Dance Scholarship

This is a portfolio-based assessment that is submitted in Term 4 (usually at the beginning of the senior examination period). It is largely students’ independent work with guidance from the HOD Dance. Students who submit Scholarship Dance should be gaining Excellence in Level 3 choreography standards to be considered for submission. There are three aspects of the portfolio that are assessed including choreography, reflection on choreographic process and reflection on performance. All three aspects have equal weighting. The choreography and performance, and written and visual evidence must all have been produced in the year of the assessment. Evidence is submitted as TWO video files (performance and choreography) and one document file containing visual and written evidence.

Choreography and Performance Videos 

One file must be a complete dance work (2-5 minutes) entirely choreographed by the candidate. It may be a solo, duet or group dance and can be work that was created for Level 3 NCEA choreography. The other video must be one or more recordings of dance performed by the candidate (and could be class work from NCEA Level 3). The performance itself is not assessed, but provide context on the reflection of performance. Each performance should be recorded as one static camera long shot, front view, with minimal editing.

Written and Visual Evidence 

The written evidence must include reflections on:
• choreographic processes and products (conceptualising, producing, and evaluating choreographic decisions – e.g. selecting a stimulus, developing a choreographic intention, choosing relevant technologies, deciding on movements and the use of dance elements to communicate the intention, choosing an appropriate style or styles, and choosing a method to produce movement)
• performance processes and products (e.g. learning, practising, interpreting, refining movements, applying expressive qualities, and evaluating and working with aspects of technology that contribute to a performance).

 The written evidence and visual evidence should be presented as a document file with an introductory page, and a contents page listing headings and page numbers. It may include sketches, photographs, diagrams, etc. The document file should be limited to a maximum of 18 A4 pages, inclusive of introduction and contents pages (additional pages will not be assessed).