Dance at Blue Coat School gives the students the opportunity to build on their creative and artistic talents.

In Years 7, 8 and 9 there is a weekly Dance club run on a Tuesday by A Level, GCSE dance students and Miss Jones. These pupils regularly attend Dance festivals to showcase their work to other schools.

From September 2009, Year 9 students will commence their GCSE Dance Training. The specification is new from September, 80% practical and 20% theory is set out as follows:

Unit 1 – Critical Appreciation of Dance – written paper 20%
Unit 2 – Set dance - Solo Performance – 20%
Unit 3 – Performance in duo/group dance – 20%
Unit 4 – Choreography
             Solo composition – 15%
               Solo/Duo/Group  - 25%

Year 10 and 11 students will be following the same specification.

Year 12 and 13 students follow the AS/A2 course which is broken down as follows:

Unit 1 – Understanding Dance – written paper – 40% of AS (20% of A2)
Unit 2 – Choreography and Performance - 60% of AS (30% of A2)
         Solo Choreography and Performance – 60 marks
         Performance in Duo /Trio – 30 marks
Unit 3 – Dance Appreciation – written paper – 25% of A level.
Unit 4 – Group Choreography (45 marks) and Solo Performance (30 marks) 25%
              of A level

Whilst studying this subject students have the opportunity to take part in workshops with professional choreographers. They also have theatre trips to see professional works; all of these events are linked to the specification they are following.

We encourage students to participate in dance outside of the school curriculum, to further develop their physical, technical and performance skills.

Students have also performed in school productions, at the Cathedral and during performance evenings.

Past pupils have gone on to study dance further at University. We have students at the following Universities, Coventry, Edgehill, Cheshire and London Contemporary.