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Arts and Entertainment^337

FIND OUT MORE. Composition 333 • Music 330–331 • Musicals 338

CHOREOGRAPHY

Choreography is the arrangement of dance

steps and movements into an organized

sequence (order). This means that every

dancer knows exactly what steps to

perform throughout the performance.

Dance is usually choreographed to music.

ARE FOLK DANCES CHOREOGRAPHED?

Folk dances, such as Scottish reels and Spanish flamenco,

are not choreographed. However, they do have traditional

steps that have developed over centuries and have been

passed down through the generations to the present day.

Each dancer learns the dance by heart and knows which

moves to make in time to the music.

HOW ARE DANCE STEPS RECORDED?

Choreographed dance steps must be written down

so that they can be remembered over time. The most

common recording system, called Benesh Movement

Notation, was developed in the 1940s by Rudolf and

Joan Benesh. Each movement is recorded with symbols

on a five-line diagram. The diagram is combined with

the musical notation so that both can be read together.

HOW DOES A CHOREOGRAPHER WORK?

A choreographer works closely with a dance group to

create a new dance, designing steps that show off the

skills and strengths of the individual dancers. Steps

are memorized by counting them out into sequences.

Choreographers have usually been dancers themselves.

1 BENESH MOVEMENT NOTATION FOR ARABESQUE

1 Left hand in front, below the top of head height 2 Right

foot is pointed and turned out 3 Right hand is behind,

above shoulder height 4 Left knee is bent and turned out

5  Left foot is on the floor 6 Dancer is facing stage left

ARABESQUE

Toes are pointed and

feet arched to create a

perfect line along the leg

1 IRISH FOLK DANCE
Folk dances, such as this Irish jig,
are often performed in costumes.
This dancer wears soft shoes, but
some Irish dances use hard soles.

The thumb is slightly

spread from the fingers

for a graceful effect

3

4

1

6

2

5

TOP OF HEAD

SHOULDER

LINE

WAIST LINE

KNEE LINE

FLOOR LINE

Hair must be tied

back in a neat style

A tutu is a

traditional stiff skirt

worn by ballerinas

BENESH MOVEMENT NOTATION

Flowing

line should

be created

from fingertips

to shoulders

Back leg is

raised high

to create a

beautiful stretch

Perfect balance is

needed to hold pose

SWAN LAKE 3

Swan Lake (1895) is a famous ballet and was created by the

French choreographer Marius Petipa, the Russian choreographer

Lev Ivanov, and the music composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Based on

a German fairy tale, it tells the story of Princess Odette, who

is turned into a swan by an evil magician.

The ballerinas (female ballet

dancers) wear identical white

costumes to help them to look

like the swans in the story