SOCIAL DANCE AND

DANCE MIXERS
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.

AH-M-2.1.34
 Dance has 3 main forms

• ceremonial (religion,
celebration, ritual)
• recreational (folk,
social dancing, aerobic
dance)
• artistic (ballet,
modern, narrative, tap,
lyrical).

AH-E-2.2.32
Dance is a way of knowing and
communicating.

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
 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
 Elements
Rhythm: a flow of sound or movement having
regular accented beats; a movement or
activity in which some action repeats
regularly;
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
• 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

AH-E-2.1.31
 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.)

AH-E-2.1.31, 1.15, 2.23

 Non-locomotor Movements
Dancers are using non-locomotor movements when
they stay in one place but bend, stretch, twist, or
swing their body.
THE
END
!
 The moment in between what
you once were, and who you are
now becoming, is where the
dance of life really takes place.