NCEA Level 3 Dance case studies

NCEA Level 3 Dance · Put your knowledge to work in context.

NCEA Level 3 Dance is the third-year Dance subject within New Zealand's National Certificate of Educational Achievement, administered by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). It sits under The Arts learning area of the New Zealand Curriculum, and NZQA describes the subject's core as "learning to communicate through movement and interpret meaning from movement." It is intended for senior secondary learners who have progressed through Level 1 and Level 2 Dance and who want to deepen both their performance practice and their ability to analyse and create dance. The NCEA Level 3 Dance case studies are 5 cases and about 2,671 words.

Trio Choreography: Keeping the Lift or Developing the Idea?

At a Year 13 dance class, a student is choreographing a two-minute trio for three dancers for 91589. The intention is to explore 'pressure and release' through contact improvisation.

596 words, about 3 min 2

Solo Performance: Risky Ending or Reliable Musicality?

Three weeks before a Level 3 solo performance assessment, a student is preparing a two-minute thirty-second contemporary solo. The solo includes a repeated pirouette sequence that ends in a low balance.

515 words, about 3 min 3

Group Dance: Fixing the Canon Without Losing the Collective Voice

A group of five Level 3 students is preparing a four-minute group dance for 91591. The theme is 'collective voice'.

529 words, about 3 min 4

Contrasting Repertoire: Dropping the Weaker Dance or Persisting?

A student is preparing two contrasting dances for 91592: a lyrical contemporary piece and a hip-hop routine. The contemporary piece is secure and musically nuanced.

489 words, about 2 min 5

Analysing Influence: Description or Analysis?

A Level 3 student is preparing an analysis of the influence of a choreographer on their own choreographic practice. They attended a two-hour workshop with a visiting choreographer whose work blends kapa haka-derived footwork with contemporary release technique.

542 words, about 3 min