DANCING BODY

In dance, the body is the mobile figure or shape, felt by the dancer, seen by others. The body is
sometimes changing as the dancer moves in place or travels through the dance area. Dancer may
emphasize specific parts of their body in a dance phrase or use their whole body all at once.

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

The acronym B.A.S.T.E. helps students remember the elements: Body, Action, Space, Time,
Energy. This framework is a way to discuss any kind of movement. While different dance styles call for
specialized skills and stylization choices, the underlying elements of dance are visible in all dance
experiences.

A. BODY / BODILY SHAPES

It refers to how the entire body is molded in space or the configuration of body parts. The body
can be rounded, 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.

a. symmetrical – balanced shape; movements are practically identical or similar on both sides.

b. asymmetrical – unbalanced shape; movements of two sides of the body do not match or completely
different from each other.

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).

Another way to describe the body in dance is to consider the body systems- muscles, bones,
organs, breath, balance, reflexes. We could describe how the skeletal system or breath is used, for
example. The renowned dance critic Walter Terry Wrote. No paints nor brushes. Marbles nor chisel,
pianos or violins are needed to make this art, for w are the stuff that dance is made of. It is born in our
body, exists in our body and dies in our body. Dance then, is the most personal of all the arts… It springs
from the very breath of life.”

The body is the conduit between the inner realm of intentions, ideas, emotions and identity and
the outer realm of expression and communication. Whether watching dance or dancing ourselves, we
shift back and forth between the inner / outer sense of body.
B. 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 movements and pushes, so action refers not only to steps and sequences, but also to pauses
and moments of relative stillness.

Dancers may use movements that have been choreographed or traditional dances taught by
others who know the dances. Depending on the dance style or the choreographer’s decision, dancers
may also revise or embellish movements they have learned from others.

Movements can also be improvised, meaning that the dancers make it up “on the spot” as they
spontaneously dance. Movement that travels through space is broadly called locomotor movement in
contrast to axial movement, which occur in one spot. Understanding and discussing action does not
require extensive dance terminology since movement can be categorized and according to its qualities.
For example, while a “sashay” in American square Dance might be called a “chase” in ballet or an
“undercurve” in modern Dance technique, we can also describe it as a “slide” since that essential
characteristics is present in all those steps.

C. SPACE

Dancers interact with space in myriad ways. They may stay in one place or they travel from one
place to another. They may alter the direction, level, size, and pathways of their movements. Space is
the area the performers occupy and where they move. It can be divided into four different asect, also
known as spatial elements (direction, size, level, focus).

a. 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.

b. size – movements can be varied by doing larger or smaller actions.

c. level- movements can be done in a high, medium, or ow level.

d. focus – performers may change their focus by looking at different directions.

The relationship of the dancers to each other may be based on geometric designs or rapidly
change as they move close together, then apart. Even when a dancer is dancing alone in a solo the
dancer is dynamically involved in the space of the performing area so that space might almost be
considered a partner in the dance. Dancers may focus their movements and attention outwardly to the
space or inwardly into themselves. The line of travel may be quite direct towards one or more points in
space or indefinite and meandering. Dancers may also orient their movement towards objects or in
relation to natural settings. Sometimes dancers are created for specific locations such as an elevator or
in a raft in a lake for site-based performances.

D. TIME / TIMING
 The key word for the element of time is when? Human movement is naturally rhythmic in the
broad sense that we alternate activity and rest. Breath and waves are examples of rhythms in nature
that repeat, but not as consistently as in metered rhythm.

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. Rhythmic patterns may be metered or free rhythm. Much of western music uses repeating
patterns (2/4 or ¾ for example), but concepts of time and meter are used very differently throughout
the world.

Dance movements may also show different timing relationship such as simultaneous or
sequential timing, briefly to long duration, fast to slow speed, or accents in predictable or unpredictable
intervals.

Time may be organized in other ways including: Clock time, sensed time and event-sequence.

a. Clock Time

The dance is based on units of seconds, minutes, and / or hours. For example, a certain section
of a dance may be assigned a time such as 30 seconds into which all the choreographed movement must
fit.

A performance in a public setting may be set up to repeat continuously between 12:00 Noon
and 1:00 pm.

b. Sensed Time

Dancers pick up on each other’s timing such as gradually increasing from a walking tempo to a
running tempo by cueing off each other rather than a music score.

Another example happens when dancers hold a group shape then spontaneously move out of it
based on the group’s organic impulse.

c. Event-sequence An internal or external event signals a change such as repeating travelling phrase over
and over until everyone arrives at a corner of the stage. You can also see this at sports events when a
touchdown triggers a dance cheer.

ENERGY / 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.

a. sustained – movements are done smoothly, continuously, and with flow and control. It does not have
a clear beginning and ending.
 b. percussive – movements are explosive or sharp in contrast with sustained movements. They are
accented with thrust of energy. They have a clear beginning and ending.

c. vibratory- movements consist of trembling or shaking. A faster version of percussive movements that
produces a jittery effect (Minton, 2007).

d. 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.

e. suspended – movements are perched in space or hanging on air. Holding a raised leg in any direction
is an example of a sustained movement.

f. collapsing – movements are released in tension and gradually or abruptly giving in to gravity, letting
the body descend to the floor. A slow collapse can be described as a melting or oozing action in a
downward direction (Minton, 2007).

Dance energy is about how the movement happens. Choices about energy include variations in
movement flow and the use of force, tension, and weight. Energy may change in an instant, and several
types of energy may be con currently in play. An arm gesture might be free flowing or easily stopped,
and it may be powerful or gentle, tight or loose, heavy or light. A dancer may step into an arabesque
position with a sharp, percussive attack or with light, flowing ease. Saying that dance “has a lot of
energy” is misleading. All dances use the element of energy, though in some instance it may be slow,
indirect energy-not the punchy, high speed energy of a fast tempo dance. Some types of energy can be
easily expressed in words, other spring from the movement itself and are difficult to label with language.

Energy choices may also reveal emotional states. For example, a powerful push might be
aggressive or playfully boisterous depending on the intent and situation. Sometimes differences in the
use of energy are easy to perceive; other times these differences can be quite subtle and ambiguous.
Perhaps more so than the other elements, energy taps into the non verbal yet deeply communicative
realm of dance.

The Elements of Dance

ASK: WHO? DOES WHAT? WHERE? When? HOW?
Answer A dancer moves Through space And time With energy
B. A. S. T. E. BODY ACTION SPACE TIME ENERGY
Concepts (in Parts of the AXIAL Place Duration Attack
Bold font) Body (in place) In place.. Travelling Brief … Long Sharp … Smooth
with some Head, eyes, Open … Close Size Speed Sudden ..Sustained
suggestions torso, Rise … Sink or fall Small …Large Fast … Slow Tension
for word list shoulders, Stretch … Bend Level Beat Tight … Loose
and fingers, legs, Twist … Turn High… Low Steady … Uneven Force
descriptors feet, etc. Laban effort Strong … Gentle
Direction Tempo
under each Whole body Actions Forward / Backward Quick .. slow Weight
concept Design and use Press Flick Upward / Downward Accent Heavy … light
of the entire Wring Dab
 body Slash Glide Sideward/Diagonally Single … Multiple Strength : push,
Initiation Punch Float Liner / Rotating On beat … horizontal,
Core, Distal, Travelling Pathway Syncopated impacted.
Mid-limb, Body Crawl, creep, roll, Travelling, trace in Rhythmic Pattern Lightness: resist
Parts scoot, walk, run, air curve, straight, Patterned … free the down, initiate
Patterns leap, jump, angular, zig-zag, etc. Metric breath, up
Upper / lower gallop, slide, hop, Plane Resiliency :
body, skip, do-si-do, Sagittal ( wheel ) 2/4, 6/8,etc.. rebound, even up
homologous, chaine turns and Vertical (door) waves and down
contralateral, many more. Horizontal (Table) Flow
midline, etc. Focus Polyrhythms.. Bound( Controlled)
Body shapes Inward … Outward word cue … Free
Symmetrical/ Direct …. Indirect Energy Qualities
asymmetrical Tala .. felt time Vigorous, languid,
Relationships
Rounded In front … furious, melting,
Twisted Behind/beside Timing droopy, wild,
Angular Over … Under Relationships lightly, jerkily,
Arabesque Alone … Connected Before sneakily, timidly,
Body system Near …Far After proudly, sharp,
Muscles Individual & group Sooner than smooth, sudden,
Bones proximity to object After than sustained etc.
Organs
Breath
Balance
Reflexes
Inner self
Senses
Perceptions
Emotions
Thoughts
Imagination

References

Aporto, C.R., Brebanre, Z.R., Callo, L.F., Dajime, P.F. [Physical Education and Health]

Dancing body https://www.elementsofdance.org