Visual & Performing Arts · 6th Grade · Movement and Choreography · Weeks 10-18

Choreographic Process: Structuring a Dance

Learning basic choreographic structures such as ABA form, theme and variation, and narrative structures.

• Common Core State Standards
• NCAS: Creating DA.Cr2.1.6
• NCAS: Creating DA.Cr1.1.6

About This Topic

Once students have generated movement material, they face the architectural problem of organization: how do you arrange movement phrases to create a coherent experience for an audience? This topic introduces 6th grade students to foundational choreographic structures, including ABA form (where opening material returns after a contrasting section), theme and variation (a central movement idea that transforms throughout), and narrative structures (where movement follows a sequential arc). Each structure provides a different set of decisions about how unity and variety are balanced.

Understanding structure in choreography connects to broader concepts of form that students encounter across arts disciplines, from musical forms like sonata and rondo to literary structures like exposition, rising action, and resolution. NCAS standard DA.Cr2.1.6 asks students to develop movement material with artistic intent, which requires understanding that structure is itself an expressive choice, not just an organizational convenience.

Active learning matters here because structure is only perceptible with an audience. Students can read about ABA form and still produce a shapeless sequence of movements without recognizing the problem. Short creation tasks followed by peer viewing and structural analysis help students develop the ability to both build and perceive organization in dance, which is the practical outcome this topic is building toward.

Key Questions

1. How does an ABA structure provide both unity and variety in a dance?
2. Differentiate between a narrative and an abstract choreographic structure.
3. Design a short dance piece using a theme and variation structure.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how ABA structure creates both unity and contrast in a short dance phrase.
• Compare and contrast the organizational principles of narrative and abstract choreographic structures.
• Design a 30-second dance sequence that demonstrates theme and variation.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of a chosen choreographic structure in conveying artistic intent.

Before You Start

Generating Movement Material

Why: Students need to have a repertoire of movement phrases and ideas before they can focus on organizing them into a coherent structure.

Elements of Dance (Space, Time, Energy)

Why: Understanding how to manipulate these core elements is fundamental to creating contrasting sections and variations within a choreographic structure.

Key Vocabulary

Choreographic Structure	The framework or organizational plan used to arrange movement phrases in a dance. It guides the sequence and relationship of different sections.
ABA Form	A choreographic structure where a movement section (A) is followed by a contrasting section (B), and then the original section (A) returns. This creates a sense of repetition and return.
Theme and Variation	A choreographic structure that begins with a central movement idea or theme, which is then repeated and altered in various ways throughout the piece.
Narrative Structure	A choreographic structure that tells a story or follows a sequence of events. Movement progresses logically from one point to the next, often with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
Abstract Structure	A choreographic structure that focuses on movement for its own sake, exploring shape, rhythm, and dynamics without necessarily telling a story or conveying a specific message.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

ABA form just means repeating the beginning at the end.

What to Teach Instead

The return of A in ABA form creates meaning through contrast, because the audience has experienced B. The A section feels different on its return even if the movement is identical, because the context has changed. Students who understand this create more intentional B sections and think about what the return should feel like, not just what it should look like.

Common Misconception

Narrative structure means the dance needs to tell a literal story with mime or pantomime.

What to Teach Instead

A dance can have a narrative arc (beginning, complication, resolution) without depicting specific events or characters. The story is a structural arc: establishing material, introducing disruption or tension through new or transformed material, and arriving at a resolution. Abstract movement can follow a narrative arc without any mime or literal representation.

Common Misconception

More sections and more variety make a better dance.

What to Teach Instead

Structural coherence depends on how material relates to itself. A dance with too many unrelated sections feels incoherent, not interesting or sophisticated. Students often discover through peer feedback that simpler structures with clear relationships between sections are more satisfying to watch than ambitious but disconnected sequences.

Active Learning Ideas

Collaborative Composition: ABA Puzzle

Small groups create an 8-count A phrase and a contrasting 8-count B phrase, then assemble the three-section structure and perform for the class. Observers note what made A and B feel different and what effect the return of A created. Debrief focuses on how the structure produced both contrast and resolution.

50 min·Small Groups

Think-Pair-Share: Decoding Structure in Video

Show a two-minute excerpt from a professional dance piece. Students individually identify any structural patterns they notice such as repetition, contrast, or return. Pairs compare observations and share one moment where structure created a specific effect on the viewer: surprise, satisfaction, or tension.

25 min·Pairs

Theme and Variation Workshop

Each student creates a 6-count movement phrase as their theme, then transforms it three times by changing one element per variation: tempo, spatial level, or direction. Partners perform all four versions and discuss which variation felt most different and which felt most related to the original theme.

40 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• Choreographers for musical theater, like Andy Blankenbuehler for 'Hamilton', use narrative structures to advance the plot and develop characters through dance.
• Professional dance companies, such as the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, often explore abstract structures, focusing on the interplay of movement, music, and visual design without a literal storyline.
• Ballet choreographers, like Marius Petipa for 'Swan Lake', frequently employ ABA form or theme and variation to create both memorable motifs and dramatic development within classical works.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Present students with short video clips (15-30 seconds each) of different dance excerpts. Ask them to identify the primary choreographic structure used (ABA, theme and variation, narrative, or abstract) and write one sentence justifying their choice.

Peer Assessment

Students create a 30-second dance using ABA form. They then perform it for a small group. Peers use a simple checklist: 'Is there a clear Section A?', 'Is Section B different?', 'Does Section A return?', and provide one verbal comment on the clarity of the structure.

Discussion Prompt

Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'Imagine you are choreographing a dance about a seed growing into a flower. Which structure, narrative or theme and variation, would better serve this idea, and why?' Encourage students to support their reasoning with examples of how movement could be organized.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ABA form in dance and how does it work?

ABA form organizes a dance into three sections: an opening section A, a contrasting section B, and a return to the opening material A. The contrast in the middle provides variety while the return creates a sense of unity and closure. The B section's job is to create enough difference that the return of A feels like a meaningful arrival rather than simple repetition.

What is theme and variation in choreography?

Theme and variation starts with a central movement idea, the theme, and then transforms it in a series of variations. Each variation changes one or more elements such as the tempo, spatial level, direction, dynamics, or body part used, while keeping enough of the original to remain recognizable. This structure allows a choreographer to explore a single idea in depth across an entire piece.

What is the difference between a narrative and abstract dance structure?

A narrative dance structure follows a story arc with a beginning, development, and conclusion, moving through events or emotional progression in sequence. An abstract structure organizes movement by formal relationships like repetition, contrast, and development rather than story logic. Both can be emotionally expressive, and most dances use elements of both approaches simultaneously.

How does active learning help students understand choreographic structure?

Structure is something students need to build and observe in practice, not just read about in theory. Creating short structured pieces, performing them for peers, and receiving feedback on whether the structure was perceptible teaches students to think from the audience's perspective. When a peer says they could not tell when the A section returned, the student has specific evidence that their structural choices need to be clearer.