Teaching spaces for dance in year 9–13
The same core facilities will probably be needed for all levels of dance in secondary schools.
Senior students need to work with theatre technology, including lights, sound and projection equipment, and preferably a cyclorama. So they may need to move into a school theatre or a specialist performance space. But this learning begins at curriculum level 5, so basic theatre technology is needed in any secondary school dance classroom.
In the studio
If your school is able to develop a specialist dance teaching space, it needs the following features:
- large floor area, around the size of four classrooms, which is more square than long and narrow (such as 15 x 20 metres) is suggested
- sprung floor, kept clean and in excellent condition
- high ceiling – preferably at least 4 metres, so that it is high enough to allow lifting of dancers, and swinging of ribbons and taiaha
- acoustic features to avoid sound reverberation and to make spoken instructions audible throughout the space -since the floor has to be a hard surface, the ceilings and high parts of walls are the focus for noise-control design and material
- lighting – natural and artificial is required, with lights recessed or close to the roof, not hanging
- walls should have no protrusions where possible – windows are best placed higher than about 2 metres
- ballet barre and mirrors fixed to a wall (for students to observe themselves and self-correct) – usually the wall containing the main entrance doorway is used for barres so that the protrusions are kept together
- whiteboard and display boards fixed higher on walls than in general classrooms
- sound system and lighting controls housed off the floor so they are not affected by vibrations (best kept in a lockable cupboard recessed into a wall)
- blackout curtains installed and ready to be drawn as required, plus access to a cyclorama
- ventilation should be effective but quiet – natural cross ventilation between high opening windows can be effective and low cost
- heating needs to be controlled from within the room – students doing dance need to be able to work in a warm but not hot environment
- location should take into account the need for privacy (no unofficial audience to put off dancers) and to avoid dance noise and music disturbing other classes
- entrance should not be directly from the outdoors, to protect the floor surface.
Equipment
A dance teaching space should be designed to house the following equipment:
- sound system with remote control and good quality speakers mounted in all four corners of the space (so that all dancers hear the same sound)
- projection screen fixed on a wall well above the floor, and access to a data projector and laptop computer
- stage lights and relevant control equipment – note that lights that are positioned for drama might not be suitable for dance (for example, since side lighting is often used for dance)
- video/DVD equipment that is easily accessible
- drinking water supply
- first aid equipment
- cleaning equipment – especially brooms and floor mops.
Near the studio
Other facilities required adjacent to the dance studio (which could be shared with other arts subjects) are:
- general classroom for study, research, and discussion with tables and chairs, audiovisual and library resources – in a dance suite, this room could be between two dance studios (since from curriculum level 4 students need to "record responses")
- computer and internet access
- changing rooms with shower facilities – this is important as no personal gear should be allowed to clutter the dance space. Remember that teachers may need separate changing spaces
- storage room for dance resources, including costumes, simple musical instruments, rostra, screens, curtains, lights, exercise equipment
- breakout rooms for group work are suggested – preferably four rooms that are large enough for small groups to develop movements (about 4 x 5 metres), containing power points, whiteboard, and no furniture (and could be carpeted).