Assignment 9 Posted

Posted on: Tuesday, April 6, 2021 4:14:26 PM EDT

Assignment 9: Writing a Dance Review (Final Draft)

Due Date: Wednesday, April 7 @11:59 p.m. (0-5 Pts) Changed to 10 points.( A gift from Dr. J to help boost up your final grade)

Learning Outcome: How to write a dance review (This imperative you complete in preparation for your final paper!)

Required Videos: Select your own dance video or review Complexions Dance Company https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf82_yUpncQ

Instructions: Write a one- page sample dance review. Post assignment to the Weekly Assignments on Blackboard by the due date.  

Helpful Hints for Writing Your Response: Observe, Describe, Analyze, Interpret, Evaluate

Note the title of each work. Often the title is a suggestion of the choreographer’s intent. Observe the dance with an open mind. First, be attuned to the dancers and the quality of the movement. Notice the supporting elements, music, lighting, costumes and set. Recognize that your imagination is limitless. What you see is neither right nor wrong but valued as your own perception. You can list words and phrases that capture the energy, mood, story or design of the piece you have just seen. Record images as they occur to you, use action verbs, adjectives and metaphors. This is the raw material that you will use to write your paper so capture as many images as possible.

Writing a dance review: How to Write: Before you begin, review the words and phrases you have written on your program. As you read your notes about a dance, reflect on the images, colors and sounds of the performance. Make a simple plan for your paper. Begin with an introductory paragraph which sets the scene: who, what, when, where and introduces a thesis that offers an interesting insight and refers to the concert as a whole. Next, choose one or two dances which you remember most vividly and develop your notes into descriptive sentences. Carefully choose language which conveys the essence of what you have seen. This will become the body of your paper. After creating vivid descriptions that create a general sense of the dance as well as describing specific movements, analyze and interpret the work. What was the choreographer’s intent? Was it literal? Did it tell a story? Did it convey a mood? Or was it abstract, more concerned with structure and design than telling a story? Do the supporting elements (lighting, costumes, music)strengthen the choreographer’s intent? How do they contribute to your interpretation of the dance? End your paper with a concluding paragraph summarizing and evaluating the concert. Make sure your descriptions support your interpretations and evaluations.

How to write a dance review of a dance company performance sample:

1. Headline (Dance Company information)
2. First paragraph (Who, What, When, Where and statement about the dance company)
3. Body of your paper ( Describe each piece, # of dancers, music, movement, mood, dancer’s ability to capture the choreography, etc.)
4. Final paragraph (Reflections and summation of the overall performance)
5. References (if using other resources)

Tips: Beware of using the words “I like,” or “I disliked”.  Be as specific as possible in your description of each dance. Use examples in the piece to support our opinion and write down notes and though as your watch each piece of choreography. This will help you later as your write your dance review.