Candidates have both broad and in-depth knowledge of movement, including the relationship between sensory stimuli and movement. They possess a highly developed understanding of basic movements and understand how the elements of dance are used to solve movement problems and achieve artistic expression. They understand risk taking and experimentation and how movement vocabularies are used to express artistic intent. They understand the concepts of choreography, including the use of artistic criteria to choreograph and evaluate a dance. They understand artistic statements, the importance of using feedback and revision to refine dances, and how to document dance works.
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Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the relationship between movement and sensory stimuli (e.g., music/sound, text, objects, images, symbols, observed dance, experiences), including responding in movement to a variety of stimuli, comparing a variety of stimuli and making selections to expand movement vocabulary and artistic expression, and exploring and experimenting with a variety of stimuli for sourcing movement to develop an improvisational or choreographed dance study.
- Explore basic locomotor and non-locomotor movements by experimenting with and manipulating the elements of dance and selecting movements that challenge skills and build on strengths in an original dance study or dance.
- Demonstrate knowledge of movement problems by developing movement problems and manipulating the elements of dance to find solutions, solving multiple movement problems to develop choreographic intent, and expanding personal movement preferences and strengths to discover unexpected solutions that communicate the artistic intent of an original dance.
- Synthesize content generated from stimulus material and experiment and take risks to discover a personal voice to communicate artistic intent.
- Demonstrate knowledge of movement vocabularies, including exploring movement vocabularies to transfer ideas into and express an artistic intent in choreography, identifying and selecting personal preferences to create an original dance study or dance that communicates artistic intent, and using genre-specific dance terminology to articulate and justify choices made in movement development to communicate intent.
Sample Items:
The artistic criteria for a phrase of dance include starting in an open shape and ending in a closed shape. To effectively meet the criterion of being open and then closed, a dancer would primarily manipulate which of the following elements?
- the range of body actions
- levels of movement
- dynamics of energy
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the use of body supports
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
A. In movement that uses an open shape, a dancer is likely to extend body parts in a wide range to present an expansive feeling, straightening the torso and legs and opening the arms. For movement in a closed shape, a dancer is most likely to bring body parts close together in a smaller range to present a closed-in appearance. To create open and closed shapes, the dancer would explore and manipulate large and smaller ranges of movement for the body parts involved.
Dancers exploring techniques for artistic expression in performing the waltz, hustle, or rumba in a ballroom-dance setting could most effectively begin the process by considering the:
- strengths and limitations of their own and their partner's technical abilities and dance experience.
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points of movement initiation involved in creating various qualities of body shaping and energy.
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cultural perspectives and artistic experiences of members of the intended audience.
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movement vocabularies and stylistic qualities appropriate to the specific style of dance.
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
D. Ballroom dancers develop personal styles of movement and performance but do so within the context of the specific stylistic qualities of movement and expression that characterize the form of dance they are performing. With different cultural origins and histories of development, each form of ballroom dance uses specific steps, patterns, and qualities of movement that reflect the cultural origins, attitudes, and purposes for which it developed, such as exaggerated, swung hip actions in rumba and smooth, floating travelling movement in waltz.
Descriptive Statements:
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Demonstrate knowledge of the relationship between choreography and sensory stimuli (e.g., music/sound, text, objects, images, notation, observed dance, experiences, literary forms, natural phenomena, current news, social events), including relating similar or contrasting ideas to develop choreography using a variety of stimuli and synthesizing content generated from stimulus materials to choreograph dance studies or dances using original or codified movement.
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Demonstrate the ability to develop a dance phrase that expresses and communicates an idea or feeling, explain reasons for movement choices, and analyze the effect of the movement choices.
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Demonstrate knowledge of choreographic devices and dance structures, including identifying, improvising, exploring, experimenting, manipulating, or modifying a variety of choreographic devices to create movement patterns and dance structures, analyze movement choices, and expand movement and choreographic possibilities; using a variety of choreographic devices and dance structures to develop a dance study with a main idea and a clear artistic intent; collaborating to select, apply, and design a dance using choreographic devices and dance structures to support artistic intent and develop original dances; and analyzing how the structure and final composition informs the artistic intent.
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Demonstrate knowledge of how fluency and personal voice are used in designing and choreographing original dances, including justifying choreographic choices and explaining how they are used to intensify artistic intent.
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Determine artistic criteria to choreograph a dance study that communicates personal or cultural meaning, evaluate why some movements are more or less effective than others based on those criteria, and analyze how those criteria serve to communicate the meaning of the dance.
Sample Item:
In collaborating with a group of modern dancers to develop a new work, a professional choreographer uses guided improvisation. As the dancers respond to a suggested stimulus or cue, differences among dancers' movements in the shape, space, energy, and timing used most likely reflect the:
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dancers' varied levels of technical skill development.
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personal voices of the individual dancers.
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strength and flexibility inherent in each dancer's body.
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methods used in the dancers' stylistic training.
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
B. Every dancer brings a unique background of knowledge and dance experience to performance, which, along with personal perspectives, contributes to each dancer's development of a personal movement voice. In responding to an idea or imagery presented as a cue for improvising movement, each dancer will create movement influenced by that personal voice and personal understanding of the cue. Such an activity can generate a range of expressive vocabulary to reflect the ideas and emotions suggested by the improvisation prompt.
Descriptive Statements:
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Demonstrate knowledge of artistic statements, including how the use of movement elements, choreographic devices, and dance structures serves to communicate artistic statements; how artistic statements can reflect a personal aesthetic for an original dance study or dance; how to select and demonstrate movements that support artistic statements; and how to craft an artistic statement that communicates a personal, aesthetic, cultural, and artistic perspective in a collection of original work.
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Demonstrate knowledge of using guided improvisational experiences and feedback, including revising movement choices based on feedback and self-reflection to improve dance studies, communicate artistic intent, and expand choreographic possibilities and explaining and documenting movement choices and refinements.
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Demonstrate knowledge of artistic intent and artistic criteria, including explaining reasons for revisions to dance compositions and how choices made relate to artistic criteria and clarify artistic intent; clarifying the artistic intent of a dance by refining choreographic devices, dance structures, and artistic criteria using self-reflection and feedback from others; and analyzing, evaluating, and justifying how the refinements support artistic intent.
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Demonstrate knowledge of dance documentation, including investigating and comparing recognized systems and documenting dance sequences using recognized systems of documentation (e.g., writing, using a form of notation symbols, using media technologies).
Sample Item:
Use the excerpt below from an artistic statement to answer the question that follows.
I look for the humor in life. With the many challenges that life presents to us, I think it is important to remember that we can laugh, that we can find joy in little things. As a ballet choreographer, I am inspired by human experience, the emotions that make us human, and the ways we interact with each other and the world around us. In my work, my instincts are to explore the comedic side of human nature through the gestures, patterns, and qualities of human movement.
Which of the following choreographic strategies is most likely to contribute to achieving the comedic effect described by the choreographer in the artistic statement?
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developing repetitive unison movements that reinforce planned themes
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creating phrases that use exaggerated movements
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using strong and forceful movement that clearly connects with accompaniment
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abstracting movement to a minimalist suggestion of intent
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
B. Exaggerating movement tends to emphasize the qualities or emotions it suggests. An exaggerated movement can appear surprising, absurd, or overdramatic. Performed in the context of setting, lighting, and costuming that support the intention of creating humor, choreography that uses exaggerated movements can effectively draw attention to the humorous intent of the performance by emphasizing expressive qualities of shape, energy, and timing.
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