Ballet Midterm Essay on Serenade

DANCE VIDEO REPORT GUIDELINES
ALL PAPERS TO BE ENTERED INTO POPULI BY THE START OF CLASS ON DUE DATE.
NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
ALL PAPERS MUST BE WRITTEN IN 12 PT TIMES NEW ROMAN FONT, DOUBLE SPACED AND ALIGNED LEFT.
DO NOT INCLUDE A COVER PAGE.
IN UPPER LEFT CORNER WRITE YOUR NAME, INSTRUCTOR’S NAME, CLASS, AND DATE:
SPELL CHECK AND PROOF READ YOUR WORK.
ALL PAPERS MUST BE A MINIMUM OF FOUR PAGES IN LENGTH (MAXIMUM OF FIVE PAGES).
THE GRADE RECEIVED MAKES UP 20% OF THE FINAL EXAM GRADE.
OVERVIEW: Take notes on what you’re watching. Write very specifically to document the performance you’ve seen in a detailed, focused manner. Your goal: to describe the piece accurately instead of merely giving your opinion of the dance; describe and defend. Read dance reviews online or in the newspaper to see how they are written.
Your paper should be written according to the following:
The opening paragraph should name the piece, the choreographer of the piece, and the company performing the piece. It should give a brief overview of the piece: describing either the story line, or if no narrative is obviously present, describe the mood or overall ambience of the piece.
Identify two or three moments in the piece and concentrate on what most appealed to you about these pieces and dispense with the negative swiftly, unless you didn’t like the work at all. It is okay to not like something as long as you can defend your viewpoint. Example: “The dance began with a promising concept but the choreographer failed to deliver”. Then proceed to explain how and why the choreographer failed to deliver.
When writing about the video you viewed include both Intrinsic and Extrinsic elements:
Intrinsic Elements: Inherent elements that belong to the essential nature of the dance (an objective interpretation). These elements include
Type of movement (sharp, soft, light, heavy, bound, free)
Use of space (high, low, middle, expanded, compressed)
Tempo of movement/music (fast, slow, moderate)
Costumes, scenery/setting, lighting, make-up
Extrinsic Elements: Elements originating from the outside of the dance (your subjective interpretation). These elements include:
The viewer’s subjective interpretation of the dance (what you thought the dance was about – what you thought the intention of the choreographer was).
How the dance made you feel.
What you thought the dancers were feeling.
Do not merely describe the stage action. For example do not write: “three dancers came onstage and danced in the center followed by a solo by the lead dancer. Afterward, the entire group came on stage and danced together”. Instead tell your reader how the dancers were moving (intrinsic elements), how the movements made you feel as a viewer (extrinsic elements) and what you thought the intention of the dance was (extrinsic elements).
Ask yourself the following: Was the choreography imaginative? Did it communicate something? If so, what? Were there vague points to the story or theme?
You must also include the following:
Name of the musical composer and how/if the music supported or did not support the choreography.
Name of the lighting and costume designers (if listed) and how the lighting and costumes supported or did not support the choreography.
How did the dance you observed relate to what you have learned about dance in this course?
Additional comments followed by conclusion or brief summary paragraph stating why the performance worked or didn’t for you.
ADDITIONALLY:
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPELL CHECKING AND PROOF READING: DO BOTH!
There must be:
An opening paragraph
The body of the paper
A closing paragraph
Each paragraph must have at least three-five sentences.
Use the correct tense, you are writing about something you already saw so use past tense “He moved quickly.” Keep that same tense present throughout the paper.
Do not use first person.
Do not use the words ‘really’, ‘a lot’, or ‘like’.
Refer to a dancer or choreographer the first time by full name, after, refer to that person by last name only.
Vary your use of verbs, adjectives and adverbs.
Refer to the dance and sections of the dance as ‘works’ or ‘pieces’ not ‘routines’ and ‘numbers’.
You may sight specific dancers by name.
Do not refer to the dancers as ‘girls’ and ‘boys’. When referring to gender use ‘male/female’ or ‘men/women’.