Introduction to Dance
Student Guide: Elements of Dance
Elements of Dance - The Kennedy Center ArtsEdge
Movement
· locomotor: walk, run, leap, hop, jump, skip, slide, gallop
· nonlocomotor: bend, twist, stretch, swing
· leading/following
Time
· fast/medium/slow
· with music/without music
Space
· levels: low, medium, high
· direction: forward, backward, sideways, diagonal, turning
· focus: straight/curved, open/closed
Energy
· strong/light
· sharp/smooth
Body
· shape: the body can contort itself into different shapes (i.e., curves, angles)
· parts: the arms, legs, head, toes, fingers can take on different focuses (i.e., open, closed,
relaxed)
Lesson Connection: Elements of Dance
Copyright The Kennedy Center. All rights reserved.
ARTSEDGE materials may be reproduced for educational purposes.
from- dance elements.pdf
**Vocabulary: Elements of Dance**
Vocabulary for Elements of Dance - The Kennedy Center ArtsEdge
Vocabulary: Elements of Dance
choreographic: describes a dance sequence in which the movements in the sequence were arranged by a person or persons
levels: the height of the dancer in relation to the floor
locomotor movement: movement that travels from place to place usually by the transfer of weight from foot to foot; Basic locomotor steps are walking, running, leaping, hopping, and jumping; and the irregular rhythmic combinations of the skip (walk and hop), slide (walk and leap), and gallop (walk and leap).
nonlocomotor movement: movement that is anchored to one spot only, using the available space around the person doing the movement without losing the initial body contact); Basic nonlocomotor movements are bending, twisting, stretching, and swinging.
personal space: the "space bubble" or the kinesis sphere that one occupies; it includes all levels, planes, and directions both near and far from the body’s center
phrase: a brief sequence of related movements that has a sense of rhythmic completion
warm-up: movements and/or movement phrases designed to raise the core body temperature and bring the mind into focus for the dance activities to follow
Lesson Connection: Elements of Dance
Copyright The Kennedy Center. All rights reserved.
ARTSEDGE materials may be reproduced for educational purposes.
Elements of Dance task card template
High Forward Diagonal Curved Strong Shapes Walk Fast Bend Stretch
Middle Backward Turning Open Light Parts Run Slide Twist
Low Sideways Straight Closed Sharp Hop Leap Gallop Swing
Medium Slow With music Without music Smooth Jump Skip Leading Following
Learning the Elements of Dance
<http://100hourboard.org/media/attached_files/r_161839/BEST%20dance.pdf>
“Any movement can be described in terms of ENERGY, SPACE, and TIME; also in terms of how the body is involved in the doing of movement. These elements should be taught as conceptual ideas that weave through a complete class from the warm-up to the skill building to the creative components. They can be joined and rejoined to create movement problems for exploration and composition.”
The action of agonistic and antagonistic muscles on bones across joints creates movement and alignment (posture).
Whole body or isolated body parts may be manipulated in sequential or block- like fashion.
Movement may be initiated viscerally or peripherally.
I. MOVEMENT
1. Non-Locomotive Movement
2. Gestural Non-weight bearing movement of extremities
3. Axial(postural) Movement of the axis of the body, the spine.
4. Locomotor Movement
A.Weight transfer/moving through space:
walk: One foot to the other foot, with one foot always in contact with the floor.
run: One foot to the other foot, during transfer of weight both supports are off the floor.
leap: An extended run.
jump: Both feet to both feet
hop: One foot to the same foot.
“jop”: (hopscotch) Half jump/half hop (2 to 1 or 1 to 2)
assemblé: A jumping step from one foot to two.
sissonne: A jump from both feet on to one foot.
gallop: Step and run that undercuts leading step in uneven (long short) rhythm.
slide: Sideways gallop.
skip: Step and hop in uneven (long short) rhythm.
(Locomotion that doesn’t require the feet):
crawl: transfer about three or more supports with the body in a basically parallel orientation to the floor
roll: transfer by rotation of supports about a non-vertical axis
• SPACE the canvas
• SHAPE Individual or group.
• LEVEL High, medium, low.
Relationship to the space and other bodies in space.
• PATH
Locomotive PATHWAY
TRACE PATH of isolated body parts
Spoke-like or Arc-like
• DIRECTION
In relation to performance space
In relation to the performer (points on the Icosahedron)
• ENERGY (DYNAMICS) the expression
I. Laban’s 4 Efforts:
1. Flow
free: released movement without muscular tension
bound: controlled movement with muscular tension.
2. Force (weight or strength)
strong: sense of power
light: delicate, “airy” quality
3. Time
sudden: A sense of urgency
sustained: An indulging sense of time
4. Space
direct: Having one clear spatial focus
indirect: Having more than one spatial focus
II. H’Doubler’s 6 Qualities of Movement
Percussive: Sharp and sudden movement initiation. (staccato)
Sustained: Smooth, even release of energy. (legato)
Vibratory: quiver, shake, shimmy.
Suspension: Lightness, denial of gravity
Collapse: Heaviness, giving into gravity.
Swing/Pendular: a cyclic combination of suspension & collapse
• TIME the organization
Duration The length of time from a beginning to an ending.
Tempo/Speed How fast or slow.
Rhythm The events (sound, movement, etc.) that occur within a duration.
Metric Duration is subdivided into regular, even beats.
Non-metric Duration is subdivided into irregular “beats” (breath, biorhythms, waves, wind)
Accent Emphasis
• FORM the structure
Theme & Variation
Rondo/Canon/Fugue
Suite
Narrative
ABA
Aleatoric (Chance) Composition
Various forms from music (inversion, retrograde, etc.)
I. elements of dance & artistic expression - YouTube Genre & Movement videos
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbLCwmIr-WMcfMW5-WuVE0pmePguSl9hU&disable_polymer=true