LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION TO DANCE Flashcards
_________________ involves rhythmic body movements, often accompanied by music, within a defined space.
Dance
Dance involves rhythmic body movements, often accompanied by _____________, within a defined space.
music
It serves various purposes, including expressing emotions, releasing energy, and providing joy in movement.
Dance
Dance combines a natural urge with ___________, captivating audiences through skilled performances.
artistic expression
A universal definition of dance recognizes it as an art form using the body’s potential for _________________
movement
“Dance doesn’t need paint, brushes, or instruments; it resides within us. It begins in our __________, dwells there, and ultimately returns to our bodies. Dance is the most personal of all arts, born from the essence of life itself.”
dance critic Walter Terry
bodies
Dance comprises five interconnected elements. What are those?
body, action, space, time, and energy
Dance is the rhythmic movement of the human ________, often accompanied by music. It’s a highly personal art form, born from our bodies and a manifestation of life itself.
body
The body also performs action in dance, which encompasses all human movements involved in the act of dancing. It can be divided into three categories. What are those?
Non-locomotor or axial movement
Locomotor movement
Manipulative movement
ONE OF BODY MOVEMENT’S THREE CATEGORIES
Movements that occur in one place, such as bending, stretching, swinging, rising, falling, shaking, turning, rocking, tipping, suspending, and twisting.
Non-locomotor or axial movement
ONE OF BODY MOVEMENT’S THREE CATEGORIES
Movements that travel through space, including running, jumping, walking, sliding, hopping, skipping, somersaulting, leaping, crawling, galloping, and rolling.
Locomotor movement
ONE OF BODY MOVEMENT’S THREE CATEGORIES
Involve using hands, feet, or another body part to manipulate objects. These skills combine both locomotor and axial movements while incorporating apparatus or objects
Manipulative movement
ONE OF BODY MOVEMENT’S THREE CATEGORIES
Movements that occur in one place
Non-locomotor or axial movement
ONE OF BODY MOVEMENT’S THREE CATEGORIES
bending, stretching, swinging, rising, falling, shaking, turning, rocking, tipping, suspending, and twisting
Non-locomotor or axial movement
ONE OF BODY MOVEMENT’S THREE CATEGORIES
Movements that travel through space
Locomotor movement
ONE OF BODY MOVEMENT’S THREE CATEGORIES
running, jumping, walking, sliding, hopping, skipping, somersaulting, leaping, crawling, galloping, and rolling.
Locomotor movement
ONE OF BODY MOVEMENT’S THREE CATEGORIES
Involve using hands, feet, or
another body part to manipulate objects
Manipulative movement
ONE OF BODY MOVEMENT’S THREE CATEGORIES
These skills combine both locomotor and axial movements while incorporating apparatus or objects.
Manipulative movement
__________ refers to the movement executed during pauses or moments of stillness within a dance
Action
Dancers collaborate with _____________ to practice and refine their dance actions. Once the actions are finalized or “set,” dancers must memorize their movement sequences to perform them effectively.
choreographers
Dancers collaborate with choreographers to practice and refine their dance actions. Once the actions are finalized or “set,” dancers must memorize their ____________ to perform them effectively.
movement sequences
_____________ refers to how a movement is executed, rather than just what it is
Energy
Examining ____________ in dance offers a more profound understanding of dance as a form of artistic expression.
energy
_____________ is what conveys the dancer’s intent and emotions to the audience, and it is often referred to as efforts or movement qualities.
Energy
Dancer and movement analyst Rudolf Laban categorized energy into four pairs of opposites. What are those?
Space, Weight or Force, Time, Flow
Energy’s four pairs of opposites by Rudolf Laban
This relates to the direct or indirect use of space. Dancers can be single-focused and targeted in their spatial awareness or multi-focused and aware of various elements in their surroundings.
Space
Energy’s four pairs of opposites by Rudolf Laban
It concerns the strong or light use of weight. Dancers can emphasize force by resisting it, exerting strength, and throwing their weight into movements. Conversely, they can adopt a yielding, weightless quality in their actions.
Weight or Force
Energy’s four pairs of opposites by Rudolf Laban
Not to be confused with tempo, ____________ refers to the sudden or sustained use of time in movement.
time
Energy’s four pairs of opposites by Rudolf Laban
It can appear hurried, as if fighting against time, or relaxed, as if
having ample time
time
Energy’s four pairs of opposites by Rudolf Laban
________________ relates to the bound or free use of movement. When movement flow is restricted, it can seem cautious and deliberate, with limited flow. Conversely, when flow is free, movements are unrestrained and carefree.
flow
Another approach to understanding energy is through movement qualities, which represent energy released over various time spans to convey specific qualities. There are six dynamic movement qualities. What are those?
Sustained, Percussive, Swinging, Suspended, Collapsed, Vibratory
six dynamic movement qualities
Characterized by slowness, smoothness, and continuity.
Sustained
six dynamic movement qualities
Defined by sharp, choppy, and jagged movements
Percussive
six dynamic movement qualities
Involves swaying or pendulum-like motions.
Swinging
six dynamic movement qualities
Incorporates moments of stillness, high points, or balance.
Suspended
six dynamic movement qualities
Includes elements of falling, releasing, and relaxation.
Collapsed
six dynamic movement qualities
Comprises shaking, wiggling, or trembling movements.
Vibratory
________ refers to where the action takes place.
Space
In dance, the concept of __________ plays a crucial role, as it dictates how movement unfolds.
space
key aspects in navigating space
This is the immediate area around the dancer’s body, often
conveying introspection or intimacy when movements are primarily within this space.
Personal Space
key aspects in navigating space
Choreographers may emphasize the empty areas around the dancers’ bodies, not just the space they occupy, creating intriguing visual compositions.
Negative Space/Positive Space
key aspects in navigating space
Refers to the broader, defined space in which the dancer can move.
It can be a small room, a spacious stage, or even an outdoor setting.
General Space
key aspects in navigating space
Dancers utilize various ________, such as high, middle, and low
Levels
WHAT TYPE OF LEVELS?
involve reaching upward through jumps, leaps, or lifting actions
High movements
WHAT TYPE OF LEVELS?
typically occur between shoulder and knee height.
Middle-level movements
WHAT TYPE OF LEVELS?
can include sitting, kneeling, sinking, rolling, or crawling
Low-level movements
key aspects in navigating space
Dancers can face forward as they dance, but they can also change ________________ by turning, moving to the back, right, left, up, or down.
directions
key aspects in navigating space
The route a dancer takes through space is an important
design element. Movements can follow circular, figure-eight, spiral, zigzag, straightline, or combinations of these patterns.
Pathways or Floor Patterns
key aspects in navigating space
Movements and shapes can have varying ________: near reach (close to the body, condensed), mid-reach (neither close nor far, comfortable middle range), and far reach (large and expansive). ____________ is associated with one’s kinesphere, which is the three-dimensional space around the body.
Range
key aspects in navigating space
Dancers can explore various ____________, such as those between
different body parts, between dancers themselves or within a group, and between dancers and props or objects in the dance space
relationships
Dance is inherently bound to ________, as movement unfolds and reveals itself over time. Incorporating a rhythmic dimension into movement elevates it to the realm of dance and dictates when the dancer moves
time
What are the key elements related to time in dance?
Pulse, Speed (Tempo), Rhythm Pattern, Natural Rhythm, Syncopation
Key elements of time
The foundational beat or underlying rhythm that serves as the dance’s rhythmic backbone.
Pulse
Key elements of time
The pace of the movement, which can vary from fast to moderate
to slow, influencing the overall feel of the dance.
Speed (Tempo)
Key elements of time
The arrangement of long or short beats, accents, and silences that
shape the dance’s rhythmic structure
Rhythm Pattern
Key elements of time
Timing derived from organic sources like the breath, heartbeat, or
natural phenomena such as wind or ocean waves.
Natural Rhythm
Key elements of time
The emphasis of off-beats within a musical phrase, adding complexity and syncopated rhythms to the dance.
Syncopation
