Choreographic Devices

A choreographic device where you reflect movements of another person as if they are a mirror image. It is done between 2 performers facing each other but can also work using multiple performers.​

• Canon

• Retrograde

• Unison

• Mirror

A choreographic device where a movement introduced by one performer is repeated exactly by another performer afterwards. The same movement but begun at different times.​

• Mirror

• Unison

• Solo/Chorus

• Canon

A choreographic device whereby movements or a motif are performed backwards. A phrase is done forward them backward (ABCDCBA).​

• Retrograde

• Canon

• Solo/Chorus

• Inversion

A choreographic device in which performers in a section or sequence are doing the same movements at the same time.​

• Canon

• Mirror

• Unison

• Solo/Chorus

A choreographic tool in which a group of performers in a section meet in an area of the stage and perform a movement sequence in unison and disperse one it is complete.​

• Meet & Part

• Juxtaposition

• Mirror

• Retrograde

​

A choreographic device where more than one dancer dances at the same time, however, each dancer performs different steps or a different motif.​

​

• Repetition

• Meet & Part

• Unison

• Juxtaposition

A choreographic device where you repeat the same phrase or action again. This could be done in direct succession to the repeated phrase or repeated later in the choreography.​

• Mirror

• Repetition

• Solo/Chorus

• Canon

Part of a group perform individual types of gestures & movements to the same beat but on a certain beat within the sequence the full group do the same movements at the same time – unison.​

• On The Beat

• Embellishment

• Canon

• Solo/Chorus

Detail is added to an original move or sequence. You can add a gestural/decorative detail or feature added to a motif or phrase to make it more interesting.​

• Solo/Chorus

• Canon

• Embellishment

• Juxtaposition

A choreographic device in which a solo performer performs a sequence of movements on the stage and then a chorus (group) performs the same sequence and a similar variation of it.​

• Embellishment

• Retrograde

• Canon

• Solo/Chorus