1. 'Essence' Dance: A Simple Model for Improvisation.
- Author
-
Van't Hof, Ellen R.
- Abstract
This paper describes an improvisational dance model that analyzes verbs and adverbs in terms of their movement essence and yields a unique group dance using dancers of any age or experience. Essence dance uses word cards to build a dance. Each word (verb or adverb) suggests a movement or use of the body. The teacher begins by charting a piece of music, outlining the main sections and the number of beats in each section. Students then randomly select two cards, a verb and an adverb, to write into the chart for each session. For each verb and adverb chosen, students analyze the movement essence in terms of several basics--body, space, time and relationship--by applying the movement variables (related to space, body, time, and relationship). Students improvise together the selected movement variables within the given number of beats. Eventually, they put the sections together and dance the entire piece. They videotape their dance, view the tape, and critique the dance. The word lists include such verbs as pound, crawl, drag, tap, frown, ooze, strut, gallop, and stagger and such adverbs as powerfully , softly, up, tiny, fast, briskly, jerky, slowly, and evenly. (SM)
- Published
- 2002