Dance Review Paper
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Helpful Tips for your Dance Review paper
HELPFUL TIPS FOR YOUR DANCE REVIEW PAPER
(This handout is also included for download/printing in “Files” on Canvas)
For your 2-3 page Dance Review, attend one live dance performance/event/experience and describe and evaluate the event. This can be a theatrical or stage performance, or observing a performance at a club, ethnic festival or event. Please focus on intermediate or higher dance levels, and avoid viewing dance classes or concerts that focus on many different kinds of dance. Paper programs or calendar notes about the event may help with some background knowledge, but are not required. Include detailed descriptions of the dance, the dancers, and the dance event you witnessed.
FOCUS: Here are some DANCE OBSERVATION TOPICS to help focus your paper (please don’t address ALL of these issues in your paper…be selective and use only the ones that contribute to your report)
The Event – Ask and answer the pertinent “W” questions:
Where did this dance event take place? Is this its traditional location? Describe the setting. If it is significant, note the location of the dancers, audience, and musicians.
When did this event take place? (day, night, weekend, etc.) How long is the event?
What was its purpose? (A regular event, seasonal, yearly, holiday, or a unique occurrence?) Was it related to something cyclical? (Calendar, agriculture, religious.)
What was its original context, if this is a replica? What is its current context?
Who is the audience? Describe their demographics and what they are wearing, if significant. To what degree do they participate?
The Dancers – Who are the participants? Note the age, gender, ethnic, racial or class background. How many dancers are there? Are they formally trained or informally? What do they wear in the performance of the dance? Is it something specialized or ordinary? If there is a costume, what is the origin? Is there an obvious leader, teacher or choreographer?
The Dance – Does the dance have a name? If you are dealing with more than one dance (for example, two types of Mexican Folklorico) tell what they are and provide a general overview of variations or similarities in the movements. Pick one or two to describe in detail, especially if they offer a good comparison or contrast. You may include data on musical accompaniment if it’s appropriate: recorded or live; types of instruments, etc.
1) SPATIAL PATTERNS: How do the dancers use space? Are they arranged in lines, circles or squares? Do they stay there or move around to create complex floor patterns? Look for solos, couples or group formations.
2) STRUCTURE: Is it improvisational, or choreographed and structured? Is there a general emotional quality, a story or a theme?
3) EFFORT: Describe the energy of the dance, including tempo, rhythmic punctuation. Is the movement flowing, percussive, sudden, slow? Do the dancers move rigidly, fluidly, forcefully?
4) SHAPE or POSTURE: What is the overall stance or body posture of the dancers? Is it different from men to women? Are some body parts emphasized over others? Do the movements reach out or are they contained close to the body? Angular or curved?
WORD CHOICE: When you start to create a written narrative for the movements, use your thesaurus to help you find descriptive language. This is your chance to be poetic as well as accurate, to use adjectives and descriptive phrases to make your point. Metaphors and similes are very useful in giving these descriptions some life. However, avoid clichés like the plague (heh) and take care that the images your language evokes are appropriate to the dance.
ORGANIZATION: Select specific moments or items from the event to analyze, interpret, or reflect upon in order to support your perspective, however, if the concert has many items, limit your selections to one or two. It is better to write deeply about one or two items rather than shallow writing on many topics.
TONE: Remember that your opinion (positive or negative) is valuable but must be substantiated with evidence from the performances themselves. Try to avoid using the pronoun “I” much at all, as these are not opinion papers; rely on your hard facts and colorful descriptions. The tone is like that of someone reporting from the scene. Assume a reader who knows little or nothing about your topic but who is intelligent and interested. Finally, make an assessment about the piece supported by argument and by specific examples.
General Notes and Grading for your 2-3 page paper
INTRO/CONCLUSION: Start with an Introduction and finish with a Conclusion that summarizes the themes arising from your observation of a live dance event.
No Intro/Conclusion = 10% taken off
MECHANICS and GRAMMAR: Spellcheck every time yew ad something knew to yore paper, know matter how trifling or short. (heh) Make sure each sentence makes sense and is complete. Proofreading means either you read your paper out loud to yourself, or give it to someone else who is skillful in this area and who will be honest with you. IF YOU PROOFREAD ON THE SCREEN, you’ll miss a lot. Print it out and read from the paper.
Each error = 1 point off
IN GENERAL: Each paragraph should have one main idea. The first sentence of a paragraph should introduce a new thought while linking to the last paragraph. Be specific: clarify, describe and define. Try verbalizing your ideas to a friend first to help you clarify your thoughts.
Major Structural/Content problems (Focus, Organization, Tone) = 15% to 20% taken off
Minor Structural/Content problems (Focus, Organization, Tone) = 5% to 10% taken off
Late = 10% taken off
Enjoy your dance event!
Joan Walton