[ MID-TEMPO DRUM BEAT PLAYS ]
[ MID-TEMPO MUSIC PLAYS ]
Narrator:
THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT STYLES
OF DANCE AND CREATIVE MOVEMENT,
FROM TRADITIONAL CULTURAL DANCES
TO CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE ART,
GROUP DANCES TO SOLO PIECES.
DESPITE THIS WIDE RANGE,
THERE ARE A HANDFUL
OF CHARACTERISTICS THAT
ALL DANCE FORMS HAVE IN COMMON.
BODY, ACTION, SPACE, TIME,
AND ENERGY --
THESE FIVE ELEMENTS OF DANCE
ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS
OF ALL FORMS
OF CREATIVE MOVEMENT
AND ARE A GREAT PLACE TO START
WHEN TALKING ABOUT OR ANALYZING
A DANCE PERFORMANCE.
DANCE IS AN ART FORM OF
AND BY THE HUMAN BODY.
PAINTERS HAVE BRUSHES,
CANVAS, AND PAINT.
SCULPTORS SHAPE CLAY,
WOOD, AND METAL.
A DANCER'S MATERIALS ARE THEIR
ARMS, LEGS, HEADS, AND TORSOS.
DANCERS ISOLATE
SPECIFIC BODY PARTS
OR MANIPULATE THEIR ENTIRE BODY
TO CREATE LINES, SHAPES,
AND FORMS.
ANY MOVEMENT OF THE BODY
WHILE DANCING IS AN ACTION.
LEAPING, WALKING, HAND GESTURES,
FACIAL EXPRESSIONS,
EVEN PAUSES AND RESTS
ARE ALL DISTINCT ACTIONS.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, ACTIONS
CAN BE DONE IN TWO WAYS --
WITH THE BODY HELD IN ONE PLACE
OR WITH THE BODY IN MOVEMENT.
STRETCHING, TWISTING,
AND BENDING
CAN BE DONE WITH THE BODY
IN ONE PLACE.
RUNNING, ROLLING, AND TWIRLING,
ON THE OTHER HAND,
ARE DONE AS THE BODY IS MOVING
THROUGH SPACE.
DANCERS INTERACT WITH AND OCCUPY
SPACE IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.
THEY CAN OCCUPY A LOT OF SPACE
WITH THEIR BODIES AND MOVEMENTS,
OR JUST USE A SMALL AMOUNT.
DANCERS CAN ENGAGE WITH SPACE
ON DIFFERENT LEVELS.
HIGH, MEDIUM, AND LOW.
THEY CAN MOVE FORWARD, BACKWARD,
OR DIAGONALLY THROUGH SPACE.
AND THEIR LINES THROUGH SPACE
CAN BE CURVED, STRAIGHT,
OR FREE FORM.
EVERY ACTION A DANCER PERFORMS
HAS A BEGINNING AND END,
SO THERE'S ALWAYS AN ELEMENT
OF TIME INVOLVED IN DANCE.
LIKE MUSIC, DANCE CAN HAVE
STRUCTURED RHYTHM, PULSE.
IT CAN ALSO BE FREE-FLOWING
AND UNPREDICTABLE.
ANOTHER QUALITY ALL ACTIONS
HAVE IS ENERGY.
ENERGY HELPS DESCRIBE
HOW A DANCER IS MOVING.
ARE THEY MOVING FORCEFULLY...
GRACEFULLY...
FLUIDLY, OR HEAVILY?
ENERGY ALSO HELPS US IDENTIFY
THE EMOTIONS AND INTENTIONS
ATTACHED TO A DANCER'S ACTION.
WHAT MIGHT A DANCER
OR A CHOREOGRAPHER BE TRYING
TO COMMUNICATE IF THEIR
MOVEMENTS ARE SUDDEN AND JERKY?
OR WHAT MIGHT IT SAY
IF THEIR MOVEMENTS ARE LIGHT
AND DELICATE?
THE NEXT TIME YOU'RE WATCHING
A DANCE PERFORMANCE
OR EVEN WORKING OUT SOME
CHOREOGRAPHY OF YOUR OWN,
CONSIDER THESE FIVE ELEMENTS
AND HOW THEY ALL WORK TOGETHER.
BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY
AND UNDERSTAND
THESE ASPECTS OF DANCE
CAN MAKE YOU MORE FLUENT
IN THE LANGUAGE OF DANCE
AND HELP YOU
GET YOUR OWN MESSAGES
ACROSS THROUGH MOVEMENT.
