Lesson - Compositional Elements

Fundamental components of dance, which include the following:

• Body: The instrument of dance. The term body may also refer to the body’s position or shape (e.g., curved, straight, angular, twisted, symmetrical, asymmetrical); also, how the body is moving (e.g., using locomotor or non-locomotor movements).
• Energy: The force with which the body moves (e.g., light, strong, sustained, sudden).
• Relationship: The way in which two or more things are connected to or associated with one another (e.g., dancer to dancer, dancer to object, right arm to left arm).
• Space: The physical area in which the body moves; also, the area surrounding the body.
• Time: An element of dance involving rhythm, tempo, accent, and duration. Time can be based on measured beats, as in music, or on body rhythms, such as breath, emotions, and heartbeat.

A structure that organizes movements.
Choreographic form may be defined as narrative or patterned.
Choreographic form is also called compositional form, and/or choreographic structure.

• Pattern Form: A choreographic form used to communicate an abstract idea or message (as opposed to a narrative). Examples of pattern forms include AB, ABA, call and response, canon, collage, motif, pattern, retrograde, rondo, theme and variation.
• Binary (AB): A two-part choreographic pattern form with an A theme and a B theme. The form consists of two distinct, self-contained dance sequences or sections.
• Ternary (ABA): A three-part choreographic pattern form with an A theme and a B theme in which the second section contrasts with the first section and the third section restates the first section in a condensed, abbreviated, or extended form.
• Call and Response: A choreographic form in which one soloist or group performs, followed by a second soloist or group whose performance responds to the first.
• Canon: A choreographic form in which a dance phrase is performed by more than one soloist or group and begins at different times so that the phrases overlap (analogous to a round in music). See CODE's Canon resource.
• Collage: In dance, a choreographic form consisting of a series of phrases that are often unrelated but have been brought together to create a single dance with a beginning, middle, and end.
• Motif: A distinctive recurring gesture, movement, sequence, or image that can be elaborated upon in a variety of ways. A motif may be used to provide a theme or unifying idea for a dance piece.
• Retrograde: A choreographic form in which a dance or movement sequence is performed in reverse order (e.g., a dance phrase performed from back to front). See CODE's Retrograde resource.
• Rondo (ABACAD): A choreographic form which expands on ABA form to ABACADA (lengthened indefinitely), in which the A theme is repeated or varied.
• Theme and Variation (A, A1, A2, A3): A choreographic form that starts with an original movement idea that is repeated with various modifications (e.g., performed faster or slower, with lighter or stronger movements, in a new place) while still maintaining its structure and sequence, resulting in an A-A1-A2-A3 pattern. The theme may be repeated between the variations. See CODE's Theme and Variation resource.

The following are methods of changing a piece of movement:

• Beginning, Middle, End
• Tempo: Perform fast/slow/stop.
• Counterpoint: Phrasing movements in opposition to the rhythm
• Repetition: the repeated use of movement phrases or parts of phrases for emphasis or to create some other effect. Repetition can help relate sections of dance to each other
• Transitions: the links between dance movements and phrases.
• Unison: A movement or action performed in exactly the same way by two or more people at the same time.
• Inversion: Perform upside-down.
• Size: Condense/Expand movement.
• Quality: Vary the movement quality.
• Instrumentation: Perform the movement with different body parts.
• Staging: Perform it at a different place on the stage and/or with different facing to the audience.