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Dance

Dance is enjoyed by Ballard pupils throughout the School, from Kindergarten to GCSE level. Our specialist Dance teacher delivers high-quality lessons that encompass the three main strands of Dance: performance, choreography, and appreciation.
At Ballard, we not only engage pupils as performers but also nurture them as choreographers and dancers who can critically analyse their work.

Dance fosters physical, creative, imaginative, emotional, and intellectual development. It also cultivates essential social skills. Dance offers opportunities for artistic and aesthetic education, allowing children to explore and express moods and ideas symbolically through movement. Pupils develop a range of technical skills and the ability to refine their performance. Through dance, they also gain social, cultural, and historical knowledge and understanding.

In addition to the curriculum, pupils can participate in a variety of dance clubs, which are open to all and focus on enjoyment and inclusion. These clubs celebrate a wide range of dance styles and cultural influences, including:

  • Traditional African Dance – exploring rhythm, storytelling, and cultural heritage through movement.
  • Hip Hop – focusing on street dance styles, freestyle, and expressive choreography.
  • Contemporary Dance – blending modern and classical techniques with an emphasis on fluidity and emotion.
  • Commercial Dance – inspired by music videos and pop culture, combining high-energy routines with performance flair.

We also have established Junior and Senior School Dance Companies for those wishing to further develop their contemporary dance skills and perform in various events within the School and the wider community. The Junior Company is open to Years 6–8, and the Senior Company to Years 9–11, by audition or invitation.

To enhance our dance provision, we have welcomed a number of acclaimed dance companies and hosted workshops with many of them in School. These include Rambert Dance Company, Richard Alston Dance Company, BalletBoyz, Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, English National Ballet, and Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Dance also plays a significant role in many School productions. Our Dance Scholars participate in the ‘Performing Arts Scholars Showcase’, and we run a whole-school dance production for pupils in Years 1–11, where everyone is encouraged to take part. Senior School Dance Scholars and Dance Leaders often support younger pupils in their clubs, providing inspiration and challenge through collaborative work and performance.

The School boasts a spacious, dedicated dance studio, equipped with full-length mirrors, ballet barres, and IT facilities to support teaching and learning.

Pre-Prep

Dance is timetabled in the Ballard Pre-Prep schedule each week. Pupils develop fundamental movement skills, become increasingly competent and confident and access a broad range of opportunities to extend their agility, balance and coordination, individually and with others. They have a lot of fun learning, creating and performing dances together.
All children participate in performances, including the annual Nativity, Summer Showcase and the through-school dance production for pupils in Years 1-11, where everyone is welcome to participate and perform. We get involved in World Book Day, which includes a dance down our catwalk for all our fabulously dressed pupils!

Lower Prep

Lower Prep pupils receive a course in dance from our specialist dance teacher in our well-equipped dance studio. They continue to apply and develop a broad range of skills, learning how to use them in different ways and to link them to make actions and sequences of movement. They enjoy communicating, collaborating and creating movement vocabulary with each other. Pupils develop an understanding of how to improve their performance and learn how to evaluate their work. They grow in confidence and recognise their own success.
In addition to the dance programme, Lower prep pupils also enjoy an ‘Expressive Arts’ programme, working across dance, drama and music to prepare a range of performances including an annual production. Recent opportunities have included a colourful production of ‘Finding Nemo’ and ‘The Lion King’ and a range of related workshops on a Mayflower Theatre Day.
We also run a through-school dance production for pupils in Years 1-11, where everyone is welcome to participate and perform. Dance scholars from the senior school often support our younger pupils in their dance club and the opportunity for these pupils to work and perform alongside older dancers provides both inspiration and challenge.

Upper Prep

All pupils receive three half-terms of dance teaching as part of their Drama and Dance Rotation. This continues to develop their skills and knowledge in performance, choreography and appreciation. Pupils work with each other around a theme and develop key skills such as; communication, teamwork, problem solving and self-improvement. Pupils develop self-confidence and self-esteem and an ability to respond creatively to challenges throughout the dance lessons. Explored styles include Contemporary Hip Hop, Breakdance, Musical Theatre, Capoeira, Parkour, Traditional African Dance and Jazz.
We also run a through-school dance production for pupils in Years 1-11 in alternate years, where everyone is welcome to participate and perform.
Our established  Junior Dance Company is open to those who wish to develop their Contemporary dance skills further, perform in a number of opportunities within school and the wider community throughout the year. This is open to Year 6-8 through audition or invitation.

Senior

Pupils in the Senior School have a wide range of opportunities available to them within the Dance department. Our Pre-GCSE Dance course is designed to prepare pupils by developing both practical and theoretical skills, focusing on enhancing technical and performance ability, building analytical and reflective thinking, developing leadership and teamwork skills, and deepening knowledge and understanding of the art of dance. This strong foundation enables pupils to plan, create, and perform with confidence and insight. It is this variety of opportunities that leads to great success in GCSE and beyond, with the School maintaining a 100% pass rate at GCSE Dance (A–C) for several years.
Our established Senior Dance Company, open to pupils in Years 9–11 by audition or invitation, offers those with a passion for dance the chance to further develop their skills and perform in a range of events both within the School and in the wider community. We also have a Junior Dance Company for pupils in Years 6–8, providing similar opportunities for younger dancers to grow, shine, and gain valuable performance experience.

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