Dance and Movement Elements

Five Movement Parameters

• Body parts (What parts are moving?
  • individual parts of the body
  • the whole body
  • upper or lower half of the body
  • right and left side of the body (symmetry)
  • oppositional (right arm against left leg)
  • body part leading / sequential movement
  • varying roles of body’s center of gravity

• Actions (What task is the dancer doing?)
  • stillness
  • turns: change direction
  • twist
  • jumps
  • traveling - move through space (walk, runs, etc.)
  • expand (make bigger) or contract(make smaller)
  • gesture
  • fall / recover

• Space (Is the movement large or small?)

• 8 directions: front, right front corner,

right side, right back corner,

back, etc..

• planes - surfaces

(shaped, horizontal, vertical)

• arc-like forms
• spoke-like forms
• carving
• kinesphere: near, intermediate, far space
• spatial tension - between parts or people
• performing space: theater, outdoors, etc.
• stage directions: up stage, down stage,

stage right, etc.

• floor patterns and designs
• group formations

• Relationships

• solo, small group, large group, variety
• movements to each other: unison,

mirroring, canon, etc.

• with environment, stage space, locale
• between people: focus, touch, support,

defy, etc.

• with music or soundscape
• with costumes, props, lights
• with aspects of form: repetition,

contract and variation

• Dynamics / Efforts

• attitudes toward:

• flow - (bound, free)

• weight: light or strong

• time: tempo changes, sudden,

sustained

• space: direct or indirect

• shape: embodiment of space