Drama and Dance
Drama is a valuable part of the curriculum, both as a tool for communicating and improving personal levels of confidence and as a way of allowing pupils to take a more active part in their learning. Drama benefits the personal, social and moral education of the students as well as giving them the chance to be creative.
Dramatic exploration can provide a challenge to perceptions and allow students, as someone else, to explore and experiment with various personal choices and solutions to problems faced by characters both in the real world and in that of fiction, all within a safe environment.
As part of the Performing Arts department at The Priory Academy LSST, both Drama and Dance allow students to not only express themselves in physical terms, but also to work together on collaborative projects. This teaches them the skills and benefits of negotiation and cooperation, as well as allowing them to express themselves physically and vocally. Few art forms can be said to be more truly collaborative. The curriculum allows students to develop the disciplines, skills and understanding required to create, rehearse, perform and thus communicate effectively.
Dance is a creative physical activity that links art and sport. It stretches both imagination and bodies, contributing to the health of students who take the subject. Among young people, it is the most popular physical activity after football. It is used in advertising, television, film and fashion to signify energy and aspiration.
As forms of communication, Dance and Drama allow students to communicate and understand others in new ways, but also provide training in practical aspects of communication. Students are less likely to have difficulty with public speaking and will learn to be persuasive in their communications, both written and oral.
Extra-curricular activities include devising and rehearsal sessions, where students use the studios to prepare ideas on their class work, or rehearse productions both in and out of school. Throughout the year, there are several clubs in both Dance and Drama, run for Key Stages 3 through to 5; pupils come either just to enjoy themselves with different aspects of Drama and performance, or to try out alternative work to the curriculum and to take part in the various productions throughout the year. The biggest of these include the Arts Extravaganza in the summer and the annual school musical. This is a whole-school production and we have been proud to involve pupils from all years in the recent, highly successful productions of Oliver, Joseph and the amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and The Threepenny Opera.
In addition to clubs, there are various trips and events outside of school. Both Drama and Dance have been represented around Lincolnshire in artistic events in places such as Lincoln Castle, the Epic Centre and London. Dance has enjoyed spectacular success by taking part in the national ‘Rock Challenge’, winning the regional event. Recent theatre visits have included trips to Sheffield, Leeds and London, as well as local venues around Lincoln. The Sixth Form have also taken part in a London residential trip, fitting in a variety of shows in three days.
The department consists of two studios and a newly furnished Dance and Movement studio. At Key Stage 3, students receive a one-hour lesson per week. At GCSE (AQA), 100% of our students gain a Grade C or above, with the majority achieving grades B - A*. At A2 level (AQA), the majority of students achieve a grade C or above.
"Tell me and I will forget.
Show me and I will remember.
Involve me and I will understand."
[Chinese Proverb]