Dance is a way of knowing and

communicating. All societies use

dance to communicate on both
personal and cultural levels and to
meet physical and spiritual needs.
Dance, as with all the arts, has its
own language. We need to learn
this language in order to fully
understand and appreciate the
world of Dance.
 The Language of Dance

Elements: Time, Space and Force

Choreographic Forms: Theme

and Variations, Rondo and
Narrative

Styles: (characteristics of)

Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Modern
 Elements
TIME: The relationship of one movement or part of a movement to
another. Includes pulse, speed (or tempo), duration, rhythm, and
phrases.
Pulse: the ongoing underlying beat
Tempo: The speed with which a movement is performed
Duration: the length of time a movement lasts: a long time, short
time or something in between
Rhythm: a flow of sound or movement having regular accented beats; a
movement or activity in which some action repeats regularly;
patterns made by arranging long and short sounds or strong and
light sounds
Syncopation: a temporary accenting of a normally weak beat in music to
vary the rhythm
Phrasing: a grouping and articulation of a group of notes
Accent: a movement or shape performed in such a way as to give
emphasis.
 Elements
• SPACE: the area of space occupied by the dancer’s body; includes direction, size,
pathways, levels and shapes.
• Direction: which way a dancer faces or moves; e.g., forward, backward, sideways,
up and down
• Size: magnitude of a body shape or movement; from small to large movements
• Pathways: patterns made as a dancer moves through the air or on the floor
(straight, vertical, horizontal, zig-zag); can be made with locomotor or non-
locomotor movements, separately or in combination.
• Levels: the vertical distance from the floor. Movements take place on three levels:
high, middle or low and deep.
• Shapes: the form created by the body’s position in space. Aspects of shape are
open/closed, symmetrical/asymmetrical, angular and curved.
 Elements
• FORCE: (energy) degree of muscular tension and use of
energy while moving.

• Dynamics: how a movement is done

• Flow: continuity of movement (bound/free flowing)

• Weight: strength (force) lightness of movement (heavy/light)

 Choreographic Forms
Choreography is the art of arranging dances

Theme: the basic idea of the play, which the author

dramatizes through the conflict of characters.
Rondo: a dance structure with three or more themes
where one theme is repeated. ABACAD
Narrative: choreographic structure that follows a
specific story line to convey specific information through
a dance
Variations: contrasts in the use of the dance elements,
repetitions.
 SPACE

•Pathways - curved lines, straight lines,

zigzags, circles, figure-eights, and many more
•Shape - large, small, rounded, and angular
•Level - high, medium, low or on the floor
•Direction - forward, backwards, diagonally,
sideways
All dance movements can be
labeled as locomotor or
nonlocomotor.
NONLOCOMOTOR-movements that do
not change location

LOCOMOTOR-movements that
travel
 Locomotor Movements
Dancers using locomotor
movements may walk, run,
skip, hop, jump, slide,
leap, or gallop.. These
movements may be high
(possibly indicating joy),
medium, or low (possibly
indicating sadness.)
Non-locomotor Movements
Dancers are using non-locomotor movements
when they stay in one place but bend,
stretch, twist, or swing their body.
Styles (characteristics)
Ballet: a classic form of dance growing out of the
French nobility. Its root is court dances.

It is known for its:

•standardized dance movements
•specialized leaps and lifts
•French terminology to describe each standardized
movement
•Pointe shoes for women
•slippers for men
•costumes---tights, tutus
 Styles (characteristics)
Tap: is a percussive dance form in which dancers produce
sound by wearing shoes to which metal taps have been added.
Tap dance, an American dance form which concentrates on
footwork and rhythm, has roots in African, Irish and English
clogging traditions. Its roots lie in recreational dance (Irish
Step dance, jig and African steps).
It is known for:
•An emphasis on rhythm
•Tap shoes
•Costumes—formal to street wear
•Improvisation
 Styles (characteristics)
Jazz: American music marked by lively rhythms with unusual
accents and often including melodies made up by musicians as they
play. It’s roots are in social dances and early musical theatre dance.

It’s known for:

•Stylized movement
•Accents in hands, head, hips and feet
•English/French terminology to describe movements
•Jazz shoes or boots
•Costume related to theme of dance
•Improvisation
 Styles (characteristics)
Modern: a form of dance developed by dancers interested in
breaking from ballet traditions and expressing a more liberating
form of movement. It expresses complex emotions and abstract
ideas.

It is known for:
•Freedom of movement
•Usually barefoot but can use shoes based on theme
•Costume related to dance theme
•Improvisation used in the development of choreography
 How is a dance
created?
Dances are created by
combining locomotor and
nonlocomotor movements.
A dance, like a book,
has a beginning, a middle,
and an end.
 Dance has 3 main forms
• ceremonial
(religion,
celebration, ritual)
• recreational
(folk, social
dancing, aerobic
dance)
• artistic (ballet,
modern,
narrative, tap,
lyrical).
Culture and Dance
• Nearly all cultures
incorporate dance in
some way.
• Dance is a major
component of many
cultures.
• Dance is often used to
communicate or
celebrate.
Some more about dance & culture

• Cultures use dance in ways that

are both social and personal.
• What are some examples of
culture and dance you can think
of? How do those cultures use
dance?
 Dance is also representative
of time periods
What time period do you think of when you hear:

*Charleston,
*Virginia Reel,
*Swing,
*Disco,
*Break dancing, or
*Hip Hop?

Something to think about…

How are the dances of these time periods related to the politics of the time?
 Dance in History
• Dance has played an
important function in many
cultures throughout
history.
• Dance styles, costumes,
and music often reflect the
political climate of the
time.
• Dances such as the
“Locomotion”, “Macarena”,
and even the “Chicken
Dance” all perform a
function in our society –
they create a “group” of
dancers having fun!
 Is there anything else I
should know?
Dance allows the dancer or
choreographer to
communicate their ideas,
thoughts, and feelings through
movement. These movements
are structured and repeatable,
in that they can be taught to
others.
Dance is often used to tell a story

Like a story or a book, each

dance has a beginning,
middle, and an end. Dance
is made up “movement
materials”, connected into
“phrases” and put together
into a complete dance.