Emancipation of Expressionism: AQA GCSE Dance Analysis Guide

Table of Contents

1. Overview & Key Facts
2. Choreographic Elements
3. Section Analysis
4. Production Features
5. Example Responses
6. Revision Ideas

“I want people to think differently about hip-hop dance. Each section is a moment in life, and the whole work is a journey.” – Kenrick Sandy

1. Overview & Key Facts

Essential Information

• Choreographer: Kenrick H2O Sandy
• Company: Boy Blue Entertainment
• First Performance: May 2013
• Duration: 11 minutes
• Dancers: 17 (8 female, 9 male)
• Style: Hip-hop fusion including krumping, popping, locking, animation, breaking and waacking techniques

Choreographic Approach

SSV definition of choreographic approach: The way in which a choreographer makes the dance.

• Exploring and abstracting hip-hop movement
• Working closely with accompaniment
• Using ‘signature’ company movements:
  • Ninja Walk
  • Ninja Glide
  • Ninja Static
  • Chariots of Fire

Style/Genre

Emancipation of Expressionism by Kenrick “H2O” Sandy, choreographed for Boy Blue Entertainment, uses a blend of street and contemporary dance styles to explore themes of freedom, unity, and empowerment. Here’s how each style contributes:

1. Krumping

• Seen in the opening, krumping’s intense, raw movements—like powerful jabs and chest pops—set a tone of struggle and resilience, reappearing in moments of heightened emotion.

2. Popping and Locking

• Used in controlled, robotic sequences, popping and locking highlight precise, isolated movements, contrasting with fluid sections. These sharp ‘pops’ showcase technical skill and represent the dancers’ control over their bodies.

3. Breaking (Breakdance)

• Breaking adds energy and intensity, with footwork, spins, and acrobatic moves filling the space. These movements convey resilience and physical power, echoing the emotional battles in the piece.

4. Waacking and Tutting

• Waacking brings sweeping, expressive arm movements, adding flair and a sense of flow, while tutting’s angular, geometric gestures create structured shapes. Both styles highlight unity and control among dancers.

5. Contemporary and Lyrical Influences

• Contemporary elements appear in softer, flowing movements, adding depth and vulnerability. Lyrical moments transition between intense styles, reflecting themes of freedom and connection.

Each style is woven together to create dynamic contrasts, with styles like krumping and breaking showing strength, while waacking and contemporary elements bring emotional fluidity. The result is a powerful piece that captures the journey of self-discovery, unity, and resilience.

Stimulus

1. Music: “Til Enda” by Olafur Arnalds – final section of the dance made first.
2. The importance of being free to express ourselves both as individuals and through the use of hip hop movement vocabulary are central to Kenrick’s initial ideas for the work.

Choreographic Intention

Kenrick seeks to:

• Express himself using hip-hop as artistic tool in a theater setting
• Witnessing and sharing an emotional journey for audience
• Each section is a scene, a moment in life, and the whole work is a journey.
• Explore the theme of order versus chaos and the restrictions on style of hip hop. Uses contrasts to show this.

Section-by-Section Analysis

1. Genesis (0:00 – 2:12)

The start of life and a feeling starts to grow and create from the womb of expressionism. There is a sense of an electrical current affecting the dancers. Struggling to be free, finding individual expression, conformity and order.

Movement Content:

• Opening: Formation: Dancers lie scattered in blue light, wriggling to show struggle.t
• Counterpoint and action reaction: Central dancer directs others to respond, showing a mix of chaos and control. Almost a ‘god’ or ‘mother’ figure at the start of life’s journey.
• Unison Formation: The transition to the “Ninja Walk” introduces regimented lines and clear shapes, signaling unity. However, one dancer resists, adding rebellion and maintaining an element of chaos within the order.
• A sense of fighting to be free to express my own ‘hip hop’ style.

Links to Intention:

• Birth of expression through floor work
• Order emerging from chaos through formation
• Individual rebellion against uniformity

Production Features:

• Lighting: Blue pools create an isolated, womb-like effect.
• Music: Builds from electronic swirls to a strong hip-hop beat, matching rising energy
• Interpretation: Represents birth/awakening of artistic expression

2. Growth and Struggle (2:12 – 3:21)

This section represents development and resistance, echoing the challenges of self-growth. It ends in a rugby scrum inspired formation with an ensemble supporting the individual dancer.

Movement Content:

• Solo dancer expressing individuality, he enters SR and battles through other dancers to try to reach DSR.
• Group traveling entering from stage right
• Rugby scrum formation
• Contact work supporting central figure

Unison and Spatial Design: The dancers form a rugby scrum-like structure, symbolising solidarity and collective strength.

Contrasts in Movement: One dancer attempts to break away from the formation, representing rebellion within structured unity. Another group positioned upstage left could symbolise the “mind/brain/government,” subtly controlling the main group, drawing them back into order.

Links to Intention:

• Individual passion to have the freedom to express versus group order (society/conform)
• Struggle for recognition
• Support within constraints
• Struggle through adversity (difficulties/torment) and the challenge of staying true to one’s self while still being part of a collective.

Production Features:

• White sidelight creating dramatic pathway
• Contrasting group in blue light upstage left
• Interpretation: Journey through adversity

3. Connection and Flow (3:21 – 6:30)

From duet to a full ensemble. Memory, manipulation, flow, merge and play between individuals in a relationship. Moving into relationships and shared energy, this section shows the flow of expression between individuals, and the contrast between moments of individual freedom and unified group dynamics.

Movement Content:

• Duet developing into ensemble work
• Waving style motifs that flow through action/reaction – passing ‘ball of energy’, fluid rippling movement through the dancers bodies.
• Contracting breakdance versus krumping sections –  adding to the mix of structured and freestyle energy. The dancers bound onto the stage creating acrobatic chaos.
• Accumulation of freestyle reflects individual expression.

Links to Intention:

• Relationships between order/chaos
• Energy flow between dancers
• Freedom of individual expression
• This section shows growing confidence and connection within the group, showing how individual and group identities can harmonise.

Production Features:

• Lighting: Complex states capture the fluid movement across the stage.
• Music: Classical violin (“November”) brings an unexpected calm, softening the powerful hip-hop vibe and emphasising connection.

4. Empowerment (6:30 – 10:39)

The energy is captured and released with a new found raw, super human power. Showcases individual skills and expressionism of the core dancers. The contrasting lyrical qualities and frantic percussive elements of the aural setting are seen in the contrasting actions

and dynamics. Builds to a climax where the dancers are fully empowered. The section 

finishes with the dancers huddling together in unity before a final blackout and bow.

Movement Content:

• Sharp, Percussive Moves: Elbow jabs sync with beats, contrasting with fluid wave movements.
• Climax of the dance with the dynamics speed and energy building. 
• Individual Showcases: Dancers highlight unique skills before forming unison.
• Unison shows the performance of the motifs Ninja Walk, Ninja Static, Ninja Glide.
• Chariots of fire motif performed in a large circling traveling pathway in accumulation across the stage.
• Final Formation: Ends with a group huddling in unity.

Links to Intention:

• Full artistic freedom
• Balance of individual and group power
• Celebration of hip-hop as art form
• Climax of artistic freedom, celebrating both individual and collective strength.

Production Features:

• Lighting: Purple cyc fills the stage, adding energy.
• Music: “Til Enda” mixes melodic and percussive sounds, symbolising empowerment.

 

Production Features in Detail

Costume

Description:

• Pastel blue t-shirts
• Blue denim jeans
• Grey trainers with white soles
• Some personal jewelry
• Hair tied back for clear facial expressions
• The tight fitting costumes allowed for a clean, clinical look whilst keeping casual
• The dancers wore the same non – gender specific costumes
• Hair was away from the face so that facial expressions could be seen clearly
• Non –restricting material used, particularly in the jeans allowed for movements

Links to Intention:

• Represents company identity – signature blue
• Trainers support the genre/approach and intention of Hip Hop/
• Allows clear view of movement
• Personal jewelry shows individuality and allows for expression
• Theme of order is shown in the uniform costume

Interpretation & Evaluation:

• Creates unified crew look while allowing individual expression and order!
• Practical for complex movements
• Enhances arm movements in hip-hop styles
• Shows contemporary take on street dance
• Matches the lighting – blue
• Loose fitting, casual clothing setting us in the modern day.
• Trainers create the impact of the grounded movement  – you wouldn’t get the same dynamic in bare feet/ballet shoes! Important for the safety of the dancers in performance with the break dancing challenging flips and tricks the ankles and knees must be protected.
• Blue could show – cool/fresh/water/flow/cold/relaxed/subtle

Lighting

Genesis

• Lighting Description: The section opens with mid-intensity pale blue pools of light, each featuring a dancer on the floor. This setup is crucial as it creates an enclosed, womb-like atmosphere, aligning with the embryonic theme of genesis.
• Interpretation: The dancers wriggle within these blue lights, evoking a sense of birth and new life. As they transition into the “ninja walk,” the lights shift to a high-intensity electric blue. This change signifies their movement from embryo to birth, highlighting the evolution of the dancers.
• Lighting Technique: Moving heads mounted above the stage swing into the centre, contributing to the restrictive feeling of the space. The closeness of the dancers enhances this sense of confinement.

Growth and Struggle

• Lighting Description: A haze or fog above the lights becomes apparent, which is essential for visualising the beams of light. Without the haze, the lighting loses definition and depth.
• Interpretation: Similar to rock concerts, where beams of light are illuminated by haze, this technique creates a specific mood. The white side light from downstage right creates a horizontal pathway for the dancers, who move through it, suggesting a transition from struggle to growth. There’s an idea of hope as they come towards the light.
• Mood and Atmosphere: The blue light upstage left may represent a controlling force, perhaps a brain guiding the movement. This section evokes feelings of mystery, intimidation, and a futuristic, alien vibe. The interplay between white side light and blackouts adds tension and eeriness, suggesting the unknown.

Empowerment

• Lighting Description: The backdrop features a purple cyc once the curtain lifts. A blue wash lights a large area, with a paler blue centre light and white side lighting from both sides. This creates a more open, jubilant atmosphere.
• Interpretation: The lighting signifies liberation and empowerment, contrasting sharply with the earlier sections. The entire stage is now lit, representing a transition into freedom and a celebration of artistic expression.

Overall Impact

• The lighting throughout the piece is designed to divide the space and highlight performance areas while keeping the rest of the stage in darkness. This enhances the emotional journey, guiding the audience through the contrasting themes of confinement and freedom.

 

Aural Setting

Description: Four distinct pieces:

1. Urban with electronic sounds
2. Urban with drum beats
3. “November” (classical)
4. “Til Enda” (fusion)

Genesis – Start

• Description: The opening section features laser-like, swirly synthesised sounds that give a futuristic atmosphere. The music maintains a laid-back, electronic hip-hop feel, with under layering of a subtle drumbeat that could show a heartbeat or pulse.
• Interpretation: This heartbeat ties back to the theme of birth. The swirly sounds can be likened to the noises heard during an ultrasound scan, reinforcing the connection between music and movement.
• Action/Reaction: During this section, a dancer in the centre points to individual dancers on specific beats, creating a direct link to the aural setting. This could be expressesing a ‘god-like’ figure creating the earth, enhanced by the mystical swirling sounds. 

Ninja Walk

• Description: There is a significant shift in the music as it transitions into a powerful hip-hop beat. This beat is aggressive and forceful, matching the intensity of the lighting changes.
• Interpretation: The transition from the embryonic soundscape to a strong, life-affirming beat mirrors the dancers’ movement from the floor to standing. It marks a transformation from chaos to order or confined to free.

Growth and Struggle

• Sound Description: Minimal content, with a contrasting lyric, “I feel you’re the one one one.” There is a gesture associated with this lyric that correlates directly with the music.
• Interpretation: This section Urban piece. Uses electronic drum beats. Supports hip hop style. It is contrasting to the movement that is more aggressive here – aural calmer.

Empowerment

• Description: The music evolves to introduce a piano alongside violins and electronic sounds. The piece “Til Enda” (also the stimulus of the piece)  begins calmly before abruptly transitioning into a rapid, aggressive rhythm a little bit like  a machine gun.
• Interpretation: The intensity matches the charged atmosphere of this section, two counter melodies: one with quick movements (elbow jabbing) and another fluid violin line underneath. This creates a direct relationship between the aural setting and the movement.Accents in the accompaniment are complex and multi-layered and interpreted through movement and choreographic devices throughout the choreography.

Emotional Journey

The aural setting reflects the emotional progression throughout Emancipation of Expressionism:

• Themes: The journey from birth to connection, then growth, and finally to empowerment.
• Mood: The soundscape shifts from mysterious and calm to powerful and aggressive, enhancing the overall emotional impact.
• Connection to Other Elements:
  • Lighting: Changes in music correlate with shifts in lighting, emphasising emotional transitions.
  • Structure: The music supports the structure of the piece, highlighting key moments and transitions.
  • Movement: The relationship between aural and physical expression is crucial in showing  the piece’s themes and intentions.

Set Design

Overview of the Set

• Fact File vs. Video: The Fact File describes the set as an empty black box with “no set,” which is technically true and earns marks on exam questions. However, if you look closely at the video, there’s a key change at the end of Section 3: the black backdrop disappears, and a white cyc (backdrop) lit in purple-lilac appears for the final section, Empowerment. This switch adds depth and boosts the impact of the lighting, making the space feel more open and celebratory.

How the Set Supports the Dance’s Intent

• Enclosed Feeling in Early Sections: For the first three sections, the black, enclosed space creates an intense atmosphere that aligns with themes of struggle, growth, and emotional journey. This confinement feels almost womb-like, echoing the Genesis theme of birth.
• Shift in Empowerment: When the backdrop changes to the purple-lit cyc in Section 4, it opens up the space, bringing a more celebratory, empowered feeling and highlighting the climax of the dance.

Connections with Themes and Movement

• Freedom of Expression: While freedom is mostly conveyed through the dancers’ movements, the open space in Empowerment visually mirrors their progression from restriction to liberation.
• Movement and Formations: The large, empty stage provides plenty of room for the group’s formations and pathways, giving each dancer space to move and interact without barriers.
• Mood:
  • In the first three sections, the darkness creates a tense, enclosed mood that suits the Genesis theme. It builds a sense of anticipation and mystery.
  • By Empowerment, the lighter backdrop brings a more uplifting, celebratory mood, visually supporting the emotional climax of the journey.

Structural Role

• Consistent Set for Build-Up: The set remains simple and enclosed for the first three sections, providing a stable, contained space that builds the emotional journey. When the set opens up in Empowerment, it supports the dance’s climax and marks the shift towards a powerful, unified ending.

4. Example Exam Responses

6-Mark Question: Choreographic Devices

Question: Explain how choreographic devices are used to support the theme of order and chaos in Emancipation of Expressionism.

Model Answer:

Unison is used extensively when the dancers perform the Ninja Walk in strict formation – at the start like a rubik’s cube. The synchronised robotic arm movements and steps create a powerful sense of order through controlled, regimented movement that shows the dancers conforming to a single pattern. At the same time we see a dancer ‘breakout’ in counterpoint performing their own individual ‘hip hop’ style speciality e.g. waacking arms around head. This hints at the ‘chaos’ intent and the idea of individuals wanting to be free to express themselves. 

Canon appears when the wave movements ripple through groups of dancers in Flow and Connection. The systematic timing of movements represents order, whilst the fluid, continuous nature suggests chaos as energy flows unpredictably through the dancers’ bodies.

Contrast is employed when a single dancer breaks away from the unison Ninja Walk, performing fluid, freestyle movements while others maintain the strict pattern. This demonstrates chaos emerging from order, emphasising individual expression breaking free from constraints.

Manipulation of number is evident in Empowerment when dancers alternate between large unified groups and smaller breakout sections. This shows the relationship between order (full group unison) and chaos (individual solos and duets), supporting Kenrick’s exploration of structure versus freedom in hip-hop dance.

 

12-Mark Question: Production Features

Question: Discuss how lighting and costume contribute to the choreographic intention of Emancipation of Expressionism.

Model Answer:

Genesis, individual pools of blue light isolate dancers on the floor, creating a haunting atmosphere that makes the audience feel they’re witnessing the birth of something mysterious. When combined with the wriggling floor movements, these contained circles of light create a strong sense of restriction, emphasising the struggle for expression that Kenrick aims to portray. The impact on the audience is heightened by the contrast between light and shadow, drawing focus to each individual’s personal battle—wanting to escape what looks like a womb or the start of life itself.

The intense blue overhead lighting throughout the piece has significant dramatic impact, transforming the stage into an otherworldly space where hip-hop can be viewed as high art. This supports Kenrick’s intention of elevating street dance by literally placing it in a new light. The audience’s perception is challenged as familiar movements are presented in an unfamiliar context. When white sidelights cut through the space in Growth and Struggle, they create dramatic shadows that slice across dancers’ bodies, physically showing the conflict between order and chaos. This creates tension for viewers, making them feel the dancers’ internal struggle.

The costume design brilliantly balances order, chaos, and individual expression. The pale blue t-shirts and jeans create a uniform look that references street dance crews, helping the audience immediately recognise the hip-hop roots. However, the stripped-back design, with no logos or excessive styling, shows Kenrick’s intention to present hip-hop in a new context. The clean lines and matching colours create a contemporary feel, allowing audiences to see beyond stereotypical street dance presentations. This fusion has a powerful impact, challenging preconceptions about what hip-hop can be.

Personal elements like watches and jewellery provide crucial contrast, subtly highlighting individual expression within the group structure. These small details catch the light and draw attention to specific moments, particularly during isolated movements. The audience notices these glints of personality, reinforcing the theme of individual expression emerging from order. The practicality of the costume also allows for a full range of movement, from floor work to elevation, enabling the dancers to fully embody both the control and chaos Kenrick explores.

In the final section, Empowerment, the full stage illumination with a purple cyc backdrop makes the blue costumes appear to glow, showcasing the dancers in almost superhuman status. This transformation creates an inspiring climax for the audience, physically manifesting the journey from constraint inside circles of light to artistic freedom and open space at the heart of the work.

The overall impact of these production features working together guides the audience through the emotional journey while consistently supporting the fusion of hip-hop and contemporary dance. The lighting states mark clear transitions between order and chaos and the different stages of light, while the costumes maintain a perfect balance between uniformity and individuality throughout.

 

 

5. Revision Tips

Essential Knowledge

• Know Boy Blue signature moves
• Understand section journey
• Link examples to intention and stimulus
• Consider audience impact and personal interpretation to reach the top marks
• Use correct terminology

Section Timings

1. Genesis (0:00 – 2:12)
2. Growth and Struggle (2:12 – 3:21)
3. Flow and Connection (3:21 – 6:30)
4. Empowerment (6:30 – 10:39)

Exam Strategy

6-Mark Questions:

• Use PEE structure (point, evidence, explain)
• Choose clear examples
• Link to intention
• Explain impact

12-Mark Questions:

• Use PEEP structure (as above but add your personal thoughts and interpretations.
• Compare aspects between professional works.
• Include interpretation
• Consider the impact on the audience

Common Pitfalls

• Forgetting intention links
• Vague descriptions that do not paint a picture of the work
• Missing impact
• Limited personal opinions/student voice
• Limited examples
• Poor time management

Disclaimer

This guide is not AQA-endorsed. Always refer to official exam resources:

• The Dance Anthology
• Anthology fact files
• AQA exam preparation materials
• Official exam feedback