Art (Fine arts, Performing arts
Review Format Paragraph #1 • Draw the reader in with an interesting and engaging opening. Your opening paragraph should also state the name of the dance company as well as where and when the performance took place. If you can, add some historical or informational tidbits about the company (these can be gathered from the teacher, the performance program, the internet or library books on dance). You should offer an overall assessment of the show in this paragraph but the following paragraphs should bolster that opinion. Try to have a thematic focus for your review. Paragraph #2 • Choose one piece or variation to look at more closely. State the name of the piece, the choreographer, and music/composer. Describe very what happened onstage from the beginning of the dance to the end. Your comments about the dance can be interspersed within this description and any personal opinion that you share should include visual evidence from the choreography or you may include your comments at the end of the paragraph. Always back up your assertions, positive or negative with concrete examples. Don’t just be a negative critic; offer your thoughts in a constructive way. Ideas you should discuss include: a) What were the choreographer’s intentions and were they successfully communicated? Were the themes of the individual piece clear? What was it about? Analyze the symbolism. Does it relate to current events? b) The movement vocabulary or style used and how it related to the theme of the dance. Did the dancers communicate the intention of the dance? What were the dynamics, how did it move in space and what were the motivations for the movements? Make general comments but also include detailed descriptions. Try to give at least one specific movement image. c) What thoughts or feelings did the concert or piece evoke? In constructing your critique, reflect on why you may have had certain reactions. Comment on the music and identify the composer(s) and musician(s) when possible. What was the relationship of the dance to the music? Did the form of the music influence the form of the dance or vice versa? How did the costumes/props/scenery/lighting design (if applicable) contribute to the performance? You may also add some comments on areas not mentioned above that interested you about the dance. Paragraph #3 & #4 • These two paragraphs should follow that same format as paragraph #2, choosing two other works in the program to review. Paragraph #5 • Comment on the overall production; give the reader a sense of what it looked like. What was your reaction to the concert as a whole? How did the piece or pieces connect? Each critique should reach a conclusion regarding the performance.
