Years 3 to 4 The Arts ASARTDANY34

Years 3 to 4 Dance Achievement Standard

5 statements aligned to content descriptors and elaborations

Achievement standard (as ACARA publishes it)

Achievement standard

Click any sentence to jump to its statement and linked content descriptors.

By the end of Year 4, students describe use of the elements of dance in dance they experience, create and/or perform. They describe where, why and/or how dance is choreographed and/or performed across cultures, times, places and/or other contexts.

Students use the elements of dance to structure dance sequences that communicate ideas, perspectives and/or meaning. They demonstrate fundamental movement skills and safe dance practice. They perform their dance in informal settings.

The 5 achievement standard statements

Open a statement to see the content descriptors ACARA links to it, then open a descriptor's elaborations.

Achievement standardASARTDAN3401Creating and makingDeveloping practices and skillsExploring and responding3 content descriptors · 13 elaborations

By the end of Year 4, students describe use of the elements of dance in dance they experience, create and/or perform.

Content descriptorAC9ADA4C01 Creating and making

use the elements of dance to choreograph dance that communicates ideas, perspectives and/or meaning

Elaborations (5)

Elaboration improvising using movements (locomotor and non-locomotor) from a dance they have learnt or experienced and using the elements of dance, such as space, time, dynamics and relationships, to develop sequences based on the original movements and then combining the sequences to create a longer dance
Elaboration using Viewpoints to frame questions about dances they are choreographing; for example, “How will the dance begin?”, “When does the middle part begin?”, “What shapes will we make?”, “How will the dance end?”
Elaboration creating dance sequences by combining fundamental locomotor and non-locomotor movements, such as running and sliding, bending and stretching, running, swinging and walking, and using a variety of levels and directions
Elaboration using Viewpoints to ask questions when making choices about ideas and intentions for a dance; for example, “How can we connect these 2 parts of our dance?” or “What level should we choose for the start of the dance?”
Elaboration using learning from explorations of dances that communicate First Nations Australians’ connection to and responsibility for Country/Place to devise dance that communicates their own connection to and responsibility for Country/Place; for example, devising a dance that communicates their feelings about a “favourite” place or shows how they care for a place in their community, taking care to follow protocols for respecting Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property rights

Content descriptorAC9ADA4D01 Developing practices and skills

experiment with and practise skills for moving safely and expressively using fundamental movement skills and the elements of dance

Elaborations (5)

Elaboration exploring known movements to find alternative ways of performing them; for example, waving hello or shaking hands and then doing the same action/s at different levels, in different directions, bigger/smaller or using a different body part, zone or base
Elaboration using contrast and repetition (choreographic devices) to explore and generate new movement in response to stimuli such as stories, memories or the environment
Elaboration exploring how the elements of dance can be used to communicate ideas, such as exploring how cultural stories can be shared through dance; for example, using the elements of dance to develop locomotor and non-locomotor movements to represent different aspects of a story (how a character walks, their emotions or the mood of a place in the story)
Elaboration developing the habit of always using safe dance practice; for example, warming up their bodies before executing more complex movement patterns in dance sequences and cooling/calming down afterwards, removing socks if the floor surface is slippery
Elaboration developing body awareness and refining technical skills of body control, accuracy, alignment, strength, balance and coordination in fundamental movements; for example, in response to teacher feedback

Content descriptorAC9ADA4E01 Exploring and responding

explore where, why and how dance is choreographed and/or performed across cultures, times, places and/or other contexts

Elaborations (3)

Elaboration identifying meaning and describing purposes that dance can be created for; for example, exploring dances from a range of cultures from their local community and/or neighbouring countries, such as countries in Asia, that are performed for celebrations or narrative dances that share stories
Elaboration learning dances created for different purposes such as entertainment; for example, dances from a range of cultures, times or places that are/have been a dance craze or are a dance that “everyone” knows
Elaboration using Viewpoints to ask questions about dance they are experiencing, such as “Are the movements in this dance similar to movements in dances that you know?”, “Where are these dances performed?”

Achievement standardASARTDAN3402Exploring and responding2 content descriptors · 8 elaborations

They describe where, why and/or how dance is choreographed and/or performed across cultures, times, places and/or other contexts.

Content descriptorAC9ADA4E01 Exploring and responding

explore where, why and how dance is choreographed and/or performed across cultures, times, places and/or other contexts

Elaborations (3)

Elaboration identifying meaning and describing purposes that dance can be created for; for example, exploring dances from a range of cultures from their local community and/or neighbouring countries, such as countries in Asia, that are performed for celebrations or narrative dances that share stories
Elaboration learning dances created for different purposes such as entertainment; for example, dances from a range of cultures, times or places that are/have been a dance craze or are a dance that “everyone” knows
Elaboration using Viewpoints to ask questions about dance they are experiencing, such as “Are the movements in this dance similar to movements in dances that you know?”, “Where are these dances performed?”

Content descriptorAC9ADA4E02 Exploring and responding

explore how First Nations Australians use dance to communicate their connection to and responsibility for Country/Place

Elaborations (5)

Elaboration collecting and sharing information about dances choreographed and/or performed by First Nations Australians for occasions such as festivals or ceremonies; reflecting on how these dances can communicate important information or knowledge about Country/Place
Elaboration exploring how First Nations Australians use dance to express connection to and responsibility for Country/Place, culture and people, such as communicating knowledge about the local seasons
Elaboration exploring First Nations Australians’ use of dance to express connection to and responsibility for Country/Place such as communicating knowledge about the local season, or screen-based storytelling to maintain unique ways of life
Elaboration observing how the elements of dance are used in dances choreographed and performed by First Nations Australians to communicate connection to and responsibility for Country/Place; for example, in dance about wind, water or fire
Elaboration exploring the movements in dances with representatives of a First Nations Australian community or through resources created or co-created by First Nations Australians; for example, dances that share cultural accounts of Country/Place

Achievement standardASARTDAN3403Creating and makingDeveloping practices and skills2 content descriptors · 10 elaborations

Students use the elements of dance to structure dance sequences that communicate ideas, perspectives and/or meaning.

Content descriptorAC9ADA4C01 Creating and making

use the elements of dance to choreograph dance that communicates ideas, perspectives and/or meaning

Elaborations (5)

Elaboration improvising using movements (locomotor and non-locomotor) from a dance they have learnt or experienced and using the elements of dance, such as space, time, dynamics and relationships, to develop sequences based on the original movements and then combining the sequences to create a longer dance
Elaboration using Viewpoints to frame questions about dances they are choreographing; for example, “How will the dance begin?”, “When does the middle part begin?”, “What shapes will we make?”, “How will the dance end?”
Elaboration creating dance sequences by combining fundamental locomotor and non-locomotor movements, such as running and sliding, bending and stretching, running, swinging and walking, and using a variety of levels and directions
Elaboration using Viewpoints to ask questions when making choices about ideas and intentions for a dance; for example, “How can we connect these 2 parts of our dance?” or “What level should we choose for the start of the dance?”
Elaboration using learning from explorations of dances that communicate First Nations Australians’ connection to and responsibility for Country/Place to devise dance that communicates their own connection to and responsibility for Country/Place; for example, devising a dance that communicates their feelings about a “favourite” place or shows how they care for a place in their community, taking care to follow protocols for respecting Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property rights

Content descriptorAC9ADA4D01 Developing practices and skills

experiment with and practise skills for moving safely and expressively using fundamental movement skills and the elements of dance

Elaborations (5)

Elaboration exploring known movements to find alternative ways of performing them; for example, waving hello or shaking hands and then doing the same action/s at different levels, in different directions, bigger/smaller or using a different body part, zone or base
Elaboration using contrast and repetition (choreographic devices) to explore and generate new movement in response to stimuli such as stories, memories or the environment
Elaboration exploring how the elements of dance can be used to communicate ideas, such as exploring how cultural stories can be shared through dance; for example, using the elements of dance to develop locomotor and non-locomotor movements to represent different aspects of a story (how a character walks, their emotions or the mood of a place in the story)
Elaboration developing the habit of always using safe dance practice; for example, warming up their bodies before executing more complex movement patterns in dance sequences and cooling/calming down afterwards, removing socks if the floor surface is slippery
Elaboration developing body awareness and refining technical skills of body control, accuracy, alignment, strength, balance and coordination in fundamental movements; for example, in response to teacher feedback

Achievement standardASARTDAN3404Creating and makingDeveloping practices and skillsPresenting and performing3 content descriptors · 14 elaborations

They demonstrate fundamental movement skills and safe dance practice.

Content descriptorAC9ADA4C01 Creating and making

use the elements of dance to choreograph dance that communicates ideas, perspectives and/or meaning

Elaborations (5)

Elaboration improvising using movements (locomotor and non-locomotor) from a dance they have learnt or experienced and using the elements of dance, such as space, time, dynamics and relationships, to develop sequences based on the original movements and then combining the sequences to create a longer dance
Elaboration using Viewpoints to frame questions about dances they are choreographing; for example, “How will the dance begin?”, “When does the middle part begin?”, “What shapes will we make?”, “How will the dance end?”
Elaboration creating dance sequences by combining fundamental locomotor and non-locomotor movements, such as running and sliding, bending and stretching, running, swinging and walking, and using a variety of levels and directions
Elaboration using Viewpoints to ask questions when making choices about ideas and intentions for a dance; for example, “How can we connect these 2 parts of our dance?” or “What level should we choose for the start of the dance?”
Elaboration using learning from explorations of dances that communicate First Nations Australians’ connection to and responsibility for Country/Place to devise dance that communicates their own connection to and responsibility for Country/Place; for example, devising a dance that communicates their feelings about a “favourite” place or shows how they care for a place in their community, taking care to follow protocols for respecting Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property rights

Content descriptorAC9ADA4D01 Developing practices and skills

experiment with and practise skills for moving safely and expressively using fundamental movement skills and the elements of dance

Elaborations (5)

Elaboration exploring known movements to find alternative ways of performing them; for example, waving hello or shaking hands and then doing the same action/s at different levels, in different directions, bigger/smaller or using a different body part, zone or base
Elaboration using contrast and repetition (choreographic devices) to explore and generate new movement in response to stimuli such as stories, memories or the environment
Elaboration exploring how the elements of dance can be used to communicate ideas, such as exploring how cultural stories can be shared through dance; for example, using the elements of dance to develop locomotor and non-locomotor movements to represent different aspects of a story (how a character walks, their emotions or the mood of a place in the story)
Elaboration developing the habit of always using safe dance practice; for example, warming up their bodies before executing more complex movement patterns in dance sequences and cooling/calming down afterwards, removing socks if the floor surface is slippery
Elaboration developing body awareness and refining technical skills of body control, accuracy, alignment, strength, balance and coordination in fundamental movements; for example, in response to teacher feedback

Content descriptorAC9ADA4P01 Presenting and performing

practise and perform dances in informal settings

Elaborations (4)

Elaboration using expressive skills such as projection and focus to communicate dance ideas to an audience; for example, looking out and up to the ceiling and extending movements outwards to express a feeling of joy
Elaboration presenting their dance using screen-based technologies or through an online platform such as a school learning management system
Elaboration being an attentive audience member during class performances and providing constructive feedback to peers
Elaboration sharing with others the meaning and intended purposes of their own dance; for example, in a class debrief discussion after a performance; using their own words, images and some learnt dance terminology or responding through movement or by drawing (visual)

Achievement standardASARTDAN3405Presenting and performing1 content descriptor · 4 elaborations

They perform their dance in informal settings.

Content descriptorAC9ADA4P01 Presenting and performing

practise and perform dances in informal settings

Elaborations (4)

Elaboration using expressive skills such as projection and focus to communicate dance ideas to an audience; for example, looking out and up to the ceiling and extending movements outwards to express a feeling of joy
Elaboration presenting their dance using screen-based technologies or through an online platform such as a school learning management system
Elaboration being an attentive audience member during class performances and providing constructive feedback to peers
Elaboration sharing with others the meaning and intended purposes of their own dance; for example, in a class debrief discussion after a performance; using their own words, images and some learnt dance terminology or responding through movement or by drawing (visual)

This achievement standard describes the expected learning for Years 3 to 4 Dance. Use it to plan teaching and assessment with the Australian Curriculum v9.

At a Glance

Strand	Substrand	CDs	Elaborations
Creating and making	Dance	1	5
Developing practices and skills	Dance	1	5
Exploring and responding	Dance	2	8
Presenting and performing	Dance	1	4
Total		5	22

Frequently Asked Questions

What should students know by the end of Years 3 to 4 Dance?

How many Content Descriptors support this standard?

5 Content Descriptors support this Achievement Standard (Creating and making: 1, Developing practices and skills: 1, Exploring and responding: 2, Presenting and performing: 1).

How does this compare to Years 1 to 2?

The Years 1 to 2 Dance standard (ASARTDANY12) covers the preceding curriculum level. Standards build progressively, with Years 3 to 4 expectations extending what was introduced in Years 1 to 2.

Is this from the latest Australian Curriculum?

Yes, this Achievement Standard is from the Australian Curriculum version 9.0 (AC v9), the most current version published by ACARA.