Page 53 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: The Arts, 2010

OVERVIEW
In dance courses at the Grade 11 and 12 level, students continue to learn in, about, and through dance. The medium of expression is movement; the instrument is the human body. Dance education goes beyond the study of a repertoire of movements to offer an understanding of the principles and concepts that govern and define the art. Dance transforms images, ideas, and feelings into movement sequences through innovative choreographic insights. Learning in dance requires a balance of knowledge and skills, and a synergy between intellect, ability, and emotion. Engagement in dance can provide a context for understanding world issues and exploring a variety of cultures. The study and practice of composition provide students with the essential building blocks that support lifelong interest in, appreciation of, and curiosity about dance.
Students refine their kinesthetic awareness and use all of the elements of dance (body, space, time, energy, relationship) to create dance works that explore themes and express ideas and moods. Technique emphasizes the importance of physiological and safety factors while leading to a fuller use of the body and all its parts, stimulating creative and expressive abilities. Students use the elements of movement with increasing refinement, complexity, and variety. They also give attention to development of alignment, balance, correct breathing, flexibility, and strength in creating dance works and performing them safely.
The art of dance should be shared. Students develop performance skills through formal and informal presentations, helping them recognize and communicate both aesthetic and personal values. They learn about the dynamic relationship between process and product. Students also demonstrate an increased understanding of the role of dance in various cultures, societies, and historical periods. They refine their ability to evaluate the quality of performances by critiquing their own and others’ work.
The expectations for courses in dance are organized into three distinct but related strands:
1. Creating and Presenting: Students use the creative process (see pages 15–17) to create, re-create, and present dance composition in a variety of contexts. Creative work in dance involves the realization of exercises, explorations, experiments, dance works, and productions through the refinement of abilities, skills, and competencies. Students demonstrate increased autonomy and innovation in their practice as both choreographer and dancer. They develop personal metaphor and demonstrate their depth of under- standing of the creative process. They become increasingly familiar with the tools of stagecraft in dance presentations.
51
DANCE