Jan 13 / Introduction to the Dance Classic Elements

 

Unit: Creative Dance

Theme: The Classic Elements

 

I

Introduction 

According to Shannon Dooling Dances, dance improvisation is spontaneously creating movement, without pre-planning any steps or choreography. Dancers move freely, without relying on set movement patterns. In improvisation, dancers may aim to create new, original movement, or to use familiar movements in unique ways.

 

 II

Learning Objectives

• Understand the meaning of dance improvisation
• Explain the usefulness of the classical elements
• Gain awareness of the creative movement process
• Experience the freedom of expression allowed by dance improvisation
• Reflect on the work done in class
•  

 III

Main Lesson

 

 1

ACTIVITY

 

Introductions / Getting to Know Each Other

 

Briefly introduce yourself to the group and post your introduction on Blackboard (name, where you come from, dance experience if any, what you expect from the course).

------------------------

 

2

The Classical Elements

Classical elements typically refer to the concepts of earth, water, air, fire, and ether, which were proposed to explain the nature and complexity of all matter in terms of simpler substances.

 

 

3

 

 Enyclopedia of Creativity

Improvisation (Page 230) 

Jacob Eisenberg

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Encyclopedia_of_Creativity/7zm6DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Art,+Music+and+Dance+Improvisation&pg=PA630&printsec=frontcover 

Jacob Eisenberg (2020). Improvisation. Encyclopedia of Creativity. Editors Mark A. Runco and Steven R. Pritzker. Academic Press

 

 Question 3

 

Read Eisenber's page 230 and summarize

 

 

IV

 

A Note to Remember

   

Dance improvisation can help students to:

• Apply dance concepts, steps, and skills in their own ways, helping them to more deeply understand dance technique;
• Develop self-awareness as they explore movement that works best for their own bodies;
• Improve their understanding of musicality and develop stronger musical expression;
• Work on performance skills such as embodying a mood, emotion, character, or story through personal movement choices;
• Learn how to recover from mistakes, falls, or flubs in performance;
• Discover their own style, expression, and perspective as a choreographer;
• Experience meaningful self-expression and emotional release, helping to improve their well-being in and out of the studio;
• Develop greater levels of confidence as they become comfortable moving in their own ways;
• Become empowered through the process of making movement choices, learning to trust their own instincts as a dancer and performer;
• Be freed from the expectation of perfection that is so common in dance training, enabling them to find joy and a greater sense of self through movement.
  

 

V

 

Case Study 

 

VIDEO

 

 

3rd Annual National Water Dance / 2018

 

 According to Alonso Paisley, Dale Andree has made "a deep dive into the creative and connective possibilities of water as a vital and imperiled element."One takeaway from Alonso's article expressed by Andree was the notion of "shared gestures."

 

 VI

 

Discussion Questions 

 

1. What is dance improvisation?
2. What do we consider classical elements? 
3. Summarize in your own words how dance improvisation benefits students.
4. Write a brief response about the water project shown in the video above. Post your response on Discussion Board
5. Which would you say are the creative and connective possibilities of the classical elements.
   

 

 VII

 

 Activity

 

Expressive Improvisations

1. In class we will address the four elements: earth, air, water, and fire as references to create different individually improvised movements. 

 

2. The group will be divided in ensembles. Each group will embrace a different element to express its main qualities in movement. 

 

3. The whole group will manage to integrate the four elements through collective improvisation. 

 

Closing 

At this point students would still be in the process of getting to know each other better, developing rapport and embodying the qualities of the elements.

 

 

VIII

 

Glossary

 

• Classical elements: In reference to simpler substances, the classical elements typically refer to earth, water, air, fire, and (later) aether which were proposed to explain the nature and complexity of all matter.(2)
• Shared gestures:  developmental pathways of different gestures that are grounded in different forms of shared routines.(3)
• Movement choir: A collaborative process to establish deeper connections between bodies, landscapes and public spaces. (4)
  

 

IX

 

Sources

1. Alonso Paisley, Helena (2022). Art meets environmental action in Dale Andree’s National Water Dance. https://www.artburstmiami.com/dance-articles/art-meets-environmental-action-in-dale-andrees-national-water-dance

2.  Ball, P. (2004). The Elements: A Very Short Introduction. Very Short Introductions. OUP Oxford. p. 33. ISBN 9780191578250.

3. Carpendalle, Jeremy I.M. et al (2023).  A Genealogy of Gestures: On the Nature and Emergence of Forms of Gestural Communication within Shared Routines. https://karger.com/hde/article-abstract/doi/10.1159/000533645/862169/A-Genealogy-of-Gestures-On-the-Nature-and?redirectedFrom=fulltext

4.  The Movement Choir Guide: Caring for Cities through a Human Movement Infrastructure. https://futurearchitectureplatform.org/projects/ee33ba5c-bf2e-4b4c-bf96-fab80f7677cf/

5. Your Ultimate Guide to Dance Improvisation. https://shannondoolingdances.com/2018/07/11/danceimprovisation/

 

X

Students' Work 

Academic

Kyle Jordan

Discussion 1/13

1. What is dance improvisation?

Dance improvisation is a spontaneous creation of movement, not bound by any choreographic preconceptions. The dancers often incarnate themselves in the actual sense by exploring different ideas, techniques, and expressions depending upon the moods, intuitions, and setting they find themselves in. It allows for freedom and creativity in responding to music and other dancers in the moment.

2. What do we consider classical elements?

Classical elements are earth, water, air, fire, and sometimes ether or spirit. These elements are often used metaphorically to portray various forces of nature, emotions, and characteristics in literature, dance, and other artistic forms. For instance, air symbolizes freedom, mobility, and lightness; fire denotes passion, energy, and change; water symbolizes fluidity, emotion, and adaptability; and earth symbolizes stability and grounding.

3. Summarize in your own words how dance improvisation benefits students.

Dance improvisation reinforces courage, creativity, and self-expression among learners. This allows students to think creatively, improvise quickly, take risks, and explore their own movement patterns. Apart from the enhancement of physical awareness and emotional release, it also assists these students in developing a better understanding of their bodies and emotions. In group settings, improvisation fosters flexibility, effective problem-solving skills, and teamwork.

4. Write a brief response about the water project shown in the video above.

The dancers danced for water, effectively emulating how water moves and takes on versatile shapes. The project may also have acted to show how water can symbolize emotion, resilience, or the ever-changing nature of life. The artists probably employed flowing, uninterrupted movements such that both dancers and viewers were engaged in an emotionally charged experience.

5. Which would you say are the creative and connective possibilities of the classical elements?

Classical elements allow the creative and connective possibilities within dance and arts to take a whole new level. To represent different aspects of human experience; fire for passion and change, air for freedom and lightness, water for emotion and adaptation, and earth for stability and grounding. Other pieces can be told by stringing these elements together and shared through movement and art, representing complex ideas and emotions; they connect cultures and nature. They give a universal language that can reach across cultures, connecting all performers with their audiences.

 

Improvisations

Ensembles: The Classic Elements

Group 1 Water

 

Nannah Mackie,  Ciara Schweitzer, Gigi Mangieri, Kennedy Cameron, Krish Chand, Aiden Murphy, Bella Giacalone,

 

Dance representing coming together and water

 IMG_8057.MOV (10.239 MB) 

 

 Group 2 Wind

Bella Almodovar, Emily Mand (dropped),  Fisher Tilson, Lucy Leventhal, Jojo Trader, Kaylenn (Dropped)

 IMG_6431.mov (133.062 MB)

  Group 3 Earth 

 

Ethan Levin, Ny Carr, Adam Cole, Caro (Dropped), Alyssa Longo, Julianna Malygin

 IMG_4989.mov (124.042 MB) 

 

Group 4 Fire

Sofia Black (Dropped), Phoebe Evans, Taylor Broutin, Juan Aldama, Kayla Humphrey, Kylie Cutler

 IMG_6137.mov (12.92 MB)