What are the six anthology set works and how do you study them?
The six professional works in the GCSE Dance anthology (Artificial Things, A Linha Curva, Within Her Eyes, Emancipation of Expressionism, Shadows, Infra), their choreographers, dancers and key facts, and how to study them for the written exam.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Dance Component 2, introducing the six professional anthology works (Artificial Things, A Linha Curva, Within Her Eyes, Emancipation of Expressionism, Shadows, Infra), their choreographers and key facts, and how to study them for the written exam.
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What this dot point is asking
AQA GCSE Dance (8236) is assessed by two components: Component 1 is the practical performance and choreography (60 percent), and Component 2 is a 1 hour 30 minute written exam worth 40 percent of the qualification (80 marks). The written paper is built around the anthology of professional works: six set dances you study from the AQA anthology DVD and resource pack. This dot point asks you to know those six works as a foundation, their titles, choreographers, companies, dancers and key facts, before you analyse intent, movement and staging in the other dot points.
The six set works
These six works are chosen to cover a deliberately wide range of styles, so that you can compare different choreographic approaches in evaluation questions. They span hip hop (Emancipation of Expressionism), Brazilian-influenced contemporary (A Linha Curva), contemporary ballet (Infra), screen-based contemporary dance (Within Her Eyes), inclusive contemporary dance with disabled and non-disabled dancers (Artificial Things), and narrative-driven Rambert contemporary (Shadows). Knowing each work's place in that spread makes comparison questions much easier.
A quick fact file for each helps. Artificial Things sets four dancers (two wheelchair users) in a snow-globe domestic world, designed by Anna Jones with music by Pete Letanka. A Linha Curva uses 28 dancers, a grid of light, live percussion by Percossa and a Brazilian carnival energy. Within Her Eyes is a dance film, an adaptation of a stage duet, with music by Seymour Milton exploring love that defies gravity. Emancipation of Expressionism uses a male ensemble and a Boy Blue hip hop vocabulary set to a Michael "Mikey J" Asante score. Shadows places a family of four around a single table, danced to Arvo Part's spare music. Infra sets six couples beneath Julian Opie's LED frieze of walking figures, scored by Max Richter.
How to study a set work
For each work, build a layered fact file. Layer one is the facts: who made it, when, for which company, with which designer and composer. Layer two is the intent: what the choreographer wanted the audience to feel or understand. Layer three is the features: movement (action, dynamics, space, relationships) and production (set, costume, lighting, aural setting). The other dot points in this module unpack each layer in detail; this dot point is the spine that holds them together.
A useful study habit is to watch each work several times with a different focus each viewing. First viewing, follow the story or feeling. Second viewing, watch only the movement and dynamics. Third viewing, watch only the staging and sound. By separating the layers you build the precise vocabulary the markscheme rewards.
Why facts come first
Accurate facts are the foundation for every longer answer, because the written paper awards marks under assessment objective AO3 (critically appreciate and evaluate dance) for analysis that is anchored in real detail. You cannot make a justified judgement about how Wayne McGregor uses Julian Opie's LED screen in Infra unless you can name the work, its designer and its intent. Examiner reports consistently note that candidates who confuse works or choreographers lose marks they could easily secure, while those with secure facts build longer answers quickly.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 20183 marksName three works from the GCSE Dance anthology and state the choreographer of each.Show worked answer →
This is a recall task that opens many Component 2 papers (Section A), worth one mark per accurate title and choreographer pairing.
Safe pairings to give: Artificial Things (Lucy Bennett), A Linha Curva (Itzik Galili), Within Her Eyes (James Cousins), Emancipation of Expressionism (Kenrick "H" Sandy), Shadows (Christopher Bruce) and Infra (Wayne McGregor).
Markers reward an exact title with the correct choreographer. A title with the wrong choreographer scores nothing, so learn them as fixed pairs.
AQA 20194 marksOutline two key facts about one anthology work, then explain why knowing accurate facts helps you answer longer questions about that work.Show worked answer →
Two marks reward accurate facts (for example, Infra was choreographed by Wayne McGregor for The Royal Ballet in 2008, with a score by Max Richter and an LED design by Julian Opie). Two marks reward the explanation.
For the explanation, examiners want the point that facts anchor analysis: you cannot evaluate how McGregor uses the Opie LED screen to suggest a city crowd unless you can name the work, its designer and its intent. Facts are the foundation for the AO3 critical appreciation marks.
Markers reward precise, correct facts plus a clear link between knowing facts and building longer evaluative answers.
Related dot points
- Choreographic intent and context of the anthology works: the meaning each choreographer aimed to communicate, the stimulus and themes, and the choreographic approach and background of each set work.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Dance Component 2, covering the choreographic intent, themes, stimulus and context of the six anthology set works, and how knowing the intent supports interpretation in the written exam.
- Movement and physical features of the anthology works: the action, dynamic, spatial and relationship content and the dance style and physical skills used by the dancers in each set work.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Dance Component 2, covering the movement features (action, dynamic, spatial and relationship content) and the dance styles and physical skills used by the dancers in the six anthology set works.
- Staging and aural setting of the anthology works: the set, props, costume, lighting and performance environment, and the aural setting (music, song, found sound, silence) of each set work and how they support the intent.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Dance Component 2, covering the staging features (set, props, costume, lighting, performance environment) and aural settings of the six anthology set works and how they support each work's intent.
- Evaluating professional works: discussing choreographic intent, movement and production features of the set works in the anthology, making interpretations and justified judgements supported by evidence.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Dance Component 2 appreciation, covering how to evaluate professional set works by discussing choreographic intent, movement and production features, and making justified interpretations supported by evidence in the written exam.
- Analysing and interpreting dance: identifying and describing movement components (action, dynamic, spatial, relationship) and production features, and interpreting how they communicate meaning and choreographic intent.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Dance Component 2 appreciation, covering how to analyse the movement components (action, dynamic, spatial, relationship) and production features of a dance, and how to interpret what they communicate.
Sources & how we know this
- AQA GCSE Dance (8236) specification — AQA (2016)
- AQA GCSE Dance anthology of professional works DVD and resources — AQA (2016)