Dance Appreciation and

Composition
LESSON 3: ELEMENTS OF DANCE
MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCY/IES:
 Engages in moderate to vigorous physical activities (MVPAs) for at least 60 minutes
most days of the week in a variety of settings in- and out-of school PEH11FH-IIa-t-8
 Organizes dance event for a target health issue or concern PEH12FH-Io-t-17

OBJECTIVES
At the end of this lesson, the students are expected to:
 Explain the different elements of dance,
 Discuss the difference between symmetrical and asymmetrical bodily shapes, and
 Appreciate the importance of applying the Elements of Dance when you are dancing.

Activity 1: Define Me!

Direction: Define each word based on your own words

1. Space

This is the area the performers occupy and where they move. It can be divided into four different aspects,
also known as spatial elements.

2. Time

3. Balance
 Learn about It!

Elements of Dance
"Existence is movement Action is movement. Existence is defined by the rhythm of forces in
natural balance." - Rudolf von Laban

The human body is living in time and space, and it exhibits some effort. Thus, all
movements occur in time, through space, and with effort (Schrader, 1996). Since dance
entails a lot of movements, it uses the very same elements, space, time, and energy. These
elements are beneficial to anyone interested in recognizing, analyzing, or creating movement.

SPACE
This is the area the performers occupy and where they move. It can be divided into
four different aspects, also known as spatial elements.
 Direction - dance movements can travel in any direction. The performers can
go forward, side, backward, diagonal, circular, and so on. They may also face
any direction while executing a single movement or several phrases.
 Size-movements can be varied by doing larger or smaller actions,
 Level - movements can be done in a high, medium, or low level.
 Focus - performers may change their focus by looking at different directions.

(a) (b)
Figure 1.1. the use of spatial elements. The picture on the left (a) shows how movement is
done in different sizes while the picture on the right (b) shows how to vary focus. Both
pictures shows how movement is done at different levels.

TIMING
The movements in timing may be executed in varying tempo (speed). Performers
move with the tempo of an underlying sound, known as beat or pulse. The timing can be
varied by moving faster or slower than the normal beat. When a sequence of a movement or
group of phrases is done in varying tempos, they generate rhythmic patterns. The addition of
silences or pauses also adds to rhythmic patterns

DANCE ENERGIES
The movements here propelled by energy or force. A force can either initiate or stop an
action. Dance uses different energies and a varied use of these minimizes the monotony of
the movements in a performance. There are six qualities of dance energies presented below:
 Sustained - movements are done smoothly, continuously, and with flow and control.
It does not have a clear beginning and ending.
 Percussive - movements are explosive or sharp in contrast with sustained
movements. They are accented with thrust of energy. They have a dear beginning
and ending.
 Vibratory - movements consist of trembling or shaking. A faster version of percussive
movements that produces battery effect (Minton, 2007).
  Swinging -movements trace a curved line or an arc in space. The movements are
relaxed and giving in to gravity on the downward part of the motion, followed by an
upward application of energy
 Suspended - movements are perched in space or hanging on air. Holding a raised
leg in any direction is an example of a suspended movement.
 Collapsing - movements are released in tension and gradually or abruptly giving in to
gravity, letting the body descends to the floor. A slow collapse can be described as a
melting or coring action in a downward direction.

BODILY SHAPES
It refers to how the entire body is molded in space or the configuration of body parts.
The body can be founded, angular, or a combination of two other body shapes can be from
wide to narrow and from high to low. They can be symmetrical and asymmetrical.
 Symmetrical- balanced, shape, movements are practically identical or similar
on both sides.
 Asymmetrical - unbalanced shape, movements of two sides of the body do
not match or completely different from each other.

(a) Symmetrical Bodily Shapes (b) Asymmetrical Bodily Shapes

Figure 2.2. Examples of Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Bodily Shapes

GROUP SHAPES
In this element, a group of dancers perform movements in different group shapes.
They are arranged in ways that are wide, narrow, rounded, angular, symmetrical, or
asymmetrical and are viewed together as a total picture or arrangement within a picture frame
(Minton, 2007).

(a) Symmet
rical, narrow group shape (b) Asymmetrical, rounded group shape
Figure 2.3. Examples of Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Groups of Shapes

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING :Multiple Choice

Direction: Read each item carefully and encircle the correct answer.
1. Which of these is NOT a fundamental compositional element of dance?
a. Time b. Shape c. Space d. Texture
2. What's an Example of TIME?
a. High & Low b. Sharp & Fluid c. Slow & Fastd. none of the above
3. What are examples of Energy?
a. Slow & Fast b. Sharp & Fluid c. High & Low d. none of the above
4. What are examples of Space?
a. High & Low b. Slow & Fast c. Sharp & Fluid d. none of the
above
5. What is the area in which the body moves?
a. Pathways b. Space c. Time d. Body

Easy, Essay!

1. What is the importance of applying the Elements of Dance when you are dancing?
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ASSIGNMENT: Watch, Learn, and Answer!

Direction: Explore the internet or any media sources and watch a dance
clip or video of your choice. Observe and identify the elements used.
Answer the following questions below after watching the video.

TITLE OF DANCE:
LINK/SOURCE:

1. Space – What were the directions used? Does it shift from side to side? Travel from
one spot to another? Have a straight or curved path?
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2. Timing - Was it fast or slow? Does it ever really stop? Was the rhythmic structure
even or uneven? Does it go with or oppose the music?
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3. Dance energies – What were the qualities of energies used? Was it sustained,
vibratory, percussive, suspended, swinging or collapsing? Were the movements
bound or free?
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4. Bodily shapes – What kind of bodily shapes were used? Was it rounded, angular or
combination of two? Was it symmetrical or asymmetrical?
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PERFORMANCETASK:Pick a simple movement of your choice, like arm raising or knee

bending. Explore the elements of dance by doing the following exercises. Record a video
when an element is incorporated in the simple movement. You can corporate it with music.

a. Space: Standing on one spot, execute a simple movement. Try to vary the size of your
movement by making it look smaller or bigger. Observe yourself in a mirror while doing this
movement. Try executing the same movement while you face your body in different
directions. Now, add a basic walk with your chosen movement and walk in a different
direction on specific counts. Find out how it feels like to change direction on every count.
After changing the directions of your walk, try tracing a simple geometric
pattern (i.e., circle, square, triangle, and so on). This geometric shape is your floor pattern.
b. Timing: Gradually increase the tempo of your chosen movement and then slow it down.
Using the same floor pattern as in (a), vary the tempo of the pattern at several points.
Compare the variations.
c. Energy: Perform your chosen movement using the six different dance energies.
d. Bodily Shape: Try various shapes you can make with your body. Put some of the shapes
you have discovered into a series. Practice moving from one shape to another.