Elements of

Dance
PRESENTED TO : MRS. ALER
Elements of Dance
Dance is an art form that uses movement to communicate our ideas, feelings,
and experiences.

The Elements of Dance are the foundational concepts and vocabulary that help
students develop movement skills and understand dance as an artistic practice.

There are 5 Elements of Dance. The acronym BASTE will help you remember it.
 The Elements of Dance

Body Action Space Time Energy

Body

In dance, the body is the mobile figure or shape, felt by the

dancer, seen by others. The body is sometimes relatively still
and sometimes changing as the dancer moves in place or
travels through the dance area. Dancers may emphasize
specific parts of their body in a dance phrase or use their
whole body all at once
The body is the conduit between the inner realm of
Intentions, ideas, emotions and identity and the outer realm
of expression and communication.
Action

Action is any human movement included in the act of

dancing— it can include dance steps, facial movements,
partner lifts, gestures, and even everyday movements such
as walking. Dance is made up of streams of movement and
pauses, so action refers not only to steps and sequences, but
also to pauses and moments of relative stillness.
Dancers may also use movements that are choreographed or
may also make movements on the stop and this is called
"improvisation."
Space

Dancers interact with space in myriad ways. They may stay

in one place or they may travel from one place to another.
They may alter the direction, level, size, and pathways of
their movements.
Spatial relationships between dancers or between dancers
and objects are the basis for design concepts such as beside,
in front of, over, through, around, near or far.
Time

Dance movements may also show different timing relationships such

as simultaneous or sequential timing, brief to long duration, fast to
slow speed, or accents in predictable or unpredictable intervals.
Time may also be organized in other ways including:
Clock Time: We use clock time to think about the length of a
dance or parts of a dance measured in seconds, minutes, or hours.
Timing Relationships: When dancers move in relation to each
other (before, after, together, sooner than, faster than).
Metered Time: A repeated rhythmic pattern often used in music
(like 2/4 time or 4/4 time). If dances are done to music, the
movement can respond to the beat of the music or can move
against it. The speed of the rhythmic pattern is called its tempo.
Free Rhythm: A rhythmic pattern is less predictable than metered
time. Dancers may perform movement without using music,
relying on cues from one another.
 Thank You!

Sources of material presented in the presentation

https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-resources/media-and-interactives/media/dance/do-you-wanna-
dance/
https://www.elementsofdance.org/