Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v3 - Junior Secondary 3
Process of Choreography
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Process of Choreography
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Subject: Cultural and Creative Arts
Class: Junior Secondary 3
Term: 1st Term
Week: 10
Theme: Performing Arts & Entertainment
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state the processes a choreographer needs to employ to create a dance. creating dance pattern.
the movements, timing, spacing, dynamics, and emotional expression. This stage ensures precision, synchronicity, and that the intended message or emotion is clearly communicated. Feedback from dancers can also be incorporated. Nigerian Context
Example: Practicing the new yam festival dance until all dancers are synchronized in their harvesting gestures, their turns are precise, and their joyful expressions are convincing. This often involves many hours of collective practice, especially in community or school settings.
6. Performance: Explanation: The final stage where the choreographed piece is presented to an audience. This involves considerations for costume, props, lighting, and stage layout, all of which enhance the overall impact of the dance. The performance is the culmination of all the previous processes. Nigerian Context
Example: Presenting the new yam festival dance at a school cultural day, with dancers in traditional attire, props like yams or baskets, and appropriate stage lighting. Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements and forms, the physical manifestation of an idea, story, or emotion through dance. A choreographer is the artist who creates these sequences, translating concepts into physical patterns and expressions. The process is systematic and involves several stages to transform an initial idea into a polished performance. The fundamental processes a choreographer employs to create a dance include:
1. Conception/Ideation (The Idea/Theme): Explanation: This is the starting point, where the choreographer decides what the dance will be about. It could be a story (e.g., a Nigerian folktale about a tortoise and a hare, a historical event like the Arochukwu expedition), an emotion (joy, grief, struggle), a concept (unity, resilience, celebration of harvest), or a specific message (e.g., against drug abuse, promoting cultural heritage). The theme guides all subsequent creative decisions. Nigerian Context
Example: A dance celebrating the new yam festival (Iri Ji) in Igboland, focusing on the joy of harvest and community gratitude.
2. Music Selection and Interpretation: Explanation: Once the theme is established, suitable music is chosen. The music dictates the rhythm, tempo, mood, and overall atmosphere of the dance. A choreographer listens carefully to the music, identifying its structure (verse, chorus, bridge), dynamics (loud/soft, fast/slow), and emotional content, which will then inspire movement choices. Sometimes, the music itself is the initial inspiration for the dance. Nigerian Context
Example: Selecting traditional Efik music for a Calabar Carnival dance, or contemporary Afrobeats for a modern youth dance piece. The chosen music for the new yam festival dance would likely be traditional Igbo highlife or folk songs.
3. Movement Exploration and Development: Explanation: This stage involves generating actual movements. Choreographers often use improvisation, experimentation, and specific techniques to create a vocabulary of steps, gestures, and body shapes.
Key elements considered include: Body: Which body parts are used? How do they move (isolate, combine)?
Space: Where do dancers move (levels – high, medium, low; directions – forward, backward, sideways; pathways – straight, curved; focus – where are they looking)? How do they interact with the stage space?
Time: How fast or slow are the movements (tempo)? What is the rhythm? Are there pauses?
Energy/Dynamics: How are the movements performed (sharp, fluid, heavy, light, strong, gentle)? What is the quality of the movement?
Relationships: How do dancers interact with each other (formations, unison, canon, call and response, partnering)? Nigerian Context
Example: For the new yam festival dance, movements might include gestures of planting, harvesting, offering, communal celebration, and traditional steps like nkpokiti or atilogwu adapted to the theme. Dancers might form circles representing community or lines representing rows of crops.
4. Structuring/Form (Arrangement of Movements): Explanation: This involves organizing the selected movements into a coherent sequence. A dance needs a beginning, middle, and end. Choreographers create phrases (short sequences of movements), sections, and transitions.
They might use techniques like: Repetition: Repeating a movement or phrase for emphasis.
Variation: Changing a repeated movement slightly.
Contrast: Placing contrasting movements side-by-side (e.g., slow then fast).
Development: Evolving a movement theme over time.
Canon: Movements performed sequentially by different dancers.
Unison: All dancers performing the same movement simultaneously. Nigerian Context
Example: The new yam festival dance could start with slow, deliberate movements symbolizing planting, build to energetic, joyful movements for harvest, and conclude with communal feasting and thanksgiving, with distinct sections for each phase.
5. Rehearsal and Refinement: Explanation: Once the movements are structured, the dance is taught to the dancers and repeatedly practiced. During rehearsals, the choreographer refines the movements, timing, spacing, dynamics, and emotional expression. This stage ensures precision, synchronicity, and that the intended message or emotion is clearly communicated. Feedback from dancers can also be incorporated. Nigerian Context
Example: Practicing the new yam festival dance until all dancers are synchronized in their harvesting gestures, their turns are precise, and their joyful expressions are convincing. This often involves many hours of collective practice, especially in community or school settings.
6. Performance: Explanation: The final stage where the choreographed piece is presented to an audience. This involves considerations Introduction (10 minutes)
Teacher Activity: Begins by asking students to recall different types of dance they know in Nigeria (e.g., traditional, contemporary, social dances). Facilitates a brief discussion on what makes these dances unique and what they might express. Introduces the term "choreography" as the art of creating these dances.
Student Activity: Students share examples of Nigerian dances and discuss their observations. Brainstorm reasons why people dance or create dances. Content Development - Explanation of Processes (20 minutes)
Teacher Activity: Presents each step of the choreographic process (Conception, Music Selection, Movement Exploration, Structuring, Rehearsal, Performance) using a chart, projector, or blackboard. Explains each step in detail, providing clear examples relevant to Nigerian cultural dances or contemporary styles. May show short video clips of different Nigerian dance styles (e.g., Skelewu, Gwara Gwara, Atilogwu) and ask students to observe elements of choreography.
Student Activity: Students actively listen, take notes, ask clarifying questions, and observe video examples. They may identify elements of the choreographic process within the observed dances (e.g., "What do you think was the theme of this dance?", "How did the dancers use space?"). Practical Application - Group Work (30 minutes)
Teacher Activity: Divides students into small groups (4-6 members). Assigns each group a simple theme relevant to Nigerian life (e.g., "Market Day," "A Visit to the Village," "Celebrating a Goal," "The Story of the Tortoise and the Dog"). Provides each group with a short piece of suitable Nigerian music (e.g., a folk song, a highlife tune, a contemporary Afrobeats instrumental). Guides groups to apply the first three processes: Discuss their assigned theme and brainstorm ideas (Conception). Listen to their music and identify its mood and rhythm (Music Selection). Begin exploring simple movements, gestures, and body shapes inspired by the theme and music (Movement Exploration). Encourages them to think about using different levels, directions, and body parts.
Student Activity: In groups, students discuss their theme, listen to the music, and begin improvising and experimenting with movements. They record their ideas, perhaps drawing simple stick figures or writing down key actions. They try out short sequences based on their theme and music. Structuring and Rehearsal (25 minutes)
Teacher Activity: Moves among groups, offering guidance and feedback on their movement choices and helping them think about how to arrange their chosen movements into a short, coherent pattern (Structuring). Reminds them of the need for a beginning, middle, and end, and simple transitions. Encourages groups to practice their short dance pattern (Rehearsal).
Student Activity: Groups work to refine their movements, decide on an order, and practice their sequence. They identify a lead choreographer within their group who helps organize and teach the movements. Group Presentation and Feedback (Optional, if time permits - 15 minutes)
Teacher Activity: Invites one or two groups to briefly present their short dance pattern (2-3 minutes each). Facilitates constructive peer feedback, focusing on how well the dance communicated the theme and utilized elements of choreography.
Student Activity: Groups present their work. Other students provide feedback using positive and constructive comments based on the lesson's key concepts.
Conclusion (5 minutes)
Teacher Activity: Summarizes the key processes of choreography. Emphasizes the importance of creativity, collaboration, and systematic thinking in dance creation. Connects the skills learned to future school events or cultural activities.
Student Activity: Students ask final questions and reflect on what they have learned.
Question: A JSS3 class wants to create a dance piece for their end-of-year cultural day, portraying the theme "Unity in Diversity" (representing Nigeria's different ethnic groups working together). What is the first crucial step the student-choreographer must take before even thinking about specific movements?
Solution: The first crucial step is Conception/Ideation, specifically defining and understanding the theme. The student-choreographer must thoroughly brainstorm what "Unity in Diversity" means in the Nigerian context – how different ethnic groups coexist, share, and support each other. This understanding will inform all subsequent decisions, from music choice to movement vocabulary that reflects the blend of various cultural dance styles.
Commentary: This question checks understanding of the initial and most foundational step, emphasizing that a clear idea precedes physical movement.
Question: Imagine your group has decided to choreograph a short dance about the daily hustle and bustle of a Nigerian market. You've chosen a fast-paced fuji music track. Describe three distinct types of movements or gestures you would explore to visually represent this theme, considering elements of Space, Time, and Energy.
Solution: Movement 1 (Space/Energy): Quick, darting movements across the stage (representing vendors and buyers moving through crowded stalls). Use sharp, short steps with sudden changes in direction (zig-zag pathways) to depict the navigating of market crowds, perhaps with outstretched arms mimicking carrying goods or beckoning customers. This uses medium to high levels and fast tempo with energetic dynamics.
Movement 2 (Time/Body): Repetitive, rhythmic hand gestures, perhaps one hand simulating pounding yam or grinding spices, while the other stirs. This could be done with a steady, consistent tempo mirroring routine market tasks, using the upper body and hands prominently.
Movement 3 (Relationships/Energy): Dancers could form small groups, engaging in quick, animated "negotiation" gestures (e.g., hands clasped, then opened in exasperation or agreement), showing the interaction between buyers and sellers. These would be brief, sharp, and highly expressive, reflecting the dynamic verbal exchanges often found in Nigerian markets.
Commentary: This question requires students to apply the "Movement Exploration" concept, linking it directly to the theme and musical inspiration using practical examples relevant to Nigerian daily life.
Question: Your group has created several movements for a dance representing a community celebrating a bountiful harvest. Now, you need to arrange these movements. Explain two ways you could structure your dance to show progression from the initial planting to the final celebration.
Solution: Sequential Progression: Arrange the dance in clear chronological sections. The dance could begin with slower, grounded movements symbolizing planting seeds and tending to crops. This would then transition into more active, sustained movements representing growth and maturation. The final section would explode into joyful, expansive, and energetic movements (e.g., jumps, turns, communal circles) signifying the actual harvest and celebration, clearly showing a beginning (planting), middle (growth), and end (celebration).
Motif Development and Variation: Introduce a specific "planting motif" (a short sequence of movements) at the beginning. As the dance progresses, this motif could be gradually varied and developed. For instance, the "planting" gesture could transform into a "reaping" gesture, then into a "sharing" gesture, using similar underlying movement qualities but adapting them to the new narrative point. This shows the evolution of the theme through movement development, leading to a climactic celebratory motif.
Commentary: This question assesses understanding of the "Structuring/Form" process, requiring students to think about how to create a narrative flow using choreographic techniques.
Cultural Festivals and Celebrations: The processes of choreography are fundamental to the creation of dances performed at numerous Nigerian cultural festivals (e.g., Argungu Fishing Festival, Calabar Carnival, Eyo Festival, Durbar festival). Students can apply their understanding to appreciate how these traditional performances are conceptualized, rehearsed, and presented to tell stories, honor traditions, or entertain. It reinforces the role of dance in preserving cultural heritage. Entertainment Industry (Nollywood, Music Videos, Live Performances): Choreography is a core element in the Nigerian entertainment sector. Students who understand these processes can better analyze the dance sequences in Nollywood movies, music videos by Nigerian artists (e.g., Burna Boy, Davido, Tiwa Savage), and live stage performances. This knowledge can also inspire potential career paths in dance, performance, or choreography within the burgeoning creative economy.
Community and School Programmes: Applying choreographic skills is practical for organizing school events like cultural days, inter-house sports opening ceremonies, or end-of-year performances. Within local communities, this knowledge can be used to prepare for church/mosque events, youth group gatherings, or local government-organized functions, fostering community engagement and providing a platform for creative expression.