Rowan County Middle School
Dance Unit
Elements of Dance
the basic parts of dance: space, time and force
FORCE: the use of energy while moving
SPACE: the area occupied by the dancers body (direction, shape, level, size
and pathways
 Directions: forward, backwards, sideways, up, down
 Level: the distance from the floor
 Pathways: patterns that the body makes as it moves through space or
on the floor
 Shape: the design of the body as it exist in space.
TIME: the speed in which movements take place
-Tempo - fast, slow, moderate.
-Duration - short, long.
-Beat - pulse of the music.
-Synchronize - to move at the same rate and exactly together.
Dance Movement
human movements made by the body
 Locomotors: actions of the body that cover space(walk, run, skip, hop,
jump, slide, leap and gallop)
 Nonlocomotor: actions of the body that do not cover space(bend,
stretch, twist and swing)
Dance Forms
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Ceremonial: Dances that are performed at celebrations or ceremonies
(religion, celebration, ritual, weddings)
Recreational: Dances performed in social settings (folk, social, aerobic,
line)
Artistic: Dances created and performed in order to convey a meaning
(ballet, modern, narrative, tap)