CHAPTER 3: Dance Appreciation and Composition

WHAT MAKES A GOOD DANCE?

 A good dance displays a significant meaning or conveys a message, at times portraying
life experiences.
 A good dance lifts and transports the audience from their seats during the performance.
 A good dance has a:
1. Beginning ‒ may come in a form of shape, a pose, or an entrance;
2. Middle ‒ consists of a development or the exploration of the main idea; and
3. End/Conclusion ‒ should be clear and may be in a form of a shape, a pose, or an
exit.
 A good dance must have a shape or form for its choreography to be effective.
FORM
 It is the instrument by which ideas and elements are arranged or combined into a logical
sequence which results in unity and consistency, and by means of which the content or
idea can be expressed and communicated.
 It is the organizing factor of any work or dance composition.
 It should progress through time from the beginning to the end of the choreography.
Phrase
 It is “the smallest unit of form in the whole dance”.
 Commonly, a single phrase consists of eight counts, with which it is easier for building
routines and choreographic combinations.
Motif
 It is a single movement or a short phrase of movement that embodies the style and
intention of the dance.
 It is used in a good dance to be able to convey its meaning or intention to the audience
since a dance without meaning makes it harder for the audience to understand; thus,
making it superficial and easy to forget.
 It is used in a good dance in which the movements are repeated, varied, and developed
by manipulating the movement components or elements.
 One good example of a dance with motif is the Itik-Itik Philippine folkdance. It is easy to
identify the motif of this dance as it simply portrays the movements of an itik (duckling).
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD DANCE
• UNITY
The interconnected phrases of the dance are coherent and flow smoothly together.
 • CONTINUITY AND DEVELOPMENT
The phrases of the dance 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.
• VARIETY AND CONTRAST
This means making one or several variations that highlight the facet of the motif to provide
variety within the development of a dance and to introduce new material.
• TRANSITION
This is the link between movements, phrases, and sections of the dance to make the logical
progression of the dance flow smoothly and to keep the unity and continuity of the dance.
• REPETITION
It emphasizes movements and phrases that are important to the dance and gives a feeling of
closure to a work.
• CLIMAX
It may be a fast and enraged blast of energy and action, or it could fade away to a gentle and
quiet exit that marks the end of a particular story.
CHOREOGRAPHIC FORMS IN DANCE
 SEQUENTIAL FORMS
- These forms contain themes/motifs which progress in a specific order.
a. AB (two-part) Form
o It is the simplest of the sequential forms and is similar to a verse and a
chorus of a song.
o It is a binary form with two contrasting sections consisting of a beginning
section (A) followed by a second section (B).
o This form is commonly used in many folk dances and songs.

b. ABA (three-part) Form

o It is composed of an introductory theme (A), a contrasting theme (B), and a
restatement of the original theme (A), which is the unifying theme and the center
of interest.
o Most popular songs use this form where there is chorus (A), a verse (B), and a
repetition of the chorus (A), which is often somewhat elaborated to highlight the
idea of the song.
c. Rondo Form (ABACA)
 o In this form, the unifying theme (A) returns after each contrasting theme and
appears after every contrasting section at least three times, but it can itself be
varied.
o It can be described as ABACADAEAFA development of movement idea.

d. Theme and Variations Form

o The motif is a series of movements to which variations are added throughout the
development of the entire choreography.
o The motif/theme can be a single phrase or several movement phrases placed
together in a sequence.
o The order of the movements is kept the same all throughout the variations. It can
take the form of subtle adjustments in dynamics, space, style, mood, and tempo.
 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
o Single theme starts the dance and is repeated all the way through the dance
while other contrasting themes are simultaneously performed with it.
o This form is best done in a group working either in contrast to each other or
against a soloist.
b. Round or Canon
o It consists of two or more movement phrases or themes in which the main
movement phrases are imitated exactly and completely by the successive
movements, but done in staggered manner.
c. Fugue or Accumulation
o It is a choreographic form that is constructed by adding on different
movement or dance phrases in every repetition of the main movement theme.
o The movement phrases or the motif can be developed by reversing, inverting,
augmenting, or diminishing throughout the dance.
d. Suite
o Every section of the dance (beginning, middle, and end) use different tempos
and qualities.
o Commonly, it has a moderate beginning, a slow middle section, and a fast
and lively end section.
 EPISODIC FORMS

- They 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.

- As in all good soap operas, each section or chapter reveals more of the plot and has its
own interest, variations, and contrast.

- Classical ballet often uses these forms.

3. OTHER COMPOSITIONAL FORMS

a. Natural Structures
They mostly come from natural structures such as the seasons, life cycles, and everyday life
experiences all of which present rich materials for organic dance structure.
b. Collage
- It consists of “a series of movement phrases that are often unrelated but have been
brought together to create a single dance with a beginning, a middle, and an end”.
- The overall form remains a whole even though the content may be illogical.
c. Tableau
- In this form, different movement phrases are performed by different dancers
simultaneously in the same space wherein the dancers may execute it at a different
location on the stage and connect transitional movements for each scene to produce a
progression of moving snapshots.
d. Chance

- The movement phrases are performed in random order and spatial placing.

- Every time the dance is performed, it is done in different order and therefore has
a different appearance.

- Originally, the dance phrases were arranged by tossing coins to decide on

choices and the order of performance, hence, coming from the word by chance.

Evaluating a Good Dance

CATEGORIES OF EVALUATORS’ ROLES
• Choreographers
They will evaluate a part of an ongoing process of developing a personal style which
is both spontaneous and organized.
• Dancers
They will evaluate according to the specific demands that the performance places on
them.
• Audiences
They will evaluate according to the particular context of the dance.
STAGES IN ASSESSING A DANCE (DANCE CRITIQUE)
• Description
It involves close observation of all the elements, characteristics, and components of a dance.
• Interpretation
It involves an appreciation of the ideas, content, images, and style contained within the dance.
• Evaluation
It takes into consideration how effectively the features (i.e., elements, characteristics) 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.
GUIDE QUESTIONS IN ANALYZING AND EVALUATING A DANCE PERFORMANCE

SAMPLE DANCE ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION