1. Leaving Certificate AppliedDance The Dance Task Literacy through Dance Dance – An Interdisciplinary Approach Teamwork Active Learning Methodologies Community Links Creativity: Improvisation Sharon Phelan

2. The 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

3. 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

4. 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 Certificate AppliedKey points to remember Literacy through Dance An Interdisciplinary Approach Community Links Teamwork Creativity Sharon Phelan

6. Literacy 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

7. Ctd. • Students can compliment oral/written critiques of dances through demonstrating parts of the piece themselves Sharon Phelan

8. Dance – An Interdisciplinary Approach • Integrating Dance with other areas of Leaving Certificate Applied • Vocational Preparation & Guidance • English & Communication • Mathematical Applications • Social Education • Technology • Gaeilge • Leisure & Recreation Sharon Phelan

9. 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

10. 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

11. Community Links • Community Links • Visitors • Research • Students can research Dance styles specific to their own locality • Molyneaux • Oral interviews with local dance specialists Sharon Phelan

12. 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

13.   Teamwork • 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

14. Improvisation • 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

15. Ctd. • Types • Random; jumping over a puddle, patting a dog • Reflexive; recoiling • Absent minded; doodling • Intentional; dance sequence, cooking Sharon Phelan

16. Improvisation is dependent 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

17. Types 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

18. Ctd • 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

19. Is improvisation dependent on sound & music? • Is the body an instrument in its own right? • Is moving to one’s own individual rhythms expressive? Sharon Phelan