Year 9 Electives - The Arts 

Year 9 Advanced Dance

Students will discover a wide range of concepts and skills within many aspects of hip hop and contemporary dance. They work in small groups to create a dance piece in a style of their choosing. Students will also create a solo dance piece, preparing them for VCE Dance. Students will explore the ways dance has evolved over time and develop an understanding of dance practice across local, national and international contexts. Students incorporate the skills they have learnt into an ensemble dance piece, which they perform in front of an audience. Students will develop an understanding of human anatomy and best practice for dancers to avoid injury. Students will present an ensemble piece for Song, Dance and Drama Night.

Drama

In Year 9 Drama students will focus on creating ensemble works of several one act plays across the Semester. Students will analyse and adapt formal scripts to design simple, adaptable sets, costumes and props for these productions. They will work as dramaturgs, designers, directors, stage managers and actors to present engaging and entertaining mini-productions for specific audiences. They will develop individual analysis, performance and communication skills while also learning how to negotiate, collaborate and communicate as part of a team. Students will learn a whole host of important skills in their 9 Drama class and have plenty of fun while they’re doing it.

Visual Art

Art is a powerful form to express your opinion and emotions, as it illustrates ideas that words cannot express. In this elective, students will create artworks with different materials and techniques to help them develop a personal Art style. This will be guided by critically reflecting on the viewpoints and contribution of artists, using this analysis to inform their own creative choices. This course highlights how Art is a different language and encourages students to develop visual literacy and consider how they can express their own ideas. Students who enrol in this subject should have an interest in Art and some experience in drawing.

Visual Communication and Design

Visual Communication and Design is a subject where students use digital and manual methods to satisfy a purpose or need, mimicking the design industry. Students must follow the Design Cycle, which involves: research, generation of design solutions, evaluation, and completion of final presentations. Each student will develop a folio that documents their ideas, exploration, drawing skills and ability to justify their design decisions. This subject also develops students’ skills in freehand drawing and rendering, and introduces instrumental drawing. Students who enrol in this subject should have an interest in Art and Design, have some drawing experience, and must have a working ipad they can rely on and bring to every class.

Backstage Pass

Students work in a variety of ways (individually, small groups and ensembles) to prepare a range of musical pieces for performances within the class. Students are responsible for working on all aspects of performance such as staging, band equipment, mixing and recording. Students have the opportunity to develop composition skills through workshops that allow them to learn an instrument and experiment with melodies and lyrics. At the end of the semester, students are expected to record their work and analyse the work of their fellow composers. Students explore various contemporary and Indigenous Australian musical artists. Students have the opportunity to work alongside other performing arts electives.

Music Mastery

Students will expand their knowledge of the theoretical composition of music and implement this knowledge through their own compositions and performances.  They will develop their understanding of how music is structured and created through studying both the treble and bass clef notation systems. Students will implement their theoretical knowledge through creating notated compositions and analysing the performance pieces that they learn. They will deepen their understanding of ‘The Elements of Music’ and use these as a tool to help analyse their performances and solidify their knowledge of music theory. Collaboratively and independently, students will hone their performance and technical skills, which they will have the opportunity to share with the community at Song, Dance and Drama Night. 

Studio Sessions

Students will explore the role that technology has played in the development of modern music. They will partake in a research project into the history and evolution of current technologies present in music. Students will then use software packages from a variety of media to create their own composition or arrangement. They will use their knowledge of software and technology to record a live performance and mix the track. Students will also explore how music is recorded and used in film and analyse its role in enhancing visual content. 

Visual Media and Digital Photography

Students begin by completing a unit on the basics of photography focusing on composition to create a folio of work on our school and the community. Students must then analyse their best work in an oral presentation, explaining the elements of photography that they used to create their photographs. Next students move into the world of journalism where they interview subjects within the school and/or the wider community, conduct press conferences, organise their evidence and material to create interesting news stories about important community events. Students create multimodal presentations for print, radio and television news. They develop their analysis, planning, writing, presentation, photography and video editing skills to create informative and entertaining stories for specific audiences.