Lornshill Academy

Lornshill Academy

Higher Dance

Dance: Choreography

Name: ______

Dance: Choreography

Outcomes and Assessment Standards

Outcome 1

The candidate will:

1.  Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of complex choreographic principles by:

1.1  Demonstrating knowledge and understanding of theme and stimulus, and

choreographic structures, devices and spatial patterns appropriate to a dance for a group

1.2  Analysing the use of theatre arts in choreography

1.3  Evaluating the impact of complex choreographic principles used in dance

Outcome 2

The candidate will:

2.  Apply complex choreographic principles to create a piece of group choreography by:

2.1 Investigating a theme or stimulus in detail

2.2 Planning a group choreography using complex choreographic devices and a complex structure

2.3 Developing and presenting the group choreography

2.4 Evaluating the choreographed dance in detail

For this Unit, there are three assessment tasks you must complete.

You need to complete all tasks successfully to pass the Unit

Task 1 – Demonstrate your knowledge of complex choreographic principles

You will be asked to use complex principles in practical activities in class. Through these, you will be assessed on your knowledge of the relationship between theme/stimulus and complex choreographic structures, devices and spatial patterns.

The workshops will be filmed and you will also be expected to record the work you undertake in these practical workshops to further demonstrate your knowledge. (Assessment Standard 1.1)

Task 1: Workshop 1

Task 1: Workshop 2

Task 2 – Analyse a Professional Piece of Choreography

The choice of theme or stimulus impacts on every decision that a choreographer makes. In order to communicate meaning or ideas about the theme or stimulus, or to create impact or effect, choreographers will carefully select and develop such things as:

§  Motifs

§  Number of dancers

§  Music

§  Choreographic structure and devices

§  Spatial patterns

§  Performance area

§  Use of theatre arts

In this task, you will analyse the choices made by a professional choreographer. Choose one dance by a professional choreographer or dance company:

Dance Piece: ______

Choreographer: ______

a.  Describe how the following have been used in the choreography:

§  Structure

§  Three complex choreographic devices

§  Two theatre arts (Assessment Standard 1.2)

b.  Evaluate the impact of the structure, devices and theatre arts you described. You should do this by considering such things as how well they reflected the theme/stimulus and/or communicated meaning/ideas and/or created impact/effect.

(Assessment Standard 1.3)

Glossary: Choreographic Structures Appropriate to Higher Dance

Choreographic structure or form:

Most dances are choreographed using a structure which is clear to the audience. Choreographic structure or form refers to how the motifs and sections are linked together. Motifs are typically known as Motif A, Motif B and Motif C for ease of explaining the well-known structures. The choreographic structure of your piece will depict the shape of the overall dance. Choreographic structures are traditional frameworks which have set patterns. Using these pre-set structures for your choreography can be a helpful way to put your ideas in order. You must use them in a way which is appropriate to what your dance is trying to convey. The form that you select will affect how your dance performance is organised. It is the framework into which your movement motifs can be organised.

A-B structure: Binary (two parts):

Binary form involves two related motifs, A and B, like a verse and a chorus in a song. The first section is contrasted by a second section. A and B are repeated many times and in any order: A-B-A-B, A-B-B-A and so forth. This form is typical of many folk dances.

A-B-A structure: Ternary (three parts):

This is a three-part structure where A is the unifying theme that returns either as an exact repetition or as a recognisable variation or development. The final section can be a development of the first section but it needs to be closely connected. The A phrases need to offer a contrast to the middle B section. It is used to create a clear structure, which returns to the beginning going round full circle which gives a satisfying feeling of completeness, balance and unity. Although these sections are independent they are also connected, giving the piece balance and unity.

Chance:

Chance dance is a series of dance phrases performed in a random order. Each time the dance is done, it is in a different order and therefore has a different appearance.

Motif and development is a brief movement phrase that is danced and then developed into a full-blown dance or section of a dance.

Theme and Variation:

Theme and variation format can be described as a dance phrase or section of a dance with subsequent dance phrases or sections being variations of the original. This would be A, A1, A2, A3.

Narrative:

The narrative choreographic form tells a story or conveys an idea. The sequence of the story determines the structure of the dance.

Collage:

Collage is a choreographic form that consists of a series of movement phrases that are often unrelated but have been brought together to create a single dance with a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Rondo:

A rondo can be described as ABACADA. The choreographic pattern begins with a main theme (A) followed by another theme or movement material, and the A theme returns after each new movement phrase.

Glossary: Choreographic Devices Appropriate to Higher Dance

Choreographic Devices

Choreographic devices are technical tools for choreographic dance. They are tools that can be used to change the way a movement is performed. A motif can be repeated, varied and developed by manipulating the movements within it. Devices are used to enhance the intentions of choreography.

Motif and Development

Motif: A motif is a single or short phrase of movement which conveys the theme, intention or style of choreography.

Development: Motif development is a way of producing a lot from a little, while avoiding too much repetition (which may be monotonous for the audience).

Motifs are the ‘building blocks’ of a dance. Rather than continually inventing new movements for a dance, once a motif has been developed, variations can be used to develop it into a dance composition. By varying the motif the choreographer is making the dance unique.

Developing a motif can help to build up a sense of climax or tension, evoke emotional states, or convey the mood or theme of a narrative.

There are many devices for developing a motif. Devices appropriate to National 5 level include unison, mirroring, repetition, partner work and canon.

Unison: When dancers are performing in unison they are performing the same movements at the same time.

Mirroring: This is when dancers copy each other, face to face, move for move, as if they are reflections of one another.

Repetition: In repetition, the same actions are performed in the same order in the same place on the stage. A direct repeat can be effective if the choreographer is trying to communicate:

·  a sense of rhythm and routine

·  a feeling of boredom or tedium

·  a sense of pattern in an abstract piece

Partner Work: Partner work involves working with another person’s personal space, possibly with lifts, sharing weight or making contact.

Canon: A compositional form in which the original motif is reinforced and amplified as it is stretched over a longer period of time. Individuals and/or groups perform the same movement or phrase beginning at different times. This device involves at least two dancers performing one or more motifs at different times. Canon creates interesting relationships within the group such as leader and follower, question and answer, cooperation and confrontation. It is satisfying as it has unity and variety built into it and gives a sense of progression. The fact that the motif is shared gives the dance a sense of unity.

The most basic form of canon is a simple canon. Each dancer performs an entire motif and then stays still while another dancer takes over. This device can be developed by having the dancers begin the motif four counts after each other, placing demands on the dancers’ musicality and ability to perform in a group.

Devices appropriate to Higher level include retrograde, contact improvisation, groupings, accumulation, inversion, embellishment, fragmentation, instrumentation and question and answer.

Retrograde: Retrograde is reversing the order in which a motif is performed, like re-winding a film.

Contact Improvisation: During contact improvisation, physical contact between two dancers is maintained whilst movement is improvised. One person leads and the other follows, but the dynamic between people can shift constantly.

Accumulation: A choreographic form that can be described by the following model: (1), (1, 2), (1, 2, 3), (1, 2, 3, 4), (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). If each number represents a distinct movement or dance phrase, then this structure is constructed by adding on different movement or dance phrases.

Inversion: Inversion is performing a movement or movements upside down (E.g. an arm movement that curves up and over will be inverted to an arm movement which curves down and under.)

Embellishment: A part of the body can be embellished as it is involved in the movement (E.g. as the arm moves, wiggle the fingers or make a fist.)

Fragmentation: Use only a part of the motif, such as the beginning or just the end.

Instrumentation: Perform the movement with a different body part.

Question and Answer: One dancer moves (question) and the other dancer’s movement responds to (answers) the movement of the initial dancer.

Candidate Assessment Record

Dance: Choreography (Higher)

Candidate Name: ______

Candidate Number: ______