Axial vs Locomotor

Movement in Dance
Axial Movement

 Axial movement refers to an element of dance in which dancers stay anchored to one
place by a single body part while using available space in any direction. Axial
movements involve bending, stretching, twisting, swinging, gesturing, rising, rotating
and spinning.
 Axial movements tend to involve the spine as the focal point. Rather than moving from
one place to another on stage, dancers rely on the space given to them to perform
movements. Spinning is a prime example of axial motion, since the dancer is planted in
the floor while moving in place. The body part connected to the floor can be a foot, leg,
knee, hand, elbow, back or head. Movements involve arms, hips, knees, the head and
the neck.
 Sometimes, axial motion is done between two dancers, as the point of movement is on
another person rather than the floor. One dancer can use an arm or the hand of another
person as an anchor point and perform movements in place. Axial movements can even
be performed on apparatuses such as poles, bars, steps and ladders. Any stationary base
works for axial motion as a dance element.
Examples of Axial Movements:

Example Dance Steps Include:

Pivot turn
Pirouette
Coupe Turn
Shoulder Roll
Penche
Arabesque or Attitude Turn
Rond de Jambe
Tilt
Illusion
Layout
Locomotor Movement

 Locomotor movements are defined as movements that travel through space or carry
weight from one location to another. The act of using movement to shift weight from one
place to another is called locomotion.
 There are several locomotor movements that will successfully transfer weight from one
location to another:
 Walking
 Running
 Leaping
 Jumping
 Hopping
 Galloping
 Sliding
 Skipping
Examples of Locomotor Movements:

Examples Include:
Chasse
Jazz Walk
Jete
Saute Chat
Straddle Leap
Barrel Leap
Chaine Turn
Pas de Chat
Lindy Step
Pas de Bourree
Triplets
Project Outline:
 Create a group of 4 – 6 people
 Put together a list of 10 axial dance steps and 10 locomotor dance steps
 Choose 5 steps from each list to use in your choreography
 Choreograph a dance combination that includes those 10 steps and shows how they are different. Your combination must
have:
 A beginning pose
 A formation
 Follow an A – L - A – L pattern for all 10 steps
 May have connecting or in between steps that are not axial or locomotor
 An ending pose
 Must be counted in counts of 8, and must be at least 8 counts of 8

 Grade: You will receive a group grade out of 65 possible points

 Working well in group: 15 pts
 Following directions: 10 pts
 List of 20 steps: 20 pts
 Choreography: 10
 Presentation: 10