The Perspective of Dance

Today was the official launch of Dance within the Prep School Curriculum at Wellington.

Dance has been running as a Co-Curricular Activity within the Senior School since August last year with the aim to embed it within the Prep School as the College grew. The launch was marked with a spectacular dance performance in the Theatre which emphasized the importance of the subject within the curriculum.

“The rhythms of dance lies deep in the human psyche and learning to understand dance should be important for boys as well as girls. It is an artform that achieves personal expression and liberty through great discipline – and it’s healthy exercise”. Sir Anthony Seldon - 13th Master of Wellington College in the UK

Through the study of dance pupils gain unique knowledge in a number of ways and develop skills that are valuable for achievement in other areas of their education and broader lives. Dance is very much an art, and pupils studying dance will not only gain physical and creative skills but will fine tune an array of traits which will find their way into many successful interactions throughout life.

Dancers develop meaningful ways to analyse human relationships and physical environments, this sense of awareness goes beyond a dance floor and can be useful anywhere from a meeting room to crossing a busy street. Studying dance also provides a unique approach to critical thinking; by examining the reasons for dancers’ actions and the intent of choreographers, as well as analysing individual responses to lessons and performances, pupils receive a deeper insight into the body language of those around them, and what it means.

Learn to contextualize dance in culture and history by exploring how a dance relates to the time and place of its origins is a very different perspective in which to view history, offering a detailed and distinct understanding of various periods in history.

The human body learnt to move before it could speak and before it could paint. From that moment we have danced, all of our lives. We dance when we’re jubilant; from the most extravagant of choreographed dances to our own personal ‘victory dance’.

We spend our entire lives talking, communicating in the most vocal way we can in a bid to be understood, when really our bodies do most of the speaking for us, so why not train it to speak more eloquently by dancing?!

‘Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance. Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion’ – Martha Graham

Our aim is that everyone will engage in Dance within the College, whether that is through expertly developed classes, exciting and skilful performances, ground-breaking choreography, or appreciation of professional demonstration.

Chloe Spencer teachers Performing Arts at Wellington College. Chloe gained her BA (Hons) from Queen Mary’s University of London and her Post Graduate Certificate in Education through Lancaster University. She has been an NQT mentor and has a passion for the development of teaching styles. Born and raised in the UK, she has also lived in Mexico and the United States. Chloe is a firm believer of holistic education, and beyond teaching, she has directed a successful production at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.