Section B · Choreography
What the Choreography Question Asks
How to answer, what topics can come up, and the one sentence you must always write first
What you'll learn
- What Section B choreography questions ask you to do
- The four topics that can come up: devices, processes, dynamics, structure
- Why stating your choreographic intent is essential — every time
- How the marking ladder works and what Level 3 looks like
The choreography question in Section B asks you to write about the work you choreographed — not a work you performed. You made the creative decisions: the devices you used, how you built the structure, what dynamics you chose, and how you went about the process of making the piece. Your answer must show that you understand why those choices served your choreographic intent.
What Topics Can Come Up?
📋 Six possible choreography topics — any can appear in the exam
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Choreographic Devices
Motif and development, repetition, contrast, climax, highlights, unison, manipulation of number, canon, retrograde, inversion, fragmentation.
Memory aid: MR CHUM + Retrograde, Inversion, Fragmentation
Memory aid: MR CHUM + Retrograde, Inversion, Fragmentation
Choreographic Processes
Researching, improvising, generating, selecting, developing, structuring, refining and synthesising.
Memory aid: R.I.G.S.D.S.R.
Memory aid: R.I.G.S.D.S.R.
Dynamics
Fast/slow, strong/light, sudden/sustained, free/bound, acceleration/deceleration. Five dynamic couplets used as creative choreographic choices.
Structure
Structural forms: binary, ternary, rondo, narrative, episodic.
Structural devices: beginning/middle/end, transitions, unity, logical sequence.
Structural devices: beginning/middle/end, transitions, unity, logical sequence.
Action Content
The WHAT of your choreography: elevation, travel, turn, stillness, floorwork, gesture, transfer of weight, use of body parts.
Spatial Content
The WHERE of your choreography: levels, directions, pathways, size of movement, distance between dancers, formations, use of stage space.
You won't know which topic until the exam
You need to be confident writing about any of the six. The good news: the approach is always the same — name it, example it, explain why it served your intent.
Choreographic Intent — Your First Sentence
🎭 What is choreographic intent and why must you state it first?
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Your choreographic intent is what you set out to communicate through your choreography — the idea, emotion, or concept you wanted the audience to experience. Every device, dynamic, structure, and process choice you made was in service of this intent. Stating it first tells the examiner what context to judge your choices in.
"I choreographed a duet. My choreographic intent was to explore the Irish Troubles — how cycles of political violence trap two communities in a pattern of action and retaliation that neither can break."
Victorian Steam Engine
"I choreographed a trio. My choreographic intent was to explore Victorian industrialisation — the moment workers became components of the steam engine, their individuality consumed by relentless mechanical rhythm."
Chernobyl
"I choreographed a trio. My choreographic intent was to explore the Chernobyl disaster — an invisible contamination spreading through a community, and the human cost of a catastrophe too vast to comprehend."
Opening sentence formula
"I choreographed a [solo/duet/trio]. My choreographic intent was to [your intent]."
Everything that follows must connect back to this. Your devices, dynamics, structure, and processes all made sense because they served this intent.
Everything that follows must connect back to this. Your devices, dynamics, structure, and processes all made sense because they served this intent.
How to Answer — NAME → EXAMPLE → EXPLAIN
📐 The three-part formula every answer must follow
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The mark scheme for choreography questions uses the same formula for every topic:
N
Name it
Say exactly which device / process / dynamic / structure you are writing about.
E
Example it
Describe specifically how and where you used it in YOUR choreography.
E
Explain it
Explain WHY it was effective — how it served your choreographic intent.
For a 6-mark answer, you need 5–6 different items each with all three parts. One sentence per item is not enough — you need the example and the explanation.
Common mistake
Students who just list devices or processes without examples or explanations score Level 1 (1–2 marks). "I used repetition, contrast, and climax" tells the examiner nothing about your choreography or why those choices worked.
How Choreography Differs from Performance Questions
🔄 What's different about writing on YOUR choreography?
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| Feature | Performance questions | Choreography question |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | Your body and how you performed | Your creative decisions as choreographer |
| Opening | "I performed in a duet/trio. Our intention was…" | "I choreographed a [solo/duet/trio]. My choreographic intent was…" |
| Formula | PEE or FRO (Point, Explain + Intention) | NAME → EXAMPLE → EXPLAIN WHY EFFECTIVE |
| Number of items | 3–4 skills for 6 marks | 5–6 items for 6 marks |
| Topics | Technical / Physical / Expressive / Mental skills | Devices / Processes / Dynamics / Structure |
| Key verb | "I used [skill] when I…" | "I used [device/process/dynamic/structure] because it communicated…" |
The Marking Ladder
📊 How are choreography answers marked?
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| Level 3 (5–6) | Excellent. Names 5–6 different items. Gives specific examples of how and where each was used in their own choreography. Fully explains why each was effective — linked to choreographic intent. Well structured. Accurate dance vocabulary. |
|---|---|
| Level 2 (3–4) | Sound. Names 3–4 items with some examples. Explanation of effectiveness is present but may be vague or incomplete. Some links to intent. |
| Level 1 (1–2) | Basic. Very limited reference — names items without examples. Little or no explanation of why they were effective. No link to intent. |
| 0 | Nothing worthy of credit. |
Note: 5–6 items, not 3–4
Choreography questions require more breadth than performance questions. You need five or six well-explained items for full marks — not the three or four required for performance skill questions.
Mini Test
10 questions on choreography basics. Answer all, then submit. 📸 Screenshot your score.
📸 Take a screenshot of your score now.
🗂️ Revisit This — 6 Key Facts
Six possible topicsDevices, Processes, Dynamics, Structure, Actions, Space — any of these can appear as the choreography question.
Opening sentence"I choreographed a [solo/duet/trio]. My choreographic intent was…"
NAME → EXAMPLE → EXPLAINThree-part formula. Every item needs all three parts or it doesn't score above L1.
5–6 itemsMore than performance questions. You need more breadth here to reach L3.
Explain effectiveness"This was effective because…" followed by how it served your choreographic intent. This is the mark-winning sentence.
YOUR choreographyWrite about your own creative decisions — not generic facts about devices. What did YOU use, where, and why did it work for YOUR intent?