Franko's Dream & Lie - Dance Full scheme of work Years 8/9

This unit takes its inspiration from the painting Guernica (1937) by Pablo Picasso. The unit makes cross-curricular links with Art and History and shows pupils how other art forms and historic events can be a powerful stimuli for dance.

The unit focuses on an emotive, moral issue. The pupils analyse and interpret the painting, using both the visual imagery of the shapes and a discussion of events that inspired the artist.
A key focus of this unit is the development of expressive skills. Pupils are asked to empathise with the people of Guernica and portray images, such as chaos, pain, outrage and brutality, within their own dances. The use of focus and facial expression, contracting, twisting and arching the spine and forming geometric shapes with the body, aid the powerful and vivid expression of the work.

Choreographically, pupils will reflect the composition of the painting, using devices such as overlapping and changes of level to represent the work. The dance progresses from duet to small group work.

As they work, pupils should make connections between their movements, body shapes and expressions and the content and meaning of the painting.

Performance skills:
Demonstrate clarity and expressive use of the spine when performing (eg twisting, arching and contracting positions are taken to their extreme).
Demonstrate good technique when jumping, falling and rolling at speed (eg take-off and landings show control and clarity of shape in the air; flight actions have an ‘explosive’
quality, showing power and vitality; falling and rolling actions use the floor safely).
Demonstrate appropriate facial expression/characterisation showing emotion (eg open mouths as if screaming, eyes wide-open as if terrified)

Composition Skills:
Create movements that reflect key shapes, images and emotions within the painting (eg out-stretched hands and upward focus, use of torso [twisted, arched, contracted] when
creating key shapes and phrases of movement).
Compose various tableaux in small groups that reflect the compositional structure of the painting (eg the use of over-lapping and contrasting levels to show the chaos and
juxtaposition of body parts).
Create a dance based on a given narrative (eg dance to show the bomb being dropped and the response to this).

Appreciation skills:
Identify and interpret what is seen in the painting, offering explanations for responses (eg describe key motifs and point to objective features of the work to support answers).
Discuss the moral issues surrounding the events depicted in the painting and how this is shown in the dance (eg describe how the fleeing woman in the painting might feel).
Evaluate the success of other groups in communicating the dance idea (eg success at depicting chaos, pain and outrage).