Patrice O'Brien Faculty of Education, University of Auckland

Unity
The most important principle is that a dance should have unity. This involves the
arrangement of separate components to create an overall impression related to
the concept of the work.

Transition
This is about how movements
or sections of a dance are
Contrast linked together. They Sequence
contribute to the flow of the
Can be seen in changes of dance. The sections of the dance are
movements, dynamics, tempos or in a logical order.
spatial design
Provides continuity, a sense
Groups of dancers can do of development and
different movements e.g. non- resolution.
locomotor versus travelling,
stillness versus movement,
staccato versus sustained.

Climax
This is the part of the dance that
is given most emphasis - the high
point of the dance. It can be
Variation
The reuse of significant
UNITY achieved by increasing the
tempo or dynamics, having more
dancers, through stillness or
movements that have been
varied or changed to give enlarging the movement.
greater depth of meaning.

Proportion
Balance
This refers to the relative size
This involves floor patterns , the of the sections or sequences,
placement of dancers or groups of
the groupings of dancers, the
dancers in relation to each other
and in relation to the space size of movements.
Repetition
(upstage/downstage) .
For emphasis and to give
coherence to the piece
Movements, sequences, the use
of space, body shapes, rhythms
can be repeated.

Hayes, E.R. (1955) Dance composition and production. New York: Ronald Press
McCutchen, B.P. (2006) Teaching dance as art in education. Champaign, Il: Human Kinetics