World Dance Studies

The development of a comparative knowledge of several dance styles from more than one culture and/or tradition

Exploring dances, gaining both a physical and theoretical understanding

Individual investigation

The study of this part of the course requires that students, through dancing, classroom activity and individual investigation, develop:

• an appreciation of the diversity of dance practices throughout the world

• the ability to investigate dance cultures and/or traditions, both familiar and unfamiliar to the students

• a theoretical knowledge and practical experience of selected dances from two cultures and/or traditions

• the ability to describe the similarities and differences between the historical contexts of selected dance cultures and/or traditions

• the ability to analyse the similarities and differences between the historical and current social and cultural context within each selected dance culture and/or tradition

• the ability to identify and analyse dance elements in selected dance cultures and/or traditions in order to understand their similarities and differences

• the ability to use and cite appropriate sources (both primary and secondary)

• the ability to organize and present the written investigation coherently.

• at HL only, compare and contrast two short excerpts from two dances selected from two dance cultures and/or traditions