Elements of Dance

Flashcards focusing on key vocabulary and concepts related to the elements of dance, including terminology, body mechanics, movement qualities, and spatial awareness.

B.A.S.T.E.

An acronym representing Body, Action, Space, Time, Energy in the context of dance.

Parts of the Body

Includes head, eyes, torso, shoulders, fingers, legs, feet, and other segments.

Body Shapes

Forms that movers create, including symmetrical, asymmetrical, rounded, twisted, and angular.

Body Systems

Comprises muscles, bones, organs, breath, balance, reflexes, inner self, senses, perceptions, emotions, thoughts, intention, and imagination.

Laban Effort Actions

A system of describing movements created by Rudolph Laban that include actions like press, flick, wring, dab, slash, glide, punch, and float.

Locomotor Movements

Movements that involve traveling such as crawl, creep, roll, walk, run, leap, jump, gallop, slide, hop, skip.

Pathway

The tracing of movement as you travel through the space or the air; can be curved, straight, angular, zig-zag, etc.

Plane

The three dimensions of movement: sagittal (wheel), vertical (door), horizontal (table).

Focus

The direction of a mover’s gaze or attention, which can be inward, outward, direct, or indirect.

Relationships

The positioning of dancers in relation to one another or the environment, such as in front, behind, over, under, alone, or connected.

Speed

The rate of movement, which can be fast, slow, or anywhere in between.

Accent

The emphasis placed on certain beats within a rhythm (including dynamic accents, syncopation, etc.)

Tension

The tightness or looseness in the body's muscles during movement.

Energy Qualities

Descriptive ways of moving such as vigorous, sluggish, furious, melting, or smooth.

Weight

The perceived heaviness or lightness of the body, affecting how movements are executed.

Rhythmic Pattern

The arrangement of sounds in time, which can be patterned or free; includes metric forms like 2/4 or 6/8.