The Elements of Dance

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The Elements of Dance
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Dance is a way of knowing and communicating. All
societies use dance to communicate on both
personal and cultural levels and to meet physical
and spiritual needs.
Dance, as with all the arts, has its own
language. We need to learn this language in order
to fully understand and appreciate the world of
Dance.
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The Language of Dance Elements Time, Space and
Force Choreographic Forms Theme and Variations,
Rondo and Narrative Styles (characteristics
of) Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Modern
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Elements
TIME The relationship of one movement or part
of a movement to another. Includes pulse, speed
(or tempo), duration, rhythm, and phrases.
Pulse the ongoing underlying beat
Tempo The speed with which a movement
is performed
Duration the length of time a movement lasts a
long time, short time or something in between
Rhythm a flow of sound or movement having
regular accented beats a movement or activity
in which some action repeats regularly
patterns made by arranging long and short
sounds or strong and light sounds
Syncopation a temporary accenting of a normally
weak beat in music to vary the rhythm
Phrasing a grouping and articulation of a
group of notes
Accent a movement or shape performed in such a
way as to give
emphasis.
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Elements

• SPACE the area of space occupied by the dancers
  body includes direction, size, pathways, levels
  and shapes.
• Direction which way a dancer faces or moves
  e.g., forward, backward, sideways, up and down
• Size magnitude of a body shape or movement from
  small to large movements
• Pathways patterns made as a dancer moves through
  the air or on the floor (straight, vertical,
  horizontal, zig-zag) can be made with locomotor
  or non-locomotor movements, separately or in
  combination.
• Levels the vertical distance from the floor.
  Movements take place on three levels high,
  middle or low and deep.
• Shapes the form created by the bodys position
  in space. Aspects of shape are open/closed,
  symmetrical/asymmetrical, angular and curved.

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Elements

• FORCE (energy) degree of muscular tension and
  use of energy while moving.
• Dynamics how a movement is done
• Flow continuity of movement (bound/free flowing)
• Weight strength (force) lightness of movement
  (heavy/light)

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Choreographic Forms
Choreography is the art of arranging dances
Theme the basic idea of the play, which the
author dramatizes through the conflict of
characters.
Rondo a dance structure with three or more
themes where one theme is repeated. ABACAD
Narrative choreographic structure that follows a
specific story line to convey specific
information through a dance
Variations contrasts in the use of the dance
elements, repetitions.
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SPACE

• Pathways - curved lines, straight lines, zigzags,
  circles, figure-eights, and many more
• Shape - large, small, rounded, and angular
• Level - high, medium, low or on the floor
• Direction - forward, backwards, diagonally,
  sideways

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All dance movements can be labeled as locomotor
or nonlocomotor.
NONLOCOMOTOR-movements that do not change location
LOCOMOTOR-movements that travel
AH-E-2.1.31
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Locomotor Movements
Dancers using locomotor movements may walk, run,
skip, hop, jump, slide, leap, or gallop.. These
movements may be high (possibly indicating joy),
medium, or low (possibly indicating sadness.)
AH-E-2.1.31, 1.15, 2.23
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Non-locomotor Movements
Dancers are using non-locomotor movements when
they stay in one place but bend, stretch, twist,
or swing their body.
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Styles (characteristics)

• Ballet a classic form of dance growing out of
  the French nobility. Its root is court dances.
• It is known for its
• standardized dance movements
• specialized leaps and lifts
• French terminology to describe each standardized
  movement
• Pointe shoes for women
• slippers for men
• costumes---tights, tutus

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Styles (characteristics)

• Tap is a percussive dance form in which dancers
  produce sound by wearing shoes to which metal
  taps have been added. Tap dance, an American
  dance form which concentrates on footwork and
  rhythm, has roots in African, Irish and English
  clogging traditions. Its roots lie in
  recreational dance (Irish Step dance, jig and
  African steps).
• It is known for
• An emphasis on rhythm
• Tap shoes
• Costumesformal to street wear
• Improvisation

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Styles (characteristics)

• Jazz American music marked by lively rhythms
  with unusual accents and often including melodies
  made up by musicians as they play. Its roots are
  in social dances and early musical theatre dance.
• Its known for
• Stylized movement
• Accents in hands, head, hips and feet
• English/French terminology to describe movements
• Jazz shoes or boots
• Costume related to theme of dance
• Improvisation

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Styles (characteristics)

• Modern a form of dance developed by dancers
  interested in breaking from ballet traditions and
  expressing a more liberating form of movement. It
  expresses complex emotions and abstract ideas.
• It is known for
• Freedom of movement
• Usually barefoot but can use shoes based on theme
• Costume related to dance theme
• Improvisation used in the development of
  choreography

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How is a dance created?

• Dances are created by combining locomotor and
  nonlocomotor movements.
• A dance, like a book,
• has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

AH-M-2.1.34
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Dance has 3 main forms

• ceremonial (religion, celebration, ritual)
• recreational (folk, social dancing, aerobic
  dance)
• artistic (ballet, modern, narrative, tap,
  lyrical).

AH-E-2.2.32
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Culture and Dance

• Nearly all cultures incorporate dance in some
  way.
• Dance is a major component of many cultures.
• Dance is often used to communicate or celebrate.

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Some more about dance culture

• Cultures use dance in ways that are both social
  and personal.
• What are some examples of culture and dance you
  can think of? How do those cultures use dance?

AH-E-2.2.33, A-HI-2.2.31, AH-M-2.2.32
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Dance is also representative of time periods

• What time period do you think of when you hear
• Charleston,Virginia Reel,Swing,Disco,Bre
  ak dancing, orHip Hop?
• Something to think about
• How are the dances of these time periods related
  to the politics of the time?

AH-H-2.3.31, AH-H-2.3.311
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Dance in History

• Dance has played an important function in many
  cultures throughout history.
• Dance styles, costumes, and music often reflect
  the political climate of the time.
• Dances such as the Locomotion, Macarena, and
  even the Chicken Dance all perform a function
  in our society they create a group of dancers
  having fun!
• AH-E-2.2.31, 1.15, 2.23, 2.25

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Is there anything else I should know?
Dance allows the dancer or choreographer to
communicate their ideas, thoughts, and feelings
through movement. These movements are structured
and repeatable, in that they can be taught to
others.
AH-E-2.1.14, 1.15, 2.22
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Dance is often used to tell a story
Like a story or a book, each dance has a
beginning, middle, and an end. Dance is made up
movement materials, connected into phrases
and put together into a complete dance.
AH-M-2.2.31, AH-2.2.32, AH-E.2.1.31