Choreography

Question 1

What is the beat?

Answer 1

The smallest musical division of a phrase

Question 2

What are musical beats divided into?

Answer 2

The downbeat and upbeat

Question 3

What is the downbeat?

Answer 3

The strongest pulse which fall on the odd numbers (1/3)

Question 4

What is the upbeat?

Answer 4

The weaker pulse which fall on the even numbers (2/4)

Question 5

What is the measure?

Answer 5

The basic organizational unit in music.

Question 6

What is a musical phrase?

Answer 6

A pattern of music

Question 7

List some common 2-count moves

Answer 7

March
Heel dig
Knee lift
Toe tap
Hamstring curls
Kick
Jumping Jacks
Twist
Scissors
Pendulum

Question 8

List some common 4-step moves

Answer 8

The grapevine
The V-step
The four-step hustle
The mambo
The cha-cha
The box step
The power squat with two claps
Jig

Question 9

What do we call the foot that leads on the downbeat?

Answer 9

The lead foot

Question 10

What is bilateral upper body movement?

Answer 10

Using both arms in one movement

Question 11

What is unilateral upper body movement?

Answer 11

Using one arm in one movement

Question 12

When does upper body movement complement lower body movement?

Answer 12

When the arm corresponds with lower body movement.

Question 13

When does upper body movement oppose lower body movement?

Answer 13

When the arm opposes lower body movement

Question 14

Why are some instructors easy to follow?

Answer 14

They provide clear cues and provide smooth transitioning in choreography

Question 15

What is the simple rule for making smooth transitions?

Answer 15

Only change one element at a time.

Question 16

List some elements of variation

Answer 16

Lever change
Spatial variation
Directional change
Style variation
Rhythm change

Question 17

What happens in a lever change?

Answer 17

The instructor switches between short and long levers (e.g. from knee lift to kick and vice-versa)

Question 18

The longer the lever, the …

Answer 18

Greater the intensity

Question 19

List two ways to utilize a directional change

Answer 19

1. Turn your body to face another direction

2. Travel the move

Question 20

Name some common style variations.

Answer 20

Country, Irish, African, Hip-Hop, Sporty, Latin, Jazz, Broadway dance, Funky

Question 21

How can instructors change the rhythm?

Answer 21

Slow the move down (half-time)
Speed the move up (double-time)
Go from 2-count move to 4-count variation
Add syncopation
Add claps, vocal sounds, or words

Question 22

How can one add syncopation?

Answer 22

By adding a move to the “and” of a beat

Question 23

What is the part to whole method for building a routine?

Answer 23

Take a complicated routine and teach it one part at a time.
Teach a part and then make it more complex or intense (layering)
Once comfortable, add Part B and then Part C

Question 24

What is the repetition reduction method for building a routine?

Answer 24

Start with many repetitions
Then reduce the number of reps
The more quickly you change, the more complex and difficult the routine will seem

Question 25

What is freestyle choreography?

Answer 25

Spontaneous movement delivered on the spot. One move flows seamlessly into another with little repetition.

Question 26

Why is freestyle easier on participants?

Answer 26

They don’t have to memorize choreography

Question 27

What is anticipatory cueing?

Answer 27

Signaling the next move in the last one or two beat of the previous measure/phrase