119 THE ABILITY OF CHOREOGRAPHY CREATIVE THINKING ON DANCE PERFORMANCE Dinny Devi Triana Department of Dance, Jakarta State University, Jl. Rawamangun Muka Jakarta, Indonesia E-mail: dini_devi@yahoo.com Received: November 28, 2015. Revised: November 30, 2015. Accepted: December 4, 2015 Abstract This research aimed to measure the ability of creative thinking of dance students who became choreographer in Education University, in which their final project was creating a dance or dance creation. The method used for this research was correlative study, it was used to give a clear description of the correlation between predictor variable (ability of creative thinking) and re- spond variable (assessment of dance performance). The sample was collected by using purposive sampling. Based on the result, it was found that rsum was 0.510, while rtable for respondent n = 17 with significant scale 0.05 was 0.482. This meant rsum was bigger than rtable, and that meant there was correlation between the ability of creative thinking and dance performance. Significant test showed that zero hypotheses was rejected, it meant that there was significant correlation between creative thinking and dance performance. The result was table 1.75; and t sum was 2.3. It showed that H0 was rejected and H1 was accepted. It could be concluded that there was positive correla- tion between creative thinking and dance performance. Based on the coefficient determinant of the research result, it was found that the ability of students creative thinking was 25.96 percent, meanwhile 74.04 percent was determined by other factors which influenced dance performance. Keywords: ability of creative thinking; choreography; creativity; dance How to Cite: Triana, D. (2015). The Ability of Choreography Creative Thinking on Dance Performance. Harmonia: Journal of Arts Research and Education, 15(2), 119-125 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.15294/harmonia.v15i2.4555 HARMONIA : Journal of Arts Research and Education 15 (2) (2015), 119-125 Available online at http://journal.unnes.ac.id/nju/index.php/harmonia DOI: 10.15294/harmonia.v15i2.4555 p-ISSN 1411-5115 e-ISSN 2355-3820 in creativity lecture is needed. Creativity, according to Rhodes (as cited in Supriadi (1994), is divided in person, process, pro- duct, and press dimension. Meanwhile, ac- cording to Supriadi (1994, p. 7) creativity is the ability of someone to produce a new thing, both an idea or a product, that is re- latively different with the previous work. This statement is supported by Munandar (1987) that stated creativity is an ability to create a new combination based on data, information, or existing elements (p. 47). Based on the statements above, creativity emphasized on the product or new pro- duct based on an original idea. However, if we talk about a product, INTRODUCTION The students of choreography lectu- re in art or non-art University (Education) are expected to have the ability in organi- zing and developing traditional dance to create a dance. The process of dance cre- ation is known as choreography. It is a se- lection process and movement creation of a dance, and also a movement planning to fulfil a specific purpose (Cheney, 1999, p. 133). Choreographer is a profession in dance performance field, particularly in dance creation. To support this profession, an abili- ty to think creatively that is accumulated HARMONIA : Journal of Arts Research and Education 15 (2) (2015): 119-125120 it cannot be separated from the production process, and the production process can- not be separated from the person involved in the process. As explained by Guilford (as cited in Supriadi, 1994, p. 47) creativity refers to the abilities which are the charac- teristics of creative people. Through crea- tive thinking, a new creative product will be invented. The previous research was con- ducted to measure creative movement and education dance that was created by the students. The result of the research was de- veloped to know the relationship between creative thinking ability that was measu- red through creative movement and the students’ dance performance in choreo- graphy lecture 1 and choreography 3. The purpose of the research was to find out the basic competence of a choreographer. Thinking is one of mental activities or cognition that is related to processing, un- derstanding and communicating informa- tion (Myers, 1995, p. 236). Chaplin (1986) translated by Kartono stated that thinking is a symbolic process and problem solving that involve additional activity (Kartono, 2000, p. 508) A linguist expert Whorf (1956) stated that language form human ideas, meanw- hile, according to Myers (1995) it cannot be denied that words convey ideas and different language could express diffe- rent ways of thinking. However, He also stated that there are some ideas of human thought that are not formed by language, but they are formed by mental picture, for example, when an artist thinks with their imagination (Myers, 1995, p. 352) The process of creative thinking is the function of lateral and divergent right brain. The right side of the brain is marked by many (more than one) possible answer along with the function of processing non- verbal information, and willing to use ho- listic, intuitive, and imaginative, and also controlling the left side of the body. One of the functions of the right brain is the ability to create new things (Januarius, 2003, p. 1) Assessment of dance performance for choreography lecture is an assessment of the student dance creation. One of the dominant aspects in the assessment of students’ dance performance is related to dance composition theory. On dance learning, theoretical kno- wledge about dance is needed to support practice lectures, one of them is choreo- graphy lecture which is the implemen- tation of dance theory lecture, especially “dance composition” lecture. To find out the achievement of cho- reography lecture, an evaluation tool that is relevant to the material characteristic and learning objective is needed. Choreo- graphy lecture is a practice of dance ma- nagement lecture that refers to dance com- position theory. Doubler (1985) explained that dance composition is a structure or structural unity of dance elements that is combined with variety, contrast, balance, climax, sequence, transition, repetition, and harmony (p. 42). This principle can be modified, but cannot be abandoned. Dan- ce element that is combined with the prin- ciple will produce characteristic in dance composition. Smith (1985) stated that dance com- position is a harmonic dance element structure that can be enjoyed aesthetical- ly. The composing process using dance construction method produces a dance (p. 20). Moreover, Murgiyanto explained dance composition process include design, knowledge of art, choosing accompanying dance, group composition, costume, ligh- ting, stage arrangement, and theme deve- lopment. While content creation refers to the emotional experience, psychological that is determined by the choreographer’s knowledge and the richness of the soul (1983, p. 1) A dance can be categorized as valu- able if the movement composition follows the theory or principles in dance composi- tion. A dance is a realization of a harmonic system that has a signature characteristic. Every vision of the choreographer will be realized in movement, because movement can be seen by the audience (Smith, 1985, p. 34). Habermem (as cited in Smith 1983, p. 6) defined movement as follow: Dinny Devi Triana, The Ability of Choreography Creative Thinking on Dance Performance 121 Movement can be defined as the re- sult of statement from various elements that are collectively gathered from aest- hetic vitality, so that only within these elements do the movement can be under- stood. The unity becomes larger from its parts, the unifying process in which the movement can be achieved through com- position. Based on the statement, a dance composition is the basic knowledge in choreography, so that the dance can be meaningful and valuable. The definition of composition, according to Smith, invol- ving composition and harmonic elements, in which the relation and the unity form “something” that can be identified. Seeing that the essence of dance is movement, based on the statement, dance is a result of choreography and other ele- ments to produce harmony. La Meri in her book Dance Composition divide the com- position element into some basic elements. Those elements are room shape, music, upper design, dramatic, dynamic, theme, and the movement itself (1965, p. 15). Tho- se are the designs that create harmonic mo- vement in a dance, and in the end it will be focused on choreography. In dance com- position it is often known as the final result of the composition process. Sedyawati explained (1986, p. 121) dance composition or choreography kno- wledge is a knowledge about how move- ment is chosen and arranged to create a dance. Choreography comes from Greek words, Choreia means koor dance and graphia means writing. Choreography li- terally means selection and action or the selection process and the forming of mo- vement into a dance (Ellfeldt, 1977, p. 12). Through dance composition theory, move- ment can be arranged as a choreography, so the success can be understood and me- asured. METHOD This research aimed to measure the ability to think creatively for education students who became a choreographer, in which they have to create a dance for the final project, besides for testing the ability of students’ creative thinking, it can help the students to finish the final project, This research was conducted in Jakarta Educa- tion University for the 6th semester cho- reographer program that already took cre- ativity lecture and at least already passed choreography 1 lecture. The research method used was sur- vey method with correlative technique to give a clear description about the relation between the ability of creative thinking as free variable and dance created for a cho- reographer as bounded variable. The data were analysed statistically using the statis- tic requirement test, homogeneity test and normality test. Statistic hypothesis test of the research was done by using simple li- nier regression test, significance regression test, linearity regression test, coefficient correlation, significance coefficient correla- tion, and determinant coefficient to know how big the percentage of the influence x variable on y variable was. Purposive sampling method was used as the technique to collect the samp- le. The sample was selected based on cer- tain consideration. The consideration was based on the objective of the study (Singa- rimbun, 1989, p. 168). The sample was se- lected from the population with the same characteristic as the criteria. In this research, the writer used some instruments that had been validated by ex- pert and tested to relevant respondent. It was done to get a test instrument of crea- tive thinking through movement, and the assessment instrument of students’ dance created as the final project of choreography lecture. Instrument of Creative Thinking Ability The ability of creative thinking that was measured through movement, expres- sion was the process of collecting data to know the fluency, the flexibility, origina- lity, and elaboration in thinking, also the ability to explore an idea that was known as a creative dance movement. Meanwhile, in this research, creati- HARMONIA : Journal of Arts Research and Education 15 (2) (2015): 119-125122 ve dance movement was defined as a total score that was procured from result of the assessment scale based on fluency, flexibi- lity, originality, and movement elaborati- on. Before the instrument was made, the prediction was made. Dance Instrument Assessment In this research, dance assessment conceptually was defined as a decision making process using information through measurement (Cangelosi, 1995, p. 21)., the information was a choreography oriented dance analysis, they were originality, qua- lity, and form description (Sukenik, 1997, p. 14), by analysing dance composition ele- ments (Murgiyanto, 1983, p. 1), that inclu- ded air design, flyer design, music, design, dramatic design, dynamic, and movement (Meri, 1965, p. 15). Meanwhile, generally, dance assess- ment was scored from the measurement of choreography oriented analysis using cre- ativity theories, psychomotor, and dance composition; they were originally to me- asure movement step and uniqueness, (2) quality to measure dynamic, upper design, and movement, (3) form description to me- asure floor pattern, drama, and music. Before the instrument was made, the prediction was made as follows Table 2. RESULT AND DISCUSSION Data Description Based on the result of the data of cre- ative thinking ability variable, the average was 70.24, the median was 67.5, the mo- dus was 52, deviation standard was 15.54, and variants was 24.5. On the assessment of students dance creation, the data found was average = 77.97, median = 77.3, mo- dus = 74, deviation standard = 7.50, and variants = 56.23. Discussion Based on the result of the require- ment test, the normality and homogeneity is Lsum = 0.002 and Ltable = 0.206, in which Lsum ttable (2.293 > 1.75); it showed that H0 was rejected and H1 was accepted, so it could be concluded that there was positi- ve relation between the ability of creative Xtable, the sample had homogeneity charac- teristic. On the regression test, it could be seen in the graphic below, and it could be concluded that the requirement of the li- near regression was fulfilled. The result of hypothesis test was te- sted using correlation r Product Moment formula, the result was rcount = 0.510, while rtable for n-17 with significance level α = 0.05 was 0,482. It meant that the value of rsum> rtable. In other words, it meant that there were correlation between the ability of cre- ative thinking and dance creation. Dance creation was a creative product of a cho- reographer that needed divergent ability to process the information and new ideas Table 2. Prediction of Assessment Instrument Dimension Indicator Code No. Each Indicator Point The number of the points I. Originality II. Quality III. Form de- scription 1. Movement source 2. Specification 1. Dynamic 2. Design 3. Movement 1. Floor Pattern 2. Dramatic 3. Music A1 A2 B1 B2 B3 C1 C2 C3 1,2. 3,4. 5,6 7,8,9. 10,11 12,13,14. 15,16,17,18. 19,20,21. 2 2 2 3 2 3 4 3 Total 21 Figure 1. Result of linear regression test HARMONIA : Journal of Arts Research and Education 15 (2) (2015): 119-125124 thinking and dance creation. Determinant coefficient of the rese- arch result could be interpreted that the variants of dance creation by dance art stu- dents that was determined by the ability of creative thinking was 25.96%; while the rest of 70.04% was determined by other factors that also influenced the dance creation. It could be seen that mental activity or cog- nition that was related to processing, un- derstanding, and communicating informa- tion was known as thinking (Myers, 1995, p. 236). Chaplin (as cited in Kartono, 2000, p.508) stated that thinking was a symbolic process and problem solving that included ideational activity. With the ability of crea- tive thinking, divergent method was used to solve the problem by using information, idea or available elements in order find the other possible answer (Davis, 1992, p. 90), so operationally the ability of creative thin- king reflected fluency, flexibility, origina- lity, and elaboration in thinking, also the ability to explore an idea (Munandar, 1992, p. 45). According to Myers (1995, p. 352) it could not be denied that words conveyed ideas and different language could express different ways of thinking, but he said the- re were some human ideas that were not formed by language, but they were for- med by mental picture, i.e. how an artist thought with his imagination. An artist, in this case choreogra- pher, conveyed their expression through a rhythmic and beautiful movement, both stilasi and distortion needed the ability of creative thinking to explore an idea into a dance creation. Because of that, conveying an expression through movement was clo- sely related to creative thinking in order to create a dance creation as the creative pro- cess of a choreographer. A dance creation of a choreographer was a result of creative idea as the outcome of thought and idea to produce a new and efficient thing, so the dance would be valuable, unified, and uni- que. However, other factors that influen- ced a choreographer in creating a dance were the mastery of dance composition knowledge, talent, intelligence, and also the choreographer’s experience that might have bigger percentage than the ability of creative thinking. For that, further rese- arch was needed to find out other factors that influenced choreographer in creating a dance and strong correlation among the factors. CONCLUSION Based on the result of the research, it could be concluded that there was a po- sitive relation between the ability of crea- tive thinking for education students who became choreographer and their dance creation. However, it was found that the ability of creative thinking variable only contributed 25.95%, and the rest of 74.04 was determined by other factors that also influenced the dance creation. This research could be a suggestion for the student’s learning process, especi- ally for choreography lecture or students who chose dance creation as their final project. In order to finish their study as expected, the test of the ability of creative thinking was a good test for novice cho- reographer, it would be easier for the final project adviser to analyse the choreogra- pher performance in creating a dance tho- roughly. The ability of creative thinking was not the only variable that determined the success of a choreographer in creating a dance, there were other supporting variab- le that needed to be investigated further. REFERENCES Bungin, B. (2005). Metodologi Penelitian Kuantitatif. Jakarta: Prenada Media. Cheney, G. (1999. Konsep-konsep Dasar Dalam Modern Dance, translated by Y. Sumandiyo Hadi. Yogyakarta: Manthili. Cokrohamidjoyo, F.X. S. (1986), Pengeta- huan Elementer Tari dan Beberapa Ma- salah Tari. Jakarta: DirektoratKese- nian. Davis. (1992). Creativity is Forever. Third Edition. Dubuque Lowa: Kendall/ Dinny Devi Triana, The Ability of Choreography Creative Thinking on Dance Performance 125 Hunt Publishing Company. Denova, C. C. (1979). Test Construction for Training Evaluation. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold. Ellfeldt, L. (1977). A Primer For Choreogra- phers.California: University of South- ern. Gronlund, N.E. (1982). How to Make Achievement Test and Assessments. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Harrow, A. J. (1972). A Taxonomy of the Psy- chomotor Domain: A Guide for Develop- ing Behavioral Objectives. New York: Longman Inc. Hawkins, A.M. (1990). Mencipta Lewat Tari. Translated by Y. Sumandiyo Hadi. Yogyakarta: Institut Seni Indonesia. Humphrey, D. (1983). Seni Menata Tari. Terjemahan Sal Murgiyanto. Jarkarta: Dewan Kesenian Jakarta. Hutchinson, A. (1989). Labanotation or Ki- netography Laban: The System of Ana- lyzing and Recording Movement. New York: Theatre Arts Bokks. Jamaris. (2003). Pengembangan Kreativi- tas Anak Usia Taman Kanak-kanak (Suatu Penenlitian Teoritis. Jurnal Pendidikan Dini, 1(2). Linn, R.L, &. Grounlund, N. E. (1955). Mea- surement and Assessment in Teaching. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Pren- tice-Hall. Meri, L. (1965). Dance Composition : The Ba- sic Elements. Massachusetta: Jacob’s Pillow Dance Fesrival. Munandar. (1987). Memupuk Bakat dan Kreativitas Anak Sekolah Menengah: Petunjuk Bagi Guru dan Orang Tua. Jakarta: Gramedia. Munandar, S.C.U. (1992). Mengembangkan Bakat dan Kreativitas Anak. Jakarta: PT. Grasindo. Munandar. (1999). Kreativitas dan Keber- bakatan. Strategi Mewujudkan Potensi Kreatif dan Bakat. Jakarta: PT Grame- dia Pustaka Utama. Murgiyanto, S. (1983). Koreografi: Pengeta- huan Dasar Komposisi Tari. Jakarta: Departemen Pendidikan dan Kebu- dayaan. Myers. (1995). Pyichology. Fourth Edition. Worth Publisher. New York. Nitko, A. J. (1996). Educational Assess- ment of Students. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Sedyawati, E. (1986). Pengetahuan Ele- menter Tari dan Beberapa Masalah Tari. Jakarta: Departemen Pendidi- kan dan Kebudayaan. Smith, J. (1985). Komposisi Tari: Sebuah Pe- tunjuk Praktis Bagi Guru. Translated by Ben Suharto. Yogyakarta: Ikalasti. Supriadi. (1994). Kreativitas, Kebudayaan dan Perkembangan IPTEK. Bandung: Alfabeta. Trian, D. (2003). Pengembangan Instrumen Pedoman Penilaian Tari. Thesis. Jakar- ta: Post Graduate Programme, Uni- versitas Negeri Jakarta. Triani, D. (2011). Kompetensi Koreografer Pendidikan Berbasis Imtak dan Ipteks. Harmonia: Journal Of Arts Re- search And Education, 8(2)