The Elements of Dance The Elements of Dance

The Elements of Dance

The Elements of Dance • Body • Action • Space • Time • Energy

A dancer moves through space and time with energy using relationships.

Body In dance, the body is the mobile figure or shape, felt by the dancer, seen by others. The body is sometimes relatively still and sometimes changing as the dancer moves in place or travels through the dance area. Dancers may emphasize specific parts of their body in a dance phrase or their whole body.

• • • Parts of the Body: head, eyes, face, shoulders, fingers, torso, legs, feet, etc. Whole Body: body shape: symmetrical/asymmetrical, rounded, twisted, angular, arabesque, elongated, squat body systems: muscles, bones, organs, breath, balance, reflexes inner: senses, perceptions, emotions, thoughts, intention, imagination, identity, reflection

Action is any human movement included in the act of dancing—it can include dance steps, facial movements, lifts, carries, and catches, and even everyday movements such as walking. Dancers may choose movement that has been done before, or they may add their own original movements to the existing dance movement vocabulary. Dancers may also revise or embellish movement they have learned from others.

Non-locomotor (axial): stretch, bend, twist, turn, rise, fall, swing, rock, tip, shake Locomotor (traveling): slide, walk, hop, somersault, run, skip, jump, leap, roll, crawl, gallop, chainé turns, do-si-do

Dancers interact with space in a myriad of ways. They may stay in one place and move parts of their body or their whole body, or they may travel from one place to another. They may alter the direction, level, size, and pathways of their movements.

• • Size: large, small, narrow, wide Level: high, medium, low Place: on the spot (personal space), through the space (general space), upstage/downstage Direction: forward/backward, sideways, diagonal, right/left Orientation: facing Pathway: curved/straight, zig-zag, random Relationships: in front, behind, over, under, alone/connected, near/far individual & group proximity to object

Time may also be organized in other ways including clock time, sensed time, and event-sequence. Dancers may take sight cues from each other to start the next phrase or use a shared awareness of sensed time to end a dance. They may even take cues from an event such as a train whistle during an outdoor dance performance. The inherent rhythms in our movement and our aural landscape are a rich source of variation in dance.

Metered: pulse, tempo, accent, rhythmic, pattern Free Rhythm: breath, open score, sensed time, improvisation Clock Time: seconds, minutes, hours Timing relationships: before, after, unison, sooner than, faster than

Energy is about how movement happens—it refers to the dynamics of an action and can mean both the physical and psychic energy that drives and characterizes movement. Energy choices may also reveal emotional states. For example, a powerful push might be aggressive or playfully boisterous depending on the intent and situation. A delicate touch might appear affectionate or perhaps suggest concern, even fear.

Attack: sharp/smooth, sudden/sustained Weight: Strength: push, horizontal, impacted Lightness: resist the down, initiate up Resiliency: rebound, even up and down Flow: free, bound, balanced, neutral Quality: flowing, tight, loose, sharp, swinging, swaying, suspended, collapsed, smooth

The Elements of Dance • Body • Action • Space • Time • Energy