Assessor Resource

CUACHR401A
Create and perform dance pieces

Assessment tool

Version 1.0
Issue Date: May 2024


This unit applies to those who are required to plan, compose, stage and perform solo and group dance pieces. Performances could be for dance-school productions or other non-professional contexts.

Work is usually undertaken under some supervision, though autonomy and judgement can be expected given the nature of the creative process.

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to create and perform solo and group dance pieces in dance styles, such as tap, jazz, contemporary, street and cultural forms of dance.

The context of creating short dance pieces for others to perform is covered in CUACHR402A Create short dance pieces.

You may want to include more information here about the target group and the purpose of the assessments (eg formative, summative, recognition)

Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Employability Skills

This unit contains employability skills.



Evidence Required

List the assessment methods to be used and the context and resources required for assessment. Copy and paste the relevant sections from the evidence guide below and then re-write these in plain English.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the ability to:

seek and use a variety of sources for creative inspiration

source, select and clarify ideas into choreographic intent

develop, revise and evaluate a choreographic plan

express choreographic intent through a range of movement forms and structures

communicate intention to other dancers and technicians

select and organise audiovisual and other staging requirements for performances

monitor own performance in creating and performing dance pieces.

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure access to a dance studio or space, including:

sprung floor

tarkett

mirrors and curtains

audio requirements

lighting and vision system requirements

costuming, make-up and hair requirements

set and props requirements

video recording and playback equipment.

Method of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

observation of practice and performance

verbal or written questioning to test knowledge as listed in the required skills and knowledge section of this unit

video recordings of performances or practice sessions

case studies and scenarios as a basis for discussing components of the process

portfolios, journals or other documentation and notation that demonstrate the reflective processes used in creating and performing dance pieces.

Assessment methods should closely reflect workplace demands (e.g. literacy) and the needs of particular groups (e.g. people with disabilities and people who may have literacy or numeracy difficulties, such as speakers of languages other than English, remote communities and those with interrupted schooling).

Guidance information for assessment

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

CUACHR403A Develop skills in the craft of choreography

CUADAN402A Improvise an advanced dance sequence

CUADLT401A Document dance.

Submission Requirements

List each assessment task's title, type (eg project, observation/demonstration, essay, assingnment, checklist) and due date here

Assessment task 1: [title]      Due date:

(add new lines for each of the assessment tasks)

Assessment Tasks

Copy and paste from the following data to produce each assessment task. Write these in plain English and spell out how, when and where the task is to be carried out, under what conditions, and what resources are needed. Include guidelines about how well the candidate has to perform a task for it to be judged satisfactory.

Required skills

communication and teamwork skills to:

work collaboratively and in integrated ways with others involved in performances

receive constructive feedback and apply it to future choreographic work

clarify an expressive intention

document a choreographic plan for reflection and analysis

communicate intention to other dancers and technicians

initiative and creativity skills to:

seek and use a variety of sources and stimuli for creative inspiration

develop new choreography

work creatively with others

translate a choreographic plan into a well-crafted and executed performance

follow through with own individual style or idea

perform in ways that engage an audience

learning skills to:

improve performance and skills through experimentation and practice

evaluate and revise all aspects of a creative process

evaluate and revise own performance as well as that of others

planning skills to:

develop a choreographic plan

reflect on and analyse choreographic structures and processes

devise choreographic work for informal presentations

technical skills to:

experiment with, improvise and refine choreographic plans

incorporate a number of staging elements, such as:

audio

lighting and vision systems

costuming, make-up and hair

set and prop design

stage markings.

Required knowledge

creative process as it relates to choreography

all elements of dance

choreographic devices and structures

dance as a form of communication

issues and challenges that arise in the context of composing dance

dance vocabulary relevant to chosen dance styles

safe dance practices.

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Intention may include:

dance piece as a form of expressive, collaborative or interactive communication

message to be conveyed through movements and effects

mood to be conveyed

creative experience intended for audience

expressive effect on audience

creative and expressive outcome for dancers.

Dance piece may be:

duo

trio

solo

group.

Relevant personnel may include:

teacher

performer

ensemble member

designer:

sound

lighting

costumes

make-up and hair

special effects

client

agent

conductor

tutor

mentor.

Sources may include:

improvisation

research from:

travel

study

own interests

observations of everyday social and political life

emotions or feelings

observations of other dance forms and works

exploration of movement

images from nature

sounds and visual effects from other art works.

Stimuli may include:

music, such as:

musical styles, like jazz, hip-hop and world

vocal

instrumental

percussion, such as:

drums

hands

feet stamps

percussion instruments

word motivation, such as:

wobble, twitch, freeze

vault, twirl, collapse

pause, swell, jerk

vibrate, bound, creep

technical equipment, such as:

lighting

audiovisual

fog machines

scaffolding

other props, objects and materials, such as:

fabric

instruments

puppets or dolls

piece of clothing

ladder or chair

silent space

various texts.

Choreographic plan may include:

dance style

dance form

movement elements of shape, space, dynamics and time

dance phrases and sequences

dance structures

choreographic devices, such as:

canon

motif

repetition

mirroring

addition

retrograde

inversion

accumulation.

Experimentation and improvisation may include:

stimuli driven

free-form

structured

spontaneous

chance

individual or shared investigation.

Dance forms may include:

binary

ternary

rondo

theme and variation

narrative

free-form.

Dance structures may include:

space

shape

group structures

group formations

dancer combinations.

Unity, continuity and variety may include:

unified beginning, development and resolution

sense of wholeness or completeness of piece

sense of connectedness between phrases and sequences

contrasts in use of space

contrasts in energy

contrasts in movement and motifs

contrasts in phrasing, tempo and duration.

Dance-creation process may include:

creativity

effectiveness

inspiration

audience response.

Safe dance practices may include:

understanding the body’s capabilities and limitations, including:

alignment:

flexibility (mobility)

strength (stability)

cardiorespiratory endurance

muscular endurance

warm-up and cool-down activities, such as:

gentle stretches

aerobic exercises

anaerobic exercises

breathing exercises

doing exercises and performing routines on flooring appropriate to the genre and style of dance, such as:

sprung softwood

tarkett

sprung parquet

tongue and groove hardwood

resined floor for ballroom and Latin dance

non-slip for ballet

wood for tap and Spanish

correct execution of dance steps

appropriate clothing and footwear

nutrition and diet.

Audio requirements may include:

music tracks

cue sheets

equipment, such as:

CDs

cassettes

mini disks

loudspeakers

audio-mixing consoles.

Lighting and vision system requirements may include:

cue sheets

lighting plots

set up plans

stage markings

types of lighting

equipment, such as:

projectors

video players and monitors

computer-operated equipment

tape recorders

CD players

speakers

effects and mixing desks

lighting equipment

screens

portable liquid crystal display (LCD) and digital light processing (DLP).

Flow may include:

smoothness of individual movements

fluidity of sequence of movement patterns

smoothness of transitions between phrases and sections of pieces.

Phrasing may include:

meaningful translation of the emotions and physical elements of the dance piece intention

cohesiveness of dance phrases or sequences

hearing and translating the nuances of the music.

Dynamics may include:

accent

intensity

quality.

Focus may include:

line of sight

whole body communication

intention

emotions

spatial relationships

energy.

Performance skills may include:

physical skills

projection of emotions

projection of confidence in body movement and energy

stage presence.

Reflection and analysis may include:

class discussions

video replays

journal entries

adjusted choreographic showings

drawings or diagrams

visual and audiovisual stimuli and references.

Copy and paste from the following performance criteria to create an observation checklist for each task. When you have finished writing your assessment tool every one of these must have been addressed, preferably several times in a variety of contexts. To ensure this occurs download the assessment matrix for the unit; enter each assessment task as a column header and place check marks against each performance criteria that task addresses.

Observation Checklist

Tasks to be observed according to workplace/college/TAFE policy and procedures, relevant legislation and Codes of Practice Yes No Comments/feedback
Clarify intention of dance pieces with relevant personnel 
Use a range of sources to generate ideas and determine stimuli 
Select ideas and translate intention into choreographic plans 
Through experimentation and improvisation identify dance forms and structures to be included in plans 
Improve and refine choreographic plans in rehearsal for performance of dance pieces 
Demonstrate unity, continuity and variety in dance pieces 
Review the dance-creation process through self-evaluation and in consultation with relevant personnel to improve and modify 
Ensure safe dance practice at all times 
Establish and source audio requirements to support mood, creative experience and audience affect 
Resolve lighting and vision system requirements for performance of dance pieces to support intention 
Agree on costuming, make-up and hair to enhance audience experience and aesthetic qualities of dance pieces 
Determine and organise appropriate sets and props to create atmosphere and environment 
Arrange stage markings to reflect choreographic plans 
Exercise and control physical movement techniques that reflect choreographic plan for dance pieces 
Recall and execute dance sequences, structures and spatial relationships to support choreographic plans 
Demonstrate flow, phrasing and dynamics showing sensitivity in line with the intention of dance pieces 
Maintain focus and concentration throughout performance, including connecting and interacting with other dancers as required 
Demonstrate performance skills, showing expression and engagement with audience 
Use performance space appropriately 
Develop a journal to detail composition process for reflection and analysis 
Compare work against previous work to assess development of techniques and ideas 
Discuss strengths and weaknesses of dance pieces with relevant personnel and identify strategies for improving own techniques 

Forms

Assessment Cover Sheet

CUACHR401A - Create and perform dance pieces
Assessment task 1: [title]

Student name:

Student ID:

I declare that the assessment tasks submitted for this unit are my own work.

Student signature:

Result: Competent Not yet competent

Feedback to student

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Assessment Record Sheet

CUACHR401A - Create and perform dance pieces

Student name:

Student ID:

Assessment task 1: [title] Result: Competent Not yet competent

(add lines for each task)

Feedback to student:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall assessment result: Competent Not yet competent

Assessor name:

Signature:

Date:

Student signature:

Date: