Dress Rehearsal Peer Review: Two Stars and a Wish
Groups that already have a dance in progress do a dress rehearsal for a partner group that watches with a simple rubric and gives back two strengths and one suggestion. Then they apply the feedback and perform again. Students work on peer assessment and improving their choreography.
How to play
- Pair up groups (group A and group B, 4-5 students each). Hand out a rubric with four areas: choreography tools (canon, mirror, unison), use of space, timing, and stage presence (3 minutes).
- Each group warms up and reviews on its own (4 minutes).
- Group A does its dress rehearsal for group B, who watches quietly, fills out the rubric, and may record on the tablet (3 minutes).
- Group B spends 2 minutes giving "two stars" (two things that work) and "a wish" (one specific, doable improvement). Then swap roles (5 minutes total).
- Each group has 7 minutes to work on the wish they received, using the video if they recorded one.
- Both groups perform again (4 minutes); the watching group says whether the wish came true.
- Each student writes one sentence on the rubric about what their group improved (2 minutes).
Rules
- Comments are about the dance, never about the person or their body.
- Video is recorded only with the group's permission and deleted at the end of class.
- Warm up before dancing full out.
Variations
Easier
A two-area rubric with one star and one wish.
Standard
A four-area rubric, two stars and a wish, and a second performance.
Harder
The watching group also suggests one new tool the group must add in the second performance.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the student can run the recording and read the rubric aloud, as well as dancing their adapted part.
- Shy students: they can hand in their feedback in writing instead of saying it out loud.
- Skill level: less experienced groups get sample wishes.
Learning goals
- Evaluate a dance using shared criteria.
- Give and receive constructive feedback respectfully.
- Apply suggestions to improve an original dance.
Equipment for a class of 25
- rubrics: 25
- pencils: 25
- music
- portable speaker: 1
- tablets or smartphones: 3
Teacher tip
Model one good comment and one bad comment first, or everything will be "good job." Check your school's policy on recording students; if in doubt, use live observation without video.
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