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Lesson
:
Elements of
Dance
Mr. Mark Argie Acaso
SHS, Teacher 1
 Dance
Dance as a form of health-related fitness
Dance is an art performed by individuals or groups of human
beings,
Existing in time, space, force, and flow in which the human body
is the instrument and movement is the medium.
(Richard
Krauss, 2018)

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Dancing
- To move one’s body rhythmically usually to music or to engage
in or perform a dance.

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- “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.

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 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.

a. Direction – dance movements can travel in any

direction. The performers can go forward, slide,
backward, diagonal, circular, and so on. They may also
face any direction while executing a single movement or
several phrases.

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 Space
b. SIZE
Movements can be varied by doing larger or smaller actions.

c. LEVEL
Movements can be done at a high, medium, or low level.

d. FOCUS
Performers may change their focus by looking in different
directions.

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 Timing
- -The movements in timing may be executed at 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 beat than the normal beat.

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 Dance Energies
-The movements here are propelled by energy or force. A force can either
stop an action. Dance uses different energies and varied use of these
minimizes the monotony of the movements in performance. There are six
qualities of dance energies presented below:

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 Dance Energies
A. Sustained – movements are done smoothly, continuously, and
with flow and control. It does not have a clear beginning and end.

B. Percussive – movements are explosive or sharp in contrast

with sustained movements. They have a clear beginning and
ending.

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 Dance Energies
C. Vibratory – movements consist of trembling and shaking. A
faster version of percussive.

D. Swinging – movements trace a curved line or an arc in space.

The movements are relaxed and give in to gravity on the downward
part of the motion, followed by upward application energy.

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 Dance Energies
E. Suspended – movements are perched in space or hanging on the
air. Holding a raised leg in any direction is an example of a suspended
movement.
F. Collapsing – movements are released in tension and gradually
or abruptly give in to gravity, letting the body descend to the floor.

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 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.

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 Bodily Shapes
Symmetrical – balanced shape; movements are practically
identical or similar on both sides.

Asymmetrical – unbalanced shape; movement of two

sides of the body do not match or are completely different
from each other.

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 Group Shapes
- In this element, a group of dancers performs 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
arrangement within a picture frame (Minton, 2007).

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 3 Ways Dancing Relieves Stress

1. “When the body feels good the mind does, too”

“The scientific reason for why dance has the ability to act as a
stress reliever stems from the idea that when the body feels
good, the mind does, too.

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 3 Ways Dancing Relieves Stress

2. “Dance offers a creative outlet for people to express their

personalities
In a safe environment
Dancing offers an outlet for people to express who they
are – through music, movement, or even costumes.

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 3. “Dancing improves your physical health

Dancing can be a way to stay fit for people of all ages, shapes, and sizes.
It has a wide range of physical and mental benefits including.

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 Activity 3:
Keep motivated:
Create a dance group to show the Elements of Dances with 6 to 8
members.
Take note of the following:
1. Space (size, level, focus)
2. Timing including executing the tempo of the dance
3. Dance Energies Gradually your chosen movement using the six
different dance energies.
4 Bodily shapes practice moving from one shape to another
5. Group shapes use different groups shapes.

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DANCE to the BEAT of your DREAMS

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