Each arc should reserve its single highest-energy move for one boundary it has built toward

An arc should have one clear peak: the highest-energy move — a drop — is reserved for a single section boundary the performer has deliberately built toward, rather than spent on every phrase. If every phrase peaks, none is perceived as a peak, because a peak is defined by contrast against the surrounding lower-energy material. Withholding the biggest move until the built-toward boundary is what lets that boundary read as the climax of the arc.

Examples

Across one arc, only the transition from build into main is realized as a full drop; intermediate phrase changes use smaller moves. Firing a drop at every phrase change flattens the arc so no single moment stands out.

Assessment

Explain why ‘if every phrase is a peak, none is.’ What determines where in an arc the single highest-energy move should be placed?