Ballet also uses percussive movement — think battements — and there is much repertoire that uses the dynamic when called for! The percussive dynamic in dance refers to movements that are performed in a sudden, abrupt or sharp way. They have a strong and often assertive, quality as the dancer exerts energy and strength to produce stacatto like moves with their body.
Strong, sharp, strike, beat, sudden, bang, choppy, jagged, abrupt, hit, tap, staccato, assertive, forceful, vigourous, energetic, bold, fiesty, thump, thwack, punch, whack. Collapsed movement could literally be named as one of the most recognisable elements of modern and contemporary dance.
Well ok, so there are a lot more to those two styles of dance than just the concave body shape or the rolling of the spine but it is a heavily used element in these styles. This is mainly due to the fact that modern dance in particular was developed with an intention of being an alternative and contrasting style to ballet. In ballet you stand in turned out positions, aligned with impeccable posture, where as in modern and contemporary dance you stand in parallel, and although upright the tendency is to incorporate collapsed movement to emphasise concave or vexed positions of the upper torso and body — which is in stark contrast to classical dance.
The collapsed dynamic in dance refers to movements where a dancer lets go of tension in their body to produce a noticeable quality of release in their motion.
The collapse can be performed in any downward direction and by the whole body or in isolation such as letting an arm fall from a raised position. The six qualities of movement dynamics described in this article help us to define the type of movements we can perform.
But the element of dynamics in dance can also refer to things such as:. Dynamics are generally a topic that can be both demonstrated and discussed in an educational setting to develop a greater understanding and awareness of the elements that make up a dance piece. Not only can one use dynamics to describe or analyze movement, but also dancers themselves can use dynamics to describe their own style.
This gives them a better understanding of their abilities within their art form. Samantha trained and worked professionally as a dancer and has a Diploma in Dance as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Education. She currently runs Dance Parent as well as Move Dance Learn whilst caring for her four children and enjoying life with her Husband. It's impossible to move our bodies without exerting some kind of force. One member of the audience will call out a dynamic quality.
The dancers will move in general space in the quality that is called out. Continue in one quality until another is called out randomly. Call out in unexpected ways, slowly and quickly. Explore each quality with both nonlocomotor and locomotor movement. Exchange roles until everyone has improvised movement phrases in each quality, quickly changing qualities as they are called out. Discuss feelings or emotions that are implied by the different movement qualities and list them on a chart an example follows.
Draw one slip of paper from the hat and find two other partners to make a trio. Together look at the three slips of paper. The problem is to create a Dynamic Quality study using only the three qualities selected. The challenge is to find a way to transition between the qualities in a convincing way so that the study is cohesive.
The study should be at least 1 minute long. The study should have a clear beginning and ending shape and use both locomotor and nonlocomotor movements. Perform the Dynamic Quality studies for each other. Audience members should identify the dynamic qualities chosen.
Discuss how it feels to spend a specific amount of time in only one movement quality. Do we do this in natural movement? Discussion Questions In your own words, define energy.
Find your own definitions for each of the dynamic qualities. When might you move naturally in a percussive way? A strong beat can suggest a strong movement. When the music or movement increases or decreases in speed. This can create a feeling of building up intensity in a sequence of movement if the momentum is increasing or a weakening or slowing down of movement if the momentum is decreasing. Rhythm in dance is an arrangement of accents and duration of movement.
It is the pattern of short and long movements, and stressed and unstressed movements. Choreographers may work with regular rhythms which are repeated and predictable. The use of regular rhythm provides a unifying element in the phrasing of the dance.
Choreographers may also choose to create irregular patterns of duration, accents and stillness. Irregular rhythms can provide interest, excitement or unrest in a dance. Syncopated rhythms in music, where weaker beats are accented are used effectively in jazz dance styles. Irregular rhythms can be used in choreography to upset regular rhythmic movement to provide choreographic contrast. It may be used to enhance an idea:. Accents in dance are movements that are stressed or highlighted in some way to make them stand out.
In dance we may:. Beats are grouped into 2, 3, or 4 and each grouping is called a bar. An accent or emphasis on any beat can fall at regular intervals. The metre is a grouping of beats around this accent and provides a regular time structure. Most popular music is grouped in 4 time quadruple time for example as is demonstrated by being able to count a steady to it.
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