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Advice for teachers -
Dance

Unit 4 Area of Study 2: Choreography, performance and dance-making analysis

Outcome 2

 Choreograph, rehearse, perform and analyse their realisation of a solo dance work.

Examples of lear​ning activities

  • Discuss with class a timeframe for the process of choreographing, rehearsing and performing a solo dance work.
  • Revise the processes for realising a solo dance work.
  • Research proposed ideas for the intention, gauging viability for the making of a clear dance statement that outlines the structure of the work with a beginning, development/s and resolution.
  • Use stimulus material to select an intention for a solo dance work; storyboard the dance progression and discuss appropriate movement and use of space; evaluate the effectiveness of the choices; reflect upon and refine the work.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Investigate possible options for the formal structure of the solo dance work as well as ways to generate material for each section of the work.
  • Use structured improvisation to plan the use of spatial organisation in the dance work.
  • Improvise movement possibilities that could be used in the creation of phrases and sections and that directly link to the intention of each section; for example, the beginning, development/s and resolution, or A ,B, C, and D of the solo dance work.
  • Arrange physical skills and movement categories to reflect variations in the use of direction, dimension, focus and levels in order to develop the intention, from beginning to resolution.
  • Video work in progress and identify ways in which artistry could be demonstrated in performance of the work.
  • Workshop the use of different choreographic devices and their manipulation of movement.
  • Document and analyse how movement relates to production elements, including the musical accents/phrases/sections or the soundscape.
  • Document and analyse manipulation of the elements of spatial organisation in the solo dance work.
Example icon for advice for teachers 

Detailed example

Students investigate the possible options for the formal structure of a solo dance work and consider how to generate material for each section of the work.

Students complete the following steps towards creating a solo dance work:

  • Draft an intention for a solo dance work:
    • select a theme
    • identify stimulus material such as an image or object etc.
  • Discuss spatial organisation and how each of the aspects of spatial organisation (direction, dimension, level and focus) could connect to the intention in each section of the dance.
  • Discuss choreographic devices that suit the intention.
  • Identify two or three devices that could be used throughout the work.
  • Identify an appropriate form for the work, for example:
    • intention: gravity/weightlessness
    • form: BINARY -– 2 sections
  • Decide how different aspects of spatial orgnaisation could be used in the work.
  • Consider what could happen in terms of spatial organisation.
  • Consider whether there are any choreographic devices that might suit this intention (inversion or retrograde).

Example of a narrative or unified composition with beginning, development and resolution

Intention
Ice/water/vapour

Choreographic devices that suit the intention
Fragmentation of ice; Addition of water

Development process

  • Students individually choose either Fragmentation of ice or Addition of water, and improvise them through dance.
  • They then select one motif (action or phrase) from the improvisation and pair up with someone who chose the same intention in order to share motifs. They choose one of these motifs to develop into a longer phrase that clearly shows consideration of all elements: spatial organisation, direction, level, focus and dimension (DDLF).
  • Each pair of students shows their development to the class.
  • Individually, students consider the other intention (Fragmentation of ice or Addition of water) and develop this in terms of a choreographic device that could be altered to reflect the intention for a different section of the dance from the first phrase.
  • Students experiment with spatial organisation of the phrase/motif for this section.
  • Each student shows this second motif/phrase to the class.
  • Students discuss the concept of artistry: clear eye and body focus, smooth transitions, clear endings to phrases, secure landings, effortlessness or efficient energy expenditure, secure alignment and placement, confident projection outwards to the audience, continuity of presence, clarity in changes of time/space/energy, clarity of intention.
  • Students incorporate these aspects of artistry as they refine, and then link, their two phrases in the order in which they would occur to convey the intention. In doing this they consider transitions, technical skills, energy efficiency, projection and clarity of intention, etc.
  • Students show their refined phrases to the class and receive feedback.