Dance

Nature of the Subject

All dance is expressive movement with intent, purpose and structure, which communicates through the body and gestures of the dancer. Dance is a vital and integral part of human life. It exists over time in many forms and styles and is practised in all traditions and cultures, taking place in a range of contexts for various purposes. Dance functions as ritual, as artistic endeavour, as social discourse, as recreation and as education.

Dance is always evolving, as innovations develop alongside or from traditional forms and practices. Dance works may be seen as social and historical texts reflecting the cultures from which they emerge. Often these works may be considered as emerging texts that shape and determine the direction in which culture is moving.

Dance is a unique medium for learning about self and the world. It is one essential component of artistic, aesthetic and cultural education, and develops creative potential through physical expression. In dance, the integration of body, mind and spirit helps participants learn skills that are transferable to other disciplines and to their daily lives.

Consistent with the educational philosophy of the IB, the Diploma Programme dance curriculum aims for a holistic approach to dance, and embraces a variety of dance traditions and dance cultures—past, present and looking towards the future. Performance, creative and analytical skills are mutually developed and valued whether the students are writing papers or creating/performing dances. The curriculum provides students with a liberal arts orientation to dance. This orientation facilitates the development of students who may become choreographers, dance scholars, performers or those, more broadly, who seek life enrichment through dance.