Anne Arundel County Public Schools

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AACPS Home>> Instruction/Curriculum>> Dance

AACPS Fine Arts Dance Program

Elementary school students receive dance instruction as part of the Physical Education Curriculum.  The curriculum includes skills in the Basic Movement Unit and rhythmic experiences to allow students to express thoughts, feeling, and ideas through movement.  Students participate in partner and group dances, create their own dances, and experience historical and cultural dance forms.  Students also participate in theme and prop dances.

To see a presentation about the AACPS Dance Program, please click here.

Middle school students receive dance instruction as part of the Physical Education Curriculum.  In grade 6, students experience an Improvisation unit.  In grade 7, students experience Dance for Athletes.  In grade 8, students experience Jazz Dance.  Each of the units includes a creative group project, performance, and assessment by self, peers, and instructor.  New for 2009-2010 are year-long elective Fine Arts dance classes.  The curriculum includes ballet, modern, jazz, tap, choreography, production, dance history, aesthetic criticism, dance careers, and dancer health.  Students in dance classes will perform in a spring concert, and selected students will perform in the AACPS Dance Festivals.  These dance courses prepare the middle school dancer for high school dance courses and for the high school Dance Company.  Middle school students also are enrolled in the Performing and Visual Arts Magnets at Bates Middle School and at Brooklyn Park Middle School. The PVA program is by audition.

Elementary and middle school students have the opportunity to perform in the Anne Arundel County Public Schools Dance Festivals if their school participates.  There is a Dance Company Director position available for the purpose of sponsoring an after-school dance performance group and taking the group to the Dance Festivals.  Guest choreographers are available for schools as requested.  See the Dance Calendar and Dance Festival links for information and dates.

High school students may take academic courses in Dance I-IV, Dance for Athletes I-IV and Dance Company I-IV.  Dance Company class is by audition.  There is no pre-requisite for other dance courses.  Dance Company rehearses after school in addition to taking company class during the academic day.  The high school curriculum includes ballet, modern, jazz, tap and other dance forms.  Dance history, performance, critique and many other aspects of dance are included as well.  Dance classes and Dance Company present a concert each semester.  These concerts are open to the public.  New for 2012-2013 is the high school Performing and Visual Arts Magnet. The Dance PVA will be at Annapolis High School. The PVA program is by audition. 

High School dance companies audition for the Maryland High School Dance Showcase and the Regional or National High School Dance Festivals (see www.nhsdf.org). Other opportunities for Dance Company students may include travel to a variety of dance festivals, master classes locally and in New York, and professional dance performances.  Dance Company students also perform at community events, provide outreach and perform for feeder schools, and perform in other school events.

The Anne Arundel County Dance Ensemble is another opportunity for Dance Company students.  Students who are members of their high school Dance Company may audition for Ensemble.  Ensemble performs throughout the county all year.