Choreographers use specific devices to develop and transform movement material — addition (building a movement phrase by adding on new steps), diminution (reducing or simplifying a phrase), and manipulating force and tempo (how much energy a movement uses, and how fast or slow it happens) to change how a movement feels and communicates. Refining technical skill safely means understanding your own body — its strength, balance, alignment and flexibility — and building control gradually rather than pushing beyond safe limits, since the musculoskeletal system (muscles, bones and joints working together) needs proper preparation to move safely and avoid injury.
Example
A simple four-step movement phrase could be developed using addition (extending it to eight steps by adding a turn and a jump), then performed with different tempo and force — first slow and light, then fast and sharp — completely transforming how the same core movement idea feels and communicates to an audience.
Key terms
Choreographic device:
A technique choreographers use to develop or transform movement material.
Musculoskeletal system:
The muscles, bones and joints working together to enable movement.
Questions
1. Addition, as a choreographic device, means:
Building a movement phrase by adding new steps
Removing all movement from a phrase
A type of costume choice
A lighting technique only
2. Diminution, as a choreographic device, means:
Reducing or simplifying a movement phrase
Adding many new steps to a phrase
A type of music genre
A stage direction only
3. Force and tempo in dance refer to:
How much energy a movement uses and how fast or slow it happens
Only the costumes worn
Only the venue used
A type of audience response
4. The musculoskeletal system includes:
Muscles, bones and joints
Only skin
Only hair
Only clothing
5. Safe dance practice involves:
Building control and strength gradually
Always pushing beyond safe physical limits
Ignoring your body's signals completely
Skipping all preparation before dancing
6. Refining technical skill in dance requires:
Understanding your own body's strength, balance and flexibility
Ignoring your own physical abilities entirely
Copying another dancer's body exactly
Avoiding any self-reflection
7. Changing the tempo of a movement phrase can:
Change how it feels and communicates to an audience
Have no effect on the audience at all
Only ever make a movement look identical
Remove all meaning from a dance
8. Why might a choreographer use both addition and diminution on the same core movement phrase within one dance work?
It creates variation and development while keeping a recognisable connection to the original movement idea
Using both devices together always confuses the audience with no benefit
Addition and diminution can never be used within the same dance work
These devices always produce completely unrelated, disconnected movement
9. Why might understanding your own body's alignment be important for both performance quality and injury prevention?
Correct alignment supports safer movement and more controlled, accurate technique
Alignment has no connection to either safety or performance quality
Injury prevention and technical quality are always completely unrelated
Ignoring alignment always improves a dancer's technical control
10. Why might changing only the force of a movement (without changing the steps themselves) still dramatically change its meaning?
The same physical action can communicate very differently depending on whether it's performed sharply and powerfully or softly and gently
Force has no connection to how a movement is interpreted by an audience
Changing force always leaves a movement's meaning completely unchanged
Only changing the actual steps can ever change a movement's meaning
11. Why is gradually building strength and flexibility considered safer than attempting an advanced movement before your body is prepared?
The body needs conditioning over time to safely support more demanding movement, reducing injury risk
The body is always equally prepared for any movement, regardless of prior conditioning
Gradual training has no real connection to injury prevention
Advanced movements are always safe to attempt immediately regardless of preparation
12. Why might reflecting on your own performance (self-reflection) be an important part of refining technical skill, not just receiving feedback from a teacher?
Developing your own awareness of your body and technique builds skills you can apply independently, not just when told what to fix
Self-reflection has no real value compared to only ever being told what to do
Only external feedback can ever meaningfully improve technical skill
Self-reflection and technical improvement are always completely unconnected
13. Why might a choreographer choose to repeat a specific movement motif throughout a dance work, even while varying other elements around it?
A recurring motif can give a work a sense of unity and recognisable identity even as other elements develop and change
Repeating a motif always makes a dance work feel disconnected and lacking any unity
Choreographic unity has no relationship to whether a motif recurs throughout a work
Varying elements around a motif always removes any sense of connection to the original idea
14. Why might combining a choreographic device (like addition) with a change in tempo create a more dynamic, developed piece than repeating the same short phrase unchanged throughout?
Layering multiple types of development keeps a movement phrase evolving and engaging rather than remaining static
Combining devices always makes a dance piece less interesting than repetition
A completely unchanged, repeated phrase is always more effective than development
Choreographic devices and tempo changes cannot be meaningfully combined
15. Why might a dancer's understanding of their own musculoskeletal system help them modify a movement safely for their own body, rather than copying another dancer's exact technique?
Different bodies have different strengths, flexibility and limits, so safe execution may require individual adaptation
Every dancer's body works in an identical way with no individual variation
Copying another dancer's technique exactly is always the safest approach for everyone
Understanding your own body has no bearing on how safely you can perform a movement
16. Why might choreographers deliberately manipulate force and tempo to create contrast within a single dance work, rather than keeping these elements constant throughout?
Contrast can highlight key moments and keep an audience engaged, avoiding a work that feels monotonous throughout
Constant, unchanging force and tempo always creates the most engaging possible dance work
Contrast in force and tempo has no effect on how an audience experiences a dance
Choreographers should always avoid any variation in force or tempo
17. Why might warming up and conditioning specific muscle groups before attempting a technically demanding movement be considered essential, not optional, safe practice?
Properly prepared muscles and joints are significantly less likely to be injured under the strain of demanding movement
Warming up has no real connection to injury risk during demanding movement
Conditioning is only ever relevant for professional dancers, never students
Skipping preparation is always equally safe as warming up properly
18. Why might using questions like "how can I use and manipulate space and dynamics to convey my ideas?" during the choreographic process lead to more intentional creative choices than simply improvising without reflection?
Structured reflective questions encourage a choreographer to connect their movement choices deliberately to the ideas they want to communicate
Reflective questions always make the choreographic process less creative and more restricted
Improvising with no reflection always produces more intentional, communicative choices
There is no real connection between reflective questioning and the quality of choreographic choices
19. Why might a choreographer revisit and revise a movement phrase multiple times across a rehearsal process, rather than considering their first version finished?
Repeated refinement based on reflection and feedback typically produces more precise, intentional and communicative movement than a first draft
A choreographer's first attempt is always already the most effective possible version
Revising a movement phrase never actually improves its clarity or effectiveness
The rehearsal process has no real connection to how a choreographic work develops
20. Why might teaching young dancers to recognise early signs of strain or fatigue in their own body be considered a long-term safety skill, not just relevant to a single class?
Ongoing self-awareness helps a dancer make safer choices about training and technique across an entire dance career, not just one session
Recognising strain or fatigue is only ever relevant during a single specific class and has no longer-term value
A dancer's ability to notice their own body's signals has no bearing on long-term injury prevention
This kind of self-awareness is unnecessary once a dancer has learned correct technique
21. Understanding choreographic devices and safe dance practice mainly helps you to:
Develop and transform movement material with technical control and body awareness
Assume all movement should be performed identically regardless of body or intention
Ignore the connection between physical preparation and injury risk
Treat force and tempo as unrelated to how a movement communicates meaning
Answer key (parent copy)
1. Building a movement phrase by adding new steps
2. Reducing or simplifying a movement phrase
3. How much energy a movement uses and how fast or slow it happens
4. Muscles, bones and joints
5. Building control and strength gradually
6. Understanding your own body's strength, balance and flexibility
7. Change how it feels and communicates to an audience
8. It creates variation and development while keeping a recognisable connection to the original movement idea
9. Correct alignment supports safer movement and more controlled, accurate technique
10. The same physical action can communicate very differently depending on whether it's performed sharply and powerfully or softly and gently
11. The body needs conditioning over time to safely support more demanding movement, reducing injury risk
12. Developing your own awareness of your body and technique builds skills you can apply independently, not just when told what to fix
13. A recurring motif can give a work a sense of unity and recognisable identity even as other elements develop and change
14. Layering multiple types of development keeps a movement phrase evolving and engaging rather than remaining static
15. Different bodies have different strengths, flexibility and limits, so safe execution may require individual adaptation
16. Contrast can highlight key moments and keep an audience engaged, avoiding a work that feels monotonous throughout
17. Properly prepared muscles and joints are significantly less likely to be injured under the strain of demanding movement
18. Structured reflective questions encourage a choreographer to connect their movement choices deliberately to the ideas they want to communicate
19. Repeated refinement based on reflection and feedback typically produces more precise, intentional and communicative movement than a first draft
20. Ongoing self-awareness helps a dancer make safer choices about training and technique across an entire dance career, not just one session
21. Develop and transform movement material with technical control and body awareness