This lesson consists of the composition and rehearsal for the culminating performance task. In small groups, students compose a dance in one of the forms being studied (e.g., jazz, modern, etc.) and rehearse it for performance for an audience. These dances consist of original movement that has been created by the group.

Learning Goals

  • Demonstrate the application of performance skills and staging to choreography
  • Engage in the Creative Process with a focus on Presenting, Performing & Sharing

Materials

  • Stimuli or a context for the composition of the final piece (e.g., poetry, short story, artwork, or an integrated topic from a related subject).
  • Provide a rehearsal schedule and a rotation schedule for the performance space.
  • Provide sound equipment to facilitate the rehearsal process for all groups.

Minds On (Approximately 5 minutes)

  • Lead a warm-up to direct the attention of the students to the daily practice and technique of the dance form being studied.
  • With students, co-create Learning Goals and Success Criteria for culminating task using student centred/ student facing language ( e.g. I can use dance as a language to communicates themes and ideas from a primary source, I can use the elements of dance to explore and express meaning in my composition)

Action! (Approximately 60 minutes)

  • Choose student groups and guide them through the compositional /Creative Process. 
  • Actively circulate and provide feedback related to the Creative Process as needed to the groups. Use the suggested prompts from the Ontario Arts Curriculum ( pages 16-22) to guide you. 
  • Music is selected that is appropriate to accompany the choreography.
  • Each student brings a piece of original choreography to the group and teaches it to the other members focusing on specific performance skills.
  • As part of the rehearsal process, dancers honour each student “choreographer” by endeavouring to replicate the quality and characteristics of the movement in the dance piece (e.g., body, space, time, energy, relationship).
  • These pieces composed by individual group members are then manipulated by the group and combined with choreography composed by the group to contribute to the time requirement for the composition of the final performance.
  • Suggested time: 2-3 minutes.
  • Students, in their groups, focus on the specific performance skills and technique that affects the composition (i.e., a clear beginning, middle, and end; entrances and exits; use of levels and patterns; compositional elements) and well as the Revising and Refining stage of the Creative Process in preparation for performance. 
  • Students learn the choreography, memorize their cues, and rehearse and polish the dance individually and in a group until the final performance for audience.

Consolidation (Approximately 10 minutes)

  • Students maintain their Dance Scrapbook reflecting their ideas, drawings and feelings about the creative process, the rehearsal process, their effectiveness within their group, their opinion of the success of their group’s collaboration, and their technical progress as dancers.

Notes/Assessment/Differentiated Instruction/Resources

  • Provide music to accompany the groups’ choreography if necessary.
  • Plan adequate class time for students to generate individual and group choreography.
  • In the case of experienced, talented, or highly motivated students, the teacher may need to modify the compositional assignment to make it more challenging.  For example, these students could be organized in the same group and choose to perform their choreography in silence or accompany it with instrumental or body percussion and/or props.
  • Observe, assess and provide feedback during the compositional process as needed.
  • Collect the Dance Scrapbook (portfolio, e-journal, etc.) from students after the final performance for evaluation.