Transcript Three Elements of Dance

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Today – Dance unit notes
Friday & Monday – watch Rize/reflection – Dance observation –
introduce dance project
Tuesday – ACT for juniors and shadowing for all others
Wednesday – review POS – Dance observation – binder checks – test
cards
Thursday – Library to begin dance project
Friday – dance test
Monday – Sub for KUNA – library to finish projects
Tuesday – Sub for KUNA – Dance reading
Wednesday – make-up tests
Thursday and Friday (March 12-13) – present projects
Elements / Choreography /
Styles / Purposes
Space, Time and Force
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Personal space – immediately around the dancers body
General space – larger area where movement will occur
Direction – forward, backward, or diagonal movement
Pathways – space created by movement (straight or
curved) – as if the dancer drew a line with their body –
how they move makes a mood
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Levels – high, medium, and low
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Different symbolism and emotional suggestions depending on which level
is used
 High – happy, elated, aggressive
 Medium – normal, neutral
 Low – depression, exhaustion
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Shape – using the human body to make symbolic shapes (circle can
be the sun, straight lines can be rigidity or formal)
Groups – sign of formality, leadership or lack of, family
Dancing as a group has a very different emotional impact than
dancing individually
Individually – strength, loneliness, uniqueness
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Focus – where the dancers attempt to draw the
audiences’ eyes while performing
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Single focus – usually one dancer
Multi-focus – usually a group
Size – how much space a movement requires
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Natural rhythm:
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Heart beat
Breathing
Blinking
Walking
Rhythm/beat – similar to music – keeps the pace of the
dance
Duration – how long it lasts
Accent – bold/strong emphasis in movement
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Energy used in the dance – specific types tend to be
used together to contrast movements
Heavy/light
 Sharp/smooth
 Tense/relaxed
 Bound/flowing
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Force uses weight of dancers and effects of gravity
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AB Form - Two part composition (A theme/B theme)
ABA form – Three part – third is usually condensed or
extended version of first section
Canon – parts are performed in succession, overlapping
one another
Call and Response – often associated with African dance,
jazz, and tap – one soloist/group performs & is
responded to by second soloist/group
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Narrative – choreography follows a storyline
Theme & Variation – starts with a theme and then in later
sections deviates slightly from the main theme
Rondo – three or more themes with one theme repeated
(ABACADA)
Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Modern
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Standardized dance movements
Specialized leaps and lifts
Use French terminology:
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Plier – to bend
Etendre – to stretch
Relever –to rise
Sauter – to jump
Tourner – to turn
Glisser – to glide
Elancer – to dart
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Costumes:
Pointe shoes for women
 Slippers for men
 Tutu
 Tights
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Roots of Ballet is in court dance
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Emphasizes rhythm, beat and accent
Terminology has come from many influences throughout
history:
Accelerando: gradually increase speed
 Allegro: quick lively
 Cincinnati: Backward movement/alternating feet
 Scuffs: strike heel on floor while moving foot forward
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Costume:
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Tap shoes
Formal to street wear (River Dance = Irish costume)
Roots:
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Improvisation
Recreational/social dance: jig, Irish step, African dance
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Stylized movement
Accentuated movement with head, hands, hips, and feet
English/French terminology
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Ball change – Change weight between feet
Catwalk – Exaggerated step, bringing foot up very high
Hip walk – move hips in a circular motion
Moonwalk – Michael Jackson (you all know what this looks like)
Pivot step – step in any direction then pivot right
Touch step – touch floor w/ pointed foot
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Costume:
Jazz shoes/boots
 Clothes related to theme
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Roots:
Improvisation
 Recreational/social dance
 Early musical theater dance
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Freedom of movement
Terminology mostly English and French:
Most derived from terms from other dance forms
 Terms added constantly as this dance style changes
 Modern is based on freedom so often dancers come up with their
own moves that have no precise term
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Includes modern Ballet, tap, and jazz or any combination
of these
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Costume:
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Bare feet or theme based shoes
Clothes related to theme of dance
Roots:
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Improvisation
Choreographed movements
Purposes of Dance
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Show praise/commemorate
Usually performed through ritual
Examples:
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Tribal dance for gods/goddesses
Religious based dances
Birthdays
Weddings
Basically, any life-altering event
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Have fun/socialize
Any age group/society
Examples:
Homecoming
 Aerobic dance (exercise)
 Group dances (Electric Slide, Chicken Dance)
 Ballroom – waltz, foxtrot, jitterbug, swing, salsa
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Geared to entertain/perform for an audience
Theatrical dance included
Performers are usually extensively trained
Examples:
Ballet
 Tap
 Jazz
 Even some of the recreational dances are now considered artistic
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Remember your 5-6 sentence summary