What is Dance about?
Subject-specific terms can be found in the glossary.
Dance is an embodied language. In dance education ākonga learn to communicate through movement and interpret meaning from movement. Learning in Dance supports ākonga to expand the ways they express ideas, feelings, values, and beliefs, as well as how they understand those of others. Ākonga develop literacy in dance as they learn about, and extend skills in movement, performance, and choreography.
Dance is a way of strengthening relationships. Personal experiences and identities are valued components of learning in Dance, which supports whanaungatanga. Working as a collective emphasises core values of fa'aaloalo, faka’apa’apa, aro’a, tautua, and kuleana, which nurture vā in learning spaces. These values are fundamental to positive learning experiences that will support ākonga in Dance. Dance supports ākonga to develop relational skills they can take beyond the learning environment, such as collaboration, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. At the same time, ākonga will also develop confidence and deeper awareness in their own identities.
Dance is always evolving, as innovations develop from or alongside dance forms and practices. Dance can be seen as a social and historical artefact reflecting the culture from which it descends.
Subject-specific terms can be found in the glossary.
Dance is an embodied language. In dance education ākonga learn to communicate through movement and interpret meaning from movement. Learning in Dance supports ākonga to expand the ways they express ideas, feelings, values, and beliefs, as well as how they understand those of others. Ākonga develop literacy in dance as they learn about, and extend skills in movement, performance, and choreography.
Dance is a way of strengthening relationships. Personal experiences and identities are valued components of learning in Dance, which supports whanaungatanga. Working as a collective emphasises core values of fa'aaloalo, faka’apa’apa, aro’a, tautua, and kuleana, which nurture vā in learning spaces. These values are fundamental to positive learning experiences that will support ākonga in Dance. Dance supports ākonga to develop relational skills they can take beyond the learning environment, such as collaboration, communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. At the same time, ākonga will also develop confidence and deeper awareness in their own identities.
Dance is always evolving, as innovations develop from or alongside dance forms and practices. Dance can be seen as a social and historical artefact reflecting the culture from which it descends.
Big Ideas and Significant Learning
This section outlines the meaning of, and connection between, the Big Ideas and Significant Learning, which together form the Learning Matrix. It then explains each Dance Big Idea.
The Arts Learning Area, including its whakataukī, inform this subject’s Significant Learning — learning that is critical for students to know, understand, and do in a subject by the end of each Curriculum Level. This covers knowledge, skills, competencies, and attitudes. It also includes level-appropriate contexts students should encounter in their learning. The Learning Area's whakataukī is:
Te toi whakairo, ka ihiihi, ka wehiwehi, ka aweawe te ao katoa.
Artistic excellence makes the world sit up in wonder.
In Dance, the Learning Area whakataukī is about an exchange of energy — this involves ihi, wehi, and wana. Ihi is shared by radiating energy during choreography, rehearsals, and performance. This energy causes observers to experience wehi when they feel an emotional response to the ihi. Wana is created when these two energies connect, inspiring a sense of awe.
The subject's Big Ideas and Significant Learning are collated into a Learning Matrix for Curriculum Level 6, Level 7, and indicative learning for Level 8. Teachers can use the Learning Matrix as a tool to construct learning programmes that cover all the not-to-be-missed learning in this subject.
There is no prescribed order to the Learning Matrix within each Level. A programme of learning might begin with a context that is relevant to the local area of the school or an idea that students are particularly interested in. This context should relate to at least one Big Idea and may also link to other Big Ideas.
There are five Big Ideas in Dance. The nature of this subject as a discipline means aspects of Significant Learning often cross over multiple Big Ideas, and vice versa.
This section outlines the meaning of, and connection between, the Big Ideas and Significant Learning, which together form the Learning Matrix. It then explains each Dance Big Idea.
The Arts Learning Area, including its whakataukī, inform this subject’s Significant Learning — learning that is critical for students to know, understand, and do in a subject by the end of each Curriculum Level. This covers knowledge, skills, competencies, and attitudes. It also includes level-appropriate contexts students should encounter in their learning. The Learning Area's whakataukī is:
Te toi whakairo, ka ihiihi, ka wehiwehi, ka aweawe te ao katoa.
Artistic excellence makes the world sit up in wonder.
In Dance, the Learning Area whakataukī is about an exchange of energy — this involves ihi, wehi, and wana. Ihi is shared by radiating energy during choreography, rehearsals, and performance. This energy causes observers to experience wehi when they feel an emotional response to the ihi. Wana is created when these two energies connect, inspiring a sense of awe.
The subject's Big Ideas and Significant Learning are collated into a Learning Matrix for Curriculum Level 6, Level 7, and indicative learning for Level 8. Teachers can use the Learning Matrix as a tool to construct learning programmes that cover all the not-to-be-missed learning in this subject.
There is no prescribed order to the Learning Matrix within each Level. A programme of learning might begin with a context that is relevant to the local area of the school or an idea that students are particularly interested in. This context should relate to at least one Big Idea and may also link to other Big Ideas.
There are five Big Ideas in Dance. The nature of this subject as a discipline means aspects of Significant Learning often cross over multiple Big Ideas, and vice versa.
Big Idea Body:
Dance is shaped by culture and represents culture. Ākonga can express and share their culture through movement. Dance is a way to access and benefit from mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori, and Pacific knowledges, worldviews, and values. Through Dance, ākonga can connect with and appreciate different ideas and beliefs, and build connections across cultures.
He atua, he tipua, he tangata — dance is a descendant of culture
Dance is shaped by culture and represents culture. Ākonga can express and share their culture through movement. Dance is a way to access and benefit from mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori, and Pacific knowledges, worldviews, and values. Through Dance, ākonga can connect with and appreciate different ideas and beliefs, and build connections across cultures.
Big Idea Body:
Dance helps us to build, explore, and take care of relationships. This whakawhanaungatanga is important for physical, emotional, and spiritual health, giving us a sense of belonging, community, and identity. Relationships are also built between performers and audiences through ihi, wehi, and wana.
The values of vā, alofa, and manaakitanga also help to create a safe and respectful space where ākonga can feel comfortable to bring their whole selves when working together. Diverse identities, abilities, and roles are respected and celebrated, helping ākonga to value and learn from each other.
When working together, the creative process deepens, and the art becomes richer. This is illustrated in the Samoan expression “A fia vave o'o lou va’a alo na o oe, ae a fia tuli mamao le taunu’uga tatou ‘alo’alo faatasi” (“If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together”).
Dance nurtures whanaungatanga
Dance helps us to build, explore, and take care of relationships. This whakawhanaungatanga is important for physical, emotional, and spiritual health, giving us a sense of belonging, community, and identity. Relationships are also built between performers and audiences through ihi, wehi, and wana.
The values of vā, alofa, and manaakitanga also help to create a safe and respectful space where ākonga can feel comfortable to bring their whole selves when working together. Diverse identities, abilities, and roles are respected and celebrated, helping ākonga to value and learn from each other.
When working together, the creative process deepens, and the art becomes richer. This is illustrated in the Samoan expression “A fia vave o'o lou va’a alo na o oe, ae a fia tuli mamao le taunu’uga tatou ‘alo’alo faatasi” (“If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together”).
Big Idea Body:
In Dance, ākonga build understandings through movement and show these understandings through movement. Ākonga viscerally explore ideas through movement, coming to understand them with depth and conviction. They use their bodies to both communicate and interpret the message and purpose of a dance. Through moving and observing movement, ākonga explore and transform ideas into expressive works that communicate meaning. Dance is a way that knowledge can be shared and passed down.
Dance is embodied cognition
In Dance, ākonga build understandings through movement and show these understandings through movement. Ākonga viscerally explore ideas through movement, coming to understand them with depth and conviction. They use their bodies to both communicate and interpret the message and purpose of a dance. Through moving and observing movement, ākonga explore and transform ideas into expressive works that communicate meaning. Dance is a way that knowledge can be shared and passed down.
Big Idea Body:
Dance gives ākonga opportunities to find and use their voice through curiosity and exploration. Ākonga gain creative and critical thinking skills by questioning, challenging, negotiating, and testing meanings and ideas. Dance helps ākonga to develop their critical awareness of social contexts. Ākonga can learn to interpret and express dance that challenges the status quo, questions social expectations, or highlights injustice. Whakawhanaungatanga helps ākonga to utilise these thinking skills in a safe and respectful space.
Dance develops creative and critical thinking skills
Dance gives ākonga opportunities to find and use their voice through curiosity and exploration. Ākonga gain creative and critical thinking skills by questioning, challenging, negotiating, and testing meanings and ideas. Dance helps ākonga to develop their critical awareness of social contexts. Ākonga can learn to interpret and express dance that challenges the status quo, questions social expectations, or highlights injustice. Whakawhanaungatanga helps ākonga to utilise these thinking skills in a safe and respectful space.
Big Idea Body:
Movement-making involves ongoing cycles of action, response, and revision. When learning choreography and performance, ākonga continually revisit their work, drawing on feedback and exploring more inspiration along the way.
During movement-making, ākonga take risks on a journey to discover new ways of moving. Every risk can lead to further innovation, which is then explored and refined. This circular approach helps ākonga to clarify their intentions as they explore and compose.
Dance uses iterative processes
Movement-making involves ongoing cycles of action, response, and revision. When learning choreography and performance, ākonga continually revisit their work, drawing on feedback and exploring more inspiration along the way.
During movement-making, ākonga take risks on a journey to discover new ways of moving. Every risk can lead to further innovation, which is then explored and refined. This circular approach helps ākonga to clarify their intentions as they explore and compose.
Key Competencies in Dance
Dance education provides meaningful contexts for developing Key Competencies from the New Zealand Curriculum. These Key Competencies are woven through, and embedded in, the Big Ideas and Significant Learning. For example, Big Ideas and Significant Learning may delve into critical thinking and analysis, collaborating and building relationships, and exploring cultures and identity.
Thinking
Students of Dance will:
- engage in embodied cognition where the intersections of knowing, doing and being are expressed through movement
- analyse and understand choreography and performance
- examine the whakapapa of dance in various contexts
- participate in processes of refinement, practice, and reflection
- structure and manipulate specific movements to communicate their meaning
- purposefully understand that dance communicates meaning.
Using language symbols and text
Students of Dance will:
- understand that dance knowledge and information can be represented in many ways, such as physically, verbally, and in writing
- use dance as an embodied language to interpret and communicate.
Relating to others
Students of Dance will:
- collaborate and communicate with other learners as they engage in dance processes
- gain a sense of community and belonging
- explore concepts such as fa'aaloalo, faka’apa’apa, aro’a, tautua, kuleana, and vā
- connect to the wider world by embracing the diversity of people, cultures, and contexts
- understand the roles of tuakana and teina in sharing, learning, and reciprocity
- use dance as a way to express identity.
Managing self
Students of Dance will:
- develop a sense of agency and autonomy
- be curious and creative while exploring movement
- develop self-discipline, adaptability, and openness to learning
- develop a personal movement vocabulary and discover how their body moves
- persevere when facing new and challenging experiences.
Participating and contributing
Students of Dance will:
- participate in group settings and understand that this can take many forms, such as leading, following, or observing
- share ideas and offer meaningful contributions, negotiate outcomes, and value the participation and ideas of others
- engage in processes to nurture whanaungatanga.
Key Competencies
This section of The New Zealand Curriculum Online offers specific guidance to school leaders and teachers on integrating the Key Competencies into the daily activities of the school and its Teaching and Learning Programmes.
Dance education provides meaningful contexts for developing Key Competencies from the New Zealand Curriculum. These Key Competencies are woven through, and embedded in, the Big Ideas and Significant Learning. For example, Big Ideas and Significant Learning may delve into critical thinking and analysis, collaborating and building relationships, and exploring cultures and identity.
Thinking
Students of Dance will:
- engage in embodied cognition where the intersections of knowing, doing and being are expressed through movement
- analyse and understand choreography and performance
- examine the whakapapa of dance in various contexts
- participate in processes of refinement, practice, and reflection
- structure and manipulate specific movements to communicate their meaning
- purposefully understand that dance communicates meaning.
Using language symbols and text
Students of Dance will:
- understand that dance knowledge and information can be represented in many ways, such as physically, verbally, and in writing
- use dance as an embodied language to interpret and communicate.
Relating to others
Students of Dance will:
- collaborate and communicate with other learners as they engage in dance processes
- gain a sense of community and belonging
- explore concepts such as fa'aaloalo, faka’apa’apa, aro’a, tautua, kuleana, and vā
- connect to the wider world by embracing the diversity of people, cultures, and contexts
- understand the roles of tuakana and teina in sharing, learning, and reciprocity
- use dance as a way to express identity.
Managing self
Students of Dance will:
- develop a sense of agency and autonomy
- be curious and creative while exploring movement
- develop self-discipline, adaptability, and openness to learning
- develop a personal movement vocabulary and discover how their body moves
- persevere when facing new and challenging experiences.
Participating and contributing
Students of Dance will:
- participate in group settings and understand that this can take many forms, such as leading, following, or observing
- share ideas and offer meaningful contributions, negotiate outcomes, and value the participation and ideas of others
- engage in processes to nurture whanaungatanga.
Key Competencies
This section of The New Zealand Curriculum Online offers specific guidance to school leaders and teachers on integrating the Key Competencies into the daily activities of the school and its Teaching and Learning Programmes.
Connections
Dance provides a framework to provoke deep thinking, discussion, and expression about culture, identity, and society. This in turn creates a bridge between Dance and other disciplines and contexts. For example, expressing viewpoints through Dance education can connect to community outreach, social action, history, religious studies, ethics, and media studies.
Dance provides a framework to provoke deep thinking, discussion, and expression about culture, identity, and society. This in turn creates a bridge between Dance and other disciplines and contexts. For example, expressing viewpoints through Dance education can connect to community outreach, social action, history, religious studies, ethics, and media studies.
Learning Pathway
Arts subjects are vehicles for making connections between the self, ideas, practises, communities, and the world.
In Dance, learners explore and acquire transferable knowledge, skills, and dispositions. This is a holistic process not limited to physicality and movement. These transferable attributes include:
- cognition and critical thinking
- working effectively individually and collaborating in teams
- creative and problem-solving abilities
- self-confidence
- resilience and perseverance
- recognising and respecting diverse worldviews
- valuing and respecting others’ skills, cultures, and contexts.
Arts subjects are vehicles for making connections between the self, ideas, practises, communities, and the world.
In Dance, learners explore and acquire transferable knowledge, skills, and dispositions. This is a holistic process not limited to physicality and movement. These transferable attributes include:
- cognition and critical thinking
- working effectively individually and collaborating in teams
- creative and problem-solving abilities
- self-confidence
- resilience and perseverance
- recognising and respecting diverse worldviews
- valuing and respecting others’ skills, cultures, and contexts.
Introduction to Sample Course Outlines
Sample Course Outlines are intended to help teachers and schools understand the new NCEA Learning Matrix and Achievement Standards. Examples of how a year-long Dance course could be constructed using the new Learning Matrix and Achievement Standards are provided here. They are indicative only and do not mandate any particular context or approach.
Sample Course Outlines are intended to help teachers and schools understand the new NCEA Learning Matrix and Achievement Standards. Examples of how a year-long Dance course could be constructed using the new Learning Matrix and Achievement Standards are provided here. They are indicative only and do not mandate any particular context or approach.
Assessment Matrix
Conditions of Assessment for internally assessed standards
These Conditions provide guidelines for assessment against internally assessed Achievement Standards. Guidance is provided on:
- specific requirements for all assessments against this Standard
- appropriate ways of, and conditions for, gathering evidence
- ensuring that evidence is authentic.
Assessors must be familiar with guidance on assessment practice in learning centres, including enforcing timeframes and deadlines. The NZQA website offers resources that would be useful to read in conjunction with these Conditions of Assessment.
The learning centre’s Assessment Policy and Conditions of Assessment must be consistent with NZQA’s Assessment Rules for Schools with Consent to Assess. This link includes guidance for managing internal moderation and the collection of evidence.
Gathering Evidence
Internal assessment provides considerable flexibility in the collection of evidence. Evidence can be collected in different ways to suit a range of teaching and learning styles, and a range of contexts of teaching and learning. Care needs to be taken to allow students opportunities to present their best evidence against the Standard that are free from unnecessary constraints.
It is recommended that the design of assessment reflects and reinforces the ways students have been learning. Collection of evidence for the internally assessed Standards could include, but is not restricted to, an extended task, an investigation, digital evidence (such as recorded interviews, blogs, photographs, or film), or a portfolio of evidence.
Effective assessment should suit the nature of the learning being assessed, provide opportunities to meet the diverse needs of all students, and be valid and fair.
Ensuring Authenticity of Evidence
Authenticity of student evidence needs to be assured regardless of the method of collecting evidence. This must be in line with the learning centre’s policy and NZQA’s Assessment Rules for Schools with Consent to Assess.
Ensure that the student’s evidence is individually identifiable and represents the student’s own work. This includes evidence submitted as part of a group assessment and evidence produced outside of class time or assessor supervision. For example, an investigation carried out over several sessions could include assessor observations, meeting with the student at a set milestone, or student’s use of a journal or photographic entries to record progress.
These Conditions provide guidelines for assessment against internally assessed Achievement Standards. Guidance is provided on:
- specific requirements for all assessments against this Standard
- appropriate ways of, and conditions for, gathering evidence
- ensuring that evidence is authentic.
Assessors must be familiar with guidance on assessment practice in learning centres, including enforcing timeframes and deadlines. The NZQA website offers resources that would be useful to read in conjunction with these Conditions of Assessment.
The learning centre’s Assessment Policy and Conditions of Assessment must be consistent with NZQA’s Assessment Rules for Schools with Consent to Assess. This link includes guidance for managing internal moderation and the collection of evidence.
Gathering Evidence
Internal assessment provides considerable flexibility in the collection of evidence. Evidence can be collected in different ways to suit a range of teaching and learning styles, and a range of contexts of teaching and learning. Care needs to be taken to allow students opportunities to present their best evidence against the Standard that are free from unnecessary constraints.
It is recommended that the design of assessment reflects and reinforces the ways students have been learning. Collection of evidence for the internally assessed Standards could include, but is not restricted to, an extended task, an investigation, digital evidence (such as recorded interviews, blogs, photographs, or film), or a portfolio of evidence.
Effective assessment should suit the nature of the learning being assessed, provide opportunities to meet the diverse needs of all students, and be valid and fair.
Ensuring Authenticity of Evidence
Authenticity of student evidence needs to be assured regardless of the method of collecting evidence. This must be in line with the learning centre’s policy and NZQA’s Assessment Rules for Schools with Consent to Assess.
Ensure that the student’s evidence is individually identifiable and represents the student’s own work. This includes evidence submitted as part of a group assessment and evidence produced outside of class time or assessor supervision. For example, an investigation carried out over several sessions could include assessor observations, meeting with the student at a set milestone, or student’s use of a journal or photographic entries to record progress.
Submissions should consist of a dance sequence, between 60–90 seconds in length, in response to a brief. The sequence may be for a solo, duo, or small group. The dance sequence may be accompanied by music, sound, or silence.
Collaborative choreography is allowed in this Standard. Each student needs to be able to show their individual contribution to the development process to ensure all Standard requirements are met. A student’s engagement in development and rehearsals must be verified by the assessor. Students may perform in their own compositions.
A Statement of Intention (around 50 words in either written or oral form) for the dance sequence must also be submitted. The Statement of Intention is not an assessed component but will support assessor judgement. This Statement should identify the brief used and the specific ideas conveyed in the sequence.
Students will be assessed during a live performance of the composed sequence. There is no requirement for an audience to be present during this assessment. A recording of the composed sequence is required to confirm assessor judgements and for moderation purposes. The recording will capture the student(s) in the space without camera movement.
The sequence may be presented and assessed at any time in the year. Students may compose more than one sequence before selecting the sequence to submit for assessment.
The focus of the assessment is the composition of the sequence, not its performance. However, the student needs to be aware that the judgement of their composition is assisted by the clarity and preciseness of its performance. That is, compositions are rehearsed pieces of work.
At the start of the assessment event, assessors need to approve the brief that students will work with.
Students may:
- work on the dance sequence both in and outside of class time
- work collaboratively to compose their dance sequence.
Submissions should consist of two dance sequences, each at least 45 seconds in length.
The dance sequences should include sufficient dance movements to allow learners to demonstrate ability at all levels of achievement. Sufficient dance movements will include a variety of changes of body parts, levels, directions, body bases, energy qualities, locomotor, and non-locomotor movements.
The dance sequences may be choreographed by the student, the assessor, or a guest choreographer, or may be a collaboration with students.
The focus for assessment against this Standard is on the performance of the individual. However, students can use a duet or group performance for this assessment.
The final grade will be based on the overall weight of evidence across two sequences.
A Statement of Intention (around 50 words in either written or oral form) for each dance sequence must also be submitted. The Statement of Intention is not an assessed component but will support assessor judgement and moderation. This Statement should identify the purpose of the sequence. The Statement may be submitted by the student (or group of students), the assessor, or a guest choreographer.
Students must be assessed live, but will be video recorded for moderation and authenticity purposes. The video recording will capture the student(s) in the space without camera movement. Students must be clearly identifiable in their performances. There is no requirement for an audience to be present during the performances.
The sequences may be presented and assessed at different times in the year, or at a single assessment presentation of all sequences.
Students may work on this assessment both in and outside of class time.