Choreographic Devices

Question 1

What is motif and motif development?

Answer 1

-A motif is a single movement or movement phrase which embodies the dance intention. It should be distinct and recognisable.

• Developments of a motif should stress, emphasise or reinforce a point.
• Examples include repetition, fragmentation, instrumentation, retrograde, inversion, size, stage face, stage place, levels, dynamic, tempo, rhythm, order, background,

Question 2

What are highlights?

Answer 2

• Peaks/ memorable moments in a dance. There can be several highlights and they should be interesting and attention grabbing. They may also stress or emphasise a point.
• For example, contrast in dynamic

Question 3

What is the climax?

Answer 3

-Single highest point of a dance. It’s the most important and impacting moment which clearly communicates the dance intention with the audience.

• If climax is at beginning of dance= impact
• middle= balance
• end= memorable and maintains interest throughout the dance

Question 4

What is variation?

Answer 4

• a different form of motif development

- variation comes from the style of performance

Question 5

What are transitions?

Answer 5

• movements that provide links between sections/ bridging elements of the structure.
• they blend movements that transport you to a new idea, phrase, section

Question 6

What is contrast?

Answer 6

• when one motif of a section is completely different to the next, and contains movement that hasn’t been seen before
• can be created through a change in dynamics, tempo, movement content, floor work, elevation, number of dancers

Question 7

What is unison?

Answer 7

-same movement done at the same time

Question 8

What is repetition?

Answer 8

• movement seen exactly in the same way, with the content and order are an exact replication
• used to emphasise an important point, motif, idea

Question 9

What is a canon (in general) ?

Answer 9

-where movement is performed with a time delay

Question 10

What is a reverting canon?

Answer 10

-when the same phrase of movement is danced, but with a time delay between each dancer. Can be shown through:
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4

Question 11

What is a simultaneous canon?

Answer 11

When all the dancers begin the movement phrase at the same time and finish at the same time, but the order of the movement is changed. This can be shown through:
1 2 3 4
2 3 4 1
3 4 1 2

Question 12

What is a cumulative canon?

Answer 12

When the dancers all start at different points of the exact same motif, but then all end with the same movement at the same time. This can be shown through:
1 2 3 4
2 3 4
3 4

Question 13

What is a lose/ random canon?

Answer 13

-same phrase of movement but with no pattern or a strict order