under dance critiquing

2. How to write a dance review
•Let's assume you have just had the opportunity to watch a
dance performance. Your mind is full of images of dance
and movement and music and theater. Below are some
thoughts on how you might go about writing a dance
review. Let's imagine that you are writing an email to a
friend about the experience and you will keep your
observations short and to the point. You probably will start
with a catchy idea to lead your friend into the discussion.
This lead-in is a hook to get your reader interested in what
you have to say. It should relate to what comes after. Here
are some points you can include in your review:

3. #Describe what you saw.
•Name the dance, the dancers, the choreographer, the
time and place of performance, the name of the
music and the composers of the music.
•Comment on the individual dancer's performances
and the ensemble work.
•Describe the people and what they are doing - verbs
are the language of dance.
•Discuss how the dance fits (complements or
counterpoints or contradicts) the music.
•Comment on theatrical elements of the dance -
costumes, props, lighting, scenery.

4. #Analyze the dance performance.
•How is the dance organized?
•Is there a story or narrative, or is it abstract?
•How do the performers relate to each other?
•Are there characters?
•Talk about the style or kind of dance it is. (Is it Jazz,
Ballet, Modern, Tap, Ballroom, Ethnic, Hip-Hop,
Folk, Performance Art, Fusion?)
•How did the movement relate to the musical score?

5. #Judge the dance performance.
•State one good thing about the piece overall.
•Form an opinion based on what was learned in the
previous stages of the critique.
•What impression did the dance make on you?
•Were you moved by this work or the performance?
•How did it make you feel?
•Did the piece work or not?
•How are rhythm, speed, and phrasing used? Are they
constant or changing?

6. •How is the space used? Do the dancers stay upright,
go to the floor, or upside down? What is the focal
point and does it change? What about the direction
the dance moves in?
•What shapes do the dancers and choreography make
(round-linear-soft-hard-symmetrical-undefined)?
•What is the energy of the movement (lyrical-
aggressive-weighted-light-heavy-sharp-gentle-lush)?
•Take note of continuities, such as repetition, and of
connections between the formal elements and the
subject matter

7. #Give your reactions to the piece.
•Did the performers look like they were enjoying
themselves?
•Did they look like they knew the dance moves?
•Were they in time with the music and in time with
each other?
•Did they have an exciting entrance or opening and a
satisfying ending or exit?
•Did they put sufficient effort into the performance?
•Were their facial expressions and focus good?
•What did the dance make you think?

8. • Note:
Even though a dance review reflects
your point of view, the writer should
never use the word “I” or any phrase that
is self-reflective (e.g. “in my opinion” or
“to me”). The reader assumes that any
opinion given is that of the writer.

9. •Please keep in mind that the reader of your
review may not have seen the particular
concert that you are reviewing so when voicing
an opinion on certain elements in the show,
you must describe the scene in the dance that
helps support your viewpoint (e.g. “the dance
seemed to be about the joy of Spring
evidenced by exuberant leaps and costumes
flowing with pastel colors”).

10. •While watching the production, choose
three particular dances to focus in on.
However an overall evaluation of the
performance should also be included.

11. Review
Format

12. Paragraph #1
•Your opening paragraph should state the name of
the dance company as well as where and when the
performance took place. If you can, add some
historical or informational tidbits about the
company (these can be gathered from the teacher,
the performance program, the internet or library
books on dance). You may proffer an overall
assessment of the show in this paragraph but the
following paragraphs should bolster that opinion.

13. Paragraph #2
•Choose one dance to look at more closely. State the
name of the piece, who choreographed it and
perhaps what music was used. Describe very literally
what happened onstage from the beginning of the
dance to the end. Your comments about the dance
can be interspersed within this description and any
personal opinion that you share should include visual
evidence from the choreography or you may include
your comments at the end of the paragraph. Ideas
you should discuss include:

14. A. What the piece was about.
What is the choreographer trying to do?
Change your point of view?
Tell a story?
Create a feeling?
Experiment in public with one or several
elements of dance (i.e. spatial arrangements,
timing, groupings, partnering, new movement
styles)?

15. B. The movement vocabulary or style used and
how it related to the theme of the dance.
Were the elements used suitable to the
theme? Why?
Did the artist push the subject matter or rely
on available stereotypes and obvious dance steps
or clichés?

16. C. The technical ability of the performers in
carrying out the vision of the choreographer.
Were the dancers technically up to the task?
Did the group look well-rehearsed?
D. Whether the music was suitable for the dance.
Costumes and how they related to the theme
or story.

17. E. Were the sets and props necessary and
effective for the dance why?
F. Whether the idea of the piece was clear and
affective. If so why, if not why not?
You may also add some comments on areas not
mentioned above that interested you about the
dance.

18. Paragraph #3 & #4
• These two paragraphs should follow that same format as
paragraph #2, choosing two other dances in the program
to review.
Paragraph #5
•Here you should sum up your appraisal of the
concert as a whole. You may wish to discuss
whether the program was varied enough, whether
the dances were too long or too short, how the
company looked or any changes you would suggest
to improve on the show.