Structuring a Dance — Form and Compositional Structures

Generating and developing movement produces material, but a dance also needs form: an overall shape that organizes its sections into a coherent, satisfying whole. Form is to a dance what structure is to an essay or architecture to a building. This lesson surveys common compositional structures and the principles that make any structure effective.

Why form matters

Without form, even beautiful movement can feel aimless. Form governs how a piece begins, develops, and ends; how its sections relate; and how the audience's attention is guided through time. A clear form helps communicate the choreographic intention, because meaning emerges partly from arrangement, the order in which things happen and how they build. Choosing or designing a structure is therefore one of the choreographer's most im