Dance Composition: A Practical Guide to Creative Success in Dance Making

257 Pages·2010·8.413 MB·English

by  Jacqueline M. Smith-Autard

Dance
Composition
Jacqueline Smith-Autard

methuen|drama
MMethuen Drama
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
Sixth edition published by Methuen Drama 2010
Methuen Drama
A & C Black Publishers Ltd
36 Soho Square
London W1D 3QY
www.methuendrama.com
Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2010 Jacqueline M. Smith-Autard
DVD copyright © 2010 Bedford Interactive Productions Ltd
Jacqueline M. Smith-Autard has asserted her rights under the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 1 408 11564 0
Typeset by SX Composing DTP, Rayleigh, Essex
Printed and bound in Great Britain by Martins of Berwick, Berwick Upon Tweed
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise,
be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other
than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this
condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Contents
Preface vi
Acknowledgements viii
Introduction
Dancing and composing dances 3
• • •
Dance as art The nature of composition The material elements Methods of
• •
construction The nature of dance composition Teaching dance composition
Section 1
The material content – movement and meaning 17
• •
The basic language of movement Analysing the language Choice of
• •
content Literal m ovement into dance content Exploring a range of
• •
movement Movement and meaning Stylising the material content
Section 2
Methods of construction 1 – the beginnings 29
• • •
Stimuli for dance Types of dances Mode of presentation Improvisation
Methods of construction 2 – motif into composition 41
• • •
Arrangement of material Form What is a motif? Development and
• • •
variation of a motif Repetition as a c onstructional element Types of motif
• •
The dance design in time The dance design in space Motif in composition

Methods of construction 3 – motif into composition for a group 55
• •
The group as an expressive element Motif, development and variation
•
The time aspect The space aspect
Methods of construction 4 – the dance form 66
•
Design in time Organisation of the form
Methods of construction 5 – elements of construction 73
• • • •
Motifs Repetition Variation and contrasts Climax or highlights Proportion
• • •
and balance Transition Logical development Unity
iii
Methods of construction 6 – style 81
• •
Understanding the term style Factors affecting the style of a dance How to
stylise a dance
Methods of construction 7 – improvisation in the process of composition 89
•
Meaning of terms –improvisation and exploration Free and limited improvisation
• • •
Improvisation in framework compositions Guiding improvisation visually
•
Improvisation as process in composition The role of evaluation in improvisation
Methods of construction 8 – alternative and experimental
approaches in dance composition 102
• •
Meaning of terms Alternative movement contents and eclectic trends
•
Themes and reading of themes Alternative and experimental approaches to
dance composition
Section 3
The creative process in dance composition 123
• •
The creative process Phases in creativity The creative process in
• •
dance composition – an example Phase 1 – the impulse to create
• •
Phase 2 – working with the medium Phase 3 – realising the final form
Phase 4 – presentation and performance, and Phase 5 – response and
•
evalution Summary and conclusion
Section 4
Resource-based teaching/learning – dance composition 143
• •
Resource-based teaching/learning New technologies
•
Differences in use of DVD and CD-ROM/DVD-ROM technologies
•
A CD-ROM resource: Chorographic Outcomes – improving dance composition
•
The accompanying DVD Resource-based teaching/learning – practical
•
assignments using the DVD Resource-based teaching/learning using
new technologies
Section 5
Resource-based teaching/learning – dance performance 177
• •
Performance to deepen understanding of composition Aims of this section
•
Methods of improving dance performance A DVD-ROM resource: Vocalise –
iv
•
improving dance performance Resource-based teaching/learning – practical
assignments using the DVD
Section 6
Standing back from the process –evaluations 211
• •
The composer’s freedom Imagination and intuition Imagination in relation
• • •
to the stimulus Imagination during composition Intuition Knowing and
•
feeling Evaluations
Conclusion 231
References 235
Technology resources 241
Index 243
The accompanying DVD
The DVD can be played on a DVD player through a modern LCD TV and on any
desktop or laptop computer with a DVD program. If the DVD is to be used to
support practical teaching of composition and performance in large groups, the
playback should be projected onto a large screen in the dance studio.
The DVD starts with the Introduction. This explains how the DVD relates
to the book. Please view this on the first occasion. On subsequent occasions
the Introduction can be by passed by clicking on the player’s control button
titled Menu. This action takes you to the Main Menu on the DVD.
In the Main Menu there are three choices: Choreographic Outcomes Demo
– to provide visual demonstration of the detailed description of a CD-ROM
resource pack in Section 4, pp. 148–156; Vocalise Demo – to provide visual

demonstration of the detailed description of a DVD-ROM resource pack in
Section 5; pp. 188–208 and Practical Assignments.
A click on the latter button presents further two choices – Vocalise – a
solo employed in both Sections 4 and 5 as a source for students’ own
composition and performance work and Lisa’s Duo which produces further
choices so that the whole duo and its six separate sections can be viewed
and used as sources for duo composition assignments detailed in Section 4.
Whilst using the DVD you should employ all the facilities provided on your
player – slow motion, pause, return, fast forward and backward, step forward and
backward and the bookmark option if you have it (see the footnote on p. 157).
v
Preface
In the arts, to compose is to create – to make something which, for each particular
artist, has not existed before. Artists who attain the highest peaks of perfection
in composition – dance: the choreographer, music: the composer, art: the painter
or sculptor, drama: the playwright, literature: the poet or novelist – are inspired
people of imagination and vision. The few who reach these heights of artistry are
those with outstanding gifts and skills, and who, through many years of diligent
and perceptive study, have mastered their craft so completely that they have no
need to analyse the ‘rules’ when they become inspired to create something
which, in its finished form, is unique.
If we are realistic and honest with ourselves, the majority of us know that our
talent, in the particular art in which we have chosen to be involved, may have
many limitations compared with those who are truly great. This is not to suggest
that we under-estimate ourselves, but that self-assessment of our own ability is
very important as it guards us from becoming pretentious in attempting what is
beyond our skill.
The challenge to those who teach an art is to encourage and guide students
towards fulfilling their potential. During the process, the teacher and the taught
may derive encouragement and inspiration from each other as well as from those
who have been recognised as especially talented.
Although the term choreography is commonly used to describe the activity of

composing dances, the title of this book has been retained as Dance Composition
because it focuses almost exclusively on the content and form of dances rather
than on all aspects of choreography including themes, music or sound, design
and lighting. Here dance composition is considered as a craft from the point of
view of students and young teachers who are faced with the task of composing
dances, and encouraging others to do the same. Many find difficulty in this
creative aspect of the art of dance, often through lack of confidence due to
insufficient knowledge of the guidelines. But what are the guidelines or ‘rules’
which become so absorbed and reflected in the works of those who have
mastered the craft of their art? This book attempts to answer this question. The
vi
Preface
5th edition also began to consider the personal, creative, intuitive input into
compositions, perhaps providing a fuller picture for student composers. This 6th
edition adds a consideration of the ways in which performance of dances can
enhance knowledge and understanding of composition. The most distinctive
feature of this new edition is the inclusion of a DVD to provide examples of
composition and performance from which, through related practical assignments,
students can enrich their own dance making and performing.

vii
Acknowledgements
My thanks to Jim Schofield, my partner in Bedford Interactive Research, and to
Michael Schofield who works for us and made the DVD accompanying this book,
both of whose innovative and inspiring ideas have advanced and enhanced the
teaching of dance composition through the use of multimedia. Section 4,
Resource-based teaching/learning – dance composition, and Section 5, Resource-
based teaching/learning – dance performance reflect the new and exciting
possibilities offered through the use of technology – exposing as they do, a whole
range of practical assignments derived from the study of a professionally
choreographed dance work. Bedford Interactive’s work to create CD-ROM and
DVD-ROM resource packs has led to fresh approaches in the use of new
technology resources in teaching/learning dance composition and performance,
as presented in the above named sections.
Also for their kind permission to use the photographs of Wild Child, I thank
Ludus Dance and Tara Martin, photographer. Thanks also go to the dancers
featured in these photographs – Jason Bradley, Penny Collinson, Darryl Shepherd
and Ruth Spencer. Further photographs, taken by Ryan Smith, feature Lisa
Spackman, Christine Francis, Kevin Wright and Kate Oliver. Many thanks to these
artists for the time and energy spent on this exercise.
My thanks also go to Carly Annable, a former dance student of the University
of Leeds Bretton Hall Campus, for the insight into her choreographic process which

is discussed in Section 3. Part-funded by Palatine, and within the Bretton Hall
Centre for Research in Dance, this work was recorded and analysed for a pilot
research that led to a CD-ROM demo disc authored by Bedford Interactive.
viii
Introduction