Introduction to Dance
1. Space
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-dimensional_space
View the following dances with a eye on shape, level, direction, and focus:
Vincent Vianen - Apologize - Choreography
Chinese super beautiful modern dance
Many dances are performed on a theater stage:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_(theatre)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a8/Stage_directions.PNG
Stage directions
House right/left are from the audience's perspective
The stage itself has been given named areas to facilitate the precise movement and positioning of actors on a stage (see Blocking (stage)).
To an actor facing the audience, "left" and "right" are the reverse of what they are for the audience. To prevent confusion, actors and directors never use the unmarked terms left or right for the sides of the stage. Rather, they use a phrase specifying the viewpoint. The terms "stage left" and "stage right", respectively, denote the sides of the stage that are on the actor's left and right when the actor is facing the audience, while "house left" and "house right" are the reverse, denoting the sides of the stage as viewed by the audience.
Likewise, the meaning of "front" and "back" would be unclear because they depend on perspective. Instead, the term "upstage" is used to denote the part of the stage furthest from the audience or to motion away from the audience, while "downstage" denotes the portion of the stage closest to the audience or to motion in that direction.
The term of "UPstage" and "DOWNstage" were common in older theatres due to the elevation of the actual stage deck. Older theatre designs offered the audience a better view of action by inclining the floor (called a "RAKE STAGE"), thus the term "UPSTAGE" (higher elevation furthest from the audience)and "DOWNSTAGE" (lower elevation closer to the audience).
A Rake stage can vary in its incline, the optimal incline is ten degrees which is ideal for the audience and actor comfort. A dancing surface incline is often different from an acting incline, a dancing incline can vary from three degrees to twenty degrees. The most inclined stage for acting or dancing in known existence is the KA (a Cirque du Soleil show) Theatre Tatami deck (25'×50') located in the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. This modern marvel is said to be able to tilt from 0 degrees to 100 degrees in 40 seconds (estimated).
Blocking (stage)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Blocking is a theatre term which refers to the precise movement and positioning of actors on a stage in order to facilitate the performance of a play, ballet, film or opera. The term derives from the practice of 19th Century theatre directors such as Sir W. S. Gilbert who worked out the staging of a scene on a miniature stage using blocks to represent each of the actors. (An example of this can be found in Mike Leigh's 1999 film Topsy-Turvy.)
In contemporary theatre, the director usually determines blocking during rehearsal, telling actors where they should move for the proper dramatic effect and to ensure sight lines for the audience.
Each scene in a play is usually 'blocked' as a unit, after which the director will move onto the next scene. The positioning of actors on stage in one scene will usually affect the possibilities for subsequent positioning unless the stage is cleared between scenes. Once all the blocking is completed a play is said to be 'fully blocked' and then the process of 'polishing' or refinement begins. During the blocking rehearsal usually the assistant director or the stage manager (or both) take notes about where actors are positioned and their movement patterns on stage.
It is especially important for the stage manager to note the actors' positions, as a director is not usually present for each performance of a play and it becomes the stage manager's job to ensure that actors follow the assigned blocking from night to night.
By extension, the term is sometimes used in the context of cinema to speak of the arrangement of actors in the frame. In this context, there is also a need to consider the movement of the camera as part of the blocking process (see Cinematography).
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Stage directions:
House right/left are from the audience's perspective
Look up stage right, stage left, upstage, downstage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
The stage itself has been given named areas to facilitate blocking.
The rear of the stage is considered up-stage. This derives from the raked stage, where the stage sloped up away from the audience.
The front of the stage is down-stage.
Stage Left and right, at least in British and North American theatre, refer to the actor's left and right facing the audience. Because this is sometimes misunderstood the terms prompt (actor's or stage left) and opposite prompt (actor's or stage right) are also used. (See also Prompt corner)
House left and house right refer to how the audience perceives the stage. The audience’s left is referred to as house left, and the audience’s right is referred to as house right. (These may also be called camera left and camera right for a filmed or sometimes unfilmed production.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blocking_(stage)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spatial-temporal_reasoning
Abilities related to the manipulation and organization of spatial information
e.g., Spatial Orientation, Visualization