Section B · Choreography
Choreographic Processes
The seven stages of making a dance — and how to write about them in the exam
What you'll learn
- All 7 choreographic processes and what each one involved in practice
- How to write a 6-mark answer covering 5–6 processes with specific examples
- The critical rule: always link to what you made, not just how you made it
- How to connect each process back to your choreographic intent
Choreographic processes are the stages you went through to make your piece — from initial research and improvisation through to the final refinements. This question asks you to explain how each stage contributed to the finished work. The key distinction: the examiner wants to know what resulted from each process, not just that you did it. "I researched" scores nothing. "I researched combat psychology and used what I found to generate a motif based on a flinching response — this shaped the entire opening" earns marks.
The 7 Choreographic Processes
🔬 All 7 processes — tap each to see what it involved and exam language
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Memory aid: R.I.G.S.D.S.R. — Researching, Improvising, Generating, Selecting, Developing, Structuring, Refining and synthesising.
Critical ruleThe mark scheme says: "Do NOT award for describing the finished choreography without reference to the process used to create it." You must explain how the process shaped the work — not just what the work contains.
Activity: What Process Is This?
❓ Identify which process is being described
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Question Bank
📋 Practice questions with model answers
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Mini Test
10 questions. 📸 Screenshot your score.
📸 Screenshot your score and paste into your ePortfolio.
🗂️ Revisit This — 6 Key Facts
R.I.G.S.D.S.R.Researching, Improvising, Generating, Selecting, Developing, Structuring, Refining and synthesising.
Opening sentence"I choreographed a [duet/trio]. My choreographic intent was…"
What resulted, not just what you didDon't just say "I improvised." Say what you found through improvisation and how it shaped the piece.
SelectingChoosing the most effective material from what you generated — always say why you chose it and what it communicated.
RefiningTightening transitions, fixing timing, sharpening dynamics — say what specifically improved and how it served the intent.
5–6 processesFor Level 3 you need five or six processes with specific examples and explanations. Not a list, not a generic description — YOUR choreography.