Sharon Phelan 1

Leaving Leaving Certificate Certificate

AppliedAppliedDanceDance The Dance TaskThe Dance Task

Literacy through DanceLiteracy through Dance

Dance – An Interdisciplinary ApproachDance – An Interdisciplinary Approach

TeamworkTeamwork

Active Learning MethodologiesActive Learning Methodologies

Community LinksCommunity Links

Creativity: ImprovisationCreativity: Improvisation

Sharon Phelan

The Student TaskThe Student Task• Key Points to Remember

– Definition•The development of a product•The investigation of an issue•The provision of a service

– Integration• Originates in dance & integrates with at

least one other area

– Identifiable contribution from every student

Sharon Phelan

Task Ideas…Task Ideas…• Research the life of a Professional

Dancer• To create and perform a dance

piece- individually or as part of a group

• A questionnaire on the interest of students in dance, the different dance styles preferred etc

• To organise a ceili• To organise a professional dance

group to visit the school

Sharon Phelan

Ctd.Ctd.• Current Dance courses available in Ireland – a

brochure• To compare and contrast two different dance

performances using structured methods of appreciation

• A project on the folk dances of different countries• My favourite dance form-ballet, Jazz etc• To teach dance to a local Primary School Group• To create a piece using a special prop• A survey on local dance classes/facilities

Sharon Phelan 5

Leaving Leaving Certificate Certificate

AppliedApplied Key points to Key points to

rememberremember Literacy through DanceLiteracy through Dance

An Interdisciplinary ApproachAn Interdisciplinary Approach

Community LinksCommunity Links

TeamworkTeamwork

CreativityCreativity

Sharon Phelan

Literacy through DanceLiteracy through Dance• Encourage students to use basic dance

terminology [e.g. rhythm, set dance, space, waltz etc] when describing a piece

• Teaching methodologies, which encourage literacy– Survey– Questioning– Recall– Reading– Writing

Sharon Phelan

Ctd.Ctd.• Students can compliment oral/written

critiques of dances through demonstrating parts of the piece themselves

Sharon Phelan

Dance – An Interdisciplinary Dance – An Interdisciplinary ApproachApproach

• Integrating Dance with other areas of Leaving Certificate Applied– Vocational Preparation & Guidance– English & Communication– Mathematical Applications– Social Education– Technology– Gaeilge– Leisure & Recreation

Sharon Phelan

Ctd.Ctd.– Modern Language– Religious Education– Science– Sign Language– Arts Education: Drama, Music, Dance & Visual

Art – 2 modules– Vocational Specialisms

• Hair & Beauty, Childcare/Community Care, Active Leisure Care, Agriculture/ Horticulture…

Sharon Phelan

Ctd.Ctd.• The student can choose a stimulus from a

variety of starting points– story, poem, word, and song, custom …– visual, aural & verbal starting points– other art forms

– literature, visual art, music & sound, drama…

Sharon Phelan

Community LinksCommunity Links• Community Links 

– Visitors– Research

• Students can research Dance styles specific to their own locality

– Molyneaux

– Oral interviews with local dance specialists

Sharon Phelan

Ctd.Ctd.• Work Shadowing / Experience• Community Shows / Performances

– Encourage students to attend local dance shows and to provide oral / written reports of their evaluations

– Encourage students to perform for their own community

Sharon Phelan

    TeamworkTeamwork

• Students can criticise dance work in large and small group situations and through oral/written work

• Students can compose dance sequences in pairs and small groups

• Students can criticise each other’s work•E.g. Did Group A use similar or

different floor patterns than your group?

Sharon Phelan

ImprovisationImprovisation• Improvisation

– To prepare or provide offhand/ hastily– To compose [verse, music, etc] on the spur of

the moment– To convey concepts or ideas– To mimic actions

– Social gestures– Social chores

– To respond to a sound, a rhythm, an emotion

Sharon Phelan

Ctd.Ctd.• Types

– Random; jumping over a puddle, patting a dog– Reflexive; recoiling– Absent minded; doodling– Intentional; dance sequence, cooking

Sharon Phelan

Improvisation is dependent Improvisation is dependent on…on…

• ‘the relationship of the people in the group to the group as a whole. This relationship is derived from a diversity of tempos, rhythms and moods’

»[Schneer:1994;5]• A stimulus

Sharon Phelan

Types of StimuliTypes of Stimuli• Kinaesthetic

– A single piece if movement [a shape, phrase, gesture] becomes the kinaesthetic stimulus from which the movement piece is derived• ‘Using the word ‘Dodge’ create a variety of shapes

• Auditory– Music, percussion, sound, silence, words, songs

etc– Auditory stimuli may accompany & / or inspire

dance pieces 

Sharon Phelan

CtdCtd• Visual

– Movement is created from observation• Pictures, sculptures, artefacts• Visual stimuli can be a response from nature /

man made objects

•  Ideational– A specific idea, an unfolding story, poem…

• Tactile– The movements are inspired by touch

Sharon Phelan

Is improvisation dependent Is improvisation dependent on sound & music?on sound & music?

• Is the body an instrument in its own right?• Is moving to one’s own individual rhythms

expressive?