Develop in Dance

Welcome, students 👋 In IB Dance SL, Develop in Dance is about how dancers grow through a process of inquiry, practice, reflection, and adaptation. It is not only about learning steps or copying a teacher’s routine. It is about improving movement quality, technique, understanding, and decision-making so that dance becomes more effective and more expressive over time. In this lesson, you will explore what “develop” means in dance, how this connects to the IB idea of interconnected dance practices, skills and competences, and how you can use evidence to show artistic growth across the course.

By the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

• explain the key ideas and terms connected to Develop in Dance
• apply IB Dance SL thinking to dance development tasks
• connect development to inquiry, communication, evaluation, and reflection
• summarize how this idea fits into the wider course
• use examples and evidence to support your understanding 💡

What Does “Develop” Mean in Dance?

To develop in dance means to improve and refine performance, choreography, creativity, and understanding through practice and reflection. Development happens in many ways at once. A dancer may become stronger, more coordinated, more confident, more expressive, or more aware of space, timing, and dynamics. Development can also mean improving how a dancer learns from feedback, works with others, and makes artistic choices.

In IB Dance SL, development is not only physical. It is also intellectual and artistic. For example, a student may begin with a simple phrase of movement and then refine it by changing the timing, direction, energy, or relationship to music. The movement may become clearer and more intentional. The dancer is developing because they are making informed changes based on observation, experimentation, and evaluation.

Important terms connected to development include:

• Technique: the correct and efficient use of the body in movement
• Control: the ability to manage movement accurately and safely
• Precision: clear and exact execution of movement
• Expression: communicating mood, character, or meaning through dance
• Artistry: the creative and expressive quality of performance
• Reflection: thinking carefully about what worked and what needs improvement
• Feedback: information from teachers, peers, or self-assessment used to improve

How Development Happens Through the IB Dance Process

Developing in dance usually follows a cycle. First, the dancer inquires by observing, questioning, and exploring. Then they develop movement through practice, repetition, and adaptation. Next, they communicate ideas through performance, discussion, or writing. Finally, they evaluate the results and decide what to improve next. This cycle repeats over time, and that is why artistic growth is seen across the full course rather than in one single lesson.

For example, imagine students is creating a duet about friendship. At the start, the dancers may use basic mirrored gestures. After rehearsal, they notice the duet feels too predictable. They decide to vary the levels, add a pause for emphasis, and change one section from unison to canon. These changes are examples of development because they are based on reflection and artistic intention.

This process also applies to performance skills. If a dancer struggles with balance in a turn, they may isolate the action, strengthen the supporting muscles, adjust body alignment, and practice slowly before increasing speed. This is development through repeated, purposeful work. The goal is not only to “do the move,” but to do it better, more safely, and with greater artistic clarity.

Interconnected Dance Practices, Skills, and Competences

The topic Interconnected Dance Practices, Skills and Competences reminds us that dance is not divided into separate boxes. Technique, creativity, communication, analysis, collaboration, and reflection all influence one another. Development in dance happens because these areas are connected.

Here is a simple way to understand the connections:

• Technical skill supports performance quality
• Creative skill supports choreography and original thinking
• Communication helps dancers share ideas with an audience or ensemble
• Reflection helps dancers identify strengths and areas for growth
• Evaluation helps dancers make informed decisions about what to change
• Collaboration helps dancers respond to others and improve group work

For example, a group creating a dance about climate change may need more than movement ideas. They must also develop timing, spacing, transitions, and ensemble awareness. If one dancer is always late entering a section, the group must develop their communication and rehearsal habits. If the movement is clear but the intention is weak, they may need to develop expressive focus. This is why the IB course treats dance as interconnected: one improvement often affects many other parts of the work.

Using Evidence to Show Development

In IB Dance SL, evidence is important because it shows that development is real and measurable, not just something a dancer claims. Evidence can come from many sources:

• rehearsal notes
• video recordings
• teacher feedback
• peer feedback
• self-reflection journals
• annotated choreography drafts
• performance observations

students, if you want to prove that you have developed, you need to show what changed, why it changed, and how it improved the dance. A strong reflection might say: “After watching the recording, I noticed my upper body looked stiff in the opening section. I softened my shoulders, used breath to release tension, and repeated the phrase slowly. The movement became more fluid and matched the mood of the piece.” This kind of statement shows evidence of development because it includes observation, action, and outcome.

Another example: a dancer prepares for a solo by comparing two rehearsals. In the first rehearsal, the movement is accurate but lacks energy changes. In the second, the dancer adds sharper accents and softer transitions. The improvement can be seen on video, heard in teacher feedback, and described in the student’s written reflection. This is the type of evidence IB values because it supports learning across the course.

Real-World Application: From Practice to Performance

Development in dance is similar to how athletes, musicians, or actors improve over time. A basketball player does not become skilled after one practice. They train, review mistakes, and refine technique. Dance works the same way. A dancer may repeat a jump, turn, or floor sequence many times before it becomes controlled and expressive.

Consider a school performance. At first, the choreography may look uneven because dancers focus only on remembering the steps. With rehearsals, they begin to synchronize timing, adjust spacing, and use eye focus to connect with the audience. The group’s performance becomes stronger because they have developed not just memory, but also confidence, awareness, and ensemble skill.

This is also true in cultural and contemporary dance practices. Different styles have different movement rules, values, and performance traditions. Developing in dance means respecting the style while improving your ability to perform it with accuracy and understanding. A dancer studying a traditional form should develop the movement with attention to style, context, and meaning, not just surface appearance.

Why Reflection and Evaluation Matter

Reflection is the engine of development 🔍 Without reflection, dancers may keep repeating the same habits. Evaluation helps dancers ask useful questions such as:

• What improved?
• What still needs work?
• Why did this change help?
• What evidence supports my conclusion?

These questions help a dancer move from simple practice to informed growth. For example, if a student notices that the ending of a phrase feels weak, they can evaluate whether the problem is focus, timing, energy, or spacing. Then they can test solutions and compare results. This is a practical way to develop in dance.

IB Dance SL also values communication, so reflection should be clear and specific. Saying “I got better” is not enough. A stronger response is: “I improved my balance in the final turn by lowering my center of gravity, engaging my core, and practicing the preparation count separately.” This shows a cause-and-effect relationship between action and improvement.

Conclusion

Develop in Dance means more than getting better at steps. It means using inquiry, practice, feedback, reflection, and evaluation to grow as a dancer and as a thinker. In IB Dance SL, development is connected to the wider idea that dance practices, skills, and competences all support one another. Technical control, creative decision-making, communication, and evaluation are linked, so improvement in one area often strengthens the others.

As you move through the course, students, remember that development is a process. It happens over time, through evidence-based choices and repeated revision. When you can explain what changed, why it changed, and how it improved your dance, you are showing strong IB-level understanding of Develop in Dance ✨

Study Notes

• Develop in Dance means improving movement, technique, expression, creativity, and understanding through practice and reflection.
• Development in IB Dance SL is both physical and artistic.
• The process often follows a cycle: inquire → develop → communicate → evaluate.
• Dance skills are interconnected, so improvement in one area can affect many others.
• Useful terms include technique, control, precision, expression, artistry, feedback, and reflection.
• Evidence of development can include rehearsal notes, videos, teacher comments, peer feedback, and self-reflections.
• Strong reflections explain what changed, why it changed, and how it improved the work.
• Development is ongoing across the full course, not only in final performances.
• IB Dance SL values clear communication, thoughtful evaluation, and artistic growth across different dance practices.
• Always connect your examples to actual changes in movement, performance quality, or understanding.