How do I choose a stimulus for my choreography?

Start with something that inspires you personally, such as a piece of music, a poem, a painting, or a social issue. Ensure it has enough depth to develop into a full dance. Consider how the stimulus can be translated into movement qualities, spatial patterns, and relationships. Avoid overly literal interpretations; instead, focus on the emotions or ideas it evokes.

What is the difference between motif and motif development?

A motif is a short, distinctive movement phrase that represents a key idea or character. Motif development involves manipulating that motif through changes in dynamics, space, or relationships to show progression or contrast. For example, a sharp, angular motif might be developed into a fluid, circular version to reflect a change in mood.

How can I improve my performance skills?

Practice regularly with attention to alignment, control, and flexibility. Work on expressive skills by experimenting with facial expressions, focus, and energy levels. Record yourself to identify areas for improvement. Also, perform in front of others to build confidence and receive feedback. Musicality can be improved by dancing to different rhythms and genres.

What should I include in my choreographic log?

Document your creative process from initial stimulus to final piece. Include research, exploration of movement ideas, decisions about structure and devices, and reflections on rehearsals. Explain how you developed motifs, used space and dynamics, and addressed any challenges. This log is crucial for justifying your choices in the written exam.

How do I structure a dance for maximum impact?

Consider using a clear structure like binary (AB), ternary (ABA), or narrative form. Start with a strong opening that establishes mood or theme. Develop the middle section with contrast and variation, building to a climax. End with a resolution that reinforces the choreographic intention. Use transitions to connect sections smoothly.

What are common mistakes in choreography?

Common mistakes include over-choreographing with too many steps, neglecting spatial design, and failing to develop motifs. Also, avoid literal storytelling without abstraction. Ensure the dance has a clear structure and that all movements serve the intention. Another mistake is ignoring the dancers' strengths and limitations.

How to Revise Performance and Choreography — AQA Education A-Level Dance & Performing Arts

Perform a solo dance of 1.5-2.5 minutes. Demonstrate technical and expressive skills

Examiner Tips for Performance and Choreography

Record full run-throughs and review them to identify sections where technical or expressive quality dips, then rehearse those areas with targeted drills.
Prioritise dynamic contrast and clear phrasing in your interpretation to keep the assessor engaged and demonstrate a mature performance quality.
Warm up thoroughly before the assessment, focusing on both the body and the mind to ensure immediate clarity of intention from the very first movement.
Start with a clear concept or stimulus and develop a movement signature or motif that can be manipulated throughout the piece to ensure coherence.
Use choreographic devices purposefully—for example, employ canon to add textural complexity and highlight moments, and contrast to shift energy or mood.
Plan spatial formations and pathways closely with your dancer count to avoid congestion and ensure every dancer is visible and has purpose.
Refine transitions between sections to maintain flow and ensure the structure (e.g., binary, ternary, rondo) supports the choreographic journey.
Record and review your rehearsals to observe the overall composition and make detailed adjustments to dynamics, timing, and relationships.

Common Mistakes in Performance and Choreography

Candidates often lose performance energy and projection towards the end of the solo due to inadequate stamina and pacing.
A common error is focusing solely on technical execution while neglecting facial expression and audience engagement, resulting in a flat performance.
Inconsistent use of breath and musicality leads to mistiming, making the movement appear disconnected from the accompaniment.
Poor spatial awareness often results in drifting out of the performance area or repetitive movement patterns that limit the use of the full space.
Over-reliance on unison movement, resulting in a lack of dynamic group interaction and spatial development.
Failing to develop a clear motif or movement signature, leading to a fragmented or incoherent piece with no unifying thread.

Key Marking Points

Award credit for demonstrating secure and accurate reproduction of choreographed material with consistent technical control throughout the solo.
Award credit for demonstrating clear physical alignment, core stability, extension, and coordination in line with the demands of the chosen dance style.

Performance and Choreography

AQA-EDUCATION

A-Level

Solo performance in AQA A-Level Dance requires the dancer to present a fully rehearsed, 1.5–2.5-minute solo that integrates advanced technical skills with compelling expressive qualities. This component assesses the candidate's ability to sustain a performance, demonstrate physical and artistic competence, and communicate choreographic intention through movement, alignment, dynamics, and spatial awareness.

Objectives

Exam Tips

Pitfalls

Key Terms

Mark Points

Subtopics in this area

Solo Performance

Group Choreography

Topic Overview

Performance and Choreography is a core component of the AQA A-Level Dance syllabus, focusing on the creation and execution of dance works. This topic explores the relationship between the choreographer's intent and the dancer's interpretation, requiring students to understand how movement material is developed, structured, and performed. It covers the entire process from initial stimulus to final performance, including the use of choreographic devices, spatial design, and the communication of meaning through movement.

Mastering this topic is essential for both the practical and written exams. In the practical component, you will create and perform your own choreography, while the written exam tests your ability to analyse and evaluate professional works. Understanding performance and choreography allows you to appreciate how dancers embody choreographic intention, how dynamics and phrasing affect expression, and how staging and costume contribute to overall impact. This knowledge is crucial for achieving high marks in both sections.

Within the wider subject, Performance and Choreography connects to areas such as safe practice, dance analysis, and critical appreciation. It builds on foundational skills from GCSE Dance, such as action, space, and dynamics, and prepares you for higher-level study in dance or performing arts. By the end of this topic, you should be able to deconstruct a choreographic process, justify creative choices, and evaluate the effectiveness of a performance.

Key Concepts

Core ideas you must understand for this topic

→Choreographic intention: The aim or purpose of the dance, including themes, moods, or narratives, which guides all creative decisions.
→Choreographic devices: Tools such as motif and development, contrast, climax, and transitions that structure movement material.
→Structuring devices: Methods like binary, ternary, rondo, and narrative forms that organise a dance piece.
→Performance skills: Technical, expressive, and mental skills including alignment, projection, focus, and musicality that enable effective execution.
→Communication of meaning: How movement, dynamics, space, and relationships convey the choreographer's intent to an audience.

What You Need to Demonstrate

Key skills and knowledge for this topic

Award credit for demonstrating secure and accurate reproduction of choreographed material with consistent technical control throughout the solo.
Award credit for demonstrating clear physical alignment, core stability, extension, and coordination in line with the demands of the chosen dance style.
Award credit for communicating the expressive intention through sustained projection, focus, musicality, and dynamic variation in response to the accompaniment.
Award credit for demonstrating a clear choreographic intent that is consistently communicated through the movement content and structuring of the group dance.
Credit effective and varied use of choreographic devices such as motif and development, canon, unison, contrast, repetition, and climax to create interest and coherence.
Credit sophisticated manipulation of spatial design, including formations, pathways, and use of performing space, showing sensitivity to the number of dancers.
Award marks for the successful integration and manipulation of action, dynamic, and rhythmic content to enhance the expressive qualities of the dance.
Credit evidence of understanding how to create and develop relationships between dancers (e.g., lead/follow, mirroring, contact) to support the choreographic intention.

Marking Points

Key points examiners look for in your answers

Award credit for demonstrating secure and accurate reproduction of choreographed material with consistent technical control throughout the solo.
Award credit for demonstrating clear physical alignment, core stability, extension, and coordination in line with the demands of the chosen dance style.
Award credit for communicating the expressive intention through sustained projection, focus, musicality, and dynamic variation in response to the accompaniment.
Award credit for demonstrating a clear choreographic intent that is consistently communicated through the movement content and structuring of the group dance.
Credit effective and varied use of choreographic devices such as motif and development, canon, unison, contrast, repetition, and climax to create interest and coherence.
Credit sophisticated manipulation of spatial design, including formations, pathways, and use of performing space, showing sensitivity to the number of dancers.
Award marks for the successful integration and manipulation of action, dynamic, and rhythmic content to enhance the expressive qualities of the dance.
Credit evidence of understanding how to create and develop relationships between dancers (e.g., lead/follow, mirroring, contact) to support the choreographic intention.

Examiner Tips

Expert advice for maximising your marks

💡Record full run-throughs and review them to identify sections where technical or expressive quality dips, then rehearse those areas with targeted drills.
💡Prioritise dynamic contrast and clear phrasing in your interpretation to keep the assessor engaged and demonstrate a mature performance quality.
💡Warm up thoroughly before the assessment, focusing on both the body and the mind to ensure immediate clarity of intention from the very first movement.
💡Start with a clear concept or stimulus and develop a movement signature or motif that can be manipulated throughout the piece to ensure coherence.
💡Use choreographic devices purposefully—for example, employ canon to add textural complexity and highlight moments, and contrast to shift energy or mood.
💡Plan spatial formations and pathways closely with your dancer count to avoid congestion and ensure every dancer is visible and has purpose.
💡Refine transitions between sections to maintain flow and ensure the structure (e.g., binary, ternary, rondo) supports the choreographic journey.
💡Record and review your rehearsals to observe the overall composition and make detailed adjustments to dynamics, timing, and relationships.
💡When analysing choreography, always refer to specific moments in the dance and explain how they communicate the choreographic intention. Use precise terminology like 'motif development' or 'spatial design'.
💡In practical work, ensure your performance demonstrates clear understanding of dynamics and phrasing. Show contrast and variation to keep the audience engaged.
💡For written responses, structure your answer using the 'describe, analyse, evaluate' framework. Describe what you see, analyse how it creates effect, and evaluate its success in relation to the intention.

Common Mistakes

Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

Candidates often lose performance energy and projection towards the end of the solo due to inadequate stamina and pacing.
A common error is focusing solely on technical execution while neglecting facial expression and audience engagement, resulting in a flat performance.
Inconsistent use of breath and musicality leads to mistiming, making the movement appear disconnected from the accompaniment.
Poor spatial awareness often results in drifting out of the performance area or repetitive movement patterns that limit the use of the full space.
Over-reliance on unison movement, resulting in a lack of dynamic group interaction and spatial development.
Failing to develop a clear motif or movement signature, leading to a fragmented or incoherent piece with no unifying thread.
Ignoring the specific number of performers by choreographing material that does not utilize the group effectively, or conversely, overcrowding the space.
Neglecting to consider the aural setting, resulting in movement that coincides predictably with the music rather than showing a choreographic relationship with the sound.
Limited use of contrasting dynamics and rhythm, causing monotony and reduced impact of the performance.
Misconception: Choreography is just about steps. Correction: Choreography involves deliberate choices about space, dynamics, relationships, and structure to communicate meaning. Steps are only one element.
Misconception: Performance skills are only about technique. Correction: While technique is important, expressive skills like focus, projection, and musicality are equally crucial for conveying emotion and intent.
Misconception: The choreographer's role ends when the dance is created. Correction: The choreographer must also rehearse, refine, and direct dancers to ensure the performance aligns with their intention.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions students ask about this topic

Before You Start

Prior knowledge that will help with this topic

•Basic understanding of dance elements: action, space, dynamics, and relationships (ASDR).
•Familiarity with safe dance practice and alignment principles.
•Experience with at least one professional dance work to use as a reference.

Key Terminology

Essential terms to know

Technical proficiency
Artistic interpretation
Choreographic structure
Use of space and dynamics

Ready to test yourself?

Practice questions tailored to this topic