This sub-organizer contains the following sections:

It is expected that students will:

• articulate their goals in terms of the creative process
• identify the influences of technology on choreography
• compare the definitive styles of two or more choreographers
• analyse the cultural influences and evolution of choreography in a variety of context s
• assess the role of choreography in responding to community needs
• establish a plan for achieving personal goals for lifelong participation in dance as a career, for recreation, or for entertainment
  

• As a class, brainstorm and discuss the various ways dance contributes to the well-being and identity of a community (socially, culturally, and economically). Have students use their journals to reflect on the presence of dance in their lives and what their lives would be like without dance.
• Invite choreographers to discuss their work with the class. Include representation from a variety of choreographic context s (e.g., figure skating, television productions, advertising, special events such as the Olympics). Alternatively, ask students to interview choreographers via the Internet. Encourage students to share their information, and discuss as a class the similarities and differences of choreography in these various context s.
• Have each student create and display a calendar of dance events in the community, recording reasons for the events, background traditions or cultural context influencing the choreography, and any current or historical social issues affecting the events.
• Ask students to keep logs or journals to record their creative goals and use of the creative process during choreography experiences. Encourage them to discuss their feelings with their choreography mentors.
• Suggest that students use a variety of resources to research the work of various choreographers. Ask them to list the features that define each choreographer's style. Provide opportunities to compare and contrast . Have students write biographies of chosen choreographers.
• Have students each select a dance performed in the local community and research its evolution and cultural influences to the present. Then challenge each student to create a dance that reflects the evolution of the chosen style.
• As a class, brainstorm the various ways technology affects choreography (e.g., notation, mixed-media productions). Invite each student to research and present one of these aspects.
  

• Have students assess the role of choreography in the community by collecting advertising materials, press coverage, and attendance figures and incorporating them into their calendars of community dance events. Ask students to use the information in their calendars to write summary reports about the presence of dance in the community. Collect their reports and note the extent to which students:
  
  • make logical, substantiated statements about the current state of dance in the community
  • collect and record information
  • demonstrate thorough research
  • demonstrate awareness of sources of information about dance
• Have students establish personal plans for lifelong involvement in dance. In their work, ask students to research a variety of resources (e.g., CD-ROMs, job and career databases, print resources, local dance studios, dance companies, dancers, recreation professionals). Invite them to display their individual plans to assist other students in personal planning. Look for evidence that students:
  
  • include information that is relevant and accurate
  • develop action plans that connect logically to goals
  • develop action plans that connect logically to present abilities and experiences
  • demonstrate commitment (work is complete, detailed, and personally relevant)
• As students record their creative goals and uses of the creative process during choreography experiences, have them periodically review their journal entries and self-assess their creative goals. Conference with students and ask them to respond to questions such as:
  
  • Did you reach your goals? Why or why not?
  • How will you work toward achieving your goals?
  • When you discussed your goals with your choreography mentor, what was the response?
  • How can your mentor help you?
  • What feedback will you incorporate into your work?
  • What support do you need to get closer to your goals?
  
  

Print Materials

• Ballet & Modern Dance
• Dance Composition & Production
• Form Without Formula
• Moon Magic
• The Young Dancer
  

Video

• Ballet Class Intermediate-Advanced
• Carmen
• Dance at Court
• Dance Centerstage
• Dance to Remember
• Dancing in One World
• Denishawn
• Dido and Aeneas
• Giselle
• Hoop Dancing
• The Individual and Tradition
• Karen Kain
• The Making of a Dancer
• Martha Graham
• New Worlds, New Forms
• Points In Space
• The Power of Dance
• Romeo and Juliet
• Sex and Social Dance
• La Sylphide
• W5: The Boom in Ballroom Dancing
  

Multimedia

• Teaching Beginning Dance Improvisation

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