400896 template for dance critique new spr13

400896 Gymnastics and Dance Assessment 1 – Dance Critique Template Spring 2013
Name of peer: Alessandro DiMartino and Stephen Date of performance: Thursday week 10
Peer student number:17275666 and 17232441 Tutorial day/time: 9am thursday
Element of
performance
Comment and critique
Space
How did the performers use the space?
In this pairs performance the available space was utilised very well with the movements moving from the centre of the space out
to the sides and then front and back, this showed the movements from a range of different vantage points (eg boys facing the
front and moving towards the markers and then side on moving away from each other.) The dance moves were made so that they
could be performed whilst moving around the space which led to it being quite interesting in the patterns created by the pair .
Did they vary the height at which the movement was performed?
Height was a strong point in this routine as the boys moved from regular (standing) to high (punching their hands towards the
roof) and then low by getting their bodies onto the ground and then back onto their knees. Height could have been incorporated a
little more having the movements (eg the punches to the front and sides) performed at different levels as they were movements
that were repeated a few times and this could have varied their performance a little more. Overall good use of height in their
performance.
Did they produce interesting patterns with their movements?
As previously mentioned the patterns of the movements in this performance were interesting. The dance progressed from centre
to front then side to the back then to the front again with height variations included amongst the movement pattern interchanges.
This led to the viewer’s eye being dragged around the space following the sharp movements. As the boys continued their routine
in sync and moved away from each other and to the side mirroring each other this created a very visually interesting movement
pattern.

The pattern of body movements (excluding the actual moving around the space) were quite varied and interesting as the punching
arm movements they were performing were moved from the front to the side and to the roof which was good to see.
They could have included more dramatic movements with the bottom half of their bodies rather than just stepping forward and
punching their arms to the beat as this could have used their immediate space a little more but they were performed was still
good.
Did they vary the direction of their movement?
The direction of their movements was definitely varied as they moved themselves around the whole space provided from front to
back and the sides to the centre.
The direction of their height vertically was also quite varied from the ground to kneeling to standing and then reaching in the air.
The direction of their arm movements (the punching) was also quite varied as they went to the front and in the air even cross ing
their arms in front of them in diagonal movements.
The direction of their movements of the lower half of their body was less varied with them mainly stepping forward and back
whilst performing the other dance movements with their hands and arms. This could have been improves as mentioned before by
including some forward or sidekicks or some slides or other lower body actions.
Time
Did the performers’ movements match the beat and patterns of the music?
This performance was performed to a 4/4 beat with no half beat movements included. The movements did match the beat of the
music as it had a strong bass sound throughout the whole routine. The routine did very much look like something that would be
performed in a gym routine with the movements all regular and constant and the music being simple with a sol id timed beat.
Their performance was largely punching and stepping forwards and backwards (with some variations for height and dynamics)and
this did match the song as it was not a soft song that would have required less sharp and dramatic movements.
Was the tempo constant throughout the routine?
The tempo was constant throughout the routine for the most part (and for one of the boys in particular) with the boys performing

a different action (punches, turns, steps, claps) on each beat.
It is important to note that there was some confusion (possibly forgetting the movements or unsure of the order) that did get one
of the partners off the beat for a few movements and he was slightly off for a cycle of the routine but the other partner kept the
tempo quite well and was able to lead the other back into the right tempo and series of steps.
This timing could have been improved through better knowledge of the dance (possible more practice time) and a better
confidence within himself and the dance that he was doing the correct movements instead of being a split moment behind his
partner as he hesitated to check the next set of movements.
If necessary, provide comment on the timing of the overall routine – was the routine too rushed, or did the performer take too
long to complete their routine?
The routine was evenly paced which allowed the boys to complete their movements on the beat and give them a little more
confidence as they didn’t have to do sudden changes or swift movements. This did however make their routine seem a little slow
and clunky especially when one of the boys lost timing. Use of half beat movements of more flowing movements (such as sliding or
ocean rolling the hand/arm) would have made this routine feel a little bit faster and more like a dance rather than a gym workout
routine.
Still pretty good timing overall with just a few corrections that could be worked on with more practice and knowledge of the
routine.
Dynamics
Were movements well controlled throughout the routine?
The movements in this routine were very much controlled for the most part (excluding when one of the boys lost where he was up
to and had to look to the other to find his steps again). One partner in particular had controlled movements throughout the
routine seeming to have more confidence and knowledge of the routine than his partner.
The movements were also quite simple (many punches, steps and claps) which allowed the boys to perform the movements in
sharp clear actions.

The only time the movements were not controlled was when one of the boys lost his rhythm and had to look to his partner for
clarification. His movements looked rushed and confused for a cycle of the routine until he caught back up to the music.
Did the performers make many errors in their movements?
Errors were performed by both partners at the end when they came back together for their final pose as they looked a little
confused about what to do but did not lose the beat and ended well.
The major errors were when one lost the beat and missed a few movements then had to catch back up but regained composure
quite quickly and performed the rest well.
The errors looked to be because they did not know the dance well enough (possibly adding the last pose in just before delivery)
and could have been improved through more practice.
Comment on the characteristics of the movements (e.g. did they flow, or were they “jerky”)?
The characteristics of the movements were quite sharp and deliberate and led from one movement to the other well.
It did look a little jerky in some parts of the routine (when they were performing the punches to the front and the sides whilst
stepping forward and back) but this could have been because there were no half beat movements made so it looked slow paced
with such sharp movements performed quickly compared to the tempo of the song.
To eliminate the jerky movements they could have varied the movements from just straight punches forwards and to the sides
with steps to slides to the side with more flowy arm movements or punching in the direction they were sliding. This sliding would
have made the movement longer and more matching with the beat of the music.
Were the movements of equal duration and co-ordinated as a pair?
The movements were all of equal duration as they all occurred on a single beat each. There was no variation in movement
duration which made the routine very evenly paced.
The couple were coordinated for the start of the routine until one of them fell behind when he forgot the steps. This led to him
doing some of the movements very quickly to catch up to his partner but he still seemed to be doing the actions a split second
behind his partner for the rest of the routine. This could have been because he was constantly checking his partner to make sure
he was doing the same actions which led his to be a little delayed.

This could have been avoided by him having confidence in himself and his movements rather than having to constantly double
check his against his partners. More practice and knowledge of the routine would also have improved this slight delay.
Rhythm and
relationships
Did the movements follow a rhythm or a clear timing pattern?
The rhythm was very clear in this routine as and the movements matched the beat of the song very well for the most part. There
was clear timing in the routine and you could see the movements and patterns had been designed to match the rhythm of the
song exactly. Had the routine been done without one partner falling behind the rhythm of the movements would have been very
well organised. Unfortunately the rhythm was lost for a cycle of the routines but picked up for the ending.
Did the performers use a range of rhythmic patterns? Example full beat and half beat?
The movements were only performed on the full beat in this routine so a range of rhythmic patterns were not used. There was
time for the movements to be performed on the half beat and designing the punches to consist of two quick punches rather than
one slow one could have made the routine feel faster and look more appealing to the markers.
The relationship between the music and the movements was quite clear and well thought out.
Did the performers work cohesively together?
The partners looked like they were having fun when they were performing and this led to the routine being well received by the
markers. The coordination of both partners in this routine was not executed to its full extent which made it seem a little of f
towards the end.
It did also appear that one of the boys knew the routine much better than the other perhaps having had more input in the
choreographing of the routine which was why he was more confident in performing than the other.
Overall the partners did seem to work cohesively together and could only have been improved if they both equally knew the

routine and did not have to check each other to make sure what they were doing was correct.
Routine
(general)
How well did the performers address each of the six dominant movement patterns (DMPs)?
This is mainly for gymnastics but the boys did show a range of movements including squats, punches, claps, steps and a range of
heights.
How well did the routine flow?
The routine flowed quite well with all the movements being the same short sharp movements (with the exclusion of the ending
which was smooth) and they fitted together quite nicely. Flow could have been developed more with smoother movements
incorporated as the whole routine was comprised of short sharp actions which led to the routine seeming a bit jerky when the
timing was lost between the pair.
Did the routine demonstrate movement composition and appreciation (e.g. did the routine include a start and end pose, skill
connection, and control)?
The routine did not have an outstanding start pose with both parties standing with their hands to their sides until the music
started and they began performing their first actions. Having a static starting pose until the music reached the point of the ir
movements would have made the routine seem more dramatic and improved overall look and feel.
The end pose was similar with an ending movement performed with both partners but it was not held until the music was turned
on they kind of just separated and went back to normal positions. Having held a static end pose the dance would have looked
much more polished and left a better image in the minds of the markers rather than the unclean ending.
There was very good control on the whole of the movements and the patterns created in the routine as you could see the partners
had worked to incorporate a variety of height and a range of movements to incorporate all the space they had around them as

well as above and below.
Did the performers demonstrate key teaching points through their movements?
They did very well at demonstrating the key teaching points by including movements that were dynamic and spatially aware. They
performed a routine that was appropriate for their experience level and that could have been taught to any age group.

Name of peer: Joanne Sumabat and Hayley Morris Date of performance: Week 10
Peer student number: 17202871 and 17246532 Tutorial day/time: 9am Thursday
Element of
performance
Comment and critique
Space
How did the performers use the space?
The space was used to its max in this routine with the girls designing a routine that was very spatially aware incorporating the
space around them as well as above and below. The movements spread out from the centre to the sides and used diagonal
movements to come back into the centre and partner back up.
They incorporated movements that were performed as a partner (the tango) and then movements that were performed
individually but in sync with each other (the line dance). The dynamics of space moving from partnered dancing to individual was
very appealing to the eye.
This was developed very well and did not need any improvement spatially.
Did they vary the height at which the movement was performed?
The start of the dance was comprised of a few different movements performed at all different height levels (below and above).
The start of the dance was very well choreographed and the height changes looked very dramatic and added a look of heightened
skill.
The bulk of the dance was performed at one height with another height change at the end of the performance.
This could have been improve by having some of the repeated movement performed at different height levels as this would have
added more visual dynamics to the routine.
Did they produce interesting patterns with their movements?

The start of the routine was really great with the pattern of movement including the height changes and moving side to side
leading to what could have been a well polished first half of the routine.
The only thing at the start of the routine that impeded the quality of the movement patterns was that the timing was not synced
between the partners which made what could have been a very good and visually dynamic pattern look a little awkward and
unrehearsed. This could have been improved with better knowledge of the when the key note to start the movements started
within the song and more practice.
The rest of their routine had some nice movement patterns that covered the full floor space in all different directions. The
movement patterns in this half of the routine could have been improved by adding some spinning type movements to the routine
or circular patterns in the direction of movement as everything was performed in very linear directions.
Did they vary the direction of their movement?
The direction of movement was varied in that they travelled to the sides the front and the backs of the room with diagonal
movement patterns incorporated so the girls came from every side of the room. The direction to the individual hand and feet
movements was varied with the incorporation of the tango which had them mirroring the actions to the ending which had them
performing the actions side by side in a synced manner.
The individual movements were also varied in that they went from the front of the body to above and below the waist and head
which was good to include.
The directions of the movements could have been more varied by incorporating more partnered dancing techniques such as one
partner moving around the other whilst performing but otherwise it was well thought out.
Time
Did the performers’ movements match the beat and patterns of the music?
The start of the routine did not match up directly with the start of the music which made the start look a little awkward unt il they
caught up. They girls did regain their timing very quickly and for the rest of the routine the movments matched the beat quite well.
They included variations of the beats used by incorporating half beat and full beat movements which led to the timing of the dance

to flow very smoothly.
The pattern of the music was matched up quite well with the exception of the merge into the tango part of the dance which
seemed a little out of place with the rest of the routine until they regained the timing and rhythm.
If the girls had of hit the beat bang on at the start of the routine and fixed the start of the tango part by possibly taking fewer steps
to bring them together then the timing of the routine would have worked very well.
Was the tempo constant throughout the routine?
The tempo of the dance was designed to be quite fast paced with a lot of half beat movements being used which led the
performance to be visually dynamic. The downfall of these fast half beat movements was that at the start of the routine and i n the
middle coming into and out of the tango part the rhythm was lost a little as they missed the beat which led to the actions being
both to slow and others to fast as they tried to catch up to the music.
This could have been improved or refined by having more practice and even removing some of the half beat actions as there were
enough of them to still have kept the dance looking fast paced without having to fall behind on steps.
If necessary, provide comment on the timing of the overall routine – was the routine too rushed, or did the performer take too
long to complete their routine?
The overall timing of the routine was very good with it matching the beat and tempo of the music and rhythm was demonstrated
by both of the girls throughout the dance. The routine was fast paced without feeling rushed (this onlyoccured at the start and the
start of the tango when a couple of the beats were missed) but overall well thoughtout.
Dynamics
Were movements well controlled throughout the routine?
The movements of one of the girls was well controlled for almost all of the routine except for just before the ending pose which
looked like it may have been thrown in so they could achieve the ending pose they were hoping to incorporate as the movements
became a bit confused and sloppy.

The other girl looked to be having maybe some confidence issues with remembering the dance. She performed all the steps but
was continually looking to her partner to double check what she was doing which led to maybe focus too much on her partners
actions and not her own leading to hers looking a bit uncontrolled and less defined than they could have been in executed sharply .
This could have definitely been improved had the girl believed in her own actions as she knew all of them yet seemed to doubt her
own ability.
Overall the movements had elements of control that could have been improved but they were performed well enough to see the
rhythm and sync between the pair.
Did the performers make many errors in their movements?
The start of the dance did not happen on the beat it was supposed to and as they came in together for the start of the tango they
missed a few more beats as they took what looked like 2 to many steps into the middle.
Just before their ending pose (which was very strong and well defined) there seemed to be a little confusion of the steps but was
regained quickly for a great finish.
The big errors were very few and could have been improved by further defining the steps that were to be taken in those instances
and knowing the music well enough to be able to count the beats up until the actions needed to be performed.
Minor errors that occurred was that the hand movements whilst the girls were laying on their stomachs with the feet in the ai r
behind them were not the same with one girls holding hers on her chin and one on either side of her face although both were
performing the same head rocking actions.
Comment on the characteristics of the movements (e.g. did they flow, or were they “jerky”)?
The overall feel of the dance was very flowing the only jerky movements were as mentioned before the start of the dance and the
lead into and coming out of the tango. This came down to not knowing the exact timing of the music and could have been
improved through further practice.
Were the movements of equal duration and co-ordinated as a pair?

The movements were of a variety of duration with some actions performed to a half beat and some took a full beat to complete.
This did not look out of place and actually enhanced the look of the dance.
The pair were for the most part coordinated with one looking more confident than the other with her movements being a lot
sharper and defined.
Facial expressions were also very different in this dance with one pulling faces that went with the dance movements that were
being performed which looked very good and the other girl having a straight face on for the duration of the dance even looking a
bit confused at one stage. This could have been because facial expressions were not discussed as a pair and could have bee n
improved by defining the facial expressions that went with the music from the very beginning of the practice sessions.
Overall the coordination was quite good with the movements performed by both partners at the same time. This could have been
improved by bringing both girls to the same level of energy output and improving the sync of the facial expressions throughout the
dance.
Relationships
Did the movements follow a rhythm or a clear timing pattern?
The rhythm of the movements was really good in this dance as they hit all the beats throughout the music never really falling
behind with the exception of the start and the tango.
There was clearly thought put into the timing of the routine and the only constructive criticism that could be given in terms of
timing would be to further develop the timing leading into and out of the tango (which by itself was well executed and timed) and
to start the dance on the first beat rather than the second.
Did the performers use a range of rhythmic patterns? Example full beat and half beat?
A range of rhythmic patterns were shown in this dance and made the dance feel upbeat and face paced. The actions were varied
and met the half beats and full beats which avoided the dance seeming slow and boring.
This was executed quite well.

Did the performers work cohesively together?
The performers worked well together with both girls knowing the dance well the only issue was one performing with more energy
and enthusiasm than the other.
It looked like one of the girls felt uncomfortable being up there but when she looked at her partner she smiled and looked a bit
happier about the dance and the movements she was performing.
The cohesiveness of the pair was quite good and helped to improve the least confident of the pair when she was looking at her
partners face.
The only way to improve this would be to have the practice together more regularly so they build confidence in themselves and
each other as they both knew the dance quite well.
Routine
(general)
How well did the performers address each of the six dominant movement patterns (DMPs)?
The girls showed variety in the dance patterns the included showing knowledge of different dance types including the tango, l ine
dancing and barn dancing. They varied their height and had great spatial awareness.
How well did the routine flow?
The routine flowed really well excluding the tango and could have been improved by further defining the movements into and out
of this section of the dance and the part just before the end pose. Both of these looked a little rushed like they were a means to an
end rather than a part of the dance itself.
Did the routine demonstrate movement composition and appreciation (e.g. did the routine include a start and end pose, skill
connection, and control)?
The start of the dance was choreographed well and the markers could see that. It was only the execution that was off and this
could have been improved by knowing exactly when the music was going to start.
The end pose of this routine was amazing. It was a static pose that was held for long enough that you knew it was the end it

matched the beat of the song right on and it fit the feel of the dance really well.
The skills and different dance patterns were connected well for the most part and there was clearly though put into the order of
the dance and how the two partners would interact.
Control was a little off more so in one performer than the other but was overall good.
All this could have been improved through further practice and confidence in themselves and their knowledge of the dance and
the music.
Did the performers demonstrate key teaching points through their movements?
The girls demonstrated knowledge of many different types of dances and how they should interact with the music.
It was a dance that could have been simplified for younger students but was complex enough that it would still challenge olde r
students. There was room to build on all the elements of the dance to make it more polished and complex .
The girls looked as though they knew they dance quite well and could demonstrate it to others who would learn it.

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