Level 7 dance achievement objectives

The four arts strands work in combination. Together they provide the basis for a well-rounded programme. They weave through all aspects of learning in dance: choreography, performance, or perspectives.

Generally, the strands are not taught alone. When focusing on teaching achievement objectives from one strand, teachers will usually find they can incorporate objectives from another strand.

The strands are separated here as a way of helping teachers to unpack the language of the strands and the objectives at this level.

Indicators are examples of the behaviours and capabilities that a teacher might expect to observe in a student who is achieving at the appropriate level. Teachers may wish to add further examples of their own.

For any terminology used in the achievement objectives, or the indicators, check (and download) the Arts Online dance glossary.

Understanding dance in context (UC)

Achievement objectives

Indicators

• Makes judgments about how the creative productivity of a person or people has influenced development of a dance genre/style, for example, modern contemporary dance, capoeira, sasa.
• Investigates and discusses how the social and cultural issues of the time have impacted on continued development of a dance genre/style, for example, charleston, tango, paso doble.
• Identifies changes in technology, such as music/accompaniment, costuming, staging/performance, setting, and multi-media, that have enabled further development of a dance genre/style or affected the way it is viewed or performed, for example, romantic ballet, krump, musical theatre, jazz.
• Engages in a range of practical exercises in performance practices and techniques to explore and understand a variety of genre/styles in dance.

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Developing practical knowledge in dance (PK)

Achievement objective

Indicators

• Builds on and develops own dance skills and experiences as a valuable foundation to extend technical skills in dance.
• Reapplies knowledge of and experiences with terminology and practices in selected dance genres/styles in new situations and activities.
• Learns movements and movement phrases within selected dance genres/styles, for example, modern contemporary, musical theatre, jazz, capoeira, sasa, rock’n’roll.
• Uses mass media technologies to extend knowledge and skills in the execution of movements in a genre/style.

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Developing ideas in dance (DI)

Achievement objective

Indicators

• Manipulates (varies, contrasts, alters) dance elements (body, space, time, energy, relationships) and uses choreographic devices (repetition, retrograde, fragmentation, augmentation, insertion, inversion, instrumentation, embellishment) structures, and technologies to create original movement.
• Creates and choreographs solo and/or small-group dances to communicate a choreographic intention (an idea, mood, image, theme, feeling).
• Explores a range of choreographic processes (ways of developing concepts for movement, ways of developing new movement ideas, ways of evaluating choreography) to develop original movements.

Achievement objective

Indicators

• Chooses an idea from which to create a dance work and develops a choreographic intention.
• Explores and records (audiovisually, in writing) movements that will reflect the idea or stimulus for the dance.
• Selects a dance style and appropriate movements to reflect the intended choreographic idea.
• Combines and structures movement to invent and make meaning in the choreographed work.

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Communicating and interpreting in dance (CI)

Achievement objective

Indicators

• Learns, refines, and performs a series of dances in both classroom and/or live performance situations.
• Demonstrates the techniques and expressions appropriate and important to the style being performed. Performs with accurate attention to the stylistic requirements of the genre/style.
• Communicates the intentions of the dance, such as the emotional content or expressive idea, through physical execution of movement with clarity and control.

Achievement objective

Indicators

• Describes individual movements and sequences in recorded dance performances in their own and in others’ choreography.
• Comments on the use of space, energy, choreographic structures, repetition, and variation and on the use of formations, groupings, set, costumes, music, and lighting in recorded dance performances in their own and others’ choreographic work.
• Articulates ways in which meaning is conveyed through costume design, movement choices, groupings, and characterisation in dance performances.
• Provides reasons for enjoying or not enjoying aspects or components of the dance.
• Critically evaluates the relationships between performers, the movements, and the audio and visual design.
• Interprets and explains the use of suggestive or symbolic movements within a dance to create meaning for viewers.

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Assessment for qualifications

At the time of publication, achievement standards are in development to align them with The New Zealand Curriculum. Aligned level 1 achievement standards were registered for use in 2011 and level 2 in 2012. Level 3 will be registered for use in 2013.

Please ensure that you are using the correct version of the standards by going to the NZQA website.

The NZQA subject-specific resource pages are very helpful. From there, you can find all the achievement standards and links to assessment resources, both internal and external.

Learn more:

• NZQA subject resources for Dance

Not all learning in dance needs to be assessed. There is value in dance creation and the exploration of genre and style that may not be assessed but could be a valuable step towards more complex work in the following year of study.

Last updated August 28, 2020

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