Comparing Dance Works

Where to start

Begin with the flashcards on Ghost Dances and Still Life at the Penguin Café. They ask about the choreographer, company, first performance, accompaniment and costumes. Use them to practice recalling details before looking at how works compare.

Then open Ghost Dances and Nutcracker Similarities and Differences. This mind map brings the works together under similarities and differences. Move between the branches and the flashcards to check which details you can recall and which need another look.

Compare production features

The flashcards on Nutcracker and Faultline set out features for each work, including accompaniment, costume, set design and lighting. You can use those headings to organize a comparison, then return to the cards to practice the details.

The Swansong and Nutcracker mind map also covers accompaniment, costumes and set. The mind map Swan Lake, Chicago and Rosas brings together purpose, themes, costume, accompaniment, lighting and style. Follow one feature across the works in a map, then use another feature to build a separate comparison.

Use the quiz and maps together

The exam quiz asks about ALC, including its first performance, dance styles, creative responsibilities and aural setting. Try the questions to check what you can recall. The quiz focuses on a work rather than presenting the same comparisons as the maps, so use each format for its own purpose.

Afterward, return to a comparison map and talk or write through its branches. Check the map as you go, paying attention to the feature you are comparing.

Find your place in the unit

Comparing Dance Works is a section of the Dance Set Works and Analysis unit in Performing arts (theatre, dance). The resources on this page offer different ways to examine works within that unit, from recall questions to visual comparisons. Open a mind map and follow one comparison through its branches.