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. Also new is
the Performing and Visual Arts Magnet at Bates 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.
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.
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