in Ballet and Contemporary Dance.[9]
Categories of Study
There are three principal categories of study. They are highly integrated:
Dance Technical Studies
The centre of this foundation degree programme is the process of coming to possess and apply a progressively sophisticated body of knowledge, understanding, cognitive and other skills such that the student is able to dance Ballet and Contemporary Dance to the level of, and in many cases well beyond, professional competence. Other aspects of the programme either derive from or support this central process in a number of senses.
Choreographic Studies
Students may exercise a degree of choice in their approach to Choreographic Studies. Focus can be directed towards learning to make dance works as a choreographer and/or how to contribute to the process of making dances through improvisation and/or through the development of movement material introduced by a choreographer or director. Finally work can focus upon discovering and developing expressive capacity in the more traditional role of the dance artist who brings finished movement material to life in performance.
Critical Studies
Within Critical Studies students acquire the knowledge, understanding and skills through which they may deploy established and traditional academic methodologies.
It is stated above that Critical Studies derives from or supports the processes of the act of dance and the making of dances. However, Critical Studies also focuses upon the academic method itself. The structure and content of the programme thus assure its integration. Thus the need to develop knowledge, understanding and skills as regards the academic method particularly in respect of critical thinking, writing, presentation, analysis, interpretation, evaluation and research is emphasised within each module under ‘Synopsis of the Curriculum’. This need is also highlighted within the Statement of Assessment Criteria.
Teaching, Learning and the Spiral Curriculum
Within all three subject categories, each semester, the student both acquires new subject knowledge and revisits, in order to understand more deeply, previously considered material. Thus within each category of study an important portion of the work is characterised by a spiral curriculum and a phased approach. The spiral curriculum most obviously addresses what is called in module specifications “13.1 essential content”. Sometimes this content is taught directly. Sometimes it is approached through what is called “13.2 procedural content”.
As concerns revisited material, on completion of each semester attainment advances over the phase reached in previous semesters.
The level of advancement required is articulated in subject specific criteria set out in the Rambert School Statement of Assessment Criteria. The subject specific criteria are there given under identical main headings for all semesters. However, under these main headings are articulated the characteristics through which the student demonstrates that new achievement, which is unique and appropriate to the new semester, has taken place
We wish to emphasise that this subject specific criteria names substantive essential content within each module.
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Level One Required Modules level credits semester |
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RA 1001 |
INTRODUCTORY BALLET |
C |
20 |
ONE |
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RA 1002 |
INTRODUCTORYCONTEMPORARY DANCE |
C |
20 |
ONE |
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RA 1003 |
COMMUNICATION AND ARGUMENT |
C |
10 |
ONE |
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RA 1004-8 |
CHOREOGRAPHY AND PERFORMANCE PRACTICE |
C |
20 |
ONE |
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RA 1005 |
ELEMENTARY BALLET |
C |
20 |
TWO |
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RA 1006 |
ELEMENTARY CONTEMPORARY DANCE |
C |
20 |
TWO |
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RA 1007 |
EFFECTIVE THINKING, READING AND WRITING |
C |
10 |
TWO |
Work begins at level one upon the Reflective Professional Progress Portfolio for those who are considering continuing on to a BA (Hons) degree.
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Level 2 Required Modules level credits semester |
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RA 2001 |
PRE-ADVANCED BALLET |
I |
20 |
THREE |
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RA 2002 |
PRE-ADVANCED CONTEMPORARY DANCE |
I |
20 |
THREE |
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RA 2003 |
THE TECHNICAL AND STYLISTIC DEVELOPMENT OF BALLET |
I |
10 |
THREE |
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RA 2004-8 |
CHOREOGRAPHY AND PERFORMANCE ONE |
I |
20 |
THREE AND FOUR |
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RA 2005 |
ADVANCED BALLET |
I |
20 |
THREE AND FOUR |
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RA 2006 |
ADVANCED CONTEMPORARY DANCE |
I |
20 |
FOUR |
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RA 2007 |
THE TEHNICAL AND STYLISTIC DEVELOPMENT OF CONTEMPORARY DANCE |
I |
10 |
FOUR |
Work continues on the Reflective Progress Performance Portfolio.
4. Support for Students and their Learning
Academic support
Overall academic and artistic leadership is in the hands of the Principal of the School.
Additionally Academic Leadership is in the hands of The Teaching Steering Committee, the Head of Learning and Teaching (responsible for oversight of quality assurance and implementation of quality assurance requirements) and the Director of Studies (responsible for oversight of the delivery of the programmes).[10]
Student academic support is implemented through collaboration between students and staff and through a system of committees. These include;
- The Academic Board/Board of Studies (meets termly),
- The Administrative Committee (all administrative staff) (meets weekly),
- The Teaching Steering Committee (three full time members of teaching staff) (meets weekly),
- The Staff/Student Consultative Committee (meets termly).
General pastoral care and academic guidance
Rambert School has worked with many foreign students. It deals with a wide age range (from sixteen to the mid-twenties and occasionally older). Processes of pastoral care have become efficient and effective in taking into account the differing ages, characters and needs of students.
A caring culture is cultivated. Each group (male and female) within each year group has a personal tutor who has pastoral and academic responsibilities towards each student in their care. The personal tutor is usually the student’s principal Ballet teacher who, through teaching each student every day during the first year and often during the second and third, knows them well and can keep track of them. The personal tutor interviews each student of their tutorial group formally once a term on academic and pastoral grounds. Informal interviews may take place much more often.
In addition to the school’s system of personal tutors it provides an open door policy which makes pastoral care as well as academic monitoring easier. At induction students are encouraged to seek advice and general help with problems from any member of staff with whom they feel comfortable. They can speak to the Principal at any time an appointment not being necessary.
IT support
IT learning support is provided in the first year through optional tutorial seminars as well as in RA 1003 and RA 1007. Groups are of no more than ten students. These meet weekly.
Language support
Support for students in cases in which English is not the first language and this is, or is likely to become, a hindrance to learning, is provided on a one to one basis through private tutorials. Such help is given on the basis of need.
Care of younger students
All students of the school must phone in on any day on which they do not attend classes. Calls are logged on the main staff notice board in the staff common room. (Classes, of course, take place for all student five days a week.) In addition on returning to school a student who has been absent must fill out and hand in an absence form before any more classes can be taken. The form specifies the reason for absence and what classes have been missed. These forms are kept in the student’s file which is held in the school office and can be consulted by any member of staff. These methods of monitoring are particularly useful in keeping track, and understanding the situation of, younger students.[11]
Since registers are taken of all classes, in effect the student ‘clocks in’ for each class of every day. The attendance requirement is 100%. Thus absence is noticed immediately.
Specialist consultancy
The school employs two consultants: one dealing with nutrition and the other with physiotherapy and injury prevention. These consultants give at least one lecture/workshop to each group each year during each term. Students with specific problems are referred to these consultants by their teachers, personal tutors or the Principal.
Equal Opportunities and Student with Disabilities
Rambert School is committed to providing equal opportunities and to support all its students with disabilities and/or specific learning needs.
5. Entry Profile
Entry Route
The central objective of the degree is to develop and enhance the students’ ability to perform in Ballet and Contemporary Dance at a professional level. Therefore, irrespective of academic qualifications or prior learning experience, entry is subject to audition.
The audition event will take the form of;
1. A Ballet class,
2. Contemporary Dance sequences,
3. An interview.
In addition the applicant will require; five passes (A-C) predicted at GCSE including English Language (desirable) or equivalent.
In addition, for non-English speaking students, the University of Kent’s normal criteria for language competency will apply. Qualifications accepted include:
What does the programme have to offer?
Professionalism is acquired through in-house work at professional standard, delivered by resident staff and guests, rather than through a system of work placements. In the areas of Ballet and Contemporary Dance, within which the school operates, a programme of work placements would be unfeasible.
Quality companies working within this area do not, except in very exceptional and very limited cases, posses vacancies for work placements of the kind usually associated with Foundation Degrees: They are invariably companies of soloists working under highly pressurised circumstances. Thus their scheduling is subject to change over any period longer than one year.
It is also the case that work placements would break up the intense and integrated process of professional education and training that make up this FDA programme.
Professional experience within the School is, however, pervasive, integrated and diverse. A professional environment, at a high and exacting level, is provided.
- By the first year, students have the opportunity to rehearse towards and/or take part in public performance through three seasons of student works (two seasons of a week each and one season of two evenings), two seasons of student and professional work (both a week each), one or two showcase performances at the Linbury Theatre (in the Royal Opera House), and three performances of solos in the Rambert School Theatre.
- Some students (five to twenty each year) take part in a professionally based Research Project involving summer performances in cathedrals for a two to three-week period and performances in churches during the rest of the year.
- It is unlikely that so much performance, so often at a pervasively professional level, and open to all three year groups, is matched by any other professional school in the world.
- Given this performance schedule, by the second year and often before, all students are working consistently with visiting and resident professional artists in both classes and in the production of performance material.
- The teaching staff of the School have all performed professionally at a high level. Many continue to do so. Some continue to choreograph and teach for professional companies.
- There is weekly teaching and choreographic input from a senior dancer of Rambert Dance Company.
- The Director of Rambert Dance Company sometimes choreographs on the School.
- The School’s Artistic Director does so every year.
- Professional choreographers and teachers, with no connection with Rambert School of Rambert Dance Company are engaged throughout the year, every year.
- Dance companies give residencies and workshops at the School. Examples are; Scottish Dance Theatre, DV8, Mark Morris, Rambert Dance Company, Fin Walker and Union Dance Company.
- Seminars are conducted towards finding a job, audition tours and the process of auditioning.
A special relationship at board and artistic levels with Rambert Dance Company.
Contacts with professional practitioners in the UK and internationally.
Contacts with dance companies in the UK and internationally.
Access and a relationship with venues in London.
The School has built up a research culture, within a university environment, over recent national Research Assessment Exercises. This profile includes research outcomes and PhD supervision.
A modest calculation of successful job destination rates place this at 90% of graduating students.
The School’s graduates have gone on to enter the profession, usually at a high level. Graduates dance with Ballet companies like Dutch National Ballet, English National Ballet, Northern Ballet, Scottish Ballet, the Seoul Ballet and the Cape Town Ballet; and with Contemporary Dance companies like Rambert Dance Company, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Richard Alston Dance Company, Phoenix Dance Company, the Munich Dance Company and Netherlands Dance Theatre. These are among the most respected companies.
Personal Profile
On entry, at the time of audition and interview, the student will be able to demonstrate:
Mental and physical stamina combined with a high level of motivation towards entry into the dance profession as a dancer or choreographer or both;
The potential to engage in Ballet and or Contemporary Dance at a professional level. The student will thus possess aptitudes for dance movement quality, musicality, dance physicality, stage presence and dance technical ability;
The potential to develop the academic skills of critical thinking, discussion and debate, reflection, presentation, analysis, interpretation and evaluation at a graduate level.
An aptitude for group or corporate creative artistic work.
6. Methods for Evaluating and Enhancing the Quality and Standards of Teaching and Learning
Mechanisms for review and evaluation of teaching, learning, assessment, the curriculum and outcome standards
- Annual Review of the programme and course modules attended by staff and student representatives. This considered by the Academic Board and the Board of Trustees.
- Academic Board/Board of Studies (meets monthly).
- Participation in examining process by External Examiners and response to their reports.
- Weekly meetings of the Administrative Committee and and Teaching Steering Committee.
- Meetings of entire staff (meets termly).
- Process of double marking.
- Peer observation of teaching.
- Staff appraisals.
- Performances before the general public, critics and dance professionals (at least five seasons each year).
- Reports and evaluations by visiting professionals and artistic advisors.
- Student programme evaluation questionnaires.
- A clearly articulated course rationale and assessment process.
- University periodic programme review.
- QAA Institutional audits.
Committees with responsibility for monitoring and evaluating quality and standards
- Board of Trustees (meets monthly)
- Audit Committee (meets as necessary)
- Finance Committee (meets as necessary)
- Premises/Building Committee (meets and necessary)
- Remuneration and Nominations Committee (meets as necessary)
- Academic Board/Board of Studies (meets monthly)
- Administrative Committee (meets weekly)
- Teaching Steering Committee (meets weekly)
- Staff Student Consultative Committee (meets termly)
- Learning and Teaching Committee of the Faculty of Humanities
- University of Kent Learning and Teaching Board
- Board of Examiners (including External Examiners)
Mechanisms for gaining student feedback on the quality of teaching and their learning experience
- Student feedback is monitored through;
- meeting between students and the Director (termly),
- meetings between students and between any member of staff with whom they feel comfortable,
- tutorials,
- questionnaires,
- the Staff/Student Consultative Committee (meets termly),
- the Reflective Professional Portfolio and other written work,
- student representation on the Academic Board.
Staff Development priorities include:
Individual development as teachers;
- through support in teaching experiences with other internationally recognised centre of excellence inside and outside the UK,
- through support in attending conferences, international competitions and symposiums and long and short courses.
Individual and collective development in Research;
- through the support of individuals in attending conferences, international competitions and symposiums and courses,
- through the support of individual and collective Research projects.
Initiatives towards inter-collegiality with the Conservatoire of Dance and Drama.
7. Indicators of Quality and Standards
- As appointed through Brunel University 1985 to 2002
- As appointed by Edexcel 2003-2005
- As appointed by Trinity College 2004/2005
CDET Accreditation Report – 1995
OFSTED Report 2003
Annual Monitoring Reports; West London Institute of Higher Education 1985-1996
Annual Monitoring Reports: Brunel University 1997-2005
Highly successful Employment Destinations record.
Regarded as of equal standing by the existing affiliates of the Conservatoire of Dance and Drama.
Highly positive press response to performance activity.
The following reference points were used in creating these specifications:
Employment and the equality and importance of the study of Ballet and Contemporary Dance
The full title of the school is the 'Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance'. This title reflects that Rambert School is unlike, for example, the Royal Ballet School, which is primarily a Ballet School or the London School of Contemporary Dance which is primarily a school of Contemporary Dance. At Rambert School both these major genres of Western Theatrical Dance are treated equally and as major studies. One is not undertaken largely or only to supplement the other. This approach, which is unique in the UK, is adopted because, as the record of former students of the School shows, it provides young dance artists with an education and training through which they can, with great success, enter, enjoy and improve the professional dance job market of today.
This degree has been drafted in close consonance with the Subject Benchmark Statement QAA 065 10/2004) and the most recent National Academic Framework Descriptors.
University of Kent at Canterbury
Rambert School
FDA in Ballet and Contemporary Dance
RA 2001
1. Title of the Module
Pre-Advanced Ballet (RA2001)
2. Department responsible for the management of the module
Rambert School
3. Start Date of the Module
September 2007
4. Number of student expected to take the module
35
5. Modules to be withdrawn on the introduction of this proposed module and the consultation with other relevant Departments and Faculties regarding the withdrawal
none
6. Level of the Module
I
7. Number of Credits
20
8. Which term(s) the module is to be taught in
Semesters Three
9. Prerequisite and co-requisite modules
Those of earlier semesters
10. The programme of study to which the module contributes
FDA in Ballet and Contemporary Dance
11. The intended subject specific learning outcomes and their relationship to programme learning outcomes:
On successful completion of the module students will:
1. perform in all aspects of this technique with a level of technical accomplishment and artistry which has increased over that accomplished on completion of RA1004. Students will have attained a pre-advanced level speaking in terms of a professional education and training and the Essential Content and Procedural Content given below;
2. manifest a unique and individual potential particularly in terms of movement quality, musicality, presence and dance physicality to a pre-advanced level;
3. be versatile in performing barre exercises and enchainements in reverse with a sound knowledge of the benefits of such work;
4. be proficient in performing many forms of batterie with control, turn out and accurate rhythm;
5. perform a solo with confidence, musicality and the right stylistic and technical elements together with the beginnings of the student’s own distinctive personality.
12. The intended generic learning outcomes and, as appropriate, their relationship to programme learning outcomes
The following outcomes are all consonant with and integrated within the teaching of the programme learning outcomes:
Students will be able to demonstrate:
13. A Synopsis of the Curriculum
13.1 Essential Content[13]
All the work of the programme is characterised by a carefully Phased approach. These phases are shown in the table below.
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Phases |
|
Phases is at the following stages;
Phase 1 Introductory (semester one) Phase 2 Elementary (semester two) |
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Phase 3 Pre-Advanced (semester three) Phase 4 Advanced (semester four) |
This approach is particularly appropriate in the teaching and learning in Dance Technical Studies (modules dealing with Ballet and Contemporary Dance training) because they are accomplished through a spiral curriculum. This is to say that specific areas, themes and families of movement and individual positions and movements are visited many times and in many cases on every day. Thus, for example, pliés must be studied and practised during every day in the expectation that through this the student will improve. This revisiting of areas of study may involve an increase in difficulty, complexity, diversity and quantity but it need not always do so. A simple plié exercise can be as difficult and trying as a very complex one to the sophisticated dancer because that sophistication is applied to it.
Six main areas of focus, to which the student is directed, accompanied by sub-headings; are given in the first list below. In the list that follows are given characteristics specifically of concern within this module and phase of study.
- co-ordination
- flow
- line
- dynamics
- rhythmic awareness
- musical awareness
- musical dynamics
- musical phrasing
Stage Presence
- eye line
- confidence
- grasp of appropriate style
- dramatic sense
- consistency of attendance (100% attendance and punctuality is expected except for bona fide reasons)
- level of concentration
- attitude to the learning of oneself and others
- attitude to the teacher
- attitude to other students
as concerns the use of
- feet
- legs
- torso
- arms
- head
- the full body in stillness, moving on place and moving across space.
The list below gives indicative characteristics which are the specific focus of teaching and learning within this module and phase.
(third semester)
Movement Quality
a limited command of movement quality,
Musicality
a sense of phrasing and musical dynamics,
Presence
a limited but perceptible power of projection,
Commitment, Empathy and Co-operation
characteristics indicative of this area of accomplishment to the level given for earlier modules while additionally showing a developing sense of responsibility towards colleagues,
Dance Technical Ability
a basic grasp of the rudiments of the genre in all areas.
13.2 Procedural Content
Central to the English tradition of classical ballet, based on the purity of line and clarity of movement, with precise footwork and a strong use of epaulement. A lightness and speed of transference of weight with a fluid and lyrical qu