CHAPTER 3

Dance Appreciation
and Composition

Mr. Anthony F. Balatar Jr.

Subject Instructor
 Introduction
• Have you ever tried watching a dance routine without understanding what is
happening in the performance?
• Have you completed a whole dance show and could not even remember a
thing or two about it?
• How can a dance become a good dance?
 Introduction
When a certain dance performance has poor dance choreography, it is difficult
for it to be understood and appreciated. When a dance fails to communicate its
intended meaning or if it does not have a meaning or significance at all, it is
hard for the audience to grasp the content of the performance.
 What makes a good dance?
- It displays a significant meaning or conveys a message.
- It portrays life experiences.
- It may be presented abstractly and symbolically but still convey emotion and
meaning.
- It lifts and transports the audience from their seats during the performance.
 What makes a good dance?
- It has a beginning, middle and end/conclusion.
- The beginning of a dance may come in a form of shape, a pose, or an
entrance.
- The middle consists of a development or the exploration of the main idea.
- The ending/conclusion should be clear and may be in a form of a shape, a
pose or an exit.
 What makes a good dance?
- Whether it is sports, music, or dance, dance must have a form brought to
their elements by means of orderly arrangement, meaning and purpose.
- There must be a sense of direction.
- It must have a shape or form for its choreography to be effective.
 What is a 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.
 What is a form?
- It should progresses through time from the beginning to the end of the
choreography. Each section is composed of several units that are smoothly
connected to each other. These units are called phrases.
 What is a phrase?
- It is the smallest unit of dance. When you combine one movement with
several others, they form a unit. When units are pieced together, they make
up a sections together to form a whole dance. Choreographers and dancers
use movement phrasing when working on dances.
 What is a phrase?
- Although, movement phrases should vary in length and shape, most of the
dances nowadays use equal length phrases. Commonly, a single phrase
consists of eight counts. It is easier for building routines and choreographic
combinations with an eight – count phrase.
 What is a motif?
- It is a theme to be able to convey its meaning or intention to the audience.
It is a single movement that embodies the style and intention of the dance.
A dance without meaning makes it harder for the audience to understand;
thus, making it superficial and easy to forget. A good dance uses a motif in
which the movements are repeated, varied and developed by manipulating
the movement components or elements.
 Characteristics of a Good Dance
1. Unity – the interconnected phrases of the dance are coherent and flow
smoothly together. The movements fit together and each plays an important
role that contributes to the entirety of a dance. It is crucial for a dance to have
unity to effectively make the audience understand as a whole. It also attracts
and holds the audience’s attention (Minton,2007).
 Characteristics of a Good Dance

2. Continuity and Development – the phrases of the dance that 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.
 Characteristics of a Good Dance
3. Variety and Contrast – making one or several variations that highlight the facet of
the motif. This provides variety within the development of a dance. It introduces new
material, which is noticeably different from anything so far seen in the dance. It add
excitement and flavor in dance. Changing the direction, uses of energy, timing of a
movement phrase, and avoiding repeating them in the exact way are ways to add
variety to the dance.
 Characteristics of a Good Dance
4. Transition – this is the link between movements, phrases, and sections of the
dance. It makes the logical progression of the dance flow smoothly. Also, it is
vital because it keeps the unity and continuity of the dance. Transitions may
vary from length and complexity. They may be long or short, gradual or abrupt.
They may also be simple or involving an entire phrase of movement.
 Characteristics of a Good Dance
5. Repetition – it emphasizes movements and phrases that are important to the
dance and gives a feeling of closure to a work. Some phrases need to be
repeated in choreography so that the audience see those movements again and
identify its significance. Usually, when a certain phrase or a section of
choreography is repeated, it is the main message of the dance.
 Characteristics of a Good Dance
6. Climax – this is where the apex of energy in the dance is reached. It may be
a fast and enraged blast of energy of action, or it could fade away to a gentle
and quiet exit that marks the end of a particular story. The music will often
assist both the choreographer and the audience when determining this point of
development.
 Choreographic Forms in Dance
1. Sequential Forms
- AB (two – part) form
- ABA (three – part) form
- Rondo form (ABACA)
- Theme and Variations form
 Choreographic Forms in Dance
2. Contrapuntal Forms
- Ground Bass
- Round or Canon
- Fugue or Accumulation
- Suite
 Choreographic Forms in Dance
3. Episodic Form
- Narrative Form
4. Other Compositional Forms
- Natural Structures
- Collage
- Tableau
- Chance
 Evaluating a Good Dance
1. Choreographers – they will evaluate a part of an ongoing process of
developing a personal style which is both spontaneous and organized.
2. Dancers – they will evaluate according to the specific demands that the
performance places on them.
3. Audiences – they will evaluate according to the particular context of the
dance.
 Stages in Assessing a Dance
Critique
1. Description – involves close observation of all elements, characteristics, and
components of a dance.
2. Interpretation – involves an appreciation of the ideas, content, images and style
contained within the dance.
3. Evaluation – takes into consideration how effectively the features 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.