Physical Education 2

SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY

ELEMENTS OF
DANCE
 CHAPTER 2 - Elements of Dance
LESSON 2: The Elements and Shapes of Dance

TERMINOLOGIES
• Space - a continuous area or expanse which is free, available, or
unoccupied.

• Time - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events

in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.

• Energy - the strength and vitality required for sustained physical

or mental activity.
 CHAPTER 2 - Elements of Dance
LESSON 2: The Elements and Shapes of Dance

SPACE
This is the zone that performers are occupying when they move and can be
divided into four different aspects or in other term, spatial element.

a. Direction - dance movements can travel in different directions. The dancer can go
forward, backward, side, circular, diagonal, and may more. They may also face
different directions while executing a single movement or several phrases.

b. Size - variation of movements can be done by doing larger or smaller actions.

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

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

 CHAPTER 2 - Elements of Dance
LESSON 2: The Elements and Shapes of Dance

TIMING
The movements in timing may be excused in varying tempo
(speed).
Performers move with the tempo of an underlying sound,
known as beat 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.
 CHAPTER 2 - Elements of Dance
LESSON 2: The Elements and Shapes of Dance

DANCE ENERGIES
The movements here launched by energy or force and can
either initiate or stop a certain action. In dancing, different
energies and a varied use of these minimizes the monotony of
the movements in a performance.
 CHAPTER 2 - Elements of Dance
LESSON 2: The Elements and Shapes of Dance
Six Qualities of Dance Energies
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 are consist of shaking trembling. A faster version of percussive

movements that produces a jittery effect (Minton 2007).

d. Suspended - movements are landed in space or hanging on air. Holding raised a leg in any
direction is an example of a suspended movement.

e. Collapsing - movements are released in tension and gently giving in to gravity or 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).
 CHAPTER 2 - Elements of Dance
LESSON 2: The Elements and Shapes of Dance

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 symmetrical.
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.
 CHAPTER 2 - Elements of Dance
LESSON 2: The Elements and Shapes of Dance

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 as total picture ararrangement within a picture frame
(Minton, 2007).
SOUTH EAST-ASIA INSTITUTE OF TRADE AND TECHNOLOGY

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