Dance sits within the Performing Arts Faculty.  Dance provides pupils with a well-rounded and enriching artistic experience. The dance curriculum aims to empower students to express themselves authentically, appreciate different cultures, develop essential life skills, and cultivate a lifelong appreciation for the arts. Dance helps students develop visual appreciation of dance and choreography, balanced judgement, information gathering and assessment, the ability to work on your own or as part of a team, communication, project management, and creative thinking and problem-solving. 

We are proud of our purpose-built dance studio fitted with mirrors, a sound system and a sprung floor. Our dance staff are a combination of a full-time dance teacher and external specialists. 

Co-Curricular Enrichment 

• The annual Beaconsfield High Dance Show (every summer) 
• Visiting artists and professional dance companies 
• University visits 
• An extensive program of lunchtime and after-school dance clubs/ ensembles taught by staff, external specialists and older students 
• Advanced Dance Group students perform in Community Dance Platforms at local theatres. Past performances have included ‘Fluid in Flight’ at The Milton Keynes Theatre, ‘Making Memories’ and ‘Just Dance’ at the Aylesbury Waterside Theatre and Dance Live at The Wycombe Swan.  

KS3 (Year 7 – 9) 

All students in KS3 are taught dance once a fortnight and are guided in developing choreography, performance and appreciation skills. They are introduced to different dance styles, including musical theatre, street dance, contemporary dance, swing dance, dance of the African diaspora and modern jazz. Each year group also explore a professional dance work including works by Matthew Bourne, Zoonation, Boy Blue, Christopher Bruce and Shobana Jeyasingh.  

GCSE (Year 10 – 11) 

Students develop skills, knowledge and understanding of dance as a choreographer, performer and critic. The course is practical and assessed in two components.  

Component 1 is a practical assessment comprising of performances of two short taught set phrases, a trio performance (created collaboratively between the teacher and students) and either a solo or group choreography, in response to a stimulus set by the examining board. Component 2 is a written paper. 

For more information on the GCSE course, download our GCSE Options Guide below.  

A-Level (Year 12 – 13) 

A Level Dance offers a well-rounded exploration of dance through a 50% - 50% combination of practical and theoretical components. Students will develop their dance skills in various genres, including contemporary, ballet, and jazz, while also delving into choreography and performance techniques. In addition, the curriculum covers the study of influential dance works, choreographers, and cultural contexts, fostering a deeper appreciation for the art form.

A-Level Dance equips students with the knowledge and skills to both excel in dance whilst providing a strong foundation for pursuing careers in a range of areas including dance performance and choreography, physiotherapy, movement therapy, event management, art history, theatre management and more! It also instils a range of transferable skills that are very well received by universities as a creative accompaniment to other subjects. 

For more information on the A-Level Dance course grade requirements, download a copy of the Sixth Form Prospectus here.  For more information on the course content, download a copy of the A-Level Options Guide here.