DancingtoDance Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 (edited) I was just wondering how useful is A level dance for a career in dance (or is it even useful at all)? What about dance teaching? And how useful is GCSE dance? Does this depend on the school you are at?How big is the jump from GCSE to A level dance, both practically and academically? Edited May 8, 2016 by DancingtoDance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilac Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 DD is doing AS dance, and intends to take A2 next year. If this isn't digressing, any opinions on how A level dance is regarded when applying for academic courses would be appreciated. If DD doesn't get in for dance college, wondering how she will fare with this as one of her 3 A levels. DD didn't have the opportunity to take GCSE so sadly can't comment on the gap between the two, I think she has found learning to do choreography the hardest part but don't know if doing GCSE would have helped with this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DancingtoDance Posted May 8, 2016 Author Share Posted May 8, 2016 (edited) Thank you Lilac, hope your DD does well. I was also wondering if it doesn't really help why do ballet/dance schools insist on students doing GCSE and BTEC or A level dance? I would also like to know is BTEC useful and the differences between BTEC and A level dance, and what to consider if you have to choose between the two. Edited May 8, 2016 by DancingtoDance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate_N Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 (edited) If this isn't digressing, any opinions on how A level dance is regarded when applying for academic courses would be appreciated. Depends what sort of university a pupil is aiming for. The Russell Group has this idea of "facilitating subjects" but you need to take it with a pinch of salt. If you offered two standard academic subjects such as English, History, a Modern Language _ French or German say, or Latin, Maths, Physics & the other sciences, Geography alongside a Dance A level, and if your results were high (A or A*) then I think you'd be fine for Humanities area degrees. It's Dance + Media Studies + Photography (to offer a very clichéd set of apparently "Mickey Mouse" subjects) that wouldn't wash for anything other than an Art Foundation or the like at a post-92 university where you only need BBB/C or so to get in. Having taught in 3 different national systems, I think it's a pity that the English/Welsh system requires specialisation so early. It means that you need a wide spread of GCSEs including science & humanities subjects, so that you have a wide choice of AS and A levels. Then I think you need to choose A Levels as a mix of what you enjoy (as you'll learn more long term if you enjoy it) and what you need to get you where you want to do. If you're lucky, what you enjoy and what you need completely overlap. Edited May 8, 2016 by Kate_N 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 DD is doing AS dance, and intends to take A2 next year. If this isn't digressing, any opinions on how A level dance is regarded when applying for academic courses would be appreciated. If DD doesn't get in for dance college, wondering how she will fare with this as one of her 3 A levels. DD didn't have the opportunity to take GCSE so sadly can't comment on the gap between the two, I think she has found learning to do choreography the hardest part but don't know if doing GCSE would have helped with this! I think it depends on what universities you are looking at and what courses but if it helps I got offers from some top Russel group universities (Durham, Bristol & Exeter) with alevel dance as one of my options. Also it depends on what your predictions are for all of your subjects and the offer for the subject you are applying to- you can email the universities she wants to apply for and ask specifically with her other subjects and they can let you know if they would give offers including alevel dance or not, that is what I had to do before my school let me drop my 4th AS level Hope that helped! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 Thank you Lilac, hope your DD does well. I was also wondering if it doesn't really help why do ballet/dance schools insist on students doing GCSE and BTEC or A level dance? I would also like to know is BTEC useful and the differences between BTEC and A level dance, and what to consider if you have to choose between the two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 Putting it bluntly it's because in a vocational school with a reduced academic timetable it's an easy GCSE to count as one of the 5 A-Cs Dds school has just abolished GCSE dance for the dancers which actually pleased most of them as many have chosen music & drama or triple science instead. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Putting it bluntly it's because in a vocational school with a reduced academic timetable it's an easy GCSE to count as one of the 5 A-Cs Dds school has just abolished GCSE dance for the dancers which actually pleased most of them as many have chosen music & drama or triple science instead. I shall tell this to my dd! she wanted to do GCSE dance but her school don't offer it AND they made her do triple science Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaybackSapphire Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Mnemo - As a school they can't force your DD to take triple science, how awful! They are under enough pressure as it is!! My DD was begged to take it but has chosen not to, taking double award instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akh Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Depends what sort of university a pupil is aiming for. The Russell Group has this idea of "facilitating subjects" but you need to take it with a pinch of salt. If you offered two standard academic subjects such as English, History, a Modern Language _ French or German say, or Latin, Maths, Physics & the other sciences, Geography alongside a Dance A level, and if your results were high (A or A*) then I think you'd be fine for Humanities area degrees. It's Dance + Media Studies + Photography (to offer a very clichéd set of apparently "Mickey Mouse" subjects) that wouldn't wash for anything other than an Art Foundation or the like at a post-92 university where you only need BBB/C or so to get in. Having taught in 3 different national systems, I think it's a pity that the English/Welsh system requires specialisation so early. It means that you need a wide spread of GCSEs including science & humanities subjects, so that you have a wide choice of AS and A levels. Then I think you need to choose A Levels as a mix of what you enjoy (as you'll learn more long term if you enjoy it) and what you need to get you where you want to do. If you're lucky, what you enjoy and what you need completely overlap. I know of a student who took A Level Dance, Geography and Psychology and had offers from 4 Russell group universities. I guess it depends on the individual student. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 That is bad. My dd wanted to do triple science but regardless of what set children are in they should be allowed to choose double or triple according to their interests. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 The problem with some schools swayback is that top set children automatically do triple & lower set double. So if you are high ability but choose double you will be in a class with lower ability students. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaybackSapphire Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 That's exactly what my daughter is doing, she chose double so has been moved sets. She was at the top of the top set so is now at the very top of the lower set which the teachers and DD are fine with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huddsballetmum Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 I believe from my dd's older friends that A level dance has quite a lot of academic work particularly regarding appreciate and interpretation of dance - I am assuming a more detailed and in depth version of the GCSE work. With regard to validity as a university subject I'm sure that it is dependent on the university, the degree and the individual. It is always best to check with a number of universities regarding their entry requirement for your chosen course as they can differ wildly. With regard to GCSE dance there is another thread on here where GCSE and the quality in schools has been widely debated. Not sure how to attach a link yet but I am sure that if you search the threads it will be available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Will she still be doing the higher paper? It's good your dd is in a school where they are able to differentiate. Some schools seem to be stuck in the mindset that all clever kids must be scientists. Then again that's maybe why our local school (which ds does not thankfully attend) is failing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 The op also asked about Btec. Again the quality varies considerably. In my area a couple of large local dance schools have teamed up with local companies pledges to offer Btec perf arts dance. They work well beyond the official spec & prepare kids for audition to college at 18. The Btec/college link in these cases are a way of providing funding & I would say it's just as good as doing a foundation course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaybackSapphire Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Pictures - yes she is. It's a "specialist science college". Agree, they all don't want to be dr's or scientists! ???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pas de chat Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 I'd be perfectly happy for my DD to do less GCSEs and have less pressure. For her to do the subjects she finds interesting so she can thrive and at the same time build her confidence and pride in herself which is such a huge life/work skill. Really wish she could have done GCSE dance as she would have secured a very good grade in it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Don't even get me into the subject of forcing kids to do ebacc subjects. One local school to me where I was considering sending ds has even got rid of GCSE music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meadowblythe Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 At my daughter's music vocational school the expectation is that all music specialists will take dual award to allow them time to practice. They have special set for them. In fact she is one of only two specialists to be sitting 11 GCSE's including the three sciences. She started with the view that if it was too much she could always drop down - but she is stubborn enough to have kept going. I suspect we will have the same debate at A level! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilac Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Yes DDs secondary school were into EBAC so really narrow options,Chen everything a creative child like her wanted to do all in one column. We had a huge dilemma between Music and Art! In the end she did music, purely as she believed it to be less time consuming than Art. Such a shame! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate_N Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 (edited) I hope you all joined the various protests against the philistine aspects of the eBacc. There were various petitions, pressure groups and so on, and a suggested letter to your MP. It's almost worse for Drama - Government policy now is that it's considered that studying plays in English Literature is sufficient study of Drama. No understanding of creating and making drama as a way of understanding it: imagine if the study of Music or Art was done only by listening to music or looking at paintings, rather than including making music or art works. And now it's no longer deemed necessary that the study of drama includes seeing live performances. Edited May 10, 2016 by Kate_N 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 That's appalling, Kate! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate_N Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Yes, it's a philistine government we have, for sure. They don't want to pay for the expert teachers for what they see as "extras." Fee-paying schools of course, can do what they like ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fiz Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 I'm glad my two have finished with formal education. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Yes the outlook for music is particularly grim. A good friend of ours reluctantly decamped to the independent sector after several years of redundancy threats hanging over him as head of music at a secondary school (he had 3 small children to think about).Its just seen as an easy target for budget cuts. My own d was fortunate enough to win a music scholarship to a school v strong in music otherwise I have no idea how we would have supported her training. Its not just about instrumental lessons but also performance opportunities with ensemble and orchestra, and support with music theory, composition etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lilac Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 It's encouraging to hear of students getting offers for 3 subjects including dance. With the halfway house she finds herself in with the current A level changes she can't face another year of Biology. She is thinking of taking Further Maths AS next year, or possibly an EPQ to top up the academic side. If she fails to get into dance college, and her academic side isn't strong enough, we will also consider a third year at sixth form to strengthen her position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 Inevitable dumb question from me: Do you think its possible to take Dance A level if you haven't done the GCSE? (assume that the applicant has 11 GCSEs in a range of subjects and Ballet to Adv 1, Modern to Intermediate standard). Just thinking about 6th Form option as dd does not want to remain at present school). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 Lots of schools don't offer GCSE dance so I would definatly have thought it possible. Back in the day I took a level theatre studies having moved from a school that didn't offer GCSE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebird22 Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 A few of the girls I teach haven't done GCSE dance but will be picking up A Level dance come September. The teacher of the A Level course knows the girls through the dance school and has said she is happy that they can dance to a high standard. She has said that she will need to spend a few days with them just giving them a quick run down of the GCSE syllabus as some components are expanded on in the A Level syllabus such as the choreographic devices etc I would imagine that varies from school to school depending upon their intake and their past experiences Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 Apparently a 'level 5' qualification in a dance genre (modern, ballet etc) is an acceptable entry qualification - Does anyone know what grade that equates to? I looked at a recent BBO certificate and Intermediate is an Ofqual level 3, so it surely can't mean that??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 Well A Level Dance is only Level 3!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 Level 5 is the level of one of the teaching diplomas! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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