School Dance for Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4

Written and compiled by Val Sabin

With many thanks to Jacob Grant for creating all the music for the dances and Darren Lee for the Warm-up music.

This is a most comprehensive and user-friendly manual for teachers of Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 dance. The 11 units of work contain 64 "phases" of learning and development (or session plans) that progress and develop 11 dances through 108 tracks of music set out on 11 CDs. The appendix also includes 44 accompanying photocopiable cards.

The introduction to the manual gives practical and definite guidance on manual structure and material; The skills and principles which comprise the language of dance; Patterns, phases, motifs and dance structure, and creating a well balanced and choreographed dance. There is also a complete section of the introduction devoted to warm-up and cool down, which includes 7 warm-ups to music and stretching cards.

Dances appropriate for Key Stages 3 and 4 are linked to National Curriculum requirements. Minimum expected standards are identified to aid the assessment process.

The medium term plan at the begining of each unit of work provides the Learning Objectives, Expected Learning Outcomes and Dance frameworks which clarify planning and focus learning.

To cater for the very different teaching styles or levels of experience of teachers delivering dance, the phases of learning are presented in varying degrees of detail, so teachers can choose the one they feel most comfortable with. This ranges from teachers following the detailed guidance as it is presented - right through to using the music and the type of movement suggested and creating their own interpretation.

There is a range of styles of music - which have been designed specifically for the dances. There are skateboard sounds, electronic sounds, rhythmical music, "big band"; ring tones, mixtures of dramatic music and sound effects, "theatre scenes", rap music and "changing moods" music as examples.

The dances are varied in style and include examples of reprasentative, symphonic, dramatic, lyrical, creative & artistic and dance by chance.