Motif development

Motif

A motif is the earliest stage of development of a theme or composition; a movement starting point which gives the first element of form to the dance/work. It is the driving force behind all phrases within the dance.

It can be a movement or a series of movements that clearly relates to the concept/intent. To generate more movement material, we would encourage that you use a series of movements that best communicate concept/intent as opposed to a singular shape as this can be limiting with regards to further development.

The motif is developed from movement that has been improvised, explored and further abstracted from the idea and stimulus; the motif should be seen consistently throughout the dance. It should be repeated, reiterated, reinforced and restated in a number of ways to add variety and contrast to the dance and to further communicate the intent. The motif should not be placed within a phrase of unrelated movements, it should be a product of further development and the movements should relate somehow.

Phrase

The movements within the phrase are clearly related to concept/intent that makes up the smallest and simplest unit of dance form. A phrase is like a sentence in a book. It has logical structure in that it has a clear beginning, middle and end. The phrase is a logical development of shapes that are connected together by transitions. The shapes and transitions relate to the concept/intent and assist to unfold the idea.

Motif into phrase

This is a further development and exploration of the motif/s.

A phrase is developed as a direct result of the motif/s; the movement that surrounds the motif supports it to help further communicate the idea. The motif should not be placed in a phrase of unrelated movement shapes, the shapes should all relate as they should have the same qualities i.e. dynamics, lines etc.

16 ways to manipulate a motif

There are many ways in which you can explore and manipulate a motif. Manipulation of the motif allows you to reinforce your idea, and adds variation and contrast and provides unity within your dance. The manipulation of the motif is not done just to restate the intent. It should be manipulated and explored purposefully to further communicate the intent and further develop the idea.

1. Repetition - repeat exactly the same
2. Retrograde - perform it backwards
3. Inversion - perform it upside-down
4. Size - condense or expand
5. Tempo - fast, slow, stop
6. Rhythm - Vary the rhythm but not the tempo
7. Quality - vary the movement quality, eg. Try the same movement quivery, drifting, with erratic tension etc
8. Instrumentation - Perform the movement with a different body part
9. Force - vary the amount of force you use in producing the movement
10. Background - change the design of the rest of the body from its original position and repeat the motif
11. Staging - perform it at a different place on the stage, or facing a different direction
12. Embellishment - The movement itself can have the embellishment (zig zag occurring along the path of the movement)
13. Change of planes/levels - plane – frontal, transverse, sagittal, Level – high, medium, low
14. Additive/incorporative - incorporate a jump or slide etc to motif
15. Fragmentation - Use only part of the motif, any part.
16. Combination - Combine any of the above.