Module 2:
Dance
Elements
(pt.2)
WHEN ANALYZING THE ELEMENTS OF
DANCE, IT HELPS TO UNDERSTAND
DANCE SOME BASIC PRINCIPLES EMPLOYED IN
COMPOSITION DANCE CHOREOGRAPHY.
OFTEN USED CHOREOGRAPHIC
PRINCIPLES:
THEME & MUSIC
CANNONS REPETITION
VARIATIONS CHOICES
DOMINO EFFECT
DANCE
COMPOSITION- A CANNON IS AN EFFECTIVE
CANNON MEANS TO:
1. EXTEND TIME IN A PIECE
2. ALLOW AUDIENCE TO SEE THE
MOVEMENT MULTIPLE TIMES
DANCE COMPOSITION- REPETITION
REPEATING
MOVEMENT CAN BE USED
FAMILIARITY IN AN INDIRECT
BENEFITS OF PHRASE
FOR MANNER (ABA
REPETITION: UNDERSCORES
AUDIENCE FORM) THINK
ITS
EXPERIENCE OF A
SIGNIFIANCE
TO THE SANDWICH .
AUDIENCE
DANCE COMPOSITION- THEMES & VARIATIONS
IN A DANCE THAT USES THEME AND VARIATIONS, THE THEME IS
THE CENTRAL PHRASE AROUND WHICH THE OTHER PHRASES ARE
CREATED.
THINK ABOUT MUSIC- MELODY (THEME) WITH VARIATIONS
EMERGING FROM THERE.
CLASSICAL BALLETS WERE BUILT WITHIN THIS STRUCTURE TO
PROVIDE VARIETY AROUND A DOMINANT IDEA OR CONCEPT.
MUSIC PROVIDES MOVEMENT WITH THE AURAL
COUNTERPART TO THE VISUAL SPECTACLE.
DANCE SEVERAL CHOICES WHEN IT COMES TO MUSIC
COMPOSITION- SELECTION- DOES THE MUSIC DRIVE THE
MOVEMENT? HOW DOES THE USE OF RHYTHM AND
MUSIC MELODY ACCENTUATE THE DANCER’S MOVEMENTS?
IN SOME GENERS, THE MUSIC RUNS PARALLEL TO THE
STRUCTURE OF THE DANCE (MUSIC MIRRORED WITHIN
THE MOVEMENT).
CHOREOGRAPHERS CAN USE MUSIC THAT
PURPOSELY JUXTAPOSES THE MOVEMENT.
DANCE COMPOSITION- MUSIC CONT.
WHILE THERE IS NO CORRECT BETWEEN THE ELEMENTS
WAY TO MERGE MUSIC AND (B.A.S.T.E) AND VARIOUS
MOVEMENT, THE CHOREOGRAPHIC TOOLS,
CHOREOGRAPHER’S PAIRING CHOREOGRAPHERS HAVE AN
OF THE TWO UNDOUBTLY ENDLESS SUPPLY OF MATERIAL
AFFECTS THE DANCER’S WITH WHICH TO EXPERIMENT
IMPACT ON THE AUDIENCE. AND CREATE NEW WORK.
ELEMENTS RECAP
THERE ARE 5
ELEMETNS BODY ACTION
OF DANCE
SPACE TIME ENERGY
PARTS OF
INITATION
THE
BODY BODY
POINTS
BODY
PATTERNS
SHAPES
BODY- QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN OBSERVING
THIS ELEMENT
Are multiple areas of
Are the movements the body moving
From where in the
happening only in the simultaneously, moving
body is the movement
limbs, or does it involve in opposition, or are
happening?
the core? they moving in
isolation?
NON-LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENT
ACTION (AXIAL OR STATIONARY)
LOCOMOTOR MOVEMENT
(TRAVELING THROUGH SPACE)
VERBS!!! (CAN INCLUDE
PEDISTERIAN MOVEMENT OR
DANCE TERMINILOGY)
WHAT IS THE ESSENCE OF THE
ACTION- MOVEMENT? USE DESCRIPTIVE
QUESTIONS WORDS TO HELP BREAKDOWN
ACTIONS OBSERVED.
TO CONSIDER
WHEN IS THE DANCER IMPROVISING?
(CREATING MOVEMENT IN
OBSERVING REAL TIME- DEVELOPING ON
THIS ELEMENT THE SPOT)
SIZE OF THE MOVEMENT PERFORMED
LEVEL
SPACE
LOCATION
DIRECTION/PATHWAY
RELATIONSHIPS
ORIENTATION
FOUCS
HOW DOES THE DANCER
SPACE- MOVE THROUGH THE
QUESTIONS TO SPACE?
CONSIDER WHERE IS MOVEMENT
WHEN LOCATED?
OBSERVING HOW IS THE SPACE BETWEEN
THIS ELEMENT THE DANCERS
MANIPULATED?
METERED, FREE, OR INTERNAL
TIME RHYTHMS
CLOCK TIME
TIMING RELATIONSHIPS- EX:
CANNON (DOMINO EFFECT) OR
CHANGING TEMPO OF MOVEMENT
TIME- QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN OBSERVING THIS
ELEMENT
HOW LONG DOES IT HOW LONG DOES IT
IS THERE A CHANGE
TAKE THE DANCER TO TAKE THE DANCER TO
IN THE SPEED OF THE
COMPLETE A TRAVEL ACROSS
MOVEMENT?
MOVEMENT/PHRASE? STAGE
ENERGY
SERVES TO PROVIDE ADVERBS TO ACCOMPANY THE ACTION
VERBS
THINK- TERMINOLOGY FROM LABAN MOVEMENT ANALYSIS
ATTACK
WEIGHT
FLOW
QUALITY
IS THE ENERGY DIRECT OR
ENERGY- INDIRECT?
QUESTIONS LIGHT OR HEAVY?
TO CONSIDER
WHEN SUSTAINED OR QUICK?
OBSEVING
THIS ELEMENT BOUND OR FREE?
