In Dance, students use the body to communicate and express meaning through purposeful movement. Dance practice integrates choreography, performance, and appreciation of dance and dance making. Through the Dance courses at The Ipswich State High school, students explore a range of genres and styles including contemporary, ballet, jazz, hip hop, street dance, social dance and musical theatre. Through engagement with Dance education, students begin to develop their social skills, aesthetic appreciation, creativity, personal development, self-confidence, self-expression, and cultural understanding. Career opportunities exist for Dance students as professional dancers, choreographers, dance teachers, dance critics, fitness instructors, event managers and nutritionists.
Junior Secondary
In years 7, 8 and 9 students have varying elective opportunities in Dance.
Year 7 students are able to select High Performance Dance.
Year 8 students are able to select High Performance Dance in addition to 6 months of Dance as part of their compulsory Arts elective. This course explores the functions of dance and skills of performance through a range of dance styles.
Year 9 students are able to select Dance as a 1 year elective course. In year 9, students are assessed in Making and Responding in the styles of jazz, lyrical, street dance and popular dance.
Senior Secondary
In the senior phase of schooling, students selecting Dance have an opportunity to follow an academic pathway and/or a vocational pathway through our choice of Authority and VET Dance subjects.
Authority Dance is an OP subject that explores many genres and styles of dance through the dimensions of Choreography, Performance and Appreciation. Students will apply performance, choreography and research skills to broaden their appreciation of Dance as an Art form. They will study the works of different choreographers and their impact on the development of dance styles and the current dance industry.
The VET Dance courses at The Ipswich State High School are part of the High Performance Dance Program.
