Space

Let’s look at where the dance takes place. Is the dance expansive, using lots of space, or is it more intimate, using primarily personal space? An exploration of space increases our awareness of the visual design aspects of movement.

  1. Personal Space: The space around the dancer’s body can also be called near space. A dance primarily in personal space can give a feeling of introspection or intimacy.
  2. Negative Space/Positive Space: Sometimes, a choreographer emphasizes the negative space or the empty area around the dancers’ bodies instead of just the positive space the dancer occupies. Look at the positive and negative space in the photograph below.
  3. General Space: The defined space where the dancer can move can be a small room, a large stage, or even an outdoor setting.
  4. Levels: Dancers use a variety of levels: high, middle, or low. High movements can reach upward using jumps, leaps, or when lifting each other.  A middle level move is generally a move that takes place between the height of the dancer’s shoulders and knees. Low  level moves can include sitting, kneeling, sinking to the ground, rolling, or crawling.
    A black and white image of a dnacer in a prism.
    Fig 5. Français : Épreuve gélatino-argentique 1925 24,5 x 21 cm 18 May 2017 Mathildemultiple. CC Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
  5. Directions: While dances made for the camera often have the performers facing forward as they dance, they can also change directions by turning, going to the  back, right, left, up, or down.
  6. Pathways or Floor Patterns: Where the dancer goes through space is often an important design element. They can travel in a circle, figure eight, spiral, zig-zag, straight lines, and combinations of lines.
  7. Range:  Movements or shapes can be near reach, mid-ranged, or far reach. Range is associated with one’s kinesphere. Kinesphere is the immediate area surrounding the body and is described as a three-dimensional volume of space. Imagine a bubble around the dancer’s body, with their arms and limbs extended to their fullest extent in every possible direction without moving from a fixed spot, this is considered a personal kinesphere. Movement occurs in a person’s kinesphere and includes near reach (movement that is close to the body, small or condensed), mid-reach (movement that is neither near not far, but comfortably in the middle ), and far reach (large and expansive movement).
    A black and white image of a dnacer in a prism.
    Fig 5. Français : Épreuve gélatino-argentique 1925 24,5 x 21 cm 18 May 2017 Mathildemultiple. CC Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

    Fig 5. Français : Épreuve gélatino-argentique 1925 24,5 x 21 cm 18 May 2017 Mathildemultiple. CC Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

  8. Relationship: Dancers can explore the relationship between different body parts; the relationship of one dancer to another dancer or a group of dancers; or the relationship to a prop or to objects in the dance space.
    Two dancers in a teatrical production, one standing over the other.
    Fig. 6. Egyptian Modern Dance Theatre in performance “devil hope.” 27 September 2016, 21:43:59 Esraa abd el khalla. CC Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Watch This

Excerpt from George Balanchine’s ballet Apollo.  Notice the interlocking of circles of the dancers’ arms and the straight lines made by the dancers’ legs.

 

 

In this next video, notice various floor patterns such as circular pathways and straight lines that are made by the group of dancers. Observe the dancers’ use of gestures that go from near to far reach from personal space to filling the general space. The choreography also uses levels from low to high.

 

Check Your Understanding

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