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CHAPTER II: DANCES

“Dance is a poem of which each movement is a word.”
―  Mata Hari

LESSON 1
Elements of Dances

INTRODUCTION

Dance is a unique art form, but how do you know if it's any good? In this lesson,
we explore four fundamental elements of dance and see how they can be used to create
an effective composition.
Look at a building. Is it a good building? How would you know? Architects tend to
define their art in terms of basic compositional elements like line, shape, space, and
form. Painters and sculptors also utilize these compositional elements, and musicians
have compositional elements of their own.

Music is a recurrent accompaniment of dance, although the latter can be

performed in silence, it is believed that the combination of visual and sound elements
forms a harmony able to achieve a much deeper impact on the viewer.

But what about dancers? Dance is an art form focused on creating a

performance that's impermanent and fluid. It's unique, but it's still very much a form of art
and, thus, dancers and choreographers have their own compositional elements to work
with. Understanding these elements and how to use them is the key to a great work of
art. There are four fundamental compositional elements of dance: space, time, force,
and shape.

LEARNING OUTCOMES
 Discuss and analyze the elements of dance.

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Let’s Do It!

Picture Analysis

DIRECTION: Analyze the different pictures then answer the questions in the Analysis
phase

2
1

3 4

Let’s Connect the Dots

 What is/are being depicted in the pictures? Explain your answer based on
your judgment.

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2. ___________________________________________________________________
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3. ___________________________________________________________________
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4. ___________________________________________________________________
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Compare picture one (1) and picture two (2)

5. ___________________________________________________________________
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 Compare picture three (3) and picture four (4)

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Let’s Talk About It

ELEMENTS OF DANCE

Movement
 The dance itself consists in the realization of movements. The action refers to
these movements, which can be as subtle as turning the neck or a hand, or as
elaborate as jumping, tumbling and even running around the stage.
 There must be a balance between action and pause; Many times the pause is
necessary to create a sufficiently noticeable contrast with the movement, and in
this way highlight this even more.

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 Locomotor: Movement through space from one point to another (walk, run, jump,
hop, leap, skip, gallop, slide, roll)
 Non-Locomotor: Movement around the body’s axis (bend, twist, stretch, push,
pull, swing, shake, circle, sway, carve, fall, melt, turn, kick, press, rise, sink,
burst, wiggle)
Body
 The center of any dance is the dancer, who is in charge of executing the
movements with the rhythm and tenacity necessary to convey a feeling to those
who witness the dance.
 Each part of the body is important in the dance; the trunk, the extremities, the
easy expressions and the postures must be complemented correctly to obtain a
natural and pleasant movement in sight.
 Shape: A frozen pose (curves, straight, angular, twisted, narrow, wide,
symmetrical, asymmetrical)
 Body parts (head, eyes, torso, shoulder, arms, fingers, elbows, hands, hips,
legs, knees, feet, ankles, etc)
Space
 The scenario or context where the dance takes place will affect the viewer's
vision. The space may vary in color, composition and size.
 The decorative elements or allusive to the dance reverberate in the necessary
harmony between dance, dancer and stage.
 Shelf Space: Space immediately around the body
 General Space: Space throughout the room
 Level: High, medium or low
 Direction: Forward, backward, sideways, up, down
 Pathway: Curved, straight, zigzag, diagonal
 Size: Big, small, narrow, wide
 Focus: Direction of gaze
Time
 The rhythm and repetition patterns of a dance are called time. It is this element
that dictates not only the duration of a dance, but the speed in the execution of its
steps.
 The rhythm of a dance can be previously choreographed or be free, giving the
dancer freedom to move at will.

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 Tempo: Fast, medium, slow

 Rhythm: A succession of movement or sounds of various duration.
Energy
 In combination with time and action, the energy corresponds to the degree of
tension or fluidity with which the steps are executed. Energy is considered as the
most complex of the elements of dance, it can take years to develop.
 Even if a dance is performed with an appropriate rhythm and movements
according to it, the energy can convert the dance from rigid to fluid and with
naturalness. The talent of the dancer has a great influence on this aspect.
 Weight: Strong (heavy, firm, powerful), light (gentle, soft)
 Flow: Free (continuous, fluid movement), bound (restrained, controlled)
 Quality: Sharp, sudden, smooth, sustained, tight, loose, suspended, collapsed,
heavy, weak, percussive

Let’s See What‘s On Your Mind

1. Humans can't fly or levitate, so how many ways can someone really move
through physical space?
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2. Does the dancer move slowly or quickly? Does he or she move with the beat or
against it? How is a sense of rhythm developed and maintained?
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______________________________________________________________________
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Let’s Dig Up More

Directions: IDENTIFICATION, Read the following statement carefully, identify the
correct answer needed. Write your answer in the space provided.

_______________ 1. This refers to a frozen pose.

_______________ 2. This refers to a succession of movement or sounds of various
duration.
_______________ 3. This refers to a fluid movement
_______________ 4. This refers to a movement around the body’s axis
_______________ 5. This refers to a curved, straight, zigzag, diagonal

Directions: Read the statement carefully and select the correct answer. Encircle the
letter of the correct answer.

1. What's an Example of TIME?

A. High & Low C. Sharp & Fluid
B. Slow & Fast D. none of the above
2. What are examples of Energy?
A. Slow & Fast C. Sharp & Fluid
B. High & Low D. none of the above
3. What are examples of Space?
A. High & Low C. Slow & Fast
B. Sharp & Fluid D. none of the above
4. What are locomotor movements?
A. Movements that travel through space
B. walking, running, galloping
C. hopping, skipping, jumping
D. all of the above
5. What are non locomotor movements?
A. Movements that are stationary
B. Bending

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C. Stretching
D. all of the above

REFERENCES

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/
E0GJy8w87twYecp5KcB2ldZkh1jp34FhfwZwNI7VA3MY88wD9Id4BtiQoLCdVIbAx-
TYDQ=s85

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/
6IPZOq810Tl47ORve9PVR12pD_GM2OQtD2r9XOc8ltM0GvOkwt758MMMR5EpZidJYn
8u=s94

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/
mbxYOujVDpIYgV3uTOvGDvU6D8dbVKdUXTg5hEmW4LN0sQgErxLzhp-
iuF9WOLdLiIHD=s170

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/9y-NrB5Y8N-M0IgcJHzzHtGYYjYgG4D0H3vLILk8o-
T7Dwlbo6zNe0TRJsF7ACQ2YJvkaQo=s108

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