HELPFUL TIPS FOR YOUR DANCE REVIEW PAPER

For your 2-3 page Dance Review, view a live dance event OR one of the dance videos listed below, (also here: DANCE CONCERT SUGGESTIONS.docx) then describe and evaluate the event. Include your thoughts about the dance, the dancers, and the dance event you witnessed.

After watching, think about these questions, though you don't have to address all of them in your paper:

What moments in this film stood out for you? Why?
What messages, emotions or ideas will you take away from this film (if any)? Why?
What connections can you make between this film and your own life or experience?
Does this film remind you of anything else you’ve read or seen? If so, how and why?

If you have another dance concert you would rather watch than one of these, just write and ask me. Here are the rules:

~ It must be over 30 minutes long an dis not a documentary

~ It will have been filmed in front of an audience (preferably)

~ send me a link so I can watch it too!

See a live dance event OR choose ONE video from the list below to watch for your Dance Review paper.

BALLET: Serenade (31 minutes): SERENADE

TRADITIONAL MODERN: Alvin Ailey Revelations (32 minutes): Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Revelations

CONTEMPORARY MODERN: S/HE by MN Dance Company; a cutting edge look at Contemporary Modern https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSIddQNyYVE

HIP HOP: Best of Jabbawockeez (54 min.): Jabbawockeez I World of Dance Extended Play

TAP: Tap Dogs (75 minutes): Tap Dogs Live in London 1996

STOMP OUT LOUD (45 minutes): STOMP - Out Loud - FULL 45min footage

MUSICAL THEATRE or JAZZ: Fosse (1 hour 50 min.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSKPYVPCrKI

K-POP: (42 minutes) 2019 MAMA Performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpfH8wdeViU

Here are some more DANCE OBSERVATION IDEAS if you want help focusing your paper (also listed here: Dance102.DanceReviewHelp.docx) Please don’t address ALL of these issues in your paper…be selective and use only the ones that contribute to your report.

The Dancers - Who are the participants? Note the age, gender, ethnic, racial or class background. How many dancers are there? Are they formally trained or informally? What do they wear in the performance of the dance? Is it something specialized or ordinary? If there is a costume, what is the origin? Is there an obvious leader, teacher or choreographer?

The Dance – Does the dance have a name? Pick one or two to describe in detail, especially if they offer a good comparison or contrast. You may include data on musical accompaniment if it’s appropriate: recorded or live; types of instruments, etc.

General Notes & Grading for your 2-3 page paper

WORD CHOICE: When you start to create a written narrative for the movements, use your thesaurus to help you find descriptive language. This is your chance to be poetic as well as accurate, to use adjectives and descriptive phrases to describe the dances. Metaphors and similes are very useful in giving these descriptions some life.

ORGANIZATION: Select specific moments from the event to analyze, interpret, or reflect upon in order to support your perspective, however, if the concert has many items, limit your selections to one or two.

TONE: Remember that your opinion (positive or negative) is valuable but must be substantiated with evidence from the performances themselves. Try to avoid using the pronoun “I” much at all, as these are not opinion papers; rely on your hard facts and colorful descriptions. The tone is like that of someone reporting from the scene. Assume a reader who knows little or nothing about your topic but who is intelligent and interested. Finally, make an assessment about the piece supported by argument and by specific examples.

INTRO/CONCLUSION: Start with an Introduction and finish with a Conclusion that summarizes the themes arising from your observation of a live dance event.

No Intro/Conclusion = 10% taken off

MECHANICS and GRAMMAR: Make sure each sentence makes sense and is complete. Proofreading means either you read your paper out loud to yourself, or give it to someone else who is skillful in this area and who will be honest with you. IF YOU PROOFREAD ON THE SCREEN, you’ll miss a lot. Print it out and read from the paper.

Each error = 1 point off

IN GENERAL: Each paragraph should have one main idea. The first sentence of a paragraph should introduce a new thought while linking to the last paragraph. Be specific: clarify, describe and define.

Major Structural/Content problems (Focus, Organization, Tone) = 15% to 20% off

Minor Structural/Content problems (Focus, Organization, Tone) = 5% to 10% off

Enjoy your dance event!

Joan Walton