S1 exam terminology

• Elements of Movement

  • Space
  • Time
  • Energy
• Qualities of Space

  • Shape
  • Spatial organisation including travelling and axial (on the spot) movements
  • Direction
  • Dimension
  • Levels
  • Focus
• Qualities of Time

  • Rhythm
  • Duration
  • Accent
  • Tempo
  • Pause
• Qualities of Energy

  • Swinging
  • Sustaining
  • Suspending
  • Percussive
  • Vibratory
  • Collapsing
• Choreographic Devices

  • Motif
  • Augmentation
  • Abstraction
  • Repetition
  • Accumulation
  • Inversion
  • Distortion
• Motif

  An action which helps communicate the artistic intention and is therefore repeated or developed through variations in time, space and/or energy
• Augmentation

  Making larger in size or extent. For example, adding outstretched arms, small kick then large leg circle
• Abstraction

  Focusing on pure movement or design rather than plot emotion or character. Or altering the realistic appearance while maintaining the essence of the topic. For example, reality=normal walk, abstracted=bent on knees, on toes
• Repetition

  Repeating one or more components of a composition (movements/phrases) so that they appear again and again for effect and help set the theme in the viewer's mind
• Accumulation

  Gathering and collecting; starting with a single action and adding on another action while keeping the original action. This is done successively, for example: Step; Step, kick; Step, kick, turn; Step kick, turn, jump
• Inversion

  Taking an action or phrase and inverting it (flipping it upside-down) to flip it on its axis, either upside-down or laterally. For example, doing a leg action with the arms, physically turning the movement upside-down, or executing a phrase or action from the right to the left side of the body
• Distortion

  Twisting out of shape, deforming; taking a movement or a whole phrase and changing it from its original format. This might include using different movement qualities
• Choreographic process - ISARE:

  1. Improvisation

  2. Selection

  3. Arrangement

  4. Refinement

  5. Evaluation
• Physical Skills

  • Alignment
  • Balance
  • Coordination
  • Flexibility
  • Control
  • Stamina
  • Strength
  • Transference of weight
• Movement Categories (GEFTTS)


  • Gesture
  • Elevation
  • Falling
  • Travelling
  • Turning
  • Stillness
• Gesture

  Refers to movements of any isolated body part, executed singly or in combination with other actions
• Elevation

  Refers to actions that result in the upward change of level in a dancer's body or a body part. It can refer to whole body movements and/or to actions of limbs or body parts that are raised or lifted
• Falling

  Refers to movements which result in the downward change of level of the body or body parts, from one level to a lower one
• Travelling

  Refers to movements that the dancer uses to traverse the space from one location to another
• Turning

  Refers to the amount of rotation of a body or body part around a vertical or horizontal axis
• Stillness

  Refers to the control of movement that results in the stillness of single parts, multiple parts or the whole body
• Intention

  The central theme or concept of the dance composition. It might be the vision that the choreographer has for the dance or the reason or rationale for the choreography
• Examples of intentions

  • To fulfill a performance purpose
  • To explore an idea, observation, emotion or theme
  • To explore movement possibilities in a particular style or fusion of styles
  • To respond either in a literal or an abstract manner to music or other stimulus such as visual imagery or words
  • To stimulate audience reaction and generate commentary on a particular topic
• Realizing a dance work

  1. Choreographing your own dance

  2. Research and planning

  3. Choreographic process (ISARE)

  4. Rehearsal process

  5. Pre performance (stretching, visualizing, etc.)

  6. Performance process
• Realizing a dance work: Learning

  1. Learning process

  2. Rehearsal process

  3. Performance process
• Improvisation

  A spontaneous movement response without pre-planning
• Selection

  The process of choosing appropriate movement to arrange into phrases/sections to appropriately reflect the intention
• Arrangement

  Process of manipulating movement through the elements of movement phrases, sections, and unified movement
• Refinement

  Process of editing the work in the choreographic stage (physically changing)
• Evaluation

  Process of deciding how effective your choreography is (noticing what has to be changed)
• Group structures

  • Canon
  • Contrast
  • Unison
  • Asymmetrical
  • Symmetrical
• Canon

  An action or phrase that is repeated exactly in turn by two or more dancers with a successive time delay
• Contrast

  Exists where there is a time, space or energy difference in choreography between any single dancer in a group and any of the other dancers and thus can be present in all group structures and formations apart from unison. E.g., Action and reaction, call and response
• Unison

  Is a time-based manipulation that is evident when all the dancers in a group perform exactly the same choreography at the same time
• Asymmetrical

  Group formations that appear to be uneven when divided by a central line
• Symmetrical

  Group formations that appear to be even when divided by a central line
• Learnt work - Overall intention:

  To represent the continuous change and shift of our mentality, nothing stays the same, each individual is always experiencing something that impacts their mental health. 
• Learnt work

  Section A1 intention:

  The continuum is established – everyone is collectively experiencing internal and external factors that affect where they are sitting on the continuum.

  Section B intention:

  Each individual faces personal challenges on their own, as they realise their limits. 

  Section A2 intention:

  Everyone remains on the continuum, however rather than facing challenges in isolation they collectively seek support and work through together. 
• Small group dance - overall intention:

  The intention of this dance work is to physicalize the poem line from Pearls by Maree Collie, ‘The string, knotted individually after each of us, brings unity.’ Displaying our development of connection throughout the dance piece utilizing unison, stillness, and focus.  
• Duo dance task - overall intention:

  The intention of this dance is the represent the circular rising stages of the sun and the moon during an eclipse