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Advanced Choreographic Devices

Eleventh graders learn advanced choreographic devices — motif development, accumulation, abstraction, chance, and retrograde — the sophisticated tools choreographers use to transform simple movement into complex, artful work.

Grade 11Choreography55 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Name advanced devices.
  • ✓Explain each tool.
  • ✓Match to meanings.
  • ✓Develop movement.
Essential Question

How do choreographers turn one small movement into a whole rich work? Advanced devices. What are they?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Match It · Interactive

Match the Choreographic Device

Project this and match each advanced device to its meaning — tap a device, then tap its meaning.

💃 Match each choreographic device to its meaningTry it
Device
What It Is
Now tap its meaning!
The Lesson · Artistic Process (Warm-Up · Explore · Create · Perform · Reflect)

55 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — One Move to a Whole Work

6 min

How do choreographers turn one movement into a rich work? Advanced devices.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a developed motif.
  • Ask how it grew.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Watch.
  • Wonder.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Advanced Devices

13 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Match the Choreographic Device.
  • Match each one.
  • See them in dances.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Match.
  • Note it.
  • Name.
3

Create — Create

15 min

Students create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Develop a motif.
  • Try accumulation.
  • Perform a retrograde.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Develop.
  • Accumulate.
  • Reverse.
4

Perform — Perform

13 min

Students perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Perform with a device.
  • Name which you used.
  • Give critique.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Perform it.
  • Name it.
  • Critique.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a device.
  • Explain it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Explain it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Dance, HS Advanced).

NCAS
DA:Cr2.1.HSIII

Use advanced choreographic devices.

NCAS
DA:Cr1.1.HSIII

Develop movement material.

NCAS
DA:Re7.2.HSIII

Analyze choreographic craft.

NCAS
DA:Cr3.1.HSIII

Refine developed movement.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Device + meaning cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ is ___.”
  • Use dance clips.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with accumulation and retrograde.
  • Match one pair at a time.
  • Try one device.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Combine devices.
  • Choreograph a study.
  • Abstract a real action.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🎵Music
  • 💻Match the Choreographic Device
  • 👟Open space
  • ✏️Pens
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

choreographic devicean advanced movement toolmotif developmentvarying a movement ideaaccumulationadding moves one at a timeabstractionmaking an action pure movementchanceusing randomnessretrogradea phrase performed backwardphrasea short movement sequencecraftskill in making dances
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is motif development?
Taking a movement phrase and varying it many ways.
QUESTION 2
What is accumulation?
Adding movements one at a time (1, 1-2, 1-2-3...).
QUESTION 3
What is retrograde?
Performing a phrase backward.

Reflect: develop the movement.

Have students take a short phrase and develop it using one advanced device. A printable devices sheet is in the Arts library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Advanced Choreographic DevicesFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Advanced Choreographic DevicesQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Advanced Choreographic DevicesPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: abstraction, accumulation, chance, choreographic device, craft, motif development, phrase, retrograde
  1. skill in making dances
  2. making an action pure movement
  3. varying a movement idea
  4. a short movement sequence
  5. using randomness
  6. an advanced movement tool
  7. adding moves one at a time
  8. a phrase performed backward

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is motif development?
  2. What is accumulation?
  3. What is retrograde?
Answer key — Part A: 1) craft · 2) abstraction · 3) motif development · 4) phrase · 5) chance · 6) choreographic device · 7) accumulation · 8) retrograde
Part B: 1) Taking a movement phrase and varying it many ways. 2) Adding movements one at a time (1, 1-2, 1-2-3...). 3) Performing a phrase backward.