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Manipulation of the elements of dance as they relate to concept/intent for 2 or 3 dancers

Manipulating dynamics for two or three dancers

Weight or force

Variation to dynamics is achieved by changing the level of energy or force applied to a movement. The resulting quality of movement may be, for example, sustained, percussive, heavy and weighted, floating, darting or gliding.

It can be helpful, when working with your dancers, to use imagery to assist them to achieve a quality of movement that suits your intent.

For example, ask your dancers to:

• move as though they are stepping on hot concrete (fast, light, staccato)
• move as though they are a block of ice melting in the hot sun (slow, languorous)
• move as though arms and legs are weighted down (focus movement down, pulling, resisting, releasing)
• move with the qualities of a chimpanzee (loping, flexible, rolling, swaying)
• move as though kick-starting a motor bike (stop-start, shuddering, spluttering, revving into life).

Activity
1. Review a phrase you have created. Discuss the dynamic quality of the movements with your dancers.
2. Brainstorm 3 different images that will assist your dancers to enhance the quality of the movement to suit your intent.
3. Ask your dancers to perform the phrase using imagery devised.
4. Select and refine movement using the image that most successfully portrays your intent.

All the preceding discussion and activities have been based around working with your dancers throughout the process, particularly through the manipulation, selection and refinement, and evaluation phases. If you are performing in your own work, it is highly recommended that you use video to record the process so that you can view, reflect on, evaluate and refine your work.

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