A level dance

[Guest]

I wonder if they really mean grade 5? (music GCSE only calls for grade 5 performance). I'm glad its not just me who thinks its peculiar

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Grade 5 in music or dance along with Inter F is a level 2 qualification the same as GCSE

 

Level 5 is like 2nd year degree level. Professional diplomas are level 5 or 6!

[mumof6]

my dd did gcse dance and is now doing a level dance, there is alot of written work but some practical aswell she said its not much difference to be fair gcse was pretty much the same it was the dance exam that was hard writing about techniques and foods that are good for dancers etc.i just watched her dance show and it was being recorded to be marked. she has been assured that along with drama and travel and tourism she will be able to get into uni, but she looking at doing a degree in dance at the same place my son goes as it has alot of practical there and alot better than the universities. 

[Lilac]

DD is at. A sixth form college where some students have done GCSE dance, and others including DD have not. The only requirement there was 5 GCSEs and some dance experience. Last year auditions (at a low level) were introduced to check their practical dance skills. I think this was probably to weed out some of those choosing it as an easy subject! DD hasn't really felt disadvantaged by her

lack of GCSE, I think a wide dance background more than compensates, perhaps she would have found choreographing her solo easier, bit it's nothing they can't overcome.

[anondancer_15]

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?

 

I've not read the whole thread so may be repeating what's already been said but just wanted to give my views on this as I've done GCSE Dance and currently doing A Level and I'm going to study Dance at university in September! 

 

I don't think A Level Dance is useful for a career in dance much at all although it does give you a form of training, as I had daily technique classes for quite some time during the course which has obviously improved my dancing and been a great addition to outside training as well. It's also a bit of an eye opener to a different side of dance as it's quite different from any other dancing I do outside of school in terms of choreography and understanding dance etc. GCSE Dance is the same, A Level progresses on quite nicely, I think it'd be quite difficult to do A Level having not done GCSE! However the jump academically is huge, A Level requires pretty good academic skills as the written exam contains 2 essays worth 40 marks each and is 50% of the overall grade, and the specification is changing so much that it's becoming more and more academic and less about actually being able to dance with good technique.

 

On a teaching front I'd say it's pretty useful particularly if you want to teach in schools! I don't know if other schools do this but I was able to do a Dance Leadership qualification alongside GCSE and a Teachers for Tomorrow programme in Dance this year which has got me a bit of a head start in the teaching world. 

 

I hope this helps!

[anondancer_15]

just to add, doing GCSE and A Level Dance didn't help me massively to even get my place to study dance at uni, like i'm fairly confident i could've got the place without it, and not many unis specify that you need to have done A Level, probably because so many schools don't offer it? though i'd say if you have the chance to and it's the industry you want to go into then its definitely worth it

[Clarkd3]

Hi my daughter is doing A level dance having not done GCSE dance but has a strong dance background outside of school! She is loving it but on a steep learning curve as it is all contemporary based! It's not an easy A level as it still has lots of written analysis and essays combined with technique and choreography and rehearsals! Lots of dance degrees like A level dance but on the UCAS point system it simply counts like another A level! My daughter has been offered a place doing primary ed for sept 2017 but has an audition soon for dance college in Preston so fingers crossed! Hope that helps x

[Jan McNulty]

Hello Clarkd3 and welome to the Forum!

 

Good luck to your DD.

[Mummy twinkle toes]

I did A level dance with no GCSE. It has anatomy and physiology in it and has been useful when I changed to nursing. I have been able to use this knowledge for teaching biosciences. It is a shame some regard it as 'Mickey Mouse'. When I studied it, it contained dance history, choreography, A &P, ballet, contemporary and Laban notation. It requires essay writing too-it is not just practical.

You can always clarify this on UCAS forms. I am an admissions tutor and would happily accept it.

 

It is useful if you want to study dance at degree and higher degree levels.

[Lilac]

Agree with the above. My DD is going on to do a dance degree and I think doing A level has definitely helped to prepare her. Without this she would have never done any dance theory or choreography which will be requirements next year. Also I think she's felt more involved at college than in her other subjects, she has represented them in a competition and a performance. Seems to be turning into a more academic subject involving essays which will be a challenge to her as she wasn't brilliant at English!

[hoglett]

Sorry to tag my question on the end here but I think there are some links. I wanted to know which was better GCSE Dance or Btec and if DD has the opportunity to do both  (at separate schools) is this advisable? Thanks

[sarahw]

My understanding is that BTEC is more technique orientated than GCSE.

 

I think the value of these courses depends on what your dc wants to do in the future and what dance they already do?

[Nicola H]

On 1/5/2017 at 06:40, Mummy twinkle toes said:

I did A level dance with no GCSE. It has anatomy and physiology in it and has been useful when I changed to nursing. I have been able to use this knowledge for teaching biosciences. It is a shame some regard it as 'Mickey Mouse'. When I studied it, it contained dance history, choreography, A &P, ballet, contemporary and Laban notation. It requires essay writing too-it is not just practical.

You can always clarify this on UCAS forms. I am an admissions tutor and would happily accept it.

 

It is useful if you want to study dance at degree and higher degree levels.

 much the same as those who deride  Geography as the lesser of the humanities  subjects   '  it's all colouring  in '  ... 

although it;s a complete tangent Nursing has stayed rather less prescriptive over subject choice at A level / level 3 , in part becasue there is less biochem and pharmacology  that   medicine / pharmacy / pharmacology / biomed  and   there isn;t t the need to grip physics in the way the  radiographers ( both  diag and  therapuetic )  do 

[Loulou]

My DD is doing BTEC dance as one of her GCSE options at school , she has just finished year 10. They were then offered at the start of year 10 the chance to do GCSE dance after school in 12 months before the syllabus changed. To give some background, her main interest/ focus is Ballet she does minimal contemporary out of school because she knows she needs to rather than choice. She took Adv1 and grade 8 RAD Ballet in March and is hoping to go to Ballet vocational school in sept 2018,

She by far preferred the GCSE syllabus, which was 80% practical , this may of course now change and she has just been awarded an A. By choice she would not do the BTEC as she really is not enjoying it and she gets frustrated that in her opinion the amount she writes in her folder is more important than the quality, this may of course be her teacher. She is also frustrated that only of 3 of the 7 of them on the course have any real dance background. So it is a combination of factors including different teachers as to which she prefers. However dance wise she also much preferred the GCSE apart from the set dance , which she really didn't like.

 

She has not done either thinking they will help her get into a vocational school and if did not get a place and went to 6th form instead I doubt she would do alevel or  higher BTEC. 

HTH

 

jo 

Edited August 28, 2017 by Loulou

[Nicola H]

On 1/5/2017 at 12:06, Lilac said:

Agree with the above. My DD is going on to do a dance degree and I think doing A level has definitely helped to prepare her. Without this she would have never done any dance theory or choreography which will be requirements next year. Also I think she's felt more involved at college than in her other subjects, she has represented them in a competition and a performance. Seems to be turning into a more academic subject involving essays which will be a challenge to her as she wasn't brilliant at English!

 

 like many of the  comments slagging of 'mickey mouse' subjects , it just deomnstrates the commentator's ignorance when they have a go at subjects such as dance  ...  like  the idiots who turn  a mis read  read of one  module description  into a  'Degree in David Beckham Studies'  or  seem to think  that a research interest or  PhD supervision area of an acdemic means there is a bachelors  degree in it  (  classic one for that  is 'Queer  musiciology' )

 

[Guest]

On ‎11‎/‎05‎/‎2016 at 11:27, mnemo said:

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).

An update to my post from last year . Next week dd will be starting a BA in classical ballet, so she certainly got her way about not staying at school.

[Lilac]

DD achieved A* for her A level dance, having not had the chance to take GCSE so definitely possible to start at that level. 

[Clarkd3]

My DD has just obtained an A* in A level dance not having done GCSE dance but a background of intermediate level dance outside of school, modern was particularly helpful! She went on to get 5 offers from good universities but actually starts at dance college this week instead! Think the chemistry teacher was most put out! 😂 

As long as the students aren't applying for medicine or the like, write a good personal statement and have good predicted grades I think A level dance is as good a choice as any!

[balletbean]

On 8/28/2017 at 17:48, Loulou said:

My DD is doing BTEC dance as one of her GCSE options at school , she has just finished year 10. They were then offered at the start of year 10 the chance to do GCSE dance after school in 12 months before the syllabus changed. To give some background, her main interest/ focus is Ballet she does minimal contemporary out of school because she knows she needs to rather than choice. She took Adv1 and grade 8 RAD Ballet in March and is hoping to go to Ballet vocational school in sept 2018,

She by far preferred the GCSE syllabus, which was 80% practical , this may of course now change and she has just been awarded an A. By choice she would not do the BTEC as she really is not enjoying it and she gets frustrated that in her opinion the amount she writes in her folder is more important than the quality, this may of course be her teacher. She is also frustrated that only of 3 of the 7 of them on the course have any real dance background. So it is a combination of factors including different teachers as to which she prefers. However dance wise she also much preferred the GCSE apart from the set dance , which she really didn't like.

 

She has not done either thinking they will help her get into a vocational school and if did not get a place and went to 6th form instead I doubt she would do alevel or  higher BTEC. 

HTH

 

jo 

My DD has also just started Yr11 at her academic school. They chose their GCSE options at the end of yr 8, starting in yr9. Dance was on on the curriculum at the time.  

 

Students of the same year group at other schools, who selected their GCSE options a year later were offered GCSE Dance, much to my DD's annoyance at the time. However, it now transpires that those pupils who pursue dancing outside school are more qualified in Dance than the actual GCSE teacher and didn't find the syllabus challenging enough . It has now been dropped as an option.  probably to save the teachers reputation. 

 

 

[Nicola H]

1 hour ago, balletbean said:

My DD has also just started Yr11 at her academic school. They chose their GCSE options at the end of yr 8, starting in yr9. Dance was on on the curriculum at the time.  

 

Students of the same year group at other schools, who selected their GCSE options a year later were offered GCSE Dance, much to my DD's annoyance at the time. However, it now transpires that those pupils who pursue dancing outside school are more qualified in Dance than the actual GCSE teacher and didn't find the syllabus challenging enough . It has now been dropped as an option.  probably to save the teachers reputation. 

 

 

seems to be an issue  in terms of luck of the draw   whether a  'normal' school  will have  a decent teacher of Dance as a curriculum subject  rather than it be someone that is taught with  varying  levels of  competence  by  (girls)PE teacher / drama  teachers  etc .   Also  how many  teachers of  other subjects are in fact  better qualified in dance than  the teacher teaching in in the school  , ( by  virtue of havign higher grades / vocational awards  and/or continuning to dance  recreationally  ??? )

[balletbean]

The feedback from those girls that were Intermediate/Advanced level in Ballet/Modern/Tap didn't find the GCSE challenging or new at all. They preferred to focus attention on other subjects and leave dance to their Studio/School. But that was feedback from just one school. When it comes to academic school drama/musical productions the teachers have now learnt to leave the choreography to the upper senior girls themselves. Which they have totally embraced and taken it all to a whole new level. Much to the surprise of the drama dept.  I would be interested to know who the creators of GCSE Dance consulted before setting the syllabus. Brand new subject will always be challenging for well established qualified teachers in other subjects to undertake.  

[Nicola H]

2 hours ago, balletbean said:

The feedback from those girls that were Intermediate/Advanced level in Ballet/Modern/Tap didn't find the GCSE challenging or new at all. They preferred to focus attention on other subjects and leave dance to their Studio/School. But that was feedback from just one school. When it comes to academic school drama/musical productions the teachers have now learnt to leave the choreography to the upper senior girls themselves. Which they have totally embraced and taken it all to a whole new level. Much to the surprise of the drama dept.  I would be interested to know who the creators of GCSE Dance consulted before setting the syllabus. Brand new subject will always be challenging for well established qualified teachers in other subjects to undertake.  

I think the problem with GCSE Dance  , is that many of the  YP  likely to  take it are all ready working at  or above NQF/QCF  level 2   -  those studyign towards Intermediate or advanced are  studying at NQF/QCF3  (  which is A level) 

I'd also be interested to know how many  state schools even those who claim to be  performing arts specialist  schools  have  teachers who the CDET accredited  awarding bodies would  allow to  deliver their qualifications ?  and how many  of the  teachers teaching dance in state schools are  PE  teachers without a  dance teacher qualification. 

Interestingly,  and i think fuelled by the need for  2  adults poolside  in school sessions  many schools with their own swimming pools  employ an swimming  teacher  who is not QTS   on  the 'unqualified teacher'  pay scale  ... 

Edited September 6, 2017 by mph