PERFORMING ARTS
The same is true of dance – now featuring not just as enrichment but increasingly as a timetabled, standalone subject, with some schools offering it as a GCSE option. And it’s certainly not all about tutus and Swan Lake . Classical ballet remains firmly on the menu, but dance now embraces an array of different genres, from jazz to hip-hop. It’s also favoured by pupils – according to one study, second in popularity only to football as a physical activity. Despite being a parental crowd-pleaser, (after all, who doesn’t enjoy watching their child wow an audience,) performing arts have a wider role to play. There’s the social dimension. Performing arts involve students in collaborating and expressing themselves, boosting their confidence and self-esteem. Pupils who thought they had nothing in common find a shared purpose, working together and learning valuable lessons of social interaction along the way. When it comes to an added benefit – bridging the gap between sport and the arts – dance has been particularly
CAMBRIDGE EDUCATION GUIDE 61
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