Elements of Dance
Choreographic Devices
Rhythmic Movement
Shapes
Body Awareness
Relationships
Time
Energy
Space
Mirroring
Shadowing
Unison
Cannon
Pathways (straight)
Pathways (Twisting, twirling, curling)
Music
Music affects how we use time and energy in our dance
click to edit
Sequences
Chunks
Phases
Held Pose
Start and end the sequence in a held pose so the work is "framed"
Developing our dance
Scaffolding
Alone or together
Collaborative
Creative
Participation
Negotiation
Contribution
Ideas
Exploration
Structure
Mood
Imagery
Individual
Improviation
Locomotor
Non-Locomotor
Choreographic Devices
repetition — repeating a movement or movement phrase throughout a dance;
variation — consciously varying the movement, time, space or energy;
symmetry/asymmetry — organising the movement or space to create symmetrical or asymmetrical shapes and spaces;
contrast — altering the choreographic elements to create extremes, thus making contrasts such as high/low, big/little;
canon — (as in the Mexican Wave) repeating a specific movement in succession, usually with a group, for example, children running and leaping across the classroom, one after another;
Accumulation — building a sequence by adding movements one at a time. If numbers could represent movements, an accumulation could be expressed as 1, 1-2, 1-2-3, 1-2-3-4.
Phrases
Structuring a dance
Motifs or distinct movements that distinguish different sections of the dance
Climax (the vital point in the dance)
a narrative or story-line
a patterned repetition of movement phrases as in poetry or music, with patterns such as
AABB and rondo
improvisation, or free flow of movement, which is a spontaneous response to other dancers or stimuli
Strads in the Curriculum and their AOs
DI Students develop ideas in dance
CI Students communicate and interpret in dance
PK Students develop practical knowledge in dance
UC Students understand dance in context
LEVEL 1: Explore movement with a developing awareness of the dance elements of body, space, energy, time and relationships;
LEVEL 2: Explore and identify through movement the dance elements of body, space, energy, time and relationships;
LEVEL 3: Use the dance elements to develop and share their personal movement vocabulary.
LEVEL 4: Apply the dance elements to extend personal movement skills and vocabularies and to explore the vocabularies of others.
LEVEL 1: Improvise and explore movement ideas in response to a variety of stimuli;
LEVEL 2: Use the elements of dance in purposeful ways to respond to a variety of stimuli
LEVEL 3: Select and combine, dance elements in response to a variety of stimuli.
LEVEL 4: Combine and contrast the dance elements to express images, ideas and feelings in dance, using a variety of choreographic processes.
LEVEL 1: Share dance movement through informal presentation share their thoughts and feelings in response to their own and others’ dances;
Share dance movement through informal presentation and identify the use of the elements of dance;
LEVEL 3: Prepare and share dance movement individually and in pairs or groups. Use the elements of dance to describe dance movements and respond to dances from a variety of cultures.
LEVEL 4: Prepare and present dance with an awareness of the performance context. Describe and record how the purpose of selected dances is expressed through movement.
LEVEL 1: Demonstrate an awareness of dance in their lives and in their communities
Identify and describe dance in their lives and in their communities
LEVEL 3: Explore and describe dances from a variety of cultures.
Explore and describe how dance is used for different purposes in a variety of cultures.
Understanding the Strands and AOs
Metaphor of interwoven strands to show that the strands are being learned/used simultaneously
Metaphor of a mussel shell for the curriculum levels - learning from level 1 is still present in level 2 but is extended on
Specific Learning Intention: Students will explore the element of space by moving on different levels and pathways
Resources to help me learn
Pedagogical Strategies
Students can learn from each other with small groups activities
Expert Groups - A Jigsaw Method
Group members research a topic each and then share
Use Dance-Making-activities such as weight bearing exercises, formations, counter balancing