Visual & Performing Arts · 9th Grade

Active learning ideas

Introduction to Choreography: Motif and Development

Students learn choreography best when they move immediately from concept to practice. Because motif and development require physical engagement, active labs and peer exchanges help teenagers grasp abstract ideas like continuity and transformation through their own bodies and observations.

• Common Core State Standards
• NCAS: Creating DA.Cr1.1.HSProf
• NCAS: Creating DA.Cr2.1.HSProf

• 20–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Project-Based Learning
• 50 min · Pairs

Workshop Lab: Motif Transformation Stations

Students create a four-count movement motif, then rotate through four stations where they must transform it using retrograde, inversion, fragmentation, and change of level. A partner at each station records observations on what changes and what stays recognizable as the original idea.

How does a choreographer use a movement motif to create thematic unity in a dance?

Facilitation Tip

During Motif Transformation Stations, rotate among groups every four minutes so students experience all four techniques before settling on a favorite for deeper work.

What to look for

Present students with a short video clip of a dance. Ask them to write down what they believe is the primary movement motif and provide one example of how it was developed within the clip. Review responses for identification and understanding of development techniques.

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

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Spotting the Motif

Show a two-minute clip from a professional dance work (e.g., a Paul Taylor or Alvin Ailey piece). Students individually write down what they think the core motif is, then compare with a partner before the class discusses how the motif was developed across the piece.

Analyze different methods of developing a movement phrase (e.g., retrograde, inversion, fragmentation).

Facilitation Tip

In Spotting the Motif, require each pair to write their motif in three words or fewer on a sticky note so they practice condensing complexity before sharing.

What to look for

In small groups, students perform a 30-second choreographic study based on a given theme. After each performance, peers identify the main motif and list two ways it was developed (e.g., 'repeated with faster tempo,' 'contrasted with a low, grounded movement').

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

Activity 03

• Project-Based Learning
• 40 min · Small Groups

Choreographic Study: Theme and Variation

Each student chooses a single everyday gesture as their motif seed (drinking coffee, opening a door, checking a phone). They develop it into a 30-second study using at least three development techniques, then perform it for a small group who must identify the original gesture and the transformations applied.

Design a short choreographic study based on a chosen theme, demonstrating motif development.

Facilitation Tip

For the Choreographic Study, play the theme aloud only once so students must rely on movement rather than narrative to convey meaning.

What to look for

Facilitate a class discussion using the prompt: 'How does the choreographer's choice to develop a motif through retrograde versus fragmentation change the audience's perception of the movement idea?' Encourage students to reference specific examples from their own work or viewed professional pieces.

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

Activity 04

• Gallery Walk
• 20 min · Small Groups

Gallery Walk: Annotated Notation

Post printed Laban notation symbols or stick-figure phrase maps around the room showing the same motif in different developed forms. Students circulate with sticky notes, identifying which technique was used at each station and predicting what the original motif looked like.

How does a choreographer use a movement motif to create thematic unity in a dance?

Facilitation Tip

During the Gallery Walk, provide colored pencils for students to underline where they see the motif’s DNA in each peer’s notation sheets.

What to look for

Present students with a short video clip of a dance. Ask them to write down what they believe is the primary movement motif and provide one example of how it was developed within the clip. Review responses for identification and understanding of development techniques.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by moving from the visible to the invisible: start with clear physical examples before abstract concepts like theme and variation. Avoid overwhelming students with too many terminology terms at once; anchor each new technique to a short, repeatable phrase they already know. Research in embodied cognition shows that when students physically practice a motif and then manipulate it, their retention of development strategies improves significantly.

By the end of the sequence, students will identify a clear motif in a short phrase, apply at least three development techniques intentionally, and articulate why certain choices communicate the theme more effectively than others.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Motif Transformation Stations, watch for students creating long, intricate phrases right away.

  Remind them to choose one small movement—like a shoulder roll or a lunge—and repeat it until the group agrees it is the motif before attempting any transformations.

• During Choreographic Study: Theme and Variation, watch for groups changing every element of the motif until it feels unrelated.

  Have them pause and circle the single element that remains consistent across variations, using a highlighter on their recorded phrases.

• During Spotting the Motif, watch for students assuming a motif must involve multiple body parts or fast actions.

  Prompt them to test their motif by performing it in a mirror; if it disappears when slowed down, it may still be too complex and needs simplification.

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Methods used in this brief

• Project-Based Learning
• Think-Pair-Share
• Gallery Walk