Year 9 Dance · Making Dance — Choreograph and Perform · 10m read

Choreographic Structures

Structure gives a dance shape. Choosing the right form helps your audience follow and feel your intent.

Learning objective: Structure dances using binary, ternary, rondo and narrative forms.

By the end of this lesson you can:

• I can identify dance structures.
• I can choose a structure for an intent.
• I can create a structured dance.

Structure is the building plan. An architect decides where rooms go before building. Choreographers choose a structure — binary, ternary, rondo, narrative — so the dance has a clear shape the audience can follow.

Shaping a dance

STRUCTURES:
• BINARY (AB) — two contrasting sections.
• TERNARY (ABA) — return to the first section.
• RONDO (ABACAD) — a recurring section.
• NARRATIVE — tells a story with beginning, middle, end.
• EPISODIC — linked scenes around a theme.
• THEME AND VARIATION.

TRANSITIONS AND CLIMAX:
• Build intensity towards a high point.

| Structure | Pattern | Feels like |
|---|---|---|
| Binary | A B | Two contrasting halves |
| Ternary | A B A | Return to the start, satisfying |
| Rondo | A B A C A | Recurring chorus |
| Theme and variation | A A1 A2 A3 | One idea transformed |
| Narrative | Story order | Beginning, climax, end |
| Episodic | Linked scenes | Chapters of an idea |
| Cyclical | Ends where it began | Life cycles, loops |

Key ideas at a glance

• Choose structure for intent: Cyclical suits "seasons".
• Contrast sections: B differs from A.
• Transitions glue sections: Plan them carefully.
• Build to a climax: Peak of energy or meaning.

Worked example (Medium)

Which structure suits a dance about returning home?

1. Idea. Leaving and returning.
2. Structure. Ternary ABA — return of the first section mirrors coming home.

Answer: Ternary (ABA).

Worked example (Hard)

Choose a structure for a dance about the water cycle.

1. Structure. Cyclical.
2. Sections. Rain → river → ocean → evaporation → clouds → rain.
3. Effect. Ending where it began mirrors the endless cycle.

Answer: A cyclical structure mirrors the water cycle.

Common mistakes

• No climax Dances feel flat. Fix: Plan a build to a high point.
• No contrast between sections Dance feels monotonous. Fix: Change qualities, formations or music.

Chance structure

Some choreographers (like Merce Cunningham) let chance decide the order of sections — dancers might learn sections A–F and roll a die before each performance.

The result is different every night, challenging the idea that a dance must have a fixed shape.

Practice questions

1. ABACAD is:

   1. Binary
   2. Ternary
   3. Rondo
   4. Canon

   (1 marks)

2. What is a narrative structure?

   (2 marks)

3. ABA is:

   1. Binary
   2. Ternary
   3. Rondo
   4. Narrative

   (1 marks)

4. A dance that ends where it started is:

   1. Cyclical
   2. Binary
   3. Episodic
   4. Chance

   (1 marks)

5. Explain why rondo form can make a dance memorable.

   (2 marks)

Summary

• Binary, ternary, rondo, narrative, episodic.
• Structure serves intent.
• Build to a climax.
• Choose structure to match intent.