Section B · Set Phrase Performance
What the Set Phrase Question Asks
The one sentence you must always write first — and what makes this question different
What you'll learn
- The four AQA set phrases and which ones this portal focuses on
- What topics the set phrase question can ask about
- Why the opening sentence matters and exactly what it must say
- What skills you can and cannot use — and how the marking ladder works
The set phrase question asks you to write about performing a fixed, pre-set piece of choreography — one of four AQA set phrases — Shift, Breathe, Flux, or Scoop. This portal focuses on Shift and Breathe; Flux and Scoop follow a similar approach so the skills and principles here apply to all four. Unlike the duet/trio question, there is no personal intention, no group, and no relationship work. The examiner wants to know how accurately you reproduced the choreography and why each skill you used mattered for that specific phrase.
The Two Set Phrases
💃 The four set phrases — Shift and Breathe are covered in detail here
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Shift
Style: Contemporary/hip hop fusion
Aural setting: Metronome only — no music
Key features: Sharp isolations, floorwork, directional changes, rhythmic precision
Opening: Downstage, facing diagonal
Distinctive moments: Head turn, shoulder pop, knee forward, spinning top drop to floor, floor roll to ending crouch
Aural setting: Metronome only — no music
Key features: Sharp isolations, floorwork, directional changes, rhythmic precision
Opening: Downstage, facing diagonal
Distinctive moments: Head turn, shoulder pop, knee forward, spinning top drop to floor, floor roll to ending crouch
Breathe
Style: Contemporary
Aural setting: Metronome only — no music
Key features: Fluid weight shifts, grounded travelling, dynamic contrast (slow/sustained vs sudden/sharp), floorwork
Distinctive moments: First count on 6, long low weight shifts, directional changes, swiping arm gestures, controlled floor spin
Aural setting: Metronome only — no music
Key features: Fluid weight shifts, grounded travelling, dynamic contrast (slow/sustained vs sudden/sharp), floorwork
Distinctive moments: First count on 6, long low weight shifts, directional changes, swiping arm gestures, controlled floor spin
What about Flux and Scoop?
Flux and Scoop are two additional AQA set phrases. They share the same solo, metronome-only format as Shift and Breathe, and the same skill groups apply. The examples in this portal use Shift and Breathe — if you performed Flux or Scoop, substitute your specific movements and moments into the same answer frameworks.
All four phrases use a metronome — not music
This means Musicality and Sensitivity to Other Dancers cannot be credited in set phrase answers. You are also performing solo, so Relationships cannot be credited. These skills are reserved for the duet/trio question.
What Topics Can Come Up
📋 Five possible set phrase topics — any can appear in the exam
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Technical Skills
Actions, space, dynamics, timing, rhythmic content, moving in a stylistically accurate way.No relationships
Physical Skills
Posture, alignment, balance, coordination, control, flexibility, mobility, strength, stamina — 9 skills from MICS FAB PECS.
Expressive Skills
Projection, focus, spatial awareness, facial expression, phrasing, communication of intent.No musicalityNo sensitivity
Mental Skills
Movement memory, commitment, concentration, confidence (performance). Systematic repetition, mental rehearsal, response to feedback, rehearsal discipline (preparation).
Safe Working Practices
Warm-up, cool-down, hydration — with physiological language (blood flow, muscle temperature, lactic acid, DOMS).
Cannot be credited in set phrase answers
Relationships (technical), Musicality (expressive), and Sensitivity to Other Dancers (expressive) are not available because the set phrase is solo and performed to a metronome. Using these in a set phrase answer will not score any marks.
Your Opening Sentence
✏️ What must you always write first?
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Every set phrase answer must begin with the same opening sentence. It tells the examiner which phrase you performed — without it, your answer has no context.
Your opening sentence — always write this first
"I performed the AQA set phrase Shift." / "I performed the AQA set phrase Breathe." / "I performed the AQA set phrase Flux." / "I performed the AQA set phrase Scoop."
That is your entire opening. One sentence. Do not add anything else before you start writing about skills. Every skill example that follows should refer to a specific moment in Shift or Breathe — use bar numbers, counts, or describe the movement precisely so the examiner knows exactly which moment you mean.
Be specific about the moment
"In bar 3 at count 8, the head turn required…" or "In the travelling section, the low wide weight shift required…" is Level 3 language. "At the start of the phrase…" alone is Level 2. "I used balance" with no moment at all is Level 1.
How the Set Phrase Differs from Duet/Trio
🔄 Key differences — what changes between these two questions
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| Feature | Set Phrase | Duet / Trio |
|---|---|---|
| Opening sentence | "I performed the AQA set phrase Shift/Breathe." | "I performed in a duet/trio. Our intention was…" |
| Choreography | Fixed — same for every student in the country | Your own — created by you and your group |
| Examples | Specific bars, counts, named movements from Shift/Breathe | Specific moments from your own piece |
| Focus | How accurately you reproduced the choreography | How effectively you performed and communicated |
| Relationships | ✗ Cannot be credited — solo | ✓ Available |
| Musicality | ✗ Cannot be credited — metronome only | ✓ Available |
| Sensitivity to Other Dancers | ✗ Cannot be credited — solo | ✓ Available |
| Intention | Not required — the phrase has no personal intention | Essential — stated first, referenced throughout |
The Marking Ladder
📊 How are answers marked?
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The same three-level ladder applies to every 6-mark set phrase question, regardless of topic.
| Level 3 (5–6) | Excellent. Names 5–6 different skills. Gives specific examples showing WHERE and HOW each was used in Shift or Breathe. Fully explains WHY each skill was effective. Well structured, accurate dance vocabulary. |
|---|---|
| Level 2 (3–4) | Sound. 3–4 skills named with some examples. Explanation is present but vague or underdeveloped for at least one skill. |
| Level 1 (1–2) | Basic. Skills named only — little or no reference to specific moments, little or no explanation of why they mattered. |
| 0 | Nothing worthy of credit. |
The Level 3 formula for set phrase
State which phrase → Name skill → Specific moment in Shift/Breathe → How you used it → Why it was effective.
Repeat 5–6 times. That is 5–6 marks.
Repeat 5–6 times. That is 5–6 marks.
Note the difference: 5–6 skills for set phrase
The mark scheme for set phrase asks for 5–6 skills for full marks — the same as choreography questions, and more than a 3-mark question requires. Make sure you cover enough different skills.
Mini Test
10 questions on Section B set phrase basics. Answer all, then submit. 📸 Screenshot your score.
📸 Take a screenshot of your score now and paste it into your ePortfolio.
🗂️ Revisit This — 6 Key Facts
Opening sentence — always"I performed the AQA set phrase [name]." — Shift, Breathe, Flux, or Scoop. Every answer, every time.
5 possible topicsTechnical, Physical, Expressive, Mental skills, Safe practice — any can come up.
Cannot be creditedRelationships, Musicality, Sensitivity to Other Dancers — these are solo + metronome, so none of them apply.
Be specificName the moment — bar numbers, counts, or describe the movement precisely. "In the travelling section" + description = L3. "At the start" alone = L2.
Focus on accuracyThe set phrase is fixed. The examiner wants to know how accurately you reproduced it and why each skill you used was effective for that exact choreography.
5–6 skills for full marksLevel 3 needs a wide variety — 5 or 6 different skills, each with a specific moment and explanation of why it was effective.