AS 91208 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, 102 KB]

TKI Dance assessment resources (external link)

For Excellence, the student needs to perform a theatre dance to communicate a comprehensive understanding of the dance.

This involves:

• displaying details of the style (e.g. defined hand movements, use of breath)
• conveying the emotional content of the style
• conveying the choreographic intention or personal interpretation of the choreography.

This student presents a performance that communicates comprehensive understanding of the dance through assured, accurate movement, and by presenting a personal interpretation of the choreography. The dancer is aptly expressive throughout, thus clearly conveying the emotional content of the style and dance.   

Movements are generally well executed and timing and musicality is excellent. There is appropriate use of stylistic details, e.g. use of breath, contraction, release, a grounded base, generally correct placement and alignment and defined extension of most arm lines. Her focus is consistently and appropriately sustained.

The dancer’s expression is confident and bright as required by the choreographer. She is able to portray and project the emotional content of her role successfully with the audience. She has good performance energy throughout, and a relaxed, easy style that is highly appropriate for this dance.

For a more secure Excellence, the student could make some technical and stylistic details more comprehensive. For example, more flexibility and extension of some leg work (e.g. the leg lift over, in the floor work at 00:33), and generally more tension in leg lines. The dancer also needs to show a stronger centre and back, and tidy up footwork in turning movements. 

For Merit, the student needs to perform a theatre dance to communicate an in-depth understanding of the dance.

This involves:

• showing the requirements of the choreographer, such as:
  • clarity in movements
  • appropriate posture
  • consistent focus
  • clear body shapes
  • generally accurate timing
  • appropriate sense of rhythm or musicality
• conveying a sense of the idea, mood or feeling

This student presents a performance with clarity of movement that shows in-depth understanding of the dance and its movement vocabulary. This is clearly seen in the clear body shapes, and consistently accurate movements which are well timed. The use of highly appropriate contemporary technique and posture help to communicate in-depth understanding of the dance.

The dancer moves into clear, extended shapes with appropriate precision. Posture and expression is composed and poised, as required by the style. Movement clarity, accurate timing and appropriate rhythm are sustained throughout the routine.

To reach Excellence, the ideas, mood and feeling of the dance need to be conveyed and projected further. More expression is required within both the body and the face.  At times the dancer’s eye focus needs to be lifted and more unwavering to better support the communication of the ideas in the dance (e.g. at 00:50–01:30).

Energy levels need to be lifted throughout for a more dynamic and emotional performance. A stronger sense of musicality and feeling could be highlighted to enhance the performance. This would help to show a personal interpretation and make the understanding of the dance more comprehensive.   

For Merit, the student needs to perform a theatre dance to communicate an in-depth understanding of the dance.

This involves:

• showing the requirements of the choreographer such as:
  • clarity in locomotor and non-locomotor movements
  • appropriate posture for the dance genre style
  • consistent focus
  • clear body shapes
  • generally accurate timing
  • appropriate sense of rhythm or musicality
• conveying a sense of the idea, mood or feeling of the dance.

This student presents an accurate performance showing an in-depth understanding of the dance. The dancer is focused, and performs the dance with the energy and dynamics required by the choreographer, e.g. some good tension shown in her expression. Her performance energy helps to convey a sense of the mood and feeling of the dance. 

Her timing is generally accurate and she is in the correct formation and position on the stage. Appropriate changes in energy are made which help to communicate an in-depth understanding of the dance. She is consistently focussed throughout the dance. Appropriate rhythm and musicality are evident throughout.  

For a more secure Merit, some locomotor (e.g. running sections) and non-locomotor movements (e.g. the opening section 1:17-1:30) require more clarity to show in-depth understanding. Entrances and exits need to be more dynamic and clear. Balance throughout the dance could be improved with correct posture and alignment.

The ideas and feelings of the dance could be better communicated with a more lifted eye line and more projection to the audience. Some shapes and movements need to be more clearly executed. 

For Achieved, the student needs to perform a theatre dance to communicate understanding of the dance.

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.
• conveying aspects of the idea being expressed in the dance.

This student presents a performance of the dance that is in accordance with the dance style. The dance is performed without any reference to other dancers for recall.  

Timing is generally accurate throughout despite some movements not quite reaching their full conclusion. There is generally good flow and energy to the performance.

Some clear shapes are evident and her focus is fully sustained throughout. There is evidence of an attempt to be expressive and convey aspects of the ideas in the dance.

To reach Merit, movement needs more precision and technical accuracy to provide the clarity of movement expected at this level (e.g. 01:55-02:07). Posture could be more accurate (e.g. making sure that the core is engaged and knee placement correct when the knees are bent). Stepping through stretched feet would improve the technique in running sections.

Although efforts have been made to express the ideas in the dance, a more lifted eye line throughout the performance would help to further convey these ideas with more depth as required for Merit.  

For Achieved, the student needs to perform a theatre dance to communicate understanding of the dance.

This involves:

• recalling and reproducing the dance in accordance with the demonstration or description used as a basis for the dance style, e.g. the dancer can perform the movement without watching others.
• conveying aspects of the idea being expressed in the dance.

The student has recalled and reproduced the dance to communicate some understanding of the dance. Her movements are mostly accurate and overall she conveys the general mood of the piece with a gentle dynamic and a neutral facial expression.  

She is focused and concentrating throughout. Technique is adequate and she has moments of extension and definition (e.g. arms at 01:25). She shows awareness of and support for other dancers and is generally in the correct position on stage.  There are moments of emerging expression.

For a more secure Achieved, further expression is required in order to communicate a fuller understanding of the ideas, e.g. more light and shade in the movement quality and more variation in facial expression. More confidence and purpose to the movement would also help.

The performance is tentative, with timing sometimes out of sync with other dancers.  Eliminating unchoreographed movements such as adjusting hair and costume would strengthen the performance. There is a section of the performance with hesitations evident (01:30–01:45), but holistically the balance of evidence falls into the Achieved range. She begins well but this must be sustained, e.g. the ending positon needs to be held.

For Achieved, the student needs to perform a theatre dance to communicate understanding of the dance.

This involves:

• recalling and reproducing the dance in accordance with the demonstration or description used as a basis for the dance style, e.g. the dancer is able to perform the movement without watching other dancers.
• conveying aspects of the idea being expressed in the dance.

There is no student work available at this grade boundary.

For a student at this level, there would be a genuine attempt to perform the theatre dance that has been rehearsed for this standard.

The evidence would show the student is able to reproduce some of the movement accurately and is beginning to convey some basic understanding of the ideas in the dance through this reproduction. Some shapes, movement and positions in the space will be accurate.

To reach Achieved, movements need to be reproduced without any significant reliance on other dancers to help recall the dance. Timing needs to be generally accurate with others (otherwise, indicating a lack of recall of the dance on their own). 

While the movements are generally reproduced they lack the definition, precision, size and energy quality required to show that the dance has been understood. The movements are mechanically reproduced but there will be a need for expression of key ideas to be conveyed through the performance.