Minds On
Today’s vocabulary
Press the following tabs to access the definitions for today’s vocabulary.
Important ideas in dance, which include the following:
- Body: The instrument of dance. The term body may also refer to the body’s position or shape (e.g., curved, straight, angular, twisted, symmetrical, asymmetrical); also, how the body is moving (e.g., using locomotor or non-locomotor movements).
- Energy: The force with which the body moves (e.g., light, strong, sustained, sudden).
- Relationship: The way in which two or more things are connected to or associated with one another (e.g., dancer to dancer, dancer to object, right arm to left arm).
- Space: The physical area in which the body moves; also, the area surrounding the body.
- Time: An element of dance involving rhythm, tempo, accent, and duration. Time can be based on measured beats, as in music, or on body rhythms, such as breath, emotions, and heartbeat.
Let’s get started!
Explore the next video and respond to the questions that follow.
What do you think is happening in the video you just examined? Consider the following questions:
- What happens in the beginning, middle, and end?
- Who do you think are the characters?
- What do you think is the main theme?
Record your ideas using a method of your choice.
Action
Get ready, get set…
Two teachers having a conversation. The first teacher says: “Hey, Teacher B! What does a writer use to tell a story?” The second teacher responds: “Hmm…they might type, write, or use their voice!” The first teacher replies: “Yes, exactly. What about a dancer? How does a dancer tell a story?” The second teacher answers: “Using their body!”
Narrative form
Revisit the video from the Minds On section of two people playing basketball and examine possible answers to the questions about the video.
Press the ‘Sample Answer’ button for each of the following questions to find out possible answers about the video.
- What happens in the beginning, middle, and end?
In the beginning, one of the players dribbles the ball toward the net.
In the middle, the player takes a shot, and the ball goes in the basket.
In the end, the two players “high five.”
- Who do you think are the characters?
A young person and an adult.
- What is the main theme?
The overall theme might be celebration, fair play, or friendship.
Dances are organized using choreographic forms and can tell a story like the video you examined of two people playing basketball.
Definition
Choreographic form
A structure that organizes movements. Compositional forms may be defined as narrative or patterned (e.g., canon, call and response, retrograde, ABA, rondo).
An example of a choreographic form is narrative form.
Narrative dances follow a specific storyline. They have a theme and usually include a beginning, middle, and end.
Exploring narrative form
Check out the following video of a dance performed by Keone and Mari Madrid to examine an example of narrative dance and respond to the questions that follow.
Consider the following questions. Record your responses using a method of your choice.
Press the ‘Sample Answer’ button for each of the following questions to examine possible answers about the video.
- How does the dance begin?
The dancers begin in a tight hug. They are checking their phones over each other’s shoulders. They continue to move together in unison (at the same time) and make connected movements, but their focus is always on their phones.
- What happens in the middle of the dance piece? How does the dance change after the dancers notice each other for the first time?
The dancers are face to face and finally make eye contact. They each raise a hand and lower the other’s phone, so they are now noticing each other. They bring their heads together until their foreheads are touching.
- What happens at the end of the dance clip? What do you think the resolution might be?
The dancers spin individually and stop at opposite ends of the stage. They clutch their phones, gaze back at each other, and then throw the phones off stage.
- What is the main theme?
The two dancers depict two people in a relationship that are distracted by their cell phones. The theme might be technology use or people’s relationship with technology. The dance piece could be a reminder to ‘unplug’ or interact face-to-face when possible.
Go!
Exploring themes
Now, it’s your turn to explore how narrative form can help you communicate a theme through dance.
Examine the next image and select one of the following themes or come up with your own.
Use the theme you have selected to create a story outline. It can be an outline of a new story or a story you already know.
Record the beginning, middle, and end of the story in the graphic organizer provided or in a method of your choice.
Once you have planned your story, consider how you could translate your story into dance. Use your understanding of the elements of dance (body, space, time, energy, and relationship).
Press the ‘Elements of Dance’ button to access a chart with descriptions of the elements of body, space, time, energy, and relationship.
Elements of dance
| Body |
What is your body doing? Consider the following questions: What different body bases could you use to create a shape with your body? What different body parts could you move? How many different locomotor and non-locomotor movement could you create? Could you create symmetry in your body? What about asymmetry? What kinds of angular shapes could you make? What kind of curved shapes could you make? |
| Space |
Where is your body moving? Consider the following questions: How could you move at a high, middle, or low level? What different pathways could you travel (in a straight line, in a zigzag, backwards)? If you are dancing with someone else, how is it different when you dance close together vs. far apart? |
| Time |
When is the body moving? (In relation to time) Consider the following questions: How could you move at various speeds (e.g., fast, medium, slow)? How it is different dancing to music vs. dancing without music? Could you add a pause or a moment of stillness into your movements? |
| Energy |
How is the body moving? Consider the following questions: How could you move lightly (e.g., as if you are a balloon floating through the sky, as if you are an astronaut in outer space)? How could you move as if your body was heavy (e.g., as if you were pushing a big piece of furniture across the floor, as if you were moving through thick mud)? What is an example of a sudden movement? What is an example of a sustained movement? |
| Relationship |
Who or what is the body moving with? Consider the following questions: How might dancers meet or part in a dance piece? How could emotions or facial expressions be added to movements? How could you move around, under, or over a prop? |
You may use the following completed graphic organizer for Keone and Mari Madrid’s dance to guide you.
| Graphic Organizer for Narrative Form | |
|---|---|
| The theme: | Technology (people’s relationship with technology) |
| Keone and Mari’s dance story | How it could be translated into dance |
|
Beginning: Dancers are distracted by their phones. |
The dancers begin in a tight hug. They are checking their phones over each other’s shoulders. They continue to move together in unison (at the same time) and make connected movements, but their focus is always on their phones. |
|
Middle: Dancers notice each other for the first time. |
The dancers are face to face and finally, make eye contact. They each raise a hand and lower the other’s phone, so they are now noticing each other. They bring their heads together until their foreheads are touching. |
|
End: Dancers toss their cell phones off-screen and focus on each other. |
The dancers spin individually and stop at opposite ends of the stage. They clutch their phones, gaze back at each other, and then throw the phones off stage. |
Portfolio
Portfolio
Now, it’s your turn to create a story outline for the dance theme you selected.
Complete the Graphic Organizer for Narrative Form in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document to create your story outline. You can record your ideas using words and/or pictures. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts. Consider adding your work to your portfolio.
| My dance story | How it could be translated into dance |
|---|---|
| Beginning: | Write or draw your ideas here: |
| Middle: | Write or draw your ideas here: |
| End: | Write or draw your ideas here |
Press the ‘Activity’ button to access Graphic Organizer for Narrative Form.
If possible, try out the movements of your dance story! Make sure to follow the safety checklist first.
Safety
Before you begin:
Consolidation
Putting it all together
Portfolio
Review your learning
Use the following questions to reflect on your learning.
- What was your experience of telling a story through dance?
- Think about a story you have written or recently read. How is narrative form the same in Language Arts and Dance? How is it different?
- How can narrative form help communicate a theme to the audience?
Record your responses using a method of your choice. Consider adding your work to your portfolio.
Reflection
As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel…
Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.