1. Phrases: These are the basic building blocks of choreography. They are a series of movements that flow together and have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Think of a phrase as a "sentence" in dance language.
2. Sequences: These are a collection of phrases strung together to form a longer section of choreography. A sequence might be a specific part of a dance, like the introduction or the bridge. You could think of a sequence as a "paragraph" in dance.
3. Choreographic Motifs: These are small, recurring movement patterns or gestures that appear throughout a dance. Motifs can help unify the piece and create a sense of coherence. They are like a "word" or "phrase" used repeatedly for emphasis.
4. Transitions: These are the movements that connect different phrases or sequences. They can be simple or elaborate, but their purpose is to smoothly shift the dancer from one movement to the next. Transitions are like the "conjunctions" or "prepositions" of dance, creating the flow between elements.
5. The Overall Structure: Just like a story has a beginning, middle, and end, so does a dance. The choreographer will plan the flow of the piece, building tension and then releasing it. This overall structure is like the "plot" or "outline" of the dance.
Instead of sentences, you might think of choreography as a *language* of movement. It's built on a vocabulary of steps, gestures, and spatial relationships, all combined with timing, rhythm, and dynamics to create meaning and emotion.