Movement Catergories

Question 1

What is gesture?

Answer 1

Movements of any isolated body part, executed singularly or in combination with other actions. Movement that is symbolic. Hand gestures are most common, however, dance can incorporate both hand, shoulder, leg and feet gestures.

Examples:
-Cradle arms = rocking a baby
-Shrugging shoulders = I don’t know/ understand

Question 2

What is elevation?

Answer 2

Actions that involve an upward change of levels in a dancer’s body. It can refer to whole body movements and/or actions of limbs or body parts that are raised or lifted.

Examples:
-Rise on demi pointe with arms held in 5th position.
-Any type of jump
-Starting on the floor and raising up to the knees

Question 3

What is falling?

Answer 3

Movements which result in a downwards change of levels of the body or body parts, from one level to a lower level. Your body gives way to gravity and falls downwards

Question 4

What is travelling?

Answer 4

Movement the dancer uses to transverse through space from one location to another.

Question 5

What is turning?

Answer 5

Amount of rotation of a body or body part around a vertical or horizontal axis.

Question 6

What is stillness?

Answer 6

Control of a movement that results in the stillness of single parts, multiple parts or the whole body.