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Choreographic Forms

Ninth graders learn choreographic forms — AB, ABA, and theme-and-variation — the structures that organize a dance into sections, giving it shape, contrast, and unity.

Grade 9Choreography50 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…

  • ✓Explain choreographic form.
  • ✓Know AB & ABA.
  • ✓Recognize theme & variation.
  • ✓Structure a dance.
Essential Question

Just like a song has verses and a chorus, a dance has FORM — sections arranged for contrast and unity. What are the main choreographic forms?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

Choreographic Forms Check

Project each item and have students answer about choreographic forms.

💃 Understand choreographic formsTry it
Answer each question about choreographic forms.
The Lesson · Artistic Process (Warm-Up · Explore · Create · Perform · Reflect)

50 minutes, five moves

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

1

Warm-Up — Dance Has Form

5 min

Like a song, a dance has FORM — sections for contrast and unity. What forms?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show an ABA dance.
  • Ask about its sections.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Watch.
  • Notice.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Choreographic Forms

12 min

Students explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Choreographic Forms Check.
  • Note AB and ABA.
  • Note theme & variation.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Note it.
  • Name.
3

Create — Create

14 min

Students create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Make an A section.
  • Make a contrasting B.
  • Return to A.

🎒 Student Actions

  • A section.
  • B section.
  • Return.
4

Perform — Perform

12 min

Students perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Perform in ABA form.
  • Show the return.
  • Give critique.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Perform it.
  • Show it.
  • Critique.
5

Reflect — Reflect

5 min

Students respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Explain AB form.
  • Explain ABA.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

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

Built to the standards you report on

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

NCAS
DA:Cr2.1.HSI

Use choreographic forms.

NCAS
DA:Re7.2.HSI

Analyze dance form.

NCAS
DA:Cr1.1.HSI

Develop movement into form.

NCAS
DA:Re7.1.HSI

Recognize dance structure.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Form diagram cards.
  • Sentence frame: “___ form has ___.”
  • Use dance clips.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with AB.
  • Use a clear example.
  • Make two sections.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Choreograph in rondo (ABACA).
  • Add a coda.
  • Analyze a work’s form.
Materials

What to gather

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

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

formthe structure of a danceAB formtwo contrasting sectionsABA forma section, contrast, then returntheme and variationan idea repeated with changessectiona part of a dancecontrastdifference between sectionsunityhow a dance holds togetherstructurehow a dance is organized
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 does AB form mean?
Two contrasting sections, A and B.
QUESTION 2
What does ABA form mean?
A section, a contrasting section, then a return to the first.
QUESTION 3
What is theme and variation?
One movement idea, then repeated with changes.

Reflect: give it form.

Have students plan a short dance in ABA form — an A section, a contrasting B, and a return to A. A printable forms 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.

🃏 Choreographic FormsFlip
Card 1
Term
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Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

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

📝 Choreographic FormsQuiz
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.

🖨️ Choreographic FormsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: AB form, ABA form, contrast, form, section, structure, theme and variation, unity
  1. how a dance holds together
  2. a section, contrast, then return
  3. how a dance is organized
  4. two contrasting sections
  5. the structure of a dance
  6. difference between sections
  7. an idea repeated with changes
  8. a part of a dance

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What does AB form mean?
  2. What does ABA form mean?
  3. What is theme and variation?
Answer key — Part A: 1) unity · 2) ABA form · 3) structure · 4) AB form · 5) form · 6) contrast · 7) theme and variation · 8) section
Part B: 1) Two contrasting sections, A and B. 2) A section, a contrasting section, then a return to the first. 3) One movement idea, then repeated with changes.