Performing Arts
Performing Arts Teaching Staff
- Mrs A Joy: Curriculum Leader
- Ms L Davis: Music Teacher
- Miss W Tweedle: Dance Teacher
- Miss H Jeffrey: Drama Teacher
Introduction
The Performing Arts team at Oak Academy ensure that the arts are inclusive for all students, with regular opportunities for acting, dancing and music as well as roles for those who prefer to be behind the scenes. At Oak Academy we thrive on helping students build confidence and express themselves creatively in a safe, friendly and supportive environment.
Throughout Key Stage 3, the Performing Arts are taught on a rotation basis. All students access one Performing Arts lesson each week of either Dance, Drama, or Music. These are changed each term so that all students study each subject for two terms of the academic year.
In addition to weekly lessons there are regular extra-curricular opportunities for Performing Arts at Oak Academy at lunchtimes, after school, and for Friday enrichment.
Dance
KS3 Curriculum
Year 7
Mission Impossible
This is a fun and exciting unit of work that introduces students to dance. In this unit they will learn different techniques in how to create and develop their own dance pieces based on the theme Mission Impossible. As well as creating their own dances, they will learn the appropriate performance skills which they will apply when performing their piece at the end of the unit.
Street Dance
In this unit students will get the chance to explore the popular style of dance, Street Dance. They will learn a short street dance phrase and then will apply all of the techniques and skills that they learnt in their first unit, Mission Impossible, to create and develop their own street dance performance.
Year 8
Ghost Dances
In year 8 students will learn about the famous practitioner, Christopher Bruce, and his 1981 piece of work, Ghost Dances. They will study his professional work and repertoire to create their own piece based on the style of contemporary dance.
Music Video
This unit of work gives the students the opportunity to experience what it is like to work in the dance a performance industry by creating their own music video. They will learn a short phrase of commercial dance and use this to develop their own piece for their very own video.
Year 9
Developing Contemporary Technique
In year 9 students will learn a technical study based upon release technique. They will focus on the two different performance skills such as physical and expressive to develop technically as dancers. This unit builds confidence and skills that are needed within industry. Students will not only develop technically but will develop their expressive skills so that they are able to communicate the choreographic intent behind a piece of work.
Developing Jazz Technique
In this unit students will explore Jazz dance and technique which will broaden their knowledge and understanding of different dance styles within the dance world. Focusing on performance skills again in this unit of work, will prepare students for the BTEC Tech Level 2 Award in Performing Arts (dance) in KS4.
KS4
BTEC TECH Level 2 Award in Performing Arts (Dance)
Component 1: Exploring the Performing Arts
By studying 3 professional works, students will:
- Explore performance styles
- Explore creative intentions and purposes
- Investigate how choreographers create their work
- Understand the choreographic processes involved
Component 2: Developing Skills and Techniques in the Performing Arts
Through classes and workshops students will:
- Develop their dance skills
- Reproduce existing professional repertoire
- Learn the development of dance techniques
- Apply these skills learnt through a live performance
Component 3: Responding to a brief
Students will build knowledge, skills and understanding that they have acquired and developed in components 1 and 2. Using these skills they will:
- Respond to a performance brief
- Work collaboratively as part of a group
- Create a workshop performance
- Be assessed through a live performance
Extra- Curricular Clubs – Learn a variety of styles including; Contemporary, Jazz, Street, Lyrical, Commercial, Body Conditioning and Technique for dancers
Oak Dance Company – Students get to experience what it is like to work in a professional dance company at industry level. Both the teacher and students collaborate together to create new and exciting pieces of work. These pieces are then performed outside of school for different events.
Drama
KS3 Curriculum
Year 7
The Missing – Introduction to Drama
Students have the opportunity to explore drama by solving a fictional case through practical work including hot-seating, freeze-frames, semiotics, thought-tracking and role play.
Pantomime
In the second unit of work students will have the chance to apply their new performance skills and create their own pantomimes. We will cover stock characters, characterisation and comedy.
Year 8
Slapstick
In year 8 students will have a go at creating their own performances in this comedy style which was largely influenced by the works of Charlie Chaplin and Laurel and Hardy. They will apply skills such as physical comedy and stage-fighting.
Craig and Bentley
In this unit students will have a go at re-enacting and creating performances based upon one of England’s most prolific criminal cases.
Year 9
Discrimination
Students will learn about how influential drama can be as we address current societal issues. Students will use their acting talents to engage and educate their audience through applying practical techniques to performance.
Monologues
Performing solo is the focus for this unit as
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
For this topic, students will read the hit play The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. Working with a set script will help to prepare pupils for studying Drama at KS4.
Student will also get the chance to develop key characters in the story and write a speech to perform. Offering fantastic opportunities to apply not only performance skills but also creative writing.
Year 10/11 GCSE Drama
On the AQA GCSE Drama course students complete 3 components. The first is a written exam which is taken in the Summer term of year 11 that consists of three main sections: Multiple choice, Set text focused questions and Live theatre review – in preparation for this students will go and visit a live piece of theatre in London.
The second component is devised performance where students will be given a range of stimuli in which they need to choose one and create a short performance based on it and alongside this students will complete a written drama log showing how they have developed their ideas, met their targets and an evaluation of the piece as a whole.
The final component is ‘Texts in Practice’ where the students study a play chosen by the teacher (recent texts being Blood Brothers, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and Noughts and Crosses) and rehearse and develop their theatrical skills in 2 contrasting extracts which are then watched and marked by an external examiner.
Throughout these two years students will develop their understanding of how Drama is created and also develop their skills and techniques to present onstage.
Music
KS3 Curriculum
Year 7
Elements of Music
Learn about the building blocks of music; Dynamics, Rhythm, Structure, Melody, Instruments, Texture, and Harmony. Learn how to adapt them to create and change music using your voice and musical instruments.
Keyboard Learn the notes on the keyboard, the scale of C major. Learn how to improvise a melody and read notation to play music that is written down. Work out how to play a piece using the notation. Compose a chord progression and melody in a pair.
Year 8
Rhythm and Pattern
Learn about how drumming music and rhythm is created through repeating patterns. Experience playing the West African djembe in a drum circle, learn about and try out a traditional rock drum kit, and program drum tracks using music technology.
Keyboards
Learn the notes on the keyboard, the scale of C major. Learn how to improvise a melody and read notation to play music that is written down. Work out how to play a piece using the notation. Compose a chord progression and melody in a pair.
Year 9
4-Chord Songs
Learn to play 4 chords on one or more instruments including keyboard, bass, guitar, or ukulele. Use your knowledge of chords, rhythm, melody, and the elements of music to select, prepare, rehearse, and perform a four-chord song within a small group.
MusicProduction & Songwriting Learn the basics of Live Looping using Garageband. Produce your own loops using MIDI and arrange them into a track. Learn how to edit the music and add effects. Create your own hip hop lyrics considering rhyme and rhythms. Using Music Technology produce beats and a bass line to layer your lyrics onto. Practice performing your lyrics in a variety of different lyrical styles.
KS4
BTEC Tech Award Music Practice Music Practice (2022) | BTEC Tech Awards | Pearson qualifications
Explore Musical Products and Styles
Learn about different genres and styles of music including the socio-economic context they appeared, the fashions they inspired, and how a message is communicated through music. Use your knowledge of Musical Elements, Lyrics, and music production to analyse music. Write, Perform and produce music of different genres.
Musical Skills Development
Spend time developing your instrumental skills on your chosen instrument. Attend instrumental lessons, set yourself goals and evidence your progress. Gain knowledge about how to maintain and fix your instrument. Assessed by producing a portfolio of your learning.
Live Music Performance
Plan, develop, rehearse and perform, and reflect on a set of music for a Live Performance. Develop your skills playing as a group as well as your individual live performance skills.
Learn an instrument at OAK Academy – 20-minute lessons once a week provided by Absolute Music. We currently have a piano teacher, guitar and bass guitar teacher, and a drum teacher.