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PHYSICAL EDUCATION
ELEMENTS OF DANCE
 Dance is an act or instance of moving one's
body rhythmically usually to music: an act or
instance of dancing.
WHAT IS DANCE
DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF DANCE:
“Existence is a movement. Action is

movement. Existence defined by the rhythm of forces
in Natural balance”
The Elements of Dance are the foundational
concepts and vocabulary that help students develop
movement skills and understand dance as an artistic
practice.
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE
ELEMENTS OF DANCE:
 • BODY
 • ACTION
 • SPACE
 • TIME
 • ENERGY
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE
ELEMENTS OF DANCE:
 The acronym BASTE helps you remember

the elements:
BODY
 BODILY SHAPES
This refers to how the entire body is molded in
space on the configuration of body parts. The body can
be rounded, angular, or a combination of two. Other
body shapes can be from wide to narrow and from high
to low. They can be symmetrical and asymmetrical.
BODY
 BODILY SHAPES
a. Symmetrical- balanced shape; movements are
practically identical or similar on both sides.
b. Asymmetrical- unbalanced shape, movements of

two sides of the body do not match or completely
different from each other.
BODY
 GROUP SHAPES
In this element, a group of dancers perform

movements in different group shapes. They are arranged
in ways that are wide. narrow, rounded, angular,
symmetrical, or asymmetrical and are viewed together as
a total picture or arrangement within.
ACTION
Any human movement included in the act of

dancing— it can include dance steps, facial movements,
partner lifts, gestures, and even everyday movements
such as walking. Dance is made up of streams of
movement and pauses, so action refers not only to steps
and sequences, but also to pauses and moments of
relative stillness.
SPACE
This is the area the performers occupy and

where they move. It can be divided into four different
aspects, also known as spatial elements.
a. Direction - dance movement can travel in
any direction. The performers can go forward, side,
backward, diagonal, circular and so on. They may also
face any direction while executing a single movement or
several phrases.
SPACE
b. Size - movements can be varied by doing

larger or smaller actions.
c. Level - movements can be done in a high,
medium, or low level.
d. Focus - performers may change their focus
by looking at different directions.
TIME
The keyword for the element of time is When?

Human movement is naturally rhythmic in the broad
sense that we alternate activity and rest. Breath and
waves are examples of rhythms in nature that repeat, but
not as consistently as in a metered rhythm.
TIME
Spoken word and conversation also have

rhythm and dynamics, but these timing patterns are
characteristically more inconsistent and unpredictable.
TIME
Rhythmic patterns may be metered or free

rhythm. Much of western music uses repeating patterns
(2/4 or 3/4 for example), but concepts of time and meter
are used very differently throughout the world. Dance
movements may also show different timing relationships
such as simultaneous or sequential timing, brief to long
duration, fast to slow speed, or accents in predictable or
unpredictable intervals.
TIME
Time may also be organized in other ways

including:
Clock time: The dance is based on units of seconds,
minutes, and/or hours. For example, a certain section of
a dance may be assigned a time such as 30 seconds into
which all the choreographed movement must fit. A
performance in a public setting may be set up to repeat
continuously between 12:00 Noon and 1:00 PM.
TIME
Time may also be organized in other ways

including:
Sensed time: Dancers pick up on each other's timing
such as gradually increasing from a walking tempo to a
running tempo by cueing off each other rather than a
music score. Another example happens when dancers
hold a group shape then spontaneously move out of it
based on the group's organic impulse.
ENERGY
The movements here propelled by energy

or force. A force can either initiate or stop an
action. Dance uses different energies and a varied
use of theses minimizes the monotony of the
movements in a performance.
ENERGY
Qualities of Dance Energies
1. Sustained- movements are done smoothly,

continuously, and with flow and control does not
have a clear beginning and ending.
ENERGY
2. Percussive- movements are explosive or sharp in

contrast with sustained movement. They are
accented with thrust of energy. They have clear
beginning and ending.
ENERGY
3. Vibratory- movements consists of trembling or

shaking. A faster version or percussive movements
that produce a jittery effect. ( Minton, 2007)
ENERGY
3. Vibratory- movements consists of trembling or

shaking. A faster version or percussive movements
that produce a jittery effect. ( Minton, 2007)
ENERGY
4. Swinging- movements trace a curved line or an

arc in space. The movements are released and
giving in to gravity on the downward part of the
motion, followed by an upward application of
energy.
ENERGY
5. Suspended- movements are perched in space or

hanging on air, holding a raised leg in any
direction is an example of a suspended movement.
ENERGY

6. Collapsing- movements are released in tennis
and gradually or abruptly giving in to gravity.
Letting the body descend to the floor. A slow
collapse can be described as a melting or oozing
action in a downward direction (Minton, 2007)

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

“Existence is a movement. Action is

 The acronym BASTE helps you remember

b. Asymmetrical- unbalanced shape, movements of

In this element, a group of dancers perform

Any human movement included in the act of

This is the area the performers occupy and

b. Size - movements can be varied by doing

The keyword for the element of time is When?

Spoken word and conversation also have

Rhythmic patterns may be metered or free

Time may also be organized in other ways

Time may also be organized in other ways

The movements here propelled by energy

Qualities of Dance Energies

1. Sustained- movements are done smoothly,

Qualities of Dance Energies

2. Percussive- movements are explosive or sharp in

Qualities of Dance Energies

3. Vibratory- movements consists of trembling or

Qualities of Dance Energies

3. Vibratory- movements consists of trembling or

Qualities of Dance Energies

4. Swinging- movements trace a curved line or an

Qualities of Dance Energies

5. Suspended- movements are perched in space or

Qualities of Dance Energies

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