Dance Theory

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Dance Theory

• An Introduction to the Fundamentals

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A Little To Think About Dance

• Dance, or movement, is a natural activity that
  becomes an artistic expression when structured
  and formed by the elements of dance design using
  compositional forms.

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Dance as a Form of Communication

• 1. How movement/ mime can be used to portray
  various characters who tell a story, without
  speaking.

• 2. Dance is a language that you must understand.
  Once learned students will be able to speak a
  dance sentence.

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The Elements of Dance
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1. Space

• A) Dance must move, the dancer cannot stay in
  one spot (direction)
• B) Big verses small, how the dancer can contort
  the body to make lines (shape)
• C)Movement levels low (on the ground), medium
  (standing), high (up on toes or jumping)

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Space, Contd.

• Direction forward, backward, sideways, up,
  down, diagonal, in a circle
• Size large and small movements
• Pathways patterns we make as we move through
  the air and on the floor.

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Even More About Space

• Level the vertical distance from the floor
  low(on the ground), medium (standing up), high
  (up on tiptoes or jumping)
• Shape the design of the body as it exists in
  space

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General VS. Kinesphere

• General Space The space shared by all reaches
  beyond personal space.
• Kinesphere Personal space The space reached
  while stationary.

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More About Kinesphere

• Personal space is important when dealing with
  WHAT type of movements an individual can do in
  their own personal space (your movement reached
  while stationary).

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2. Time

• The dancer cannot dance everything at once, the
  movement must be sequenced.
• Time is the relationship of one movement or part
  of a movement to another.

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Time, Contd.

• Dancers can move at different speeds fast and
  slow (tempo)
• Dancers count to keep in time with the music. It
  is important for the dancer to stay with the
  pulse of the music (beat).

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More About Time - Terms

• Pulse The ongoing underlying beat.
• Speed How fast or slow the movement is.
• Duration The length of time the movement lasts
  long, medium, or short.

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Even More About Time???

• Rhythm Patterns made by arranging long and
  short sounds or strong and light sounds.
• Phrases Longer sequences of movement.
• Beat - Steady

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3. Force

• A. Heavy or light
• B. Sharp or smooth
• Different moves require different amounts of
  energy!!!

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Force, Contd.

• Tension/relaxation Tension feels hard and
  tight relaxation feels soft, loose and floppy.
• Flow bound or free flow has to do with the
  ongoing movement when energy is released freely,
  we describe the movement as free flow when the
  energy is release in a controlled, restrained
  manner, we describe the movement as bound.

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Even More About Force

• Weight Strength(force) or lightness.

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Locomotor VS. Non-locomotor

• Locomotor movements are movements that usually
  travel through space.

• Non-locomotor movements are movements that stay
  in one place.

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Locomotor Movements

• Walk
• Run
• Hop
• Jump
• Leap
• Skip
• Gallop
• Slide

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Non Locomotor Movements

• Bend
• Stretch
• Push/Pull
• Rise/Sink
• Shake
• Swing/Sway
• Twist/Turn

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Dance Vocabulary
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Dance Vocabulary

• In order for one to make a good, detailed
  analysis of a performance, one must understand a
  dance vocabulary basic terminology that
  describes the make up of dance and performances.
  This is also known as a movement vocabulary.

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Dance Terminology

• Alignment Body placement or posture proper
  alignment lessons body strain and promotes dance
  skills.
• Actions What the body is doing this includes
  locomotor and non-locomotor skills.

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Terminology, Contd.

• Dance phrase A logical sequence of movements
  with an observable beginning, middle, and end.
• Dynamics The dance element which relates to how
  a movement is made.
• For example, time and space are two elements
  related to a performance.

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Even More Terminology

• Qualities Characteristics of a movement.
• For example, are the movements small or large?
  Are they bound or free? Does the dancer perform
  at low, medium, or high levels?

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More Terminology???

• In dealing with dance performances, one must
  understand the relationships of dance the
  bodys position relative to something or someone.

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Form

• Form is the structure of dance compositions.
• For example, how is the dance composed (locomotor
  vs. non-locomotor movements? General vs.
  Kinespheric space)?

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Dance Composition
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Principles of Composition

• Dance consists of sequences with a beginning,
  middle, and an end.
• Dance uses different movement phrases (brief
  sequences of related movements) to show
  variations. The following will be addressed

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Principles, Contd.

• A is a one part movement phrase in a specific
  tempo.
• AB(Binary Form) is a two-part movement phrase
  with B having a different tempo.
• ABA(Ternary Form) is a 3 part movement phrase
  with A being repeated.

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Principles, Contd.

• Call Response A dance in which one person or
  group moves first, then another person or group
  moves in response to what the first group has
  done.
• When doing call and response, it is important to
  pay attention to the leader.

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Direction and Choreography

• Direction is the coaching/instructing from an
  expert in the field. Most ballet and other
  modern dance corps direction comes from
  choreographers (veteran dancers), as well as
  dancers.

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Choreographer

• A choreographer is a person who makes up the
  moves, positions, arrangements for a dance
  performance.

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Learning to Choreograph

• To be a choreographer you need to know the
  various dance steps, why these were invented and
  what effects they can achieve on the stage.

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Learning, Contd.

• Choreographers must also know how to use the
  stage space and must understand the basic
  principles of lighting and design.

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Even More Learning

• Other important qualities are a good
  understanding of music, and plenty of imagination
  and original ideas. Choreographers also need to
  be able to work well with lots of different
  people and to be patient. It may take weeks to
  create a dance.

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Origin of Choreography

• The term comes from two Greek words, khoreia
  meaning choral dancing to music, and graphia
  meaning writing.
• Choreography is one of the most important aspects
  of dance.

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How Choreography Developed

• Although people have been creating dances for
  thousands of years, choreography was only
  developed as a separate skill in the early 1900s.

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Development, Contd.

• As modern dance developed, traditions were
  overturned and the process involved in creating a
  dance was analyzed much more.
• People realized that choreography required
  special skills and was recognized as an art form.

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Steps To Choreography

• Although choreographers have an individual way of
  working, there is an exact method to creating a
  performance

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Steps to Choreographing a Performance Step 1

• 1. The choreographer decides on a subject for a
  dance. This may be inspired by anything, from a
  piece of music to a painting or book, or even a
  beautiful building.
• Cats was inspired by one of T.S. Eliots poems.

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Step 2

• 2. The choreographer then chooses dancers to
  perform the work by holding auditions. Sometimes
  dance is specially made for a particular dancer.

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Step 3

• 3. The choreographer and dancers explore the
  subject for the dance by having discussions and
  sometimes an improvisation session where they try
  out ideas.
• Sometimes, they have to go through training to
  portray a certain person or animal.

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Step 4

• 4. The choreographer rehearses the dancers, all
  the time working out how the dance should develop
  and if it works as a whole (with the whole dance
  company).

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Step 4, Contd.

• As each sequence in the dance is decided, it is
  written down in dance notation, or motif symbols,
  by a professional notator, or choreologist.
• Understudies, or 2nd strings, are decided in case
  someone cannot perform or an emergency arises.

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Even More on Step 4

• The choreographer works with the lighting, set
  and costume designers, to produce the stage
  effects for the dance.
• For example, the set of Cats was designed to
  resemble a junkyard, where cars and other items
  are enlarged to make the dancers (or cats) appear
  small and lifelike.

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FinallyThe Performance

• Eventually all the different elements are put
  together on stage, and last-minute changes are
  made (dress rehearsals).
• The dance is now ready to be performed to an
  audience.

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Performance, Contd.

• This is the big moment if anything goes wrong
  in the dance, the choreographer will probably get
  the blame!!!!

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Other Dance Company Jobs

• Artistic Director
• Lighting Tech
• Musician
• Wardrobe Manager Assistant
• Dancer
• Stage Manager

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MORE ABOUT DANCE
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Purposes For Dance

• Recreational/Social
• Ceremonial/Ritual
• Artistic Performance
• Dance Therapy

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Historical and Cultural Awareness

• There are similarities and differences in
  elements and principles of composition among
  forms of dance such as folk, square and line
  dancing.
• Dances of various cultures and historical periods
  differ in steps and movement styles, as well as
  costumes.

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Different Types of Dance
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Alvin Ailey

• African American Choreographer whose work is
  noted for its intense emotional power. Uses big
  gestures like wide-open arm movements. Founded
  American Dance Theater. Dances female solo
  called Cry and Revelations danced to black
  spiritual songs.

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Some Different Dance Styles

• Jazz
• Tap
• Ballet
• Contemporary
• Rock n Roll
• Ballroom
• Salsa

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Contemporary Dance

• Contemporary dance began at the start of this
  century when Isadora Duncan broke away from
  ballet and invented a very individual style of
  dancing.
• She developed a very free dance style, making
  sweeping movements with her body.

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Contemporary and Loie Fuller

• Loie Fuller used dramatic lighting and costumes
  to create fantasy effects.
• A number of people felt that classical ballet put
  too many restrictions on how the body could move
  and limited the way dancers could express their
  feelings.

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More About Contemporary Dance

• Another American dancer, Martha Graham, developed
  a contemporary dance technique which is now
  taught in many classes.

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Differences Between Ballet and Contemporary Dance
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Ballet

• 1. The shapes and patterns the dancers make
  nearly always look graceful and beautiful.
• 2. The body must be a particular size and shape,
  and is trained from a young age to achieve this.

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Ballet, Contd.

• 3. Dancers look light and leap through the air
  as if they are defying gravity.
• 4. The basic steps are strictly defined. Every
  dancer learns these movements.

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Ballet, Contd.

• 5. Dances usually follow a story line and
  include different characters.
• 6. Dancers wear special clothes, such as tutus,
  which show their movements clearly. Women wear
  special shoes for dancing on pointes (tiptoe).

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Contemporary

• 1.Dance can show the ugly as well as the
  beautiful things that exist in life.
• 2. The body can be any weight and height
  provided it is strong and supple.

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Contemporary, Contd.

• 3. Many movements are based on the floor.
  Dancers use the pull of gravity to tilt and fall.
• 4. There are many different styles of dancing
  which require various sorts of training.

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Contemporary, Contd.

• 5. Dances are often about ideas or moods,
  instead of telling a definite story.
• 6. Dancers wear all sorts of different clothes.
  They may wear very casual or very elaborate
  costumes. They often dance barefoot, or with a
  specialized sandal.

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Jazz Dance

• Jazz dance first developed with jazz music in the
  1920s. In the 1950s, as popular music changed,
  so did jazz dance.

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More About Jazz Dance

• Today, there are many different styles of jazz,
  danced to various kinds of music.
• They all feature energetic and rhythmical
  movement. To do jazz you need to be fit and
  supple.

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Tap Dancing

• The movements of tap are concentrated in your
  feet.
• Wearing shoes with metal toecaps, you tap out the
  rhythm of the music you are dancing to.

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Tap Dancing, Contd.

• To tap dance, you do not have to be as fit as you
  do for some other kinds of dance, but you need to
  move in a flowing, graceful way.
• You also need to have a good sense of rhythm,
  since you will be dancing tapping the beats of
  the music.

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Recorded VS. Live Performance

• 1. Do not get caught up in the emotion and
  moment of the performance.
• 2. You get a more total (overall) view of the
  performance rather than close-captioned shots.
• 3. More special effects can be utilized with
  live performance.