Crossword Genius

Lively composition Dawn scored ineptly (5,5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

sword dance

'lively composition' is the definition.
(dance done with swords)

'dawn scored ineptly' is the wordplay.
'ineptly' indicates an anagram (an inept spelling).
'dawn'+'scored'='dawnscored'
'dawnscored' is an anagram of 'SWORD-DANCE'.

(Other definitions for sword dance that I've seen before include "Jig, caper over blades" , "Performance involving sharp weapons" , "steps with much arm-waving" , "Pre-war ritual" , "Potentially dangerous steps" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.