1. 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.

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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:

9. 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.

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

11. 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)

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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.

15. 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

16. 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.

17. 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

18. 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.

19. Choreographic Structures
Chance: a random structure
Narrative: a storyline

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

21. 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.