Year 8 Dance · Making Dance — Choreograph and Perform · 9m read

Choreography — Motif and Variation

Choreographers rarely invent endless new moves — they develop a few great ideas in many ways.

Learning objective: Develop a movement motif using variation techniques.

By the end of this lesson you can:

• I can create a motif.
• I can vary it with retrograde, inversion and level changes.
• I can build a short solo.

A motif grows like a tree. The motif is the seed. Variations are branches growing in new directions — still part of the same tree. A strong dance feels connected because every branch grows from the same seed.

Developing movement

MOTIF:
• A short phrase of movement that carries the idea.

VARIATION TECHNIQUES:
• Change level, direction, size (bigger/smaller), speed, dynamics.
• RETROGRADE — perform backwards.
• INVERSION — upside down or opposite side.
• FRAGMENTATION — use part of the motif.
• ACCUMULATION — add movements one at a time.

| Variation | Example (motif: reach–turn–drop) |
|---|---|
| Change level | Perform it on the floor |
| Change speed | Half-time slow motion |
| Change body part | Reach with a leg instead of arm |
| Change direction | Face the back |
| Fragment | Use only "reach–turn" |
| Embellish | Add a jump between moves |

Key ideas at a glance

• Keep it recognisable: Variations relate to the original.
• Vary with purpose: Match the intent.
• Document variations: Name each one.
• Combine with devices: Canon, unison, retrograde.

Worked example (Medium)

Vary a reaching motif three ways.

1. Level. Perform it on the floor.
2. Speed. Slow motion.
3. Size. Tiny with one finger.

Answer: Change level, speed and size.

Worked example (Medium)

Create three variations of a "wave" motif.

1. Level. Perform lying on the floor.
2. Body part. Ripple through the spine only.
3. Time. Double speed.

Answer: Floor version, spine-only version and double-time version.

Common mistakes

• Too many unrelated moves Dance lacks unity. Fix: Develop a few motifs.
• Variations unrelated to the motif Dance loses unity. Fix: Keep a recognisable core.

Merce Cunningham's chance

Choreographer Merce Cunningham sometimes used chance procedures — rolling dice or flipping coins — to decide order, direction or timing of movements.

It created surprising combinations he wouldn't have chosen, showing that variation can come from unexpected sources.

Practice questions

1. Performing a motif backwards is:

   1. Retrograde
   2. Canon
   3. Unison
   4. Accent

   (1 marks)

2. What is accumulation?

   (2 marks)

3. Using only part of a motif is called:

   1. Embellishment
   2. Fragmentation
   3. Unison
   4. Retrograde

   (1 marks)

4. Merce Cunningham used:

   1. Only ballet
   2. Chance procedures
   3. No music ever
   4. Scripts

   (1 marks)

5. Describe two ways to vary a motif.

   (2 marks)

Summary

• Motifs carry ideas.
• Vary level, speed, size, order.
• Develop for unity.
• Variation grows a dance from one seed.