Dance Appreciation and Composition
intention of the dance is called a motif.
Recreational dance a social activity in which people of all ages can participate.
Includes folk, cultural, and historical dances, and social dances from the past and
present.
Dance fitness a fun way to increase cardiovascular endurance, strength, and
flexibility. Various dance genres support fitness. (Ex. Zumba fitness and Cardio dance)
Good dance
A good dance displays a significant meaning or conveys a message (also life
experiences).
Dance may be presented abstractly and symbolically but still convey emotion and
meaning.
It has a:
Beginning – may come in a form of shape, a pose, or an entrance.
Middle – consists of a development or the exploration of the main idea.
End/conclusion – should be clear and may be in a form of a shape, a pose, or an exit.
A good dance therefore, must have a shape or form for its choreography to be
effective.
Form
A form is the instrument by which ideas and elements are arranged or combined
into a logical sequence which results in unity and consistency, and by which the
content or idea can be expressed and communicated.
The form should progress through time from the beginning to the end of the
choreography. Each section is composed of several units that are smoothly connected
to each other. These small units are called phrases.
Phrase
A phrase is the smallest unit of form in the whole dance. Choreographers and
dancers use movement phrasing when working on dances.
Commonly, a single phrase consists of eight counts.
Motif
A good dance contains a theme or a motif to be able to convey its meaning or
intention to the audience.
A single movement or a short phrase of movement that embodies the style and
One good example of a dance is the Itik-Itik Philippine folkdance. It is easy to
identify the motif of this dance as it simply portrays the movement of an itik (duckling).
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD DANCE
Characteristics of a good dance
1. Unity. The interconnected phrases of the dance are coherent and flow
smoothly. The movement flows together and each plays an important role that
contributes to the entirety of a dance.
2. Continuity and Development. The phrases of the dance that are organized
progressively, making each movement phrase move naturally into the next.
There is a continuous development of the movement phrase and the audience
is swept along to the end.
3. Variety and Contrast. Making one or several variations that highlight the facet
of the motif. This provides variety within the development of a dance. It
introduces new material and adds flavor and excitement in a dance.
4. Transition. This is the link between movements, phrases, and sections of the
dance. It makes the logical progression of the dance flow smoothly. Transitions
may vary from length and complexity.
5. Repetition. It emphasizes movements and phrases that are important to the
dance and gives a feeling of closure to a work.
6. Climax. This is where the apex of energy in the dance is reached.
CHOREOGRAPHIC FORMS IN DANCE
1. Sequential Forms
These forms contains themes/motif which progress in a specific order. They are
arranged accordingly.
a) AB (two-part) form – the simplest of the sequential forms and is similar to a
verse and a chorus of a song. It is a binary form with two contrasting sections
consisting of a beginning section (A) followed by a second section (B).
 b) ABA (three-part) form – composed of introductory theme (A), a contrasting
theme (B), and a restatement of the original theme (A). (A) is the unifying
theme and the center of interest, then (B) gives contrast.
c) Rondo Form (ABACA) – in this form the unifying theme (A) returns after each
contrasting theme
d) Theme and Variation form – the motif is a series of movements to which
variations are added throughout the development of the entire choreography
2. Contrapuntal Forms
Here, several themes are woven together in choreography to form a complex
structure. The main theme is seen against itself or against one or more other themes.
a. Ground Bass – single theme starts the dance and is repeated all the way
through the dance while other contrasting themes are simultaneously
performed with it.
b. Round or Canon – consists of two or more movement phrases or theme in
which the main movement phrases is imitated exactly and completely by the
successive movements, but done in staggered manner.
c. Fugue or Accumulation – a choreographic form that is constructed by adding
on different movement or dance phrases in every repetition of the main
movement theme. The movement phrases can be developed by reversing,
inverting, argumenting, or dimininshing throughout the dance.
d. Suite - every section of the dance (beginning, middle, and end) use different
tempos and qualities.
3. Episodic form
Episodic forms are not musical forms. Instead, they are found in literature.
They tell a story through connected and progressive sections called episodes. Narrative
form is an episodic form that tells a story or conveys an idea and the sequence of the
story determines the structure of the dance.
4. Other Compositional forms
a. Natural Structures – mostly come from natural structures such as the
seasons, life, cycles, and everyday life experiences.
b. Collage – consists of “a series of movement phrases that are often
unrelated but have been brought together to create a single dance
with a beginning, middle, and end.
c. Tableau – different movement phrases are performed by different
dancers simultaneously in the same space.
d. Chance – the movement phrases are performed in random order and
spatial placing.
EVALUATING A GOOD DANCE
How is the quality of the dance evaluated?
Evaluators’ roles are categorized as:
1. Choreographers – they will evaluate a part of an ongoing process of
developing a personal style which is both spontaneous and organized.
2. Dancers – they will evaluate according to the specific demands that the
performance places on them.
3. Audiences – they will evaluate according to the particular context of the
dance.
Stages in Assessing a Dance (Dance Critique)
1. Description – involves close observation of all the elements, characteristics,
and components of a dance. Here, the evaluator/critic notes down the
composition of the dance in terms of the elements and the characteristics of
dance.
2. Interpretation – involves an appreciation of the ideas, content, images, and
style contained within the dance.
3. Evaluation – takes into consideration how effectively the features and the
context of the dance have been utilized in the actual performance of the
dancers to portray the content and the quality of the dance.