AS 91207 annotated exemplars

This annotated exemplar is intended for teacher use only. Annotated exemplars are extracts of student evidence, with commentary, that explain key parts of a standard. These help teachers make assessment judgements at the grade boundaries.

Download all exemplars and commentary [PDF, 98 KB]

TKI Dance assessment resources (external link)

For Excellence, the student needs to perform an ethnic or social dance to communicate a comprehensive understanding of the style.

This involves:

• displaying details of the style (e.g. defined hand and head movements)
• conveying the emotional content of the style.

This student demonstrates the use of defined hand and head movements required of Flamenco dance, in a performance that is generally expressive and proud, thus conveying the emotional content of the style. Overall her performance communicates a comprehensive understanding of the style. 

Opening poses are snappy, strong and clear. Movements are extended and strong, and timing is excellent. The dancer is appropriately grounded, particularly in the footwork, which is clear, strong and loud. There is highly appropriate use of stylistic details, e.g. using arms to accent the first beat of the footwork.

The dancer’s expression is proud, confident and in control. Shoulders are back and focus is very still and clear. Hands are correctly lifted in the clapping section and make the accents particularly strong and loud.

For a more secure Excellence, the student could make some details more accurate, e.g. swap arms in the footwork to ensure that the opposite arm to foot is always used. The emotional content of the style could be further projected to the audience with a more lifted eye line at times.

For Merit, the student needs to perform an ethnic or social dance to communicate an in-depth understanding of the style.

This involves demonstrating:

• clarity of movement
• appropriate posture for the dance style
• appropriate focus for the style
• generally accurate timing
• appropriate sense of rhythm or musicality.

This student performs with clarity of movement that shows in-depth understanding of the style of flamenco. This is clearly seen in the strong poses at the start, which are perfectly timed, and the use of highly appropriate flamenco hand movements.

The dancer moves into key shapes with sharp, appropriate energy. Excellent focus and clear, extended shapes are seen throughout. Posture and expression is proud and confident, as required by the style. Footwork is strong, clear and grounded.

To reach Excellence, more of the stylistic details are required, e.g. walks in a circle need to start 2 bars earlier and feet should not cross over in walks. More control of the shoulders is required, e.g. by making the shrugs smaller and sharper, and keeping the shoulders still in the footwork. Further, by bending the elbows outwards, the arm lines will be extended correctly. 

For Merit, the student needs to perform an ethnic or social dance to communicate an in-depth understanding of the style.

This involves demonstrating:

• clarity of movement
• appropriate posture for the dance style
• appropriate focus for the style
• generally accurate timing
• appropriate sense of rhythm or musicality.

This student presents an accurate performance of the style, showing generally correct timing, rhythm and posture. The opening poses are stretched and clear, and she snaps into position with sharp energy and good timing. Arm shapes are stretched and strong. The dancer is focused, and the transition into the footwork is accurate for the style by being subtle with a gradual rise.

For a more secure Merit, more expression is needed, with a prouder approach to the performance as is typical of the style. Some movements require more clarity to show in-depth understanding, e.g. by pushing shoulders down and back, taking bigger steps, particularly in the lunges, and tensing muscles more. Her arms could be kept stiller, and the footwork needs to stay grounded. Bending the knees more would help this. 

For Achieved, the student needs to perform an ethnic or social dance to communicate understanding of the style.

This involves recalling and reproducing the dance in accordance with the demonstration or description used as a basis for the dance style. For example, the dancer is able to perform the movement without watching other dancers.

This student presents a generally accurate flamenco performance.

The entrance is correct with quick walks and curved pathways. There is evidence of clear shapes. Arms are lifted and angular when clapping. Poses are strong and stretched (e.g. the lunge), and knees are bent to ground posture. Focus is sustained throughout. The dance is performed without any reference to other dancers for recall. There is evidence of an attempt to be strong and expressive.

To reach Merit, timing needs to be more accurate, especially with the starting poses and walks in a circle. The footwork needs practice to ensure its accuracy, and that a clear understanding of this key feature of the style is communicated. Posture could be more appropriate (e.g. making sure that the pelvis is tucked in when knees are bent, and leaving the head behind after the shoulder shrugs).

Work is needed to ensure that efforts to be expressive allow the student to maintain stylistic technical features, e.g. making movements appropriately small where required. Hands must be kept splayed in hollow claps. Balance could be improved to show better clarity of movement.  

For Achieved, the student needs to perform an ethnic or social dance to communicate understanding of the style.

This involves recalling and reproducing the dance in accordance with the demonstration or description used as a basis for the dance style. For example, the dancer is able to perform the movement without watching other dancers.

The student has recalled and reproduced the dance to communicate a basic understanding of the style of Flamenco. His shapes throughout the dance are clear and correct, and mostly stretched and big - particularly the lunges.

His hands are correctly lifted in the clapping sections. He is focused and keeps his eyes lifted. He performs a good range of chosen poses that change direction and shape. The first set of footwork is clear and accurate.

For a more secure Achieved, the timing in the poses section at the start of the routine needs more accuracy to match with others in the dance. More expression is required throughout, e.g. with sharp, snappy energy in the changes between poses in order to communicate a fuller understanding of the style.

His shoulders need to be positioned further back to help strengthen the movements and shapes. The footwork needs more precision at times. The entrance needs to be faster and use more curving pathways to fully communicate the student’s understanding of the style.

For Achieved, the student needs to perform an ethnic or social dance to communicate understanding of the style.

This involves recalling and reproducing the dance in accordance with the demonstration or description used as a basis for the dance style. For example, the dancer is able to perform the movement without watching other dancers.

There is no student work available at this grade boundary.

For a student at this level, there would be a genuine attempt to perform an ethnic or social dance.

The evidence would show that the student is able to reproduce some of the movement accurately, and can communicate some basic understanding of the style through this reproduction. Some shapes, movement and positions in the space will be accurate.

To reach Achieved, movements would need to be reproduced without any significant reliance on other dancers to help recall the dance. Timing needs to be generally accurate with others (if not, it indicates a lack of recall of the dance on their own). While movements are generally reproduced, they would need to be defined, precise and have appropriate energy quality in order to show that the style has been understood.