NCEA Level 2 Dance cheat sheet

Choreographic devices: repetition, contrast, variation, retrograde, canon, unison, augmentation, diminution, fragmentation, abstraction, accumulation, distortion.

Structuring devices: ABA (ternary), rondo (ABACA), theme and variation, narrative/episodic, chance, collage, and site-specific spatial structure.

Movement invention stimuli: a verb list, a gesture bank, a body-part focus, a spatial constraint, or a piece of text; each stimulus is developed rather than illustrated literally.

Motif = a short phrase of 2-6 movements carrying the dance's identity; it is repeated and developed through devices, not copied unchanged.

Formal elements of dance (FED): space, time, energy/dynamics, body, relationships; every choreographic choice can be described through these.

Canon rule: one dancer begins, the next enters one count or one phrase later; strict canon keeps the interval identical, loose canon varies it.

Contact and weight-bearing work requires a safety check: shared centre of gravity, agreed timing, and a warm-up before lifting or counterbalance.

Choreographic process order: explore (improvisation), select, refine, rehearse, perform; documentation of changes supports the analysis task.

Safe dance practice: dynamic warm-up raising heart rate and mobilising joints, cool-down with static stretches held 20-30 seconds, and hydration throughout.

Alignment checkpoints: ears over shoulders, shoulders over hips, hips over knees, knees over ankles; plumb line maintained in turnout and in elevations.

Turnout originates at the hip; forcing turnout from the feet or knees risks knee and ankle injury and reduces balance control.

Spotting in turns: fix a focal point, hold the head as long as possible, whip the head first on the final rotation to prevent dizziness.

Performance quality (PQ) components: focus, projection, musicality, energy, commitment, and clarity of intention; these are marked separately from technical accuracy.

Breath supports phrasing: inhale on preparation, exhale into the movement; breathing rhythm matches the dynamic shape of the phrase.

Ensemble skills: spacing awareness, peripheral vision, unison timing, safe proximity in travelling sequences, and consistent eye-line.

Feedback loop: identify the error, isolate the section, rehearse slowly with correct alignment, then re-integrate at performance tempo.

Analysis vocabulary: motif, phrase, section, transition, climax, accumulation, repetition, contrast, spatial pattern, dynamic range.

Describe before interpreting: name the movement (action), then its space, time, and energy, then the effect or meaning it creates.

Choreographic intention vs audience response: intention is what the choreographer aimed for; interpretation is what the viewer reads from the movement evidence.

Production elements to analyse: lighting (colour, intensity, focus), costume (fabric, freedom of movement, colour symbolism), sound (live/recorded, tempo, silence), set and staging.

Dance elements framework: body, space, time, energy, and relationship; analysis sentences should cite at least two elements with specific evidence.

Cultural context questions: who performs, where, for whom, with what purpose (ceremony, entertainment, protest, storytelling, ritual).

Comparison structure: state the shared feature, then the difference, then the effect of that difference on the audience or on the dance's meaning.

Evaluation language avoids 'good/bad'; use 'effective because', citing the movement choice and its consequence for the viewer.

Context categories: social, cultural, historical, political, and technological; a single dance can be read through more than one.

Genre families: ballet, contemporary, modern, jazz, hip hop, cultural/traditional dance, social/ballroom, and dance theatre.

A dance's function shapes its form: ritual dances prioritise repetition and community participation; theatrical dance prioritises audience spectacle.

Cultural appropriation vs appreciation: appreciation credits and involves the source community; appropriation uses elements without credit or consent.

Technology in dance: recorded music, projection, camera framing for screendance, motion capture; each changes how the audience reads the body.

Viewing protocol: watch once for overall impression, watch again for specific movement evidence, then record observations before interpreting.

Historical change drivers: migration, war, new music, new media, and social movements; dances often record the values of their moment.

Responding structure: describe the moment, explain the choice, link to context, then judge effectiveness with evidence.

Choreographic devices: repetition, contrast, variation, retrograde, canon, unison, augmentation, diminution, fragmentation, abstraction, accumulation, distortion.

Structuring devices: ABA (ternary), rondo (ABACA), theme and variation, narrative/episodic, chance, collage, and site-specific spatial structure.

Movement invention stimuli: a verb list, a gesture bank, a body-part focus, a spatial constraint, or a piece of text; each stimulus is developed rather than illustrated literally.

Motif = a short phrase of 2-6 movements carrying the dance's identity; it is repeated and developed through devices, not copied unchanged.

Formal elements of dance (FED): space, time, energy/dynamics, body, relationships; every choreographic choice can be described through these.

Canon rule: one dancer begins, the next enters one count or one phrase later; strict canon keeps the interval identical, loose canon varies it.

Contact and weight-bearing work requires a safety check: shared centre of gravity, agreed timing, and a warm-up before lifting or counterbalance.

Choreographic process order: explore (improvisation), select, refine, rehearse, perform; documentation of changes supports the analysis task.

Safe dance practice: dynamic warm-up raising heart rate and mobilising joints, cool-down with static stretches held 20-30 seconds, and hydration throughout.

Alignment checkpoints: ears over shoulders, shoulders over hips, hips over knees, knees over ankles; plumb line maintained in turnout and in elevations.

Turnout originates at the hip; forcing turnout from the feet or knees risks knee and ankle injury and reduces balance control.

Spotting in turns: fix a focal point, hold the head as long as possible, whip the head first on the final rotation to prevent dizziness.

Performance quality (PQ) components: focus, projection, musicality, energy, commitment, and clarity of intention; these are marked separately from technical accuracy.

Breath supports phrasing: inhale on preparation, exhale into the movement; breathing rhythm matches the dynamic shape of the phrase.

Ensemble skills: spacing awareness, peripheral vision, unison timing, safe proximity in travelling sequences, and consistent eye-line.

Feedback loop: identify the error, isolate the section, rehearse slowly with correct alignment, then re-integrate at performance tempo.

Analysis vocabulary: motif, phrase, section, transition, climax, accumulation, repetition, contrast, spatial pattern, dynamic range.

Describe before interpreting: name the movement (action), then its space, time, and energy, then the effect or meaning it creates.

Choreographic intention vs audience response: intention is what the choreographer aimed for; interpretation is what the viewer reads from the movement evidence.

Production elements to analyse: lighting (colour, intensity, focus), costume (fabric, freedom of movement, colour symbolism), sound (live/recorded, tempo, silence), set and staging.

Dance elements framework: body, space, time, energy, and relationship; analysis sentences should cite at least two elements with specific evidence.

Cultural context questions: who performs, where, for whom, with what purpose (ceremony, entertainment, protest, storytelling, ritual).

Comparison structure: state the shared feature, then the difference, then the effect of that difference on the audience or on the dance's meaning.

Evaluation language avoids 'good/bad'; use 'effective because', citing the movement choice and its consequence for the viewer.

Context categories: social, cultural, historical, political, and technological; a single dance can be read through more than one.

Genre families: ballet, contemporary, modern, jazz, hip hop, cultural/traditional dance, social/ballroom, and dance theatre.

A dance's function shapes its form: ritual dances prioritise repetition and community participation; theatrical dance prioritises audience spectacle.

Cultural appropriation vs appreciation: appreciation credits and involves the source community; appropriation uses elements without credit or consent.

Technology in dance: recorded music, projection, camera framing for screendance, motion capture; each changes how the audience reads the body.

Viewing protocol: watch once for overall impression, watch again for specific movement evidence, then record observations before interpreting.

Historical change drivers: migration, war, new music, new media, and social movements; dances often record the values of their moment.

Responding structure: describe the moment, explain the choice, link to context, then judge effectiveness with evidence.