DANCE STUDIES
GRADE 12 
NSC PAST PAPERS AND MEMOS
FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017

NOTE TO MARKERS: 
Adhere strictly to this memorandum when marking. The standardisation process during  memorandum discussions ensures that the memorandum covers most possible  responses candidates could provide. Every marker must understand and apply it in the  same way consistently. In some qualitative questions, exercise your professional and  informed judgement. 
Write short comments, giving reasons why a point was marked up or down if the  memorandum does not give a clear guideline and you have to use your own discretion. 
This question paper must be marked by experienced dance teachers/advisors/  officials as it requires specialist knowledge. 

• In some questions, candidates have a choice. If candidates answered both  questions, mark only the answers to the first question. 
• Candidates may give a wide variety of answers, depending on what they covered  in class. 
• The rubrics guide the marking according to cognitive levels and levels of difficulty. 
•  Markers should NOT award full marks for an answer that is superficial and minimal. 
• Read and evaluate the whole answer before allocating ticks and marks. One tick is  one mark. 
• Look for what the candidate knows, not what he/she does not know. 
• Key words have been put in bold to guide marking.

MEMORANDUM

SECTION A: SAFE DANCE PRACTICE AND HEALTH CARE 
QUESTION 1: NUTRITION AND MENTAL HEALTH  
NOTE TO MARKER:  

• Many possible answers may be provided by the candidates.  
• If the candidate only gives one-word answers, give only half marks.  

COGNITIVE LEVELS: 

1.1 = 5 marks MEDIUM level  
1.2 = 2 marks LOW level  
1.3 = 3 marks LOW level  

POSSIBLE ANSWERS: 
1.1 Candidates could answer in many different ways to include both a  balanced diet and the benefits. 
An explanation of a balanced diet, e.g.  
A balanced diet includes all the main food groups to ensure the body works at  its best, for example: 
Complex carbohydrates:  

• They elicit the most energy and should constitute the bulk of the diet, as  they will sustain you through many hours of rehearsals and performances.
• They are digested slower, providing a slow and stable supply of energy.

Proteins: 

• Build and maintain the tissues of your body. 
• They are important for muscle repair and growth. 

Dairy products: 

• Are important to build calcium in the bones and without sufficient calcium  bones become brittle and can easily be broken or fractured. 

Fruit and vegetables 

• Through eating vegetables and fruit the body is provided with the  necessary vitamins and minerals which are required for overall well-being.
• Vitamin supplements may be used if the body receives too little from the  food that is eaten, so that the dancer is not prone to regular illnesses and  off work or missing classes. 

Fat: 

• A small amount is necessary for organs to function optimally, such as the  heart and brain.
  Any other suitable answers. 

Benefits of good nutrition to a dancer's performance could include:

• Increased energy levels 
• Increased mental alertness 
• Increased fitness levels 
• Maintain an ideal weight 
• Recover from illness/injuries quicker 
• Ability to handle higher levels of stress – emotional well-being 
• Increased strength – muscle mass 
• Positive attitude towards training and performing (5)

1.2 Candidate may provide any two symptoms of stress and tension:

• Fatigue will set in impairing a dancer's judgment in class/ rehearsals and  performance. 
• Eating related disorders from a poor diet could severely impair a dancer's future career. 
• Physical - muscle tension/ stiffness, cramps, aches and pains, frequent  colds, rapid heartbeats. 
• Mental - moody, irritable, unhappy; will prevent the dancers from  interacting with/ working successfully with others in the dance class. 
• Lack of sleep or sleeping too much – this could lead to lack of  concentration in the dance class which could lead to injuries. 
• Loss of appetite or eating too much – this could affect the dancer's self image and lead to lack of confidence.
  Any other suitable answers (2) 

1.3 Candidate must clearly describe any THREE relaxation techniques e.g.:

• Create a safe space for yourself where you can apply relaxation  techniques such as imagery/ breathing etc. and calm your mind. 
• Cool down techniques to release tension in muscles such as slow  stretching. 
• Candidates could supply a specific technique e.g. yoga or meditation. 
  Any other suitable answers. (3)

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QUESTION 2: COMPONENTS OF FITNESS 
COGNITIVE LEVELS: 
5 marks = LOW level for the name and definition  
10 marks = MEDIUM level for explaining 

POSSIBLE ANSWERS: 
Allocate ½ a mark if candidates provide only the name with no definition. 

• Core stability: the strength in the centre of the body, abdomen and back.
• Strength: the ability of a muscle to exert force against gravity. 
• Flexibility: a wide range of movement possible in the joints. 
• Endurance: the staying power of the body to perform over longer periods of time.
• Neuromuscular skills: the ability of the brain to send messages to the body with  an instant reaction time. (5) 

Explaining how each component contributes to a dancer's performance. 
Many of the benefits apply across components. 
Evaluate the whole answer.
Do not award marks for repetitive answers in this  bullet.
Ten clear facts = 10 marks. 
Strength: 

• Stronger muscles mean more complex movements can be performed and  positions held, i.e. the muscles can resist giving into gravity. 
• Can perform lifts and jump higher. 

Flexibility: 

• Adds grace and ease to movements.  
• Dance will look effortless. 
• Dancers will have a wider range of movement. 

Core stability: 

• Can control movements. 
• Makes balancing easier. 
• Maintains good posture. 
• Can shift body weight quickly etc. 

Neuromuscular skills: 

• Can move quickly – more agile. 
• Improved co-ordination. 
• Better musicality. 
• Improved kinaesthetic awareness, spatial awareness, etc. 

Endurance: 

• You won't get out of breath. 
• You will be able to maintain concentration without having to worry how you are  going to finish the class. 
• Your arms, legs and body won't feel heavy and fatigued, etc.
  Any other suitable answers (10)

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NOTE: The learners have a choice between QUESTION 3 and QUESTION 4. 
Mark only the first answer if both questions have been answered. 

QUESTION 3: MUSCLES AND ACTIONS  
COGNITIVE LEVELS: 

3.1 = 4 marks = LOW level – naming muscles/groups and describing where they are   found 
3.2 = 4 marks = MEDIUM level =  

 2 marks for anatomical actions
 2 marks for explaining one dance movement using the anatomical action 

POSSIBLE ANSWERS: 
3.1 Allocate FOUR marks for naming and describing where the FOUR  muscles/groups are found. Award ½ a mark for naming only. 

• Quadriceps: 
  This muscle group is found on the front of the thigh. 
• Hamstrings: 
  This muscle group is found at the back of the thigh. 
• Adductors: 
  This muscle group is found on the inside of the thigh. 
• Gastrocnemius: 
  This muscle is found at the back of the lower leg. 

Any other muscle/muscle group in the leg, such as abductors, hip rotators and  anterior lower leg muscles. (4) 
3.2 Allocate TWO marks for providing two anatomical actions and TWO  marks for explaining ONE dance movement for each of the anatomical  actions.  

• Quadriceps:  
  Extension of the knee – stretch the knee 
• Rectus femoris
  Flexion – throwing the leg up high to the front of the body in a kick. 
• Hamstrings:
  Extension – lifting the leg behind the body.  
• Adductors:
  Adduction – it is a group of muscles that turn out the legs or move the legs  away from the midline/centre (outward rotation). 
• Gastrocnemius:
  Plantar flexion – it is responsible for lifting the heels in rises, pointing the feet  and helps to push off the floor in jumps and flexes the knee.
  Any other muscle/muscle group in the leg. (4)

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OR

QUESTION 4: INJURIES AND TREATMENT 
COGNITIVE LEVELS: 

4.1 = 2 marks = MEDIUM level  
4.2 = 4 marks = LOW level 
4.3 = 2 marks = MEDIUM level  

POSSIBLE ANSWERS: 
4.1 Difference: 

• Sprain = an injury to a ligament.
• Strain = an injury to a muscle or tendon. (2) 

4.2 Possible answers related to causes of knee injuries: 

• Poor alignment of the knee 
• Forcing turnout of leg 
• Incorrect landing from a jump 
• Dancing on incorrect floors – not sprung wood 
• Lack of strength to control movements 
• Poor technique 
• Poor conditioning 
• Not warming up correctly 
• Falls, as in an accident or in the choreography 
• Lack of flexibility 
• Any other suitable answer related to knee injuries. (4) 

4.3 Possible answers on how to protect your knees in the dance class: 

• Apply safe dance practice, like keeping your knees over your middle toe  when you bend your knees or land from a jump. 
• Do not place stress on the ligaments by moving the joint beyond its normal  range and movement direction.  
• The knees should always bend before a jump, land through the foot and  end in a knee bend/ demi plié. This landing will prevent the knees and  ankles from jarring and causing serious damage to the knees and ankles. 
• Strengthening the surrounding muscles of the joint, e.g. the hamstrings  and the quadriceps muscle groups, located at the back and front of the  knee, stabilises the knee joint. Strengthening these muscles has a  protective effect on the knee, and can decrease the stress on the knee joint during exercise. (2)

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Related Items

QUESTION 5: POSTURE AND SAFE STRETCHING 
COGNITIVE LEVELS: 

5.1 = 3 marks HIGH level  
5.2 = 4 mark HIGH level 

POSSIBLE ANSWERS: 
5.1 Referring to the photographs. Indicate correct and incorrect postures.

• PHOTOGRAPH A is an example of an incorrect posture, where the  dancer's back is overarched; the pelvis is not well aligned which could  result in serious back problems, such as strain in the lumbar spine, stiff  neck as the head is out of alignment (chin thrust forwards). 
• The dancer's core muscles are not used, which will prevent the dancer  from balancing and controlling the body, limbs during movements. 
• Any other suitable answers. 
• PHOTOGRAPH B is an example of good dance posture and is the correct way to hold the posture while dancing. 
• The head is up, the neck is long with core stability and the joints lined up. 
• Dancer B understands how the different parts of the body work in relation  to one another and this will enable the dancer to be able to balance and  have control of all movements. This will also ensure ease of movement  during all activities. (3) 

5.2 Referring to the pictures: Areas that could be included in the answer for  own opinion and suggestions on safe stretching: 

• Dancers should be aware that there are different types of stretching that  you can use to become supple. 
• Both pictures show dangerous stretching methods which should be  avoided to prevent injuring your muscles and ligaments. 
• Stretching should not be painful – it can be difficult, but should not elicit  pain. 
• Never force your body into a stretch or allow somebody else to force you  into a stretch, as this is dangerous and will cause injury. 
• Breathing is important to use when stretching as this will help to ease your  body into the stretch. 
• A dancer must always be aware of his/her body's limitations and work  within that framework when doing stretching or strengthening exercises. 
  Any other suitable answers/suggestions. (4)

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TOTAL SECTION A: 40

SECTION B: DANCE HISTORY AND LITERACY  
QUESTION 6: COMMUNITY DANCE PROJECT AND CAREERS 
COGNITIVE LEVELS:  

• Bullet 1: MEDIUM level 
• Bullet 2: LOW level 
• Bullet 3: LOW level 

Many possible answers will be provided. Answers must link to the performances at  the dance and arts festival. Look at the whole answer before awarding marks.  
POSSIBLE ANSWERS: 
FOUR aspects about the purpose and the impact it may have on the community, e.g.: 

• To identify artists and talent in the community – nurture this further 
• To make arts accessible in the community 
• To provide exposure for local and professional artists 
• To create jobs in the community  
• To give youngsters a goal to work towards 
• To bring people together from different communities 
• To inspire young artists 
• To share skills and develop new talent/ existing talent 
• To provide a platform for the arts 
• To promote entrepreneurship and commercial activity in the community 
  Any other suitable answer (4) 

THREE facilities and resources needed for the performances, e.g.:

• Performance space indoor/outdoor amphitheatre, e.g.:
  • Chairs/Seating for the audience 
  • Stage with a suitable/sprung wooden floor 
  • Suitable size for the type of performances
  • Dressing rooms for the performers
• Sound equipment to include: 
  • Amplifiers 
  • Speakers with enough volume 
  • Microphones
• Publicity materials to include: 
  • Posters/Flyers for advertising 
  • Programme of events for the festival 
  • Announcer for the festival 
  • Sponsors
    Any other suitable answers. (3)

THREE arts production jobs that will be created for the dance and arts festival  and explanation of the function of each. One-word answers must NOT be  awarded full marks. Do NOT award marks for jobs not related to arts production, e.g.: 

• Organiser(s)/Manager/Event organiser/Project manager who will plan all the  events and order of the festival. 
• Publicist to advertise the festival and ensure full participation of the community. 
• Choreographers/Directors for the various dance pieces/arts to be performed or  exhibited. 
• Teachers/Facilitators to help run arts workshops for the children. 
• Sound technician who will be in charge of playing the music/microphones/  announcements, etc. 
• Dancers/Actors/Musicians, etc. who will perform for the community. 
  Any other suitable art production jobs. (3)

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MARKING RUBRIC

QUESTION 7: FUNCTIONS OF DANCE IN SOCIETY AND DANCE FORMS 
COGNITIVE LEVELS: 

7.1 = 6 marks LOW level  
7.2 = 8 marks HIGH level – comparing 

7.1 Mark only the FIRST THREE if more categories are provided. An informative  description is required for each answer. 
7.2 Evaluate the whole answer before awarding marks. HIGH level as candidate is  asked to compare and explain in full sentences FOUR similarities and FOUR  differences between African dance principles and another dance form. Do not  award marks if candidates include other areas for comparison, such as costumes and props. 
7.1

7.1.1 Education:  

• Dance can be used to pass on traditions/history of a community. 
• It can be used to educate communities on social issues. 
• It can prepare people for careers. 
• It can teach life skills, such as discipline and team work.
  Any other relevant answer. (2) 

7.1.2 Social/Personal transformation: 

• Dance is used in many ceremonies, e.g. of coming of age – move from being a child to adulthood. Weddings – move from  being single to being married, etc. 
• Dance is used in rituals for healing – moving from illness to  health. 
• Many dancers experience a sense of personal transformation  through dance, e.g. a sense of purpose, improved life skills and increased awareness of others. 
• Dance is used to build social skills through teamwork and trust  exercises.
  Any other relevant answers. (2) 

7.1.3 Communication: 

• To put across ideas and thoughts. To inform without using  words – dance is a universal language. 
• To show and express emotions non-verbally.
  Any other relevant answer. (2) 

7.1.4 Religion: 

• Dance is used in many spiritual ceremonies to enhance the  meaning/message. 
• Dance used in religious customs or charismatic church services  can be linked to transformation.
  Any other relevant answer. (2) 

7.1.5 Protest: 

• Dance is used to make political statements without using words. 
• Dance is used to demonstrate – toyi-toyi. 
• Any other relevant answers. (2)

7.2 Many possible dance forms will be provided by the candidates. African  dance must be included as one of the dance forms.  
ONLY movement principles must be included in the answer.  
Bullets are used to aid marking. 
CONTEMPORARY VS. AFRICAN DANCE 
Differences could be: 

• African dance movements are traditional and often do not change. 
  Contemporary dance movements are often created through improvisation and differ from one choreographer to another. 
• African dance and music are not separate from each other. The dancers  incorporate singing/body percussion/ululating, etc. into their movements. 
  Contemporary dance usually chooses pre-recorded music that will  enhance the intent/story of the dance work and choreograph movements  to fit the music and may work without music.  
• African dance imitates movements literally found in the natural world. 
  Contemporary dance adapts natural movements through abstraction. 
• Contemporary dance often involves lifting/counterbalance between  dancers. 
  African dance does not involve lifting of partners but rather focuses on  line/circle formations. 
• African dance is rhythmic. 
  Contemporary dance is more visual. (4)
  Any other suitable answers. 

Similarities could be: 

• Both dance forms complement gravity in their movements/giving into/  dance towards the ground. 
• Both dance forms are performed mostly with bare feet. 
• Both dance forms use everyday movements/gestures. 
• Both dance forms use large jumping and leaping movements defying  gravity.
  Any other suitable answers. (4) 

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MARKING RUBRIC 7.2

QUESTION 8: MUSIC OF A PRESCRIBED WORK 
COGNITIVE LEVELS: 

8.2 = 1 mark LOW level 
8.3 = 1 mark LOW level  
8.4 = 4 marks MEDIUM level  

POSSIBLE ANSWERS: 
8.1  Ghost Dances Christopher Bruce 
8.2  Inti-Illimani  (1) 
8.3  Traditional Chilean folk music  (1) 
8.4 Candidates must analyse how the music enhances the work.  One-word answers are not acceptable. 
Answers could include: 

• Wind sounds in the beginning set an eerie atmosphere, symbolise being in  the cave, make the setting more real, etc. 
• Folk music using traditional South American instruments enhances the folk  style of movements and helps to tell the story.  
• The songs are sad and haunting telling of the suffering of the people  and this is portrayed through their movements, e.g. the woman in the  red dress. 
• Some of the songs and music are upbeat and fast creating the  atmosphere of what life must have been like before the war, e.g. Section 2  with the 3 men and 3 women.  
• At the moment of death there is silence which adds to the atmosphere and  sadness of the moment.
  Any other suitable answer. (4)

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NOTE: The candidate has a choice between QUESTION 9 and QUESTION 10.  Mark ONLY the first answer if both questions have been answered. 
QUESTION 9: CHOREOGRAPHER AND DANCE WORK 
COGNITIVE LEVELS: 

2 marks = LOW level – introduction/ conclusion 
20 marks = MEDIUM level – influences/collaborations/associations/movement vocabulary/  choreographic style/contribution to dance 8 marks = HIGH level – symbolism/your opinion/interpretation 

Use professional judgment and an in-depth knowledge of the choreographer and  the dance work when marking. Bullets used to aid marking. 
MARKING RUBRIC:

QUESTION 10: SOUTH AFRICAN DANCE WORK AND CHOREOGRAPHER 
COGNITIVE LEVELS: 

• 2 marks = MEDIUM level – introduction/conclusion/presentation 20 marks = MEDIUM level – influences/collaborations/associations/movement  vocabulary/choreographic style/contribution to dance 8 marks = HIGH level – symbolism, opinion/interpretation 
• Use professional judgment and an in-depth knowledge of the choreographer and  the dance work when marking.
• Bullets used to aid marking. 

Candidates must prepare a presentation for dance learners about the  choreographer, Alfred Hinkel, and the dance work, Bolero/Last dance. The presentation may be bullets, a mind map or in essay format and should  include the following: 
An introduction and conclusion. 
Influences, associations, collaborations.  
Possible areas that could be included: 

• Hinkel grew up in a conservative family in Namaqualand. 
• He started dancing at the age of ten, although his father was against him dancing.
• In the early 1970s he continued his training at the UCT School of Dance for a short  time, thereafter returning to his home in Namaqualand. 
• It was his daily experience of teaching in the 'coloured' communities (without proper  facilities) that laid the foundation for a truly original and resourceful approach to  dance teaching and choreography. 
• Hinkel met John Linden and Dawn Langdown in Okiep, Namaqualand, two people  with whom he would consistently collaborate over the years to come.
• Together they formed the Namaqualand Dansgeselskap. 
• In 1981 he joined Jazzart Dance Theatre as a dancer and eventually took over as  the director. 
• Through the turbulent times of the state of emergency he became increasingly  politicised which was reflected in his work.  
• Exposure to working through improvisation during the Abamanyani process  influenced the way he began to work and he has developed a unique way of  teaching and choreographing, drawing from the essence of the dancers.
  Any other factual answers.

Movement vocabulary and choreographic style used and how it was innovative.

• Bolero was a novelty in its time. Hinkel's work featured elements seldom (or never)  seen on stage before such as:
  • African dance was staged as performance art. 
  • Previously, African dance had been viewed as a quaint tourist attraction.
  • The staging of the earlier versions of Bolero was vital in asserting a recognised  place for African contemporary dance in the world of South African performance  art. 
  • African dance was set to classical music 
  • Gumboots were worn by women and in particular, white women. One needs to  appreciate that gumboot dancing arose from, 'a working class people, mostly  miners and dock workers', and that it was not a practice performed by women,  let alone white women. 
• Thus, when the female cast of Bolero, marched proudly onto stage, they crossed a  cultural and societal threshold. 
• Gumboots were used in an 'avant-garde' way.  
• Traditionally performed with a bent back, Hinkel demonstrated how an established  technique could be manipulated for creative purposes when his dancers were seen  performing their own, upright version of gumboot dancing. 
• The contact work featured in Bolero was very innovative for its time. 
• The traditional roles of men and women were disregarded. 
• In Bolero, men lift men, women lift women, women lift men and so on. 
• The traditional roles of the male and female were turned upside down when  Hinkel's piece subversively suggested that women were entitled and able to initiate  action and assume leadership and that men could feel weak and vulnerable.
• Bolero made bold political assertions. 
• With each version the choreography has been influenced by the participants, each  bringing their uniqueness to the interpretation as Hinkel has always used  improvisation when creating dance works.  
• He also fused different dance forms such as contemporary and African dance as  well as Indian and contemporary dance.
  Any other suitable answers. 

(Note there could be an overlap between movement vocabulary and symbolism)

Symbolism/opinion/interpretation 

• Bolero has been staged in diverse forms to fulfill numerous purposes. In the earlier  versions of Bolero, Hinkel intended to make symbolic statements through dance on  issues that were not meant to be talked about (this almost became one of Jazzart's  policies) about politics, abuse, sexuality etc. 
• Every performance of the work symbolised a shift in the attitude of the people and  the country from apartheid to post-apartheid. Initially, it served to comment on  politics, then for celebration (it was performed at the inauguration of Nelson  Mandela) and also as incentive for collaboration between classical and  contemporary dance companies as the giver of hope. 
• Bolero is a work that has traced a fairly political path and has continually  transformed through the process of being reworked on each of the several  occasions that it has been staged to create new meaning. 
• The original version symbolised 'overcoming prejudice', and focused specifically on  the Immorality Act – arguably the most controversial of the legislative acts of the  South African Apartheid government which attempted to forbid intermixing of  couples of different races. 
• The costumes were used to make statements such as non-gender specific  costumes worn symbolising gender discrimination, leather and chiffon together  symbolising the strength and softness of women, etc. 
• Any other suitable answers, opinions/interpretations. 

Contribution to dance in South Africa. 

• Hinkel works predominantly with untrained dancers and develops their talent  through training methods developed from working in underprivileged areas.
• He developed his own style of training and developed a method that he would use  over the next 30 years to train his dancers. This style has now been adopted and  developed by many dancers, choreographers in their own way.  
• Hinkel combines a mixture of styles as well – contemporary, African, Indian as well  as classical elements of dance which has also influenced ways of choreographing  in this country. 
• Used dance to make social commentary especially to do with sexism, racism and  other forms of discrimination and abuse of power. 
• He developed and popularised improvisation as a means of creating new material  for choreography. 
• Is outspoken about injustices. 
• He mentored many fledgling dance companies. 
• Supported schools with artists in residence and lecture demonstrations.
• He trained many dancers through a training programme run by Jazzart who have  become the next generation of master teachers and choreographers.

[30] 
TOTAL SECTION B: 60 
GRAND TOTAL: 100