In the HSC the Major Study Composition Work is worth 40% of your overall HSC mark and must:

1. be between 4-6 minutes in duration
2. be choreographed for 2-3 dancers
3. be choreographed by you
4. have an intent/concept relevant for 2-3 dancers
5. demonstrate your choreographic strengths and develop relationships in relation to a concept/intent
6. in the HSC your Major Study Composition Work can have additional considerations such as props and costumes that are relevant to your chosen concept/intent

Some possible concepts could be:

• animals
• sports
• trapped, caged in
• hide and seek
• matador and bullfight
• childhood games
• Jekyll and Hyde, schizophrenia
• fatigue
• repel and attract (magnetism)
• fairy tales – Peter Pan/Tinker Bell, Alice and the Rabbit,
• violin and violinist
• Brett Whitely paintings about people
• Relationships – friendship, confrontation
• Clockwork – cogs, the mechanical workings of a clock
• Assassins ( Mr and Mrs Smith)
• Bound
• Puppets
• Machines
• Waiting for a bus

Relationships

Relationships between two or three dancers are paramount in the communication of the choreographic intent. Dance is a visual art. If the movement were stopped at any moment during the dance, the relationship of the dancers should be as apparent as a visual picture.

Relationships are established by their placement within the performance space, use of complimentary and contrasting movements and organising the movement so that no dancer is made less important in communicating the choreographic intent.

Improvisations are the key factor in discovering the dancer’s capabilities and limitations while developing relationships.

NESA Marking criteria

Criterion 1: The student demonstrates the ability to choreograph and organise movement in a personal style based on a concept/intent, demonstrated in the work and stated in the rationale, in conjunction with additional considerations that may arise from the intent of the Work, within the context of the study of dance as an artform. (24 marks)

1a: Generating movement in relation to dance composition for 2 or 3 dancers based on a stated concept/intent (8 marks)

The student will be assessed on how well he/she:

• composes movement for 2 or 3 dancers in a personal style based on the stated concept/intent within the context of dance as an artform.

The student demonstrates skills and understanding of:

• manipulation of the elements of dance (space, time and dynamics) for 2 or 3 dancers
• personal style
• abstraction.

1b: Organising movement for 2 or 3 dancers in relation to a stated concept/intent (16 marks)

The student will be assessed on how well he/she:

• organises the motif into phrases for 2 or 3 dancers relative to a stated concept/intent within the context of dance as an artform.

The candidate demonstrates skills and understanding of the manipulation of space, time and dynamics to:

• establish motif(s)
• manipulate motif(s) to create phrases
• develop phrases to support a concept/intent.

Criterion 2: Organising the Work for 2 or 3 dancers in relation to a concept/intent demonstrated in the Work and stated in the rationale, in conjunction with additional considerations that may arise from the intent of the Work, within the context of the study of dance as an artform (16 marks)

The student will be assessed on how well he/she:

• structures the Work for 2 or 3 dancers in a form relevant to the stated concept/intent within the context of dance as an artform.

The student demonstrates skills and understanding of:

• form/structure in relation to concept/intent
• organisation of the phrases/sequences/sections in relation to a concept /intent
• unity achieved through the use of transition, repetition and variation, and
• contrast in relation to the concept/intent.

Additional considerations that may arise from the intent of the Work include:

• simple and appropriate costume and/or props for 2 or 3 dancers
• appropriate choice of accompaniment/non-accompaniment.