Dance

Performance Analysis Guidelines Approx. 3 pages, typed, spell-checked, double-spaced, 1 inch margins, 12 pt. Font. (Include ticket and Program) Bring a pencil and notepad. Jot down your impressions during the show or during intermission. This way you’ll have something to jog your memory. Remember: Don’t feel you have to understand what you are seeing right away. Similarly, try not to focus on what you liked/didn’t like at first. This is an exercise in AWARENESS. Introduction Include WHAT you saw, WHO the artists were, WHEN and WHERE. This can be summed up in one sentence. Next, briefly give your context (have you seen a lot of this type of dance before? Is this your first experience?). Then quickly transition to what you feel the choreographer’s INTENT for the work was. Intent can be defined as the issue(s) the choreographer was dealing with (ranging from abstract, such as time and space, to more human issues, such as love, gender, racism, etc.), combined with WHAT THE CHOREOGRAPHER WAS TRYING TO SAY about that issue. (Note: If the show you attended consisted of many works, you can briefly mention them all but say which ones—pick one or two—you will be focusing on.) Body Continue to address the choreographer’s intent by using SPECIFIC examples of HOW she/he portrayed that intent. That is, which ELEMENTS of dance (body, space, time, energy, multimedia) were used to express the intent and how. (Multimedia can be lights, costumes, props, sets, video, etc.) Example of how the use of Costumes illustrated the theme of rebellion: At first, all of the dancers were dressed in bright red jumpers. Halfway through the work, one dancer appeared in a white costume. Seeing her suddenly so different from the group amplified (the choreographer’s) theme of being a single voice going against the mainstream. Example of how the elements Body and Space illustrated the theme of oppression: The dancers twisted and tangled themselves into all sorts of strange, restrained positions. They were unable to move freely and used labored, weighted movements, as though something heavy was on their backs. This suggested the weight of society's prejudice that these characters feel every day--the compromised positions that life has put them in. Some other things to look for: • Dynamics—did things stay at the same level of intensity, or were there exciting, surprising contrasts

in mood, timing, level, lighting, use of space, etc.? • Dancers’ Performance—did the dancers seem to have a command of their material? Did their presence

grab your attention? How? Were they able to approach the movement with subtlety? Did they work together well? Were they a homogenous chorus or did each dancer have his/her own personality?

Conclusion • In your opinion, did the choreographer do a good job at exploring their chosen theme? • Were you moved? Did it make you think? • How do you feel this work relates to issues in society/the world at large? • Would you recommend this show to others? Why (if there is a new reason other than the ones you

have already mentioned)?

GENERAL NOTE: DO NOT give a blow by blow description of what happened. Pull out the important events and discuss them in relation to your points about the choreographer’s intent, not necessarily in chronological order.