Choreographic Features To help the Choreographer to convey their Theme or Idea to the audience, they can use a range of different tools. These are called the Choreographic Features.

Choreographic Features There are 4 main types: 1. Elements of Dance 2. Choreographic Devices 3. Choreographic Structures 4. Visual/Aural Designs

BODY Elements of Dance Locomotor Body Parts Non-Locomotor Body Base Movements that travel through space Body Parts The parts of the body doing the movement Non-Locomotor Movements that stay on the spot Body Base How the body contacts with the floor Body Shape The angles/shapes that the body parts make

Relationships Elements of Dance Individual Environment Pair Objects Relationship with the audience Environment Relationship with stage and set Pair Relationship between 2 people Objects Relationship with certain props Group Relationship between the whole group

ENERGY Elements of Dance Weight Flow Quality How the dancer uses or resists Gravity Flow How much restriction a dancer puts on the movements Quality The type of movement they perform

SPACE Elements of Dance Focus Place Direction Pathway Range Level Where a performer looks Place Where the focus of the piece is. Direction Which way the performers face Pathway The direction of travel in space Range The use of the area and how big the movements are Level The height of the movement and performers

TIME Elements of Dance Accent Beat Duration Tempo Rhythm The emphasis in the movement Beat The timing of the music Duration How long a move or movement lasts for Tempo How fast or slow the movement or music is Rhythm The underlying beat in the music

Choreographic Devices A Choreographic Device is a method applied to a phrase that changes or develops the phrase. They help to develop a Motif (signature move) or add interest to a dance performance The Devices include:

Choreographic Devices Canon – movement exactly repeated by each dancer in turn, as in a Mexican wave. This canon could be a single step that is repeated, a phrase that starts one count later, or a phrase that starts after a certain period of time.

Choreographic Devices Augmentation – making a movement larger in space and in time. Embellishment - adding detail to a movement e.g. hand/arm

Choreographic Devices Fragmentation – breaking the movements into separate parts, which are then used in a different place or order Insertion – putting new material into a movement (i.e. a leap or turn)

Choreographic Devices Instrumentation – using another part of the body to perform the same movement Inversion – turning a movement upside down Retrograde – doing or performing the movement backwards, like rewinding a film

Choreographic Devices Watch ‘Mauri’ again, focusing on how the choreographer has used a specific Choreographic Device. In your books write down 3 ways that he used: # Canon # Augmentation # Embellishment # Fragmentation # Insertion # Instrumentation # Inversion # Retrograde

Choreographic Structures These are the ways that movement is organised to give form to a dance work. It is how a dance is put together after you have used the Choreographic Devices to create movement.

Choreographic Structures Accumulation – Successively building on sections of movement. (i.e. A; AB; ABC …) For Example: Turn, Turn Kick, Turn Kick Gallop, Turn Kick Gallop Leap

Choreographic Structures Binary Structure: two movements or movement phrases used in a sequential two-part form (i.e. AABB) Movement type A would be choreographed, then it may be repeated using the same theme/movements with slight variation. Movement type B would then be a complete contrast of this. This may then be repeated.

Choreographic Structures Canon – in the structural form where one or two themes or motifs are repeated in succession. For example: Kura with the wave movements

Choreographic Structures Rhondo: Reoccurring and contrasting sections (i.e. A B A C A D A E A) For Example a Hip Hop dance – has the same chorus but different verses.

Choreographic Structures Chance: a random structure Narrative: a storyline

Choreographic Structures Theme and Variation: An original phase with a variation of speed/space. Unison: Movement at the same time

Choreographic Structures Watch ‘Kura’ again. Pick out specific times where the choreographer has used different Choreographic Structures. Think about why he has done this at that point – what was the purpose.