Unit 1 – Area of Study 1: Dance perspectives
Outcome 1
Describe and document features of other choreographers’ dance works.
Examples of learning activities
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Describe a dance work with reference to its intention and movement vocabulary.
- Use the internet and other sources to research different dance styles under the headings of television, theatrical and social.
- Describe features of dance works from a range of styles and/or traditions; for example, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dances; Asian dance traditions and styles (classical or contemporary), such as Indian, Balinese, Korean, Japanese; belly dances from different countries; street dances; Latin styles in traditional, classical ballet; jazz dance; dances from European, Celtic or Scandinavian traditions, such as Hungarian, Irish, Basque, Georgian, Norwegian.
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Watch a selection of dance works on DVD or online, and identify and record the various physical skills and movement categories observed.
- Investigate the economic, political, philosophical, cultural, religious, social and environmental influences on a dance tradition or style or choreographer, and write a short report or prepare an oral presentation.
- Learn phrases from a dance work and identify the movement categories and physical skills being used.
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Imagine you are a famous choreographer and explore factors that influence your work and inform your choreography.
Detailed example 1
Communicating intention in a dance
Select one or more dance work and, for each one, complete the following:
Intention
- Discuss and decide what the intention of the work could be.
- Using background information provided about the dance, such as commentary from the choreographer, outline the intention on which the dance was based.
Movement vocabulary
Making references to the dance style, describe its use of:
- movement categories (GEFTTS)
- physical skills
- elements of movement: time, space (including shape) and energy.
Discuss whether or not you think the movement vocabulary effectively communicated the choreographer’s intention. Give reasons for your decision.
Detailed example 2
Watching dance works and recording observations
Using learning activities that focus on the movement categories and physical skills listed for study in the VCE Dance Study Design (for example, structured improvisations focusing on particular categories and skills), complete the following activities:
- View the selected dance work, research and make notes about the chorographer and the intention of the piece.
- Write down phrases of movement vocabulary from different sections of the dance (using text or graphic notation or a software application).
- Identify the physical skills used in these phrases (add annotations to the description).
- Write down the phrases linking the movement categories with the physical skills.
- Complete a table relating the movement categories to the physical skills (see example below).
| Physical skill | Movement category | Example |
Strength | Stillness | Arabesque balance demonstrates stillness because it is held and requires strength in legs and core to hold leg up and maintain balance. |
If time allows and students have appropriate dance skills, they can physically learn the phrases.
Please note that for students in combined classes (Unit 1 and Unit 3) this activity can be carried out using work/s selected for Unit 3, Outcome 1.
Detailed example 3
Influences on choreography
Imagine you are a successful choreographer.
Brainstorm factors that might influence your work; for example:
- Where were you born?
- What training did you have?
- Where did you go to school?
- What were some significant events in your life?
Write a list of other things that could influence a choreographer.
Document an intention for a dance you are about to choreograph, including answers to the following questions:
- How did you arrive at the idea?
- What are you trying to show?
- What is the purpose of the piece?
Discuss the process you could use to select movement categories and physical skills for your dance, and how each one could relate to your intention.