Our orders are delivered strictly on time without delay 
Stylistic Analysis Writing Process Handout
Please look over this handout and take notes on the dance videos based on the sections in this handout: Description, Analysis, Interpretation, and Evaluation.
You will write about BOTH dances for this assignment. Please note what is most relevant to help convey your thoughts as to the meaning of each dance. Please describe specific moments in the dance that support your feelings and ideas, you should have an example for each section (note the time stamp when talking about sections of the dance). Your example could be the same through out the paper supporting a unifying idea or you could have several ideas.
You may use the following structure to help you organize what you learn about the contemporary dances linked below. As you go through the process, you will take notes on the relevant information you discover. For this paper, you will not need to answer each and every question. Choose the questions that seem beneficial for the overall flow of your paper.
The “viewing and writing” process is divided into four steps:
1. Description 2. Analysis 3. Interpretation 4. Evaluation
Step 1 – Description (What do you see?)
Who Is the choreographer? What is the title of the work? When was this piece created and performed? What relevant major events in history occurred during the time this work was created? Describe movement in the dance. Consider the significant elements of the dance and principles that are present in each dance work and describe them. How do sections of the dance convey meaning – what feeling do you relate to when viewing this part of the dance?
Elements of Movement: Description of Movements, Spatial patterns, Qualities of movement, Timing, Focus, Character of dancers, Costumes
Choreographic Principles: Repetition, Canon (dancers repeating movements one after the other), Motifs (themes in the dance or the tone of the dance), Unison vs. Contrast, Music Composition, Interactions between dancers, and Interaction with music
Step 2- Analysis (Why and How?)
Try to figure out what the choreographer has dance to achieve certain effects. You should refer to your first impressions and try to explain how the dance achieves that reaction.
• How are the Elements of Movement and the Choreographic Principles used in this dance?
• What grabs your attention in the work?
• At what do you think this choreographer worked particularly hard at while he/she choreographed this work?
• Do you see any relationship between the things you listed during the description stage?
• What mood or feeling do you have when you view this dance?
• What “qualities” do you see in this work?
•
Step 3- Interpretation (What does it mean? What feeling do you get?)
Try to figure out what the dance is about. Your own perspectives, associations and experiences meet with “the evidence” found in the dance. All dance works are about something. Some art works are about mood, their subject matter, and social or cultural issues. Some dance pieces are very accessible- that is relatively easy for the viewer to understand what the choreographer was doing. Other works are highly arbitrary, and might not be as easy for us to know what the choreographer was thinking.
• What is the theme or subject of the work?
• What is the work about; what do you think it means?
• Why do you think the choreographer created this work?
• What do you think the choreographer’s view of the world is?
• Do you think there are things in the dance that represent other things- symbols?
Step 4 – Evaluation (What are your opinions about the dance?)
• Do you like the dance? Why or why not?
• Do you think it is an important dance piece? Justify your opinion.
• Explain why you feel the way you do about this dance based on what you have learned about it.
Dance Videos (Chose 2):
#1 Climate by Erin Bailey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxyTqTAN1Uc
#2 Dam Noosh by Bita Bell: https://vimeo.com/317597198
#3 Unbound: We Howl by Alexandra Clark-Stilianos: https://vimeo.com/261226920
