Each student chooses one performance for in-depth research of its history, culture, and previous interpretations. The student examines how the dance evolved from its origins to its contemporary rendering and writes a review of the current performance in light of research findings. A second performance in the portfolio demonstrates what students have learned about choreography and performance. Students work in groups of four to select music, design costumes, coregraph and perform an original dance. Dance journals document each student's role in the group, individual reflections on the group process, and rationales for group decisions.
Videotapes provide evidence of the dance's development and final presentation.
The videotape of the final performance is accompanied by program notes, written by the group, to introduce their work. Students evaluate the process of creating the dance and its final production based on predetermined criteria. Students respond to a set of questions that help them analyze their experiences in dance over the school year. They analyze their personal progress and how their goals have changed since the beginning of the year. Questions prompt dancers to address the relevance of specific techniques to the presentation of particular dances.