Choreography: Structuring Devices and Form

Choreography involves making decisions about how to structure a piece of dance. This can encompass a wide range of options and often requires a good understanding of different structuring devices.
‘Binary’ is a dance form where the structure is divided into two distinctive sections: A and B. Each section usually has a different theme or mood.
‘Ternary’ is another dance form. It consists of three sections: A, B, and then a repetition or variation of A. The contrast between the A and B sections can create tension and anticipation in the performance.
‘Rondo’ is a dance form consisting of one main theme (A) and several contrasting themes. It can be written as ABACA or ABACABA.
‘Narrative’ form tells a story. It often has a clear beginning, middle, and end, and includes characters and a plot just like in a book or film.
‘Episodic’ form consists of a series of sections or episodes. Each section can be different, but they are usually connected by a theme or motif.
‘Theme and variation’ form begins with a main theme which is then repeated with variations each time.
A ‘motif’ is a short movement phrase which can be gradually developed, repeated, and altered throughout the piece. This is often used as a structuring device.
‘Canon’ is a choreographic device where dancers perform the same phrase one after the other, like a round in music.
‘Unison’ is another choreographic device where all dancers perform the same movement phrase at the same time.
Structuring devices also include repetition, contrast, accumulation, retrograde, fragmentation, and inversion - it’s important to understand how these are used and what effect they create in choreography.
Choreographic process can be described as ‘selection, development and synthesis’. Selection involves choosing movements, development is changing and elaborating these movements to create phrases and sections, and synthesis is combining these elements into a finished piece.
Understanding and applying these structuring devices and forms are key elements in creating engaging, meaningful, and aesthetic dance pieces. Both creativity and clarity are necessary in this aspect of choreography.