Choreographic Studies
Terminology
Upstage, Downstage, Stage Right, Stage Left
Locomotor - travelling movements that propel a dancer through the space of the stage. (chassé, running, jumping, chaînés)
Non-Locomotor - movements that do not propel the dancer around the stage. (gestures, arm movements, dropping, rising)
Upstage, Downstage, Stage Right, Stage Left
Locomotor - travelling movements that propel a dancer through the space of the stage. (chassé, running, jumping, chaînés)
Non-Locomotor - movements that do not propel the dancer around the stage. (gestures, arm movements, dropping, rising)
BASIC ELEMENTS OF CHOREOGRAPHY
SHAPES – the lines the dancer’s body forms
straight curved
angular twisted
symmetrical asymmetrical
on-balance off-balance
ACTIONS/MOVEMENTS – the locomotor and nonlocomotor
motions of the dancer’s body
step walk run
hop jump leap
twist turn bend
crawl roll slither
pull push gestures
stretch swing shake
rise fall
TIME
o Rhythm – beat even uneven syncopated accented
o Tempo – speed fast/sudden slow/sustained accelerating decelerating
o Unison/Canon – moving together or asynchronously
SPACE
o Placement – where the dancer’s body is on-stage; the horizontal space the dancer’s body occupies
downstage left, downstage, downstage right
stage left, center stage, stage right
upstage left, upstage, upstage right
o Formation – where the dancer’s body is in relation to other dancers; the space that groups of dancers occupy
lines (straight, diagonal, curved, circular)
blocks (square, rectangle)
staggered lines
o Focus – where the dancer is looking
front, back
sides, corners
up, down
o Direction/Pathway – where the dancer is moving
forward backward
sideways diagonally
upward downward
o Level – where the dancer’s body is in the air; the vertical space the dancer’s body occupies
high
medium
low
ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS
o Force – the power with which a dancer performs a movement
light to strong
o Flow – the energy a dancer uses to perform a movement
bound/controlled to free/uncontrolled
ELEMENTS THAT ADD COMPLEXITY
o repetition – recurring steps or patterns
o contrast – opposition in steps or patterns
o transitions – movement connecting steps
o sequence – flow of steps from one to another and the order in which they are arranged
o relationships
between people/characters
partnering
leading/following