Guidelines for Viewing Dance; Writing Critiques for Dance Performances

By Myra Daleng & Anne Van Gelder, Richmond Department of Theater & Dance

Chance favors a prepared mind!  A mind is like a parachute; it works best when it’s open! The creative critic approaches each concert with open eyes and an open mind.  Do not go with preconceived ideas or compare one performance against other performances.  Each person will find a different aspect of the dance interesting for their own personal reasons and interests.

These are only suggestions, not prescriptions and are intended to help you organize your critique. 

• The opening statement of your critique should draw the reader in.  Be creative.  Tell the reader where and when the concert took place.
• Tell the reader the name of the performance, the company or dancers performing, the artistic director and the date and place of the performance. DO NOT identify the performers in a list from the program notes.  Refer to a specific performer by name only when discussing his/her individual performance.
• Start by sketching out your overall impressions, formulating an overall thesis for your paper.  Bring pen and paper to the concert so you can make notes during and immediately following the concert in order to record your first impressions. 
• When viewing a performance, be an active participant, don’t be a passive consumer.  Work as hard at viewing the piece as the choreographer did making the work.  Consult your program notes prior to viewing the concert when writing your critique.

Evaluation:

• When writing about a choreographer(s) always identify them by name.  Discuss the style of the work, the choreographer’s intent and whether it was successfully communicated.  What do you think the choreographer was trying to say with the dance?  What was the dance about?  Was there symbolism in the piece/work?  If so, explain.  Does it relate to contemporary issues? 
• Discuss the choreography.  As you analyze the choreography, consider the use of dynamics, levels, repetition of movement, rhythm, shapes, space and time.  Is the dance narrative or non-narrative? Did the choreography flow, how did it move in space and what were the motivations for the movements?  Include detailed descriptions of movement phrases in your analysis.  Example:  “In another vignette, a woman seated properly, perpendicularly, on a bench, begins to tilt at an angle.  As her legs leave the floor and her torso leans to the side, both she and the bench seem to levitate a little above the floor.”  Vienna-Lusthaus (revisited); Reviewed by George Jackson: Dance Magazine, May 2003: 79.
• What thoughts or feelings did the concert or piece evoke?  In constructing your critique reflect on why you may have had certain reactions.  Always back up your assertions, positive or negative with concrete examples.  Don’t be just a negative critic; offer your thoughts in a constructive way. 
• Comment on the music and when possible identify the composer(s), musician(s) and title(s) of the work(s) you have chosen to discuss when possible.  Did the music enhance or detract from the choreographer’s intent?  Did the music play an important role in the piece/work?  Was the music live, pre-recorded or some combination of both? What difference did it make?  Did the form of the music influence the form of the dance or vice versa?
• Discuss the scenic design, lighting design and overall use of the theatre space.  When speaking about any element of design, you must include the designer’s name.
• Were the dances well rehearsed and/or well performed? Support your comments with specific examples. Did the dancers work together well in the ensemble pieces? When writing about a specific dancer(s) identify them by name, when possible. 
• Were the makeup, props if used and costumes appropriate? 

Conclusion:

• Each critique should reach a conclusion regarding the performance.   Though not required, this is the one place where you may write in the first person.
• Comment on the overall production; give the reader a sense of what it looked like.  What was your reaction to the concert as a whole?  How did the piece or pieces connect?  Recognize that each viewer will see a concert and individual pieces/works with personal biases.  When supporting your likes and dislikes, make certain your statements are specific.

Mechanics:

• Do not write in the first person.  Your critique should be written in the third person with the exception of the conclusion which may be written in the first person.
• Your essay should be as thorough as possible, paying attention to grammar, neatness and spelling. Re-read your paper and make appropriate revisions—don’t simply hand in the first spell-checked draft. 
• All critiques must have a title page, which will include name, date, professor’s name, course and the pledge written in full and signed. It is a violation of the University of Richmond’s Honor Code to write a critique or verification of attendance of a concert that you did not attend.  It is also an Honor Code violation to leave a concert before the final curtain.
• The ticket stub from the performance must be attached to each critique and/or verification. If you are enrolled in multiple dance classes, you must make a copy of the ticket stub and attach the copy to your second paper.  Alert your professors to the fact that you are taking multiple classes and that they may receive your paper with a copy of a ticket stub attached. 
• Only typed papers are acceptable, three complete pages, double-spaced, standard 12font, one inch margins on all sides, do not justify right margin.  Check your computer for margin settings.  DO NOT include title page information on first page of critique (name, date, professor's name, class, performance)
• Student’s last name and page number should be included in the upper right corner of each page.
• Identify the composer(s), choreographer(s).

DANCE CRITIQUE PET PEEVES;

When writing about the subjects below:

Refer to male dancers, men or danseurs (if classical ballet) 
NOT men dancers, boys, guys or males

Refer to female dancers, women or ballerinas (if classical ballet)
NOT women dancers, girls, gals, chicks or females

Refer to a piece, work or dance
NOT routine or act

Refer to movements
NOT moves

Refer to live music
NOT live musicians

Refer to recorded or pre-recorded music
NOT taped music

Refer to danced together or in unison
NOT in sync or synchronized

Refer to the performance or the concert
NOT the show, play or recital

DO use both names ("Catherine Zeta-Jones danced well in Chicago" or "Ms. Zeta-Jones danced well in Chicago.") 
DO NOT use first names only to refer to dancers ("Catherine danced well in Chicago") 

DO write in the third person
NOT in the first person

DO NOT make general assumptions for the audience

DO NOT include title page information on first page of critique (name, date, professor's name, class, performance)

DO NOT switch tenses;

           Example when to alternate tense:

Serenade was performed poorly yet it is a choreographic triumph.

            Example when not to alternate tense:

On Friday night the dancers appeared tired which causes the choreography to be lack luster.

DO NOT identify the performers in a list from the program notes.

This is poor example of an opening paragraph because it does not grab the reader’s attention and only lists information readily found in the program. Also it does not provide the reader with any additional information or insights into the performance.  

At 8:00 PM on February 27th, 2004, Les Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, directed by Serge Diaghilev, performed “Symphonie Fantastique” at the Maggio Musicale in Florence, Italy.  The choreography was done by Léonide Massine.  This ballet consisted of five movements.  The set was created by Christian Bérard, executed by Prince A. Schervachidze.  The costumes were designed by Christian Bérard.  Costumes for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th movements were made by Madame Karinska.  The costumes for the first and fifth movements were made by Madame Larose.  The ballet premiered July 24th, 1936 at Covent Garden, London, England, and was conducted by Efrem Kurtz.  Performing lead roles were, Léonide Massine and Tamara Toumonova. Also dancing were Tatiana Riaboushinska, Alexandra Danilova, Yurek Lazowski, Vera Zorina, Marc Platoff, Vera Volkova, Igor Youchkevitch and George Zoritch. Hector Berlioz did a great job composing both the music and the libretto for this performance.

Dance Critique Checklist:

• Title page including: student's name, due date of paper, class, concert critiqued, professor's name, pledge written in full.  No title page information should be included on first page since you have a title page.
• The ticket stub from the performance must be attached to each critique and/or verification.
• Student's last name and page number should be included in upper right corner of each page.
• Be sure to use one-inch margins on all sides in the text of your paper.  Check your computer for margin settings.
• Do not write in the first person.  Write in the third person with the exception of the conclusion where you may choose to use the first person.
• The first sentence of your critique sets the tone for the paper and should draw the reader in.
• Critique has a centralized theme.
• Critique reaches a conclusion.
• Re-read your paper and made appropriate revisions—don’t simply hand in the
  first spell-checked draft. 

Photograph by Matthew Lonnquest

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