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University High School

Dance I
Orchesis Intercity Dance Company
Instructor: Laurie Merriman

WRITTEN DANCE CRITIQUE GUIDELINES

THE DANCE CONCERT CRITIQUE SHOULD BE TYPED OR WORD-PROCESSED USING DOUBLD SPACING AND SHOULD BE APPROXIMATELY TWO PAGES IN LENGTH.

YOUR CRITIQUE SHOULD BE WRITTEN IN PARAGRAPH FORM, NOT IN OUTLINE FORM, PLEASE.

GRADING WILL BE BASED UPON CONTENT AS WELL AS ACCEPTED GUIDELINES FOR A WELL WRITTEN PAPER (such as grammar, spelling, word choice, and so forth).

Please discuss the following in your paper:

      The Performance
      (including the performers/Company; the performance space; the date of the performance or viewing)

       The Choreography
      Although each piece within any given concert should be mentioned in some respect, two or three of
       these pieces within the concert should be written about specifically following the criterion listed
      below:



A. The Choreographic Concept

·         Describe the mood, idea, theme of the dance, as you
    understand the performance.

·         Do not use program notes in writing this section.

·         What do you feel was the overall intent of the
     choreographer creating this dance?

·         Was the theme fairly literal, or more abstract?

·         What draws you to your conclusions?

           B. The Choreographer's Tools

                        1. Space: focus, levels, range, directions, floor
                            patterns, volume and density.

                      2. Time: tempo, rhythm

                      3. Force: quality, dynamics, unison, contrast

                      4. Other: style, forms, structure, movements,
                           use of dancers.

        General Performance
        (Quality of the dancers' technique; Dancers' use of projection and conviction in performance;
         Dancers' ability to change roles from one dance or section of a dance to another.)

        Production
       Describe the effectiveness of the theatrical elements in relationship to each dance.

A.      Costumes

B.      Lighting Design

C.      Music or sound accompaniment

D.      Sets and/or props (if any)

Note:
DANCES ARE ART WORKS, THEREFORE THE TITLES OF DANCE WORKS SHOULD BE EITHER UNDERLINED, "PLACED WITHIN QUOTATION MARKS," OR IN ITALICS.

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