Dance knowledge Flashcards
Alignment
The relationship of the skeleton to the line of gravity and base of support
Aural setting
The sounds that accompany the dance. Music, found sounds, natural sounds & voice
Balance
A state of equilibrium referring to the balance of weight
6 basic actions
Elevation, traveling, stillness, gesture, turning and falling
Fragmentation
To use only part of a motif to isolate movements
Principles of safe dance
Alignment, strength & stamina, flexibility, co-ordination & technical skill and general body maintenance
The correct alignment runs through what?
The ear lobe, shoulder, hip joint, behind the patella, in front of the ankle joint
Which muscles are responsible for maintaining an up right posture?
The anti-gravity postural muscles
Which two muscles work together to balance the body?
The anterior and posterior muscles
What do the anterior and posterior muscles do
Extend and contract to balance the body
What does the spine do?
Protects the spinal nerve chord, supports the head, ribs and hips, maintains an upright posture and absorbs shock
How many curves does the spine have and what do they do?
- They speed stress
What absorbed shock when landing from jumps
The cartilaginous spongy discs between the vertebrae
What are the three main sections in the foot?
The tarsus, the metatarsus and the phalanges (toes)
Possible issues with the spine
The extensor muscles can give an over extended back and the flexor muscles can give a curved spine
What’s plantar flexion?
Pointing the feet
What’s dorsi flexion?
Flexing the foot
What is the strongest joint?
The hip
Why is the hip the strongest joint?
Because of its heavy net of ligaments
What are the problems with having tight muscles around the hip?
It can create misalignment and forces turn out
What type of joint is the hip joint?
A ball and socket joint. It gives great stability but also a large about of movement
What to do when injured?
PRICED Prevent further injury Rest Ice Compress Elevate Diagnosis
What is warm up?
A warm up is a gradual physical and mental preparation for greater exercise later
What does a warm up do?
Increase breathing and heart rate Increases temp. in muscles Increases flexibility Increases reaction speed Increases blood sugar and adrenaline levels
What is a cool down?
A cool down is a gradual slowing down of the circulation in order to return safely to a resting heart rate
What does a cool down do?
Promotes blood circulation to remove waste products like toxins
Prevents soreness in muscles
And prevents pooling of blood
What is flexibility?
Flexibility is the freedom to move. Flexibility involves increasing muscular elasticity so that a large range of motion may be reachable
What are the limits to flexibility?
Tight ligaments, tendons or bone restriction.
What is flexibility effected by?
Age, gender, room temperature, training and body type
What do more flexible bodies do?
Avoids misalignment, muscle tears and general injury
What are the two areas that effect flexibility?
Joints and stretching
What are the three types of joints?
Cartilaginous joints
Fibrous joints
Synovial joints
What are cartilaginous joints?
They are joints that allow little movement but offer great strength. The cartilage, containing water, acts as a cushion between bones. For example the spinal vertebrae
What are fibrous joints?
These joints allow little to no movement. For example the flat bones in the skull
What are synovial joints?
These joints are the most mobile. So in dance these joints offer most concern. For example the hips, the shoulders, the figures, the toes, the knees and the ankles
What do joints range from?
Flexion, extension, addiction, abduction, rotation and circumduction
What is strength?
Strength is the capacity to exert a muscle contraction against resistance.
What does strength do?
Strength reduces risk of injury
Improves flexibility
Improves co-ordination & performance
Enhances the toned ‘look’ to the body
What are the two types of muscle contractions?
Isotonic and isometric contractions
What is an isotonic contraction?
An isotonic contractions is a dynamic contraction where the length of the muscle is changed but the tone remains constant. E.g batment tondu. Kicking the leg to the side
What is an isometric contraction?
An isometric contraction is a static contraction where the length of the muscle remains the same but the tone increases. For example holding the leg up to the side
What is stamina?
Stamina is the endurance of either a muscle or the heart and breathing. It is crucial to prevent injury
How can stamina be be important for reducing injury?
Because once fatigue sets in, mistakes in judgment or stresses in muscles can cause injury
What are the two parts stamina can be delivered in?
Muscular insurance and cardiovascular insurance
What is muscular insurance?
The ability for the muscles to continue to contract over a period of time
What is cardiovascular endurance and what does it concern?
The ability to continue areobic activity over a period of time. It concerns the heart and lungs
How is stamina increased?
By progressive overload
What is co-ordination?
It is the skill of balance, control of energy and accurate of action
How is co-ordination improved?
By repetition
What does the nervous system consist of?
The nerves: neurones
Reflexes and receptors
The brain
The two types of neurones
Sensory and motor
What are sensory neurones?
They transmit messages and co-ordinate to the brain
What are motor neurones?
The pass impulses from the brain to the muscles
What are interpretive skills?
Projection Emphasis Group awareness Musicality Involvement of the whole self
What is projection?
Projection involves throwing the energy out from the body to give a quality of life. The feelings and ideas are reached out beyond the body to the audience.
What to do to work on better projection
Efficient and correct use of energy Correct breathing Facial expressions Focus Correct orientation
What is focus
Focus can emphasise a line in the body or an emotion
What is musicality?
Numbering the movement phrases as you dance your movement memory to be musical. Developing musicality is important to stay with the music and accent important moments in the music
What is phrasing?
Phrasing is single actions joined together to make up a phrase.
What are the two types of phrases?
Phrase length and phrase shape
What is phrase length?
The length of the phrase depends on its content. It can be any speed or duration. Breath can help regulate this
What is phrase shape?
The shape of the phrase is mapped according to where the high and low points in the dance are. Breath can help regulate this
What can focus do?
It can change emotion, emphasis and tension.
What can shape and volume do?
Shapes convey different ideas and impressions. A curved shape gives. volume and this give it a romantic, lyrical and graceful feel
What is important in group awareness?
Peripheral vision is essential
Space and timing
Communication in rehearsal is key.
What does space do?
Space helps covey a dance idea. There is personal space and general space
Rule for contact work
Slowly
Support
Stop
Warm up exercises to mention
Salutes to the sun
Swings
Metatarsal warm up
Important factors about rehearsal
Be Involves, Informed and Inspired
Be Concentrated, Committed and Careful
Leave troubles outside the studio
Safety in dance spaces
The floor must be sprung
Dancers should remove jewellery and footwear
Hair should be put back
Room from. should be a minimum of 18c and preferable between 21c and 24*c
There should be no obstacles in the space
Ceilings should be high
Lighting levels must be high
Mirrors can be helpful
What are the basic considerations of a balanced diet?
What to eat
When to eat
How to eat
Eating disorders
What to eat?
A dancer needs around 2000 calories daily. Eat protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins AND DRINK LOTS OF WATER
When to eat?
After sport. Two hours are needed for digestion. Several meals daily
What are the movement components?
Actions space dynamics relationships
Music in relation to dance
Direct correlation Music visualisation Showing and emphasising a character or narrative Call and response Disassociation Mutual co-existence
What are the performance components?
Set, lighting, costume, props and film
What is the purpose for lighting?
It changes mood, creates images and adds meaning to enhance the dance idea
What is the purpose for costume?
It emphasised mood by choice of colour, fabric, texture and shape. It enhances lines and shapes. It clarifies character and narrative
What is the purpose in film?
The use of camera can give spontaneity and directs focus to important moments.
What are the problems with filming?
The viewers are directed where to look rather than given a choice. Some of the movement can be lost and dimensions are lost
What to do when starting a dance?
Research, experiment, select, refine & organise, rehearsal, perform
The importance of journals
You can keep track of what you’ve done, your progress and what is left to be done.
Why is improvising important?
So that you have moments to explore and change. Experimenting with movement creates originality
What are the choreographic devices?
Repetition, variation, contrast, climax, highlight and motif development
How can you vary and motif?
By changing size, levels, focus, orientation, tempo and dynamics
How can you develop a motif?
By altering basic body movement, adding movement, retrograde it or fragment it
What is contrast?
Adding new material that is different to previous moments
What is a highlight?
A moment the choreographer wishes to emphasise. The movement is impressive and memorable. There maybe several.
What is a climax?
One moment that the dance gradually builds to. The main high point in the dance.
What are some compositional structures?
Binary Ternary Rondo Theme&variation Episodic Chance
What is a binary structure?
It has two contrasting sections. A,B
What is a ternary structure?
Two contrasting sections but three sections all together A,B,A
What is a rondo structure?
A theme that returns after a contrasting theme A,B,A,C,A,D
What is a theme and variation structure?
It is when a theme is varied each time A,B,C,D
What is an episodic structure?
The theme appears in episodes like a story that gradually unfolds
What is a chance structure
Random themes placed in random orders
Abstraction
An idea or concept conveyed through movement and removed from its original context
What is physical skill?
Strength, stamina and flexibility
What are expressive skills?
Focus, musicality, sense of style, projection, communication and relationships
What are technical skills?
Posture, alignment, co-ordination, balance
What is the rehearsal process?
Selection, refinement and feedback
Infra section with blonde girl and man
Infra 2
Section with strips of light
Infra 4
