QCAA Dance cheat sheet

Choreographic intent is the stated purpose of a work (idea, mood, story or message); every movement choice, structural decision and production element should be justifiable against it.

Movement generation methods include improvisation from a stimulus, reworking existing phrases (retrograde, inversion, canon, fragmentation), task-based constraints, and motif development.

Choreographic devices to name and apply: repetition, contrast, variation, canon, unison, accumulation, abstraction, distortion, embellishment, insert, motif and development.

Structure options: binary (AB), ternary (ABA), rondo (ABACA), narrative, theme and variation, and episodic; transitions between sections must be motivated, not arbitrary.

Formal elements of dance: space (level, direction, pathway, shape, formation, focus), time (tempo, metre, rhythm, duration, accent, stillness), dynamics (force, flow, weight, energy quality) and relationships (group size, proximity, contact).

Safe dance practice covers warm-up and cool-down, alignment and core support, appropriate flooring, hydration, individual conditioning, and risk management of lifts and contact work.

Performance quality is judged on projection and focus, accuracy of style, musicality, spatial awareness, group unity, and expressive clarity of intent.

Production elements include lighting (colour, intensity, focus, cue timing), sound and accompaniment, costume, set, props, staging and venue; each must be selected to reinforce the intent.

Evaluation of a made work uses evidence: cite specific moments, describe what the audience sees, and judge effectiveness against the stated intent rather than personal taste.

Analysis moves through three layers: describe what is seen (literal), analyse how movement and production elements create effects (structural), then interpret and evaluate meaning and success.

Describe using precise dance vocabulary (e.g. 'sustained, weighted extension at mid-level travelling upstage right') rather than vague adjectives such as 'nice' or 'flowy'.

Interpretation must be grounded in evidence from the work; a reading is defensible when it cites specific movement, spatial or production choices that support it.

Distinguish the choreographer's stated intent from the audience's reading; a work can be evaluated on both, and mismatch is itself an analytical point.

Cultural and historical context (origin, tradition, social function, style conventions) shapes meaning; interpreting a work without its context risks misreading.

Evaluation criteria include coherence with intent, originality, compositional clarity, performer execution, and integration of production elements.

Compare works by holding criteria constant: analyse both against the same elements (e.g. use of space, motif development, accompaniment) before judging.

Effective responses use a claim–evidence–comment structure: state the interpretation, cite a specific moment, then explain why it supports the reading.

Reflection on one's own work follows the same discipline: identify a decision, describe its effect, and judge whether it served the intent.