Visual and Performing Arts Flashcards
antagonist
in theater, a villain against whom the protagonist is pitted
Bass Clef
musical notes played with the left hand on a piano, having a deeper sound than those in the treble clef
Blocking
where and when actors move on a stage during a theatrical production
Chord
three or more harmonious notes played together; instruments with multiple strings (piano, guitar) can play cords
Collage
an artwork composed of various materials
Color
what we see as a result of the reflection or absorption of light off any surface, its main characteristics being hue, intensity, and value
Dialogue
exchange of lines between actors in a theatrical production
Dynamics
in a piece of music, the variation between louder and softer sections
Force/ Energy
a dancer’s transformation and release of potential energy into kinetic energy; how dancers move
Form
in music, the shape, structure, or organization of a piece
Form
in visual art, the way an artwork’s elements are put together, as opposed to its content or subject matter
Harmony
when a note of a different pitch on a musical scale sounds good when played simultaneously with a piece’s melody
Improvisation
the use of spontaneous movement and speech to create a character, mood, or situation
Interval
the distance between notes on a musical scale
Levels
the series of horizontal planes rising, one above the other, from the performance surface, though which dancers move
Line
in visual art, the movement of a point through space, described in terms of width, length, direction, and curvature or flow
Measure (or bar)
a grouping of a specified number of musical beats located between two consecutive vertical lines on a staff
Melody
the tune of a piece of music
Monologue
a dramatic speech performed by one actor
Pageant
a series of tableaux performed on stage
Phrasing
how long the melody of a piece of music is performed, defined by when a breath is taken
Pitch
wavelengths or frequencies of sound
Proscenium
the most common type of performance space, named for the proscenium arch that frames the actors
Protagonist
the hero of a theatrical piece
Rhythm
in music, the pattern of stressed and unstressed beats
Shape
in visual art, the two dimensional equivalent of form
Space
in dance, the immediate spherical area surrounding a dancer’s body, extending in all directions
Space
in visual art, the absence of shape and form
Staff
a group of lines and spaces upon which musical notes are written
Symmetry
in art, a type of visual balance, where, if an imaginary line is drawn down the middle, each side mirrors the other
Syncopation
in music, an uneven pattern of stressed beats
Tableau
in theater, the silent depiction of a static scene
Tempo
the rate at which musical beats follow one another
Texture
the tactile quality of a work of art
Theme
the reason a work of art was created
Timbre
the distinctive quality of a particular sound
Time
in dance, formally measured meter or, more informally, the rhythms of a dancer’s body movements
Time signature
musical notation indicating the number of beats per bar and the type of note that gets a beat
Treble clef
musical notes played with the right hand on a piano, having a higher sound than those in the bass clef
