Choreographic Process: Structuring a Dance

Active learning works for structuring dance because students must physically experience how repetition, contrast, and transformation shape meaning. When they manipulate movement material themselves, abstract concepts like ABA form become visible in their own bodies and in their peers’ work.

• 6th Grade
• Visual & Performing Arts
• 3 activities
• 25 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

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

Project-Based Learning

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

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.

Prepare & details

How does an ABA structure provide both unity and variety in a dance?

Facilitation Tip: During Collaborative Composition: ABA Puzzle, ask leading questions like 'What makes Section B feel different from Section A?' to push students beyond surface-level contrasts.

Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology

Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Think-Pair-Share

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

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.

Prepare & details

Differentiate between a narrative and an abstract choreographic structure.

Facilitation Tip: During Think-Pair-Share: Decoding Structure in Video, circulate and listen for students to use specific movement vocabulary, such as 'contrast' or 'return,' to describe what they see.

Setup: Standard classroom seating; students turn to a neighbor

Materials: Discussion prompt (projected or printed), Optional: recording sheet for pairs

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Project-Based Learning

⏱ 40 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.

Prepare & details

Design a short dance piece using a theme and variation structure.

Facilitation Tip: During Theme and Variation Workshop, remind students to document each transformation with a simple sketch or note so they can reflect on how their central idea evolves.

Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology

Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Teaching This Topic

Teachers approach this topic by first letting students feel the difference between repetition and contrast in their own bodies before naming the structures. Avoid rushing to definitions; instead, let students discover how structure shapes meaning through trial and error. Research in embodied cognition suggests that physical repetition of material helps students internalize how form influences perception and memory.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students making intentional choices about how sections relate to one another. They should articulate why a particular structure fits their idea and receive feedback that their performance clearly communicates the intended form to an audience.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Collaborative Composition: ABA Puzzle, students may assume ABA form is simply about repeating the beginning and end without considering how the middle section changes the context.

What to Teach Instead

During Collaborative Composition: ABA Puzzle, redirect students by asking, 'How does performing Section B change how you experience Section A when it returns?' Have them perform the full sequence and reflect on the emotional or physical shift the return creates.

Common Misconception

During Theme and Variation Workshop, students may believe that adding small changes to movement automatically makes the variation feel like a transformation.

What to Teach Instead

During Theme and Variation Workshop, challenge students to identify one core quality of their theme (e.g., speed, level, shape) and alter only that quality in each variation to ensure clarity.

Common Misconception

During Think-Pair-Share: Decoding Structure in Video, students may equate narrative structure with literal storytelling, such as a dance about a forest fire.

What to Teach Instead

During Think-Pair-Share: Decoding Structure in Video, provide examples of abstract dances with clear narrative arcs (e.g., tension building, release) and ask students to describe the arc without referring to specific events.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After Think-Pair-Share: Decoding Structure in Video, display short video clips and ask students to identify the primary structure and justify their choice in writing using the sentence frame, 'This dance uses ____ form because...'.

Peer Assessment

During Collaborative Composition: ABA Puzzle, have students perform their 30-second ABA dances for peers who use a checklist to assess clarity (clear Section A, contrasting Section B, return of Section A) and give one verbal comment on how the structure felt to watch.

Discussion Prompt

After Theme and Variation Workshop, facilitate a class discussion with the prompt, 'Would a seed growing into a flower be better served by a narrative structure or theme and variation? Use examples of how movement could transform in each case.'

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge students to create a 45-second dance using two different structures (e.g., ABA followed by narrative) and explain how the transitions between structures serve their overall idea.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence stems for students who struggle to articulate their choices, such as 'Section B contrasts Section A by...' or 'The return of Section A makes me feel...'.
• Deeper exploration: Introduce chance procedures (e.g., rolling dice to determine sequence) to explore how randomness challenges or reinforces 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.