Dance
Explore how Zhenghua Primary School's Dance Arts Education programme builds cultural awareness. Students learn dance fundamentals, create routines, and may develop as DArE Ambassadors across six years.
Dance
The Dance Arts Education (DArE) @ Zhenghua Primary School is a customised programme, where students are given exposure to dance education during formal curriculum. It is specially conceptualized and designed to develop students into ‘culturally vibrant’ citizens.
DArE has a strong National Education element, where students are exposed to dances of the three main ethnic groups in Singapore and other international dances. Such exposure encourages students to develop an awareness and appreciation of different cultures as well as to embrace diversity.
Students are taught fundamentals of dance movements and the ways to create movements in accordance with music. They are also required to choreograph their dance routines.
DArE Curriculum
Every student will go through a total of 40 hours of dance education in his or her six years in school. It is a broad-based programme that provides students with the basic exposure to dance.
DArE Curriculum
Level | Dance |
|---|---|
P1 (Foundation year) | Creative Movement |
P2 Theme: Chinese Culture | Chinese Dance (Chinese and Mongolian Dance) |
P3 Theme: Malay Culture | Malay Dance (Zapin and Joget) |
P4 Theme: Indian Culture | Indian Dance (Ethnic Fusion) |
P5 Theme: Polynesian Culture | Hakka Dance |
P6 Theme: International Culture | International Dance |
Students are exposed to different forms of dance throughout their six years of education in school.
Having equipped with the skills by the end of the programme, students should display confidence and be able to demonstrate simple choreography.
Dance Talent Identification & Development Programme
Talent identification starts at Primary 1 where students who display an innate talent for dance are identified during Creative Movement. At Primary 2, selected students go through an enrichment programme where a core group of dance talents. Known as the DArE Ambassadors, students go through a one-year training programme to give them maximum exposure and experience in dance.
Primary 2 students undergoing the one-year programme as DArE Ambassadors
At the end of Primary 2, the DArE Ambassadors will nurture and groom their skills and talents further through one of the three ethnic dance Co-Curricular Activity (CCA) - Chinese, Malay or Indian Dance CCA.
Their portfolios are built during their development process and are enhanced through certification processes and participation at national competitions. These processes are put in place to assist students to apply to their desired secondary schools under Direct School Admission (Dance).
The table below summarises the talent development process.
Dance talent identification and development process by level
Level | Process | Description |
|---|---|---|
P1 | Talent Identification | Selection of DArE Ambassadors from DArE broad-based programme through assessment |
P2 | Talent Development | DArE Ambassadors will be given extra practices to develop their skills. They will be given the opportunity to showcase their talents at various platforms. |
P3 – P6 | Talent Development | Students go through the fundamentals in the ethnic dances. Dancers will be presented with opportunities to perform at school or national, external organisation events. |
Dance talent development process in Zhenghua Primary School.