Elements of Movement - Space Flashcards
SHAPE
Curved or angular shapes. Shape is a sculptural design of the body or group of bodies within the space. These shapes are angular with many straight lines or can be curved with minimal use of joint angles.
NEGATIVE SHAPE
The space around the body within the shape that give the shape it’s design. For example, a person standing in a wide second position and has two hands on their head with elbows pointed sideways has created three triangle shapes (1 enclosed by their legs and 2 enclosed by their arms)
POSITIVE SHAPE
The body shape itself. This is seen to advantage only when there are negative shapes present with the positive body to give the audience the best possible view of the space.
DIRECTION
Direction is the locomotive movement in either: upwards, downwards, sideways, forwards, backwards, diagonally, circular.
DIMENSION
Dimension is the size of the personal movement eg: large and wide movements or small and contracted movements.
FLOOR PATHWAYS
Floor pathways are the design created through locomotor movement through space. They can be direct (straight) or indirect (curved)
AERIAL PATHWAYS
Aerial pathways are combinations of vertical and horizontal directions of movement of both the torso and appendicular (limb or limbs) parts of the body as they cut through space.
LEVELS
The use of height dimension and is the vertical plane on which movement occurs. It is divided into high level (standing or jumping), medium level (lunging or kneeling), low level (sitting, squatting or lying)
EYE/BODY FOCUS
The concentration on a particular point in space either by total body focus or face/eye focus.
VOLUME
The area of space encompassed by the boundaries of the chosen shape.
TRANSITION
Transition of shape is the way the dancer manipulates the weight to move efficiently and smoothly from one shape to the next.
KINAESTHETIC AWARENESS
Personal awareness of one’s own body placement within the space as well as the degree of body energy being used and skeletal and muscular functioning.
