OAE Dance (011) cheat sheet

Alignment: stack the body's bony landmarks (ear over shoulder, hip over knee over ankle) so gravity passes through the center of gravity rather than being absorbed by joints or held by muscle tension.

Turnout originates at the hip joint (external rotation of the femur in the acetabulum); forcing turnout from the knees or feet stresses the medial knee and is a common injury mechanism.

Ballet positions of the feet: first, second, third, fourth, fifth (plus demi-pointe and pointe); Cecchetti and Vaganova schools differ in arm (port de bras) and head (épaulement) styling, not in the basic foot positions.

Modern dance lineage technique signatures: Graham (contraction and release, spiral, high leg extensions), Humphrey-Limón (fall and recovery, weight, suspension), Cunningham (chance procedures, spine as separate from legs, upright torso).

Jazz dance roots: vernacular and social dance (Charleston, swing, tap) blended with ballet and modern technique; isolations, syncopation, and parallel or turned-out work are characteristic.

Safe practice rules: warm up before deep stretching, never bounce a cold muscle, progress pointe work only after sufficient ankle and foot strength, and avoid locking knees in weight-bearing positions.

Performance quality terms: projection (energy reaching the audience), focus (where the dancer looks and directs attention), musicality (phrasing to the score), and kinesthetic awareness (sense of one's own position in space).

Breath support is the constant underlying torso work in every technique; in Graham technique the contraction is initiated on an exhale, and release accompanies the inhale.

Choreographic devices: repetition, variation, inversion, retrograde, augmentation (enlarging a movement), diminution (shrinking it), fragmentation, canon, and unison.

Form structures: AB (binary), ABA (ternary), rondo (ABACA), theme and variations, narrative, and chance or indeterminate structures; form is the overall shape of a dance over time.

Elements of dance (BASTE or similar mnemonic): Body, Action, Space, Time, Energy - the raw materials every choreographer manipulates.

Space concepts include level (high, middle, low), direction, pathway (straight, curved, zigzag), size, and formation; time concepts include tempo, meter, duration, and accent; energy includes sharp, sustained, percussive, and swinging qualities.

Improvisation strategies: structured prompts, contact improvisation (shared weight and point of contact), mirroring, and chance methods (Cunningham used coin tosses and the I Ching).

Movement generation sources include gesture (pedestrian action made abstract), pantomime, literal narrative, and pure abstraction; abstraction removes specific meaning to emphasize design.

Collaboration roles: choreographer, rehearsal director, dancers as devisers, composer, lighting and costume designers; documentation through notation (Labanotation) or video preserves the work.

Revising a dance: check clarity of intent, transitions, spatial variety, dynamic contrast, and whether the ending resolves or intentionally resists resolution.

Critique structure: description (what is seen), analysis (how elements are used), interpretation (what it may mean), evaluation (how well it succeeds) - the four-step response model used in dance education.

Descriptive language distinguishes observation ('the dancers moved in unison') from judgment ('the dance was boring'); critique grounds judgment in evidence from the work.

Aesthetic concepts: unity, variety, balance, contrast, rhythm, and emphasis apply to choreography just as they do to visual art.

Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) describes movement through Body, Effort (weight, time, space, flow), Shape, and Space (kinesphere, levels, pathways).

Effort qualities (Laban): weight (strong/light), time (sustained/quick), space (direct/indirect), and flow (bound/free) combine into eight basic effort actions such as punch, press, flick, and float.

Cultural context matters in analysis: a movement that reads as 'strong' in one tradition may read as 'aggressive' or 'sacred' in another; avoid imposing one aesthetic standard.

Viewing skills: watch for repetition to identify motifs, track focal changes, and note how music, lighting, and costume shape perception of the movement.

Assessment of performance uses rubrics with observable criteria (alignment, extension, musicality, projection, spatial accuracy) rather than vague praise.

Ballet history: court dance in Renaissance Italy and France, codified under Louis XIV (Académie Royale de Danse, 1661), developed in the Romantic era (Giselle, 1841; pointe work and the ballerina), the Imperial Russian school (Petipa, Tchaikovsky ballets), and the Ballets Russes (Diaghilev, Nijinsky, 1909-1929).

Modern dance pioneers: Isadora Duncan (free, barefoot, natural movement), Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn (Denishawn), Martha Graham (contraction and release), Doris Humphrey (fall and recovery), Charles Weidman, and Lester Horton (Horton technique).

Postmodern and contemporary: Merce Cunningham (chance, independence of music and dance), Judson Dance Theater (1962, pedestrian movement, task-based work), Trisha Brown, Yvonne Rainer, and Twyla Tharp's crossover work.

African dance traditions: polyrhythmic drumming, community and ritual function, grounded weight, and improvisational variation within a shared form; these influenced American jazz, tap, and modern dance.

Asian classical forms: Bharatanatyam (India, codified hand gestures or mudras, narrative), Kathak (North India, rhythmic footwork and spins), Balinese and Javanese court dance (precise eye and finger articulation).

Social and vernacular dance in the U.S.: the cakewalk, Charleston, Lindy Hop, swing, rock and roll, disco, hip-hop (breaking, popping, locking), and their migration into concert and commercial dance.

Tap dance lineage: Irish step and African rhythmic footwork combined in the U.S.; Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson, the Nicholas Brothers, and Gregory Hines bridged stage and film.

Contextual sensitivity: acknowledge origins and cultural ownership (e.g., hip-hop's Bronx roots, African and Latin diasporic contributions) and avoid appropriation when teaching or staging.

National Core Arts Standards in dance organize learning into four artistic processes: Creating, Performing, Responding, and Connecting; each contains anchor standards and grade-level performance indicators.

Backward design (Wiggins and McTighe): identify desired results, determine acceptable evidence, then plan learning experiences; objectives should be measurable and tied to standards.

Motor learning principles: demonstrate before verbal explanation, give short cues, provide immediate specific feedback, and allow sufficient practice time for skill retention.

Class structure: warm-up, technique or skill development, center or traveling combinations, creative or choreographic work, and cool-down; pacing keeps students engaged and safe.

Assessment types: formative (ongoing, during class, e.g., observation checklists, exit tickets) and summative (end of unit, e.g., performance rubrics, written reflections, portfolios).

Inclusive practice: offer multiple entry points (adaptations for seated, wheelchair, or limited-mobility dancers), vary grouping, and use a range of response modes (movement, oral, written).

Safety and liability: check floor and space, ensure proper footwear, screen for injury, and follow district protocols for physical activity; spotting is required for lifts and inversions.

Differentiation: tier tasks by complexity (simpler rhythm, fewer spatial changes), scaffold choreography with graphic organizers, and use peer coaching to support mixed-ability classes.