Ideas for Teaching Choreographic Tools
Questions for students to consider as you explore different tools:
- How did this choice change the way you perceived the movement?
- Why might a choreographer make a choice like this?
- Can you use this tool to support the intention of your choreography? How?
Formations and Proximity
Task:
Teach (or ask a student to teach) the class a short movement phrase.
Divide the class into groups of different numbers (solos, duets, trios and small groups).
In their groups, direct students to come up with three different arrangements in which the phrase could be performed, considering the pattern or spacing on a stage, the direction everyone is facing, and the pathways each dancer will take.
Once the groups have rehearsed their ideas, watch the movement studies one group at a time.
Discuss the different choices as a class, considering how the spatial choices affected how observers perceived or interpreted the movement.