MIDDLE SCHOOL DANCE RATIONALE
Through creating, performing and responding to dance, middle school students can
continue to develop skills and knowledge that enhance the important development of self-
image and social relationships. Cooperation and collaboration are emphasized at this age
which fosters positive interactions.
In Bermuda’s middle schools, dance will be designed to offer a healthful alternative to
the many destructive choices available to adolescents. Students will be encouraged to
take more responsibility for care, conditioning and the health of their bodies (both within
and outside of the dance class), thus learning that self-discipline is a prerequisite for
achievement in dance and in life.
Students in middle school should develop self awareness in relation to Bermuda and the
world. As a result, they will be ready to respond more thoughtfully to dance, to perceive
details of dance choreographic structure and to reflect upon what is communicated. For
adolescents, the study of dance will provide a unique and valuable insight into the culture
or period from which it has come in Bermuda and globally