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Manipulating the elements of dance in composition

Duration

9-10 weeks

Driving question

How do the elements of dance enhance an overall composition?

Overview

Students begin to investigate the elements of dance: space, time and dynamics, and how they assist the process of composition. Students will work through the attached PowerPoint presentation, developing their knowledge and understanding of the elements of dance, exploring each area individually, and analysing their effectiveness within performance works.

Outcomes

Stage 4

A student:

  • 4.2.1 identifies and explores aspects of the elements of dance in response to a range of stimuli
  • 4.2.2 composes dance movement, using the elements of dance, that communicates ideas
  • 4.3.1 describes dance performances through the elements of dance

Stage 5

A student:

  • 5.2.1 explores the elements of dance as the basis of the communication of ideas
  • 5.2.2 composes and structures dance movement that communicates an idea
  • 5.3.1 describes and analyses dance as the communication of ideas within a context

Dance 7-10 SyllabusExternal link � NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2003.

Content

Students will explore a range of tasks based around the elements of dance: space, time and dynamics, investigating their creativity within exploring an intent. Students will work through the Manipulating the elements of dance PowerPoint presentation (PPTX 3.2MB)External link exploring the areas under space, time and dynamics. The use of reflection and analysis through process diary entries will further engage students, creating deeper understanding within the compositional process.

Cross-curriculum content and key competencies

Literacy

Assessment

All activities require students to demonstrate their learning and are all formative assessment activities.

Teaching and learning activities

Students are to work both individually and in small groups through practical and written tasks within this unit. Students will be required to reflect on this practice through literacy tasks with regular process diary entries. The elements of Dance and Compositional process posters (PDF 1.87MB)External link will also assist with the teaching of this unit.

Suggested student learning activities include:

  • discussion and reflection activities around each of the tasks
  • creating a vocabulary list throughout the lesson sequence
  • TEEEC structuring to form sophisticated paragraphing, working with the TEEEC scaffold provided (PDF 4.27MB)External link
  • exploring the process of composition and choreographic forms through the following activities.

Space

Working through the Manipulating the elements of dance PowerPoint presentation (PPTX 3.2MB)External link, students will:

  • summarise the information on slides 1-7
  • discuss the different areas of space as a group
  • participate in practical games for remembering each area of the stage
  • discuss the importance of each stage area
  • explore the floor pattern, creating their own and discussing the importance of the pattern travelled
  • discuss and explore the personal, general and performance space.

Shape

Working through the Manipulating the elements of dance, students will:

  • summarise the information on slides 8-11
  • explore shape, discussing the importance and differences within each: straight, angular, curved, open, closed, twisted, asymmetrical, symmetrical
  • view the following and discuss the use of shape to explore intent:

Levels

Working through the Manipulating the elements of dance, students will:

  • summarise the information on slide 11
  • explore level: low, medium and high, and what each means. View the following work and in a TEEEC paragraph describe how they effectively and specifically use level and shape:

Direction

Working through the Manipulating the elements of dance, students will:

  • summarise the information on slide 11
  • explore direction and how it can create meaning within composition.

Dimension

Working through the Manipulating the elements of dance, students will:

Time

Working through the Manipulating the elements of dance, students will:

  • summarise the information on slide 14
  • discuss the various ideas they could explore through time: tempo, duration, momentum, regular/irregular, accent, natural rhythms and stillness
  • discuss how you could alter these in your composition or any dance work to enhance meaning
  • perform a phrase of movement and alter the aspects of time. Perform this for the class and discuss what alterations worked and why?

Dynamics

Working through the Manipulating the elements of dance, students will:

  • summarise the information on slide 18
  • discuss the use of dynamics within performance.

Dynamic qualities

Working through the Manipulating the elements of dance, students will:

The appreciation and practical composition lessons are to be explored in partnership. Attempt to engage in practical tasks wherever possible, building students knowledge, understanding and skill within the elements of dance. Engage students within reflection tasks at the end of each activity, building students competencies in writing an effective process diary.

Composition and appreciation

Students are to:

  • demonstrate a willingness to engage in composition tasks based around space, time and dynamics
  • explore performance opportunities presenting group works and phrases to the class around each element of dance.

Communicate

Written reflections are documented and shared within collaborative discussion facilitated by the teacher.

Process diary

Students are to:

  • document the process through composition classes in a process diary. This should be a journal, exploring reflections of each activity and lesson. This can be their class workbooks, a dance process diary, or an online blog through sites such as Class NotebookExternal link or Google classroom.External link

Differentiation

Extension

Students could:

  • create an intent and begin developing phrases of movement to demonstrate this. Explore each aspect of space, time and dynamics within their movement
  • write an analysis on the effectiveness of space, time and dynamics, and how they could further enhance the use of these.

Life skills

Life skills outcomes

A student:

  • LS2.1 explores the elements of dance to create movement and communicate ideas
  • LS2.2 explores, selects and sequences movement to express feelings and ideas

Dance 7-10 SyllabusExternal link ? NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2003.

Students could:

  • create a phrase of movement considering the aspects of space: stage space, level, shape and direction.

Evaluate

Feedback is formative for the duration of the unit.

This sequence and accompanying worksheets are available as word documents below.

  1. Manipulating the elements of dance sequence (DOCX 57.16MB)External link
  2. TEEEC scaffold worksheet (DOCX 45.48KB).External link

Reference list and resources

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