AS 91205 annotated exemplars

This annotated exemplar is intended for teacher use only. Annotated exemplars are extracts of student evidence, with commentary, that explain key parts of a standard. These help teachers make assessment judgements at the grade boundaries.

Download all exemplars and commentary [PDF, 101 KB]

TKI Dance assessment resources (external link)

For Excellence, the student needs to choreograph an imaginative group dance to communicate an intention.

This involves:

• using the dance elements to develop unusual movement material and unexpected combinations
• choosing movement purposefully to convey the idea, mood or image
• ordering movements for a group of dancers
• using transitions to produce a sense of flow throughout the dance
• using a variety of groupings, formations and relationships.

This student’s sequence demonstrates the use of imaginative movement choices that all combine to clearly communicate the choreographic intention of the dance.  All movements can be clearly linked to the choreographic intention of ‘exploring the struggles of living as youth today’, looking at notions of typical issues like teen pregnancy and bullying and also trying to unpack ideals of bravery.

A variety of successful facings and formations have been used. Clear and appropriate energy and timing changes within the choreography combine to create a dynamic and imaginative dance.

Further, the movement material is successfully ordered with a sense of flow and completion about the dance, with the skilful use of repetition and motif development and variation. Key movements are repeated to good effect with appropriate variation. In some sections, dancers perform different but complementary movements on different levels and facings, and these sections help to make the dance imaginative.

For a more secure Excellence, the student could further explore the development and abstraction of movement and motifs. This would create more unusual and unexpected moments within the work. 

For Merit, the student needs to choreograph an effective group dance to communicate an intention.

This involves:

• varying the use of the dance elements
• making choices of movement material to communicate the choreographic intention such as developing a motif that relates to an idea, mood, or image
• using transitions that smoothly connect to movements before and after
• ordering of movement material for a group of dancers
• using a variety of groupings.

There is no student work available at this grade boundary.

A typical example of choreography at this level would be a group dance that demonstrates the effective use of variation in movement, groupings, tempo, body base and level. There would be clear and appropriate changes in dynamics throughout the sequence, and a sense of order to help create an effective piece overall. 

There would be a concise and clearly defined intention for what the dance should communicate. The majority of the composed movements would clearly and effectively communicate this choreographic intention.

To reach Excellence, the chosen facings and directions of the sequence may need further refinement. This would ensure that the movement is highlighted and the ideas of the sequence are communicated in the most imaginative and effective way. It is required for Excellence that some movements need to be unusual or unexpected. While ordered, the dance may require more flow in places.

For Merit, the student needs to choreograph an effective group dance to communicate an intention.

This involves:

• varying the use of the dance elements
• making choices of movement material to communicate the choreographic intention such as developing a motif that relates to an idea, mood, or image
• using transitions that smoothly connect to movements before and after
• ordering of movement material for a group of dancers
• using a variety of groupings.

This student’s sequence shows effective, clearly ordered movement that has been chosen to communicate the chosen choreographic intention of ‘overcoming the social restrictions placed on people for being different’.

Transitions are smooth, which gives the dance a sense of order. 

Some effective formations and groupings have been included, e.g. one dancer breaking away from the group to perform different movements to the ensemble.  Beginning and ending shapes reflect the choreographic intention, as do other movements in the sequence which are repeated with some effectiveness, e.g. how each dancer has developed a pose to represent different individuals, and has inserted these poses into variations of a recurring motif.

For a more secure Merit, there needs to be further exploration of the use of a variety of body parts. The choreography mostly focused on the use of leg and whole arm movements. Additional variation in tempo, dynamics and expression would create a more effective dance overall. More of the movements need to clearly and directly communicate the choreographic intention.

For Achieved, the student needs to choreograph a group dance to communicate an intention.

This involves:

• defining a clear intention
• using the dance elements
• ordering movements for a group of dancers,
• using spatial relationships among dancers (e.g. equidistant and geometrical formations)
• relating some of the choreographic decisions to the choreographic intention of the dance.

The dance elements used may include two different forms of locomotion, more than one level, a variety of pathways, more than one facing, or mainly unison movement. Ordering movements for a group may include repetition of movements and phrases or beginning and ending the dance with similar movements or shapes.

This collaboratively choreographed group dance shows appropriate movement being ordered into a sequence, communicating the defined choreographic intention of ‘portraying someone who is trying to overcome bullying and find confidence within themselves’.

Repetition has been used appropriately. Effective weight bearing and contact movements have started to be explored in this choreography. The pace of the dance is good and adds some dynamics and interest to the piece.

To reach Merit, transitions need to smoothly connect sequences, and locomotor movement requires more variation. A variety of relationships and groupings have been used, although these could be explored further. This would ensure that the most effective ones are included to better show the movement and more effectively communicate the key ideas.

There are clear motifs evident in the sequence through the use of repetition, but more development of these is needed to make the dance fully effective, as required for Merit.

For Achieved, the student needs to choreograph a group dance to communicate an intention.

This involves:

• defining a clear intention
• using the dance elements
• ordering movements for a group of dancers
• using spatial relationships among dancers (e.g. equidistant and geometrical formations)
• relating some of the choreographic decisions to the choreographic intention of the dance.

The dance elements used may include two different forms of locomotion, more than one level, a variety of pathways, more than one facing, or mainly unison movement. Ordering movements for a group may include repetition of movements and phrases or beginning and ending the dance with similar movements or shapes.

The students have collaboratively choreographed a group dance to communicate the intention of ‘showing the negative impact of hate and bullying by showing an individual who is bullied, gets depressed as a result of the bullying, and in order to get revenge/break the cycle of bullying, turns to drastic measures to escape’. 

Simple movements are used, which generally communicate the stated intention. Different levels, groupings and relationships have been incorporated, and there is evidence of spatial relationships also being considered in the composition of the sequence.

For a more secure Achieved, a greater variety of movement and timing concepts is needed. The formations are mostly linear, so further options need to be explored to find what best communicates the choreographic intention.  Movements are often predictable (e.g. very predictable use of canon) and could be further developed. The ending needs to provide a more effective and satisfactory conclusion to the dance.  

For Achieved, the student needs to choreograph a group dance to communicate an intention.

This involves:

• defining a clear intention
• using the dance elements
• ordering movements for a group of dancers
• using spatial relationships among dancers (e.g. equidistant and geometrical formations)
• relating some of the choreographic decisions to the choreographic intention of the dance.

The dance elements used may include two different forms of locomotion, more than one level, a variety of pathways, more than one facing, or mainly unison movement. Ordering movements for a group may include repetition of movements and phrases or beginning and ending the dance with similar movements or shapes.

There is no student work available at this grade boundary.

For a student at this level, there would be a genuine attempt to choreograph a group dance, with some limited and simplistic links to the choreographic intention. The choreographic intention would be stated, but may be vague and not clearly seen in the dance.

The evidence would show that the student is able to order movements for a group of dancers. Dance elements would be used in straightforward ways.

The start and end shapes of the dance may be linked to the choreographic ideas, although much of the rest of the sequence is irrelevant, or has tenuous links.

To reach Achieved, movements would need to show some development across the sequence. Predictable movements should be eliminated. Some of the dance elements would need to be addressed in more significant ways, e.g. with variations in tempo, and by avoiding movement that is largely in unison.