Extra-curricular activities

Though all interested pupils need access to extra-curricular activities, smaller group numbers and extension work are likely to provide talented pupils with opportunities for individual development. Dance clubs can provide useful time and space. These can be modelled in different ways:

• Dance technique classes to foster technical and performance skills
• Workshops to develop choreographic skills
• Youth dance companies to integrate both aspects

A range of participants within the club is important in dance, encouraging the ability to:

• Adapt and share
• Develop ideas
• Respond sensitively to others
• Negotiate in a collaborative manner - which is likely to foster creativity, particularly within choreography and appreciation

Although solo skills will be significant for some, in the main, dance is a group activity. Talented individuals benefit from working with other dancers, musicians, lighting designers, costume designers, etc.

Working with professionals

Special projects can be introduced, such as professional dancers/choreographers in residence, for short intensive periods or long term. The latter may be more useful for high-level performance skills which need consistent and careful repetition over time. A residence can be used to benefit the whole cohort and provide more challenging, in-depth tasks with target groups (self selected or otherwise). For example, they could create a dance involving complex choreographic devices, use a wide variety of styles to challenge performance skills, provide opportunity for appreciation of different choreographic practices, or use unfamiliar dance-making techniques to develop new conceptual possibilities. The professionals need not always be dance orientated, for example, pupils could work with a lighting designer on the impact this has on choreography. These experiences invigorate the pupils' own work and lead into focused and in-depth appreciation. As with instrumental teaching in music, one-to-one coaching or small group tuition can also be relevant for dance. This may benefit talented performers who need higher-level skill acquisition.

Mentoring

Mentoring can play a useful role. A student choreographer can make work under the direction of a professional. Here tasks could be open-ended and perhaps pupil selected. The high-ability pupil will relish the challenge of setting his or her particular goals. The professional assists but encourages individualised active learning and self-reflection. Pupils also benefit from peer mentoring schemes, for example, older pupils might provide feedback for younger ones.

Theatre visits

Theatre visits provide opportunities for all pupils to make judgements about, and research into, different choreographic styles. Any tasks such as worksheets or writing reviews can be differentiated. For example, explaining the impact of a costume in relation to the meaning of the dance is more complex than merely describing it. Outside visits might involve performing in alternative spaces such as art galleries or shopping malls. These would provide greater performance challenges than typical end-on theatre spaces. They also present different choreographic challenges too because the site and its potential will have to be taken into account. Performance and choreography can be facilitated by linking with other groups via the Internet. For example, two institutions could work on one project: pupils might provide ideas/tasks for each other; share research materials; talk to each other via controlled chat rooms.