What is the choreography task and review, and how are they assessed?
Overview of the choreography task and the choreography review: creating a dance for two or more people from a stimulus, and the written review that explains and evaluates the choreographic choices made.
An overview of the SQA National 5 Dance choreography task and choreography review: creating a dance for two or more people from a chosen stimulus, and the written review explaining and evaluating the choreographic choices, with what assessors reward.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
The choreography task is where you create your own dance, and the choreography review is where you explain and judge the choices you made. This is an overview dot point: it sets out what each part is, how they connect, and what assessors reward, so you know what the practical activity demands. The detailed knowledge of motifs, devices, structure and space lives in the other choreography dot points; this page ties them to the assessment.
The choreography task
The task is your own dance, made for two or more dancers from a stimulus.
- The dance should look like it comes from the stimulus, with movement chosen to express the theme rather than steps strung together.
- A strong choreography uses the full range of tools: it develops a motif, uses devices for two or more dancers, follows a clear structure, and uses the space deliberately.
The choreography review
The review is the written explanation and evaluation of those choices.
- The review must justify choices against the theme, not merely describe what happened.
- The strongest reviews evaluate: they judge how well a choice worked, identify what could be improved, and explain why, covering the response to the stimulus, the devices, the structure, the spatial elements, and the use of music and theatre arts.
How the two parts connect
The task and the review are two halves of one skill.
- The task shows what you can do. It demonstrates your choreographic choices in a finished dance.
- The review shows that you understand them. It proves the choices were deliberate and theme-driven, and that you can judge their success.
- Together they reward thinking, not luck. A dance that works by accident scores less than one whose maker can explain and evaluate every choice.
For the official assessment details
The SQA publishes the National 5 Dance course specification, including the choreography and choreography review requirements and marking, at sqa.org.uk. Always confirm the current requirements, conditions and mark allocations against the current specification, because they are set by the awarding body.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA N5 style2 marksState the two parts of the choreography practical activity and what each requires.Show worked answer →
A 2-mark answer needs both parts named with what each requires, one mark each.
Choreography. You create a dance for two or more people from a chosen stimulus, applying motifs, choreographic devices, a structure and spatial elements to express your theme.
Choreography review. You complete a written review that explains and evaluates the choices you made in your choreography, such as why you used a particular device or structure, and how well it expressed your theme.
Markers reward each part named with what it requires, up to two.
SQA N5 style6 marksExplain what makes an effective choreography review, with reference to the choices a choreographer should justify.Show worked answer →
A 6-mark answer needs several points on what an effective review does, each developed; aim for three developed points.
It justifies choices against the theme. An effective review does not just describe the dance; it explains why each choice was made and links it to the theme or stimulus, such as choosing canon to show an idea spreading between dancers.
It covers the full range of choreographic tools. A strong review refers to the response to the stimulus, the motifs and their development, the choreographic devices, the structure, the spatial elements, and the use of music and any theatre arts, showing a complete grasp of choreography.
It evaluates, not just describes. The best reviews judge how well a choice worked, identify strengths and areas for development in the choreography, and say what could be improved and why, giving a clear chain of reasoning.
Markers reward developed points on justifying choices, covering the range of tools, and evaluating, up to six.
Related dot points
- Creating movement from a stimulus or theme, including the role of the initial motif and the methods used to develop a motif into longer movement material.
An SQA National 5 Dance answer on creating movement from a stimulus or theme, covering the types of stimulus, the initial motif, and the methods used to develop a motif (such as repetition, change of dynamics, level, direction, size and instrumentation) into longer material.
- The choreographic devices used in National 5 Dance, including unison, canon, mirroring, retrograde, juxtaposition, accumulation, partner work and contact improvisation, and the effect each one has on a dance.
An SQA National 5 Dance answer on the choreographic devices: unison, canon, mirroring, retrograde, juxtaposition, accumulation, partner work and contact improvisation, with a definition of each and the effect it has on a dance, for the choreography task, review and question paper.
- Choreographic structure, including how a dance is organised into sections and the common structures used, such as binary, ternary, rondo, narrative, theme and variation, and motif and development.
An SQA National 5 Dance answer on choreographic structure: how a dance is organised into sections and the common structures used, including binary, ternary, rondo, narrative, theme and variation, and motif and development, with the effect of each.
- Spatial elements in choreography, including formations, levels, pathways, direction, and the size of movement, and how the use of space shapes a dance and its meaning.
An SQA National 5 Dance answer on the spatial elements of choreography: formations, levels, pathways, direction and the size of movement, with the effect of each and how the use of space shapes a dance and its meaning.
- Evaluating professional choreography, including analysing the choreographic devices, structure, spatial elements, use of theatre arts and theme in a professional dance for two or more people, and judging how effectively they work.
An SQA National 5 Dance answer on evaluating professional choreography for the question paper: analysing the choreographic devices, structure, spatial elements, theatre arts and theme of a professional dance for two or more people, and judging how effectively they work.
Sources & how we know this
- National 5 Dance Course Specification — SQA (2024)
- National 5 Dance - Course overview and resources — SQA (2024)