SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

DANCE CONCERT REPORT GUIDELINES

ALL PAPERS IN HARD COPY FORMAT TO BE HANDED IN BY CLASS TIME 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.
ALL PAPERS MUST BE STAPLED IN UPPER LEFT CORNER.
DO NOT INCLUDE A COVER PAGE.
IN UPPER LEFT CORNER WRITE YOUR NAME, INSTRUCTORS NAME, CLASS WITH SECTION NUMBER AND
DATE:
John Doe
Instructor: Judith Douglas
Dance 2 or 5 Section ----June 2 2015
SPELL CHECK AND PROOF READ YOUR WORK.
ALL PAPERS MUST BE A MINIMUM OF TWO PAGES IN LENGTH (MAXIMUM OF FOUR PAGES).
PAPERS MUST BE HANDED IN SINGLE SIDED
SEE CLASS SYLLABUS FOR ATTENDANCE CARD POLICY AND THEATER CODE OF CONDUCT.

OVERVIEW: Bring a notebook to the performance and take notes on what youre watching. YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO
VIDEO RECORD THE PERFORMANCE. Write very specifically to document the performance youve seen in a detailed, focused
manner. Your goal: to describe the dance 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:
1. The opening paragraph should name the performance, the date you saw the performance and the name of the theater. It
should give a brief overview of the performance such as there were twelve dance works presented, each about different feelings and
unrelated to each other.
2. Provide an overview of the entire performance and mention whether the dances (to your knowledge) were considered traditional,
contemporary or described in another way (example, a combination of modern dance and hip-hop). Make the event come alive for
someone who didnt see it. You can briefly write on the theater and audience members.
3. Identify two or three dance pieces by title and choreographer (you will find this information in the printed program). The names
of the pieces you are writing about should either be in italics or double quotes. Concentrate on what most appealed to you about
these pieces and dispense with the negative swiftly, unless you didnt like the works 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.
4. When writing about the piece(s) 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 viewers 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?
5. You must also include the following:
Name of the musical composition and the musical composer (found in the program) and how/if the music supported or did
not support the choreography.
Name of the lighting and costume designers (found in the program) and how the lighting and costumes supported or did not
support the choreography.
6. How did the dances you observed relate to what you have learned about dance in this course?
7. Conclusion or brief summary paragraph stating why the performance worked or didnt for you.
ADDITIONALLY:
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPELL CHECKING AND PROOF READING: DO BOTH!
Use the correct tense. If you are writing about a performance you saw last Saturday evening make sure you use past tense; It
was a dramatic dance work.
There must be:
o An opening paragraph
o The body of the paper
o A closing paragraph
Each paragraph must have at least five sentences.
Do not use first person and watch tenses.
Do not use the words really, a lot, or like.
Do not keep referring to the audience.
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 dances 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.
YOU ARE NOT PERMITTED TO VIDEO RECORD THE PERFORMANCE