Tips for Making Sure Your Students Get the Most out of Watching a Performance
by Lorelei Coutts
The National Standards For Dance Education provide learning objectives that include describing, analyzing, interpreting and evaluating a performance. Keep in mind that while most of your students may not pursue careers as professionals in dance, they will all benefit from looking at the arts with an educated eye. Engage your students by asking them to respond to these and other questions:
- Who did you see onstage? What characters did you see?
- Were there solos? Duets? A large chorus?
- Are the dancers well-trained?
- What kinds of movements did they use (fast, slow, fluid, jagged, high, low, gestures)?
- How did the choreographer use the space (lines of direction, levels, focus, formations, entrances, exits)?
- What styles of music were used (classical, jazz, popular)? Was there an orchestra or was the music taped?
- What dance forms were represented (modern, ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, freestyle, ethnic)?
- How were the costumes, scenery, lighting, special effects and props used?
-What did you like or dislike about the performance?
