Jan 29 / The Body: Body Shapes and Body Part

 

 

Unit: The Body

Theme: Body Shapes

 

I

Introduction

Body shapes, as a tool of improv dance, is one of the easiest ways of creating movement vocabulary. Today we will cover different ideas to generate body shapes at random.The idea is that the dancer does not stop generating dance movement since all dance is a non-stop sequence shapes.

II 

Learning Objectives

 

• Understand the connection between body and shapes
  
• Explain the creative process involved when using geometric, gestural and other abstract shapes
  
• Gain awareness of the use of movement to transition from shape to shape
  
• Experience ensemble movement when integrating multiple shapes
  
• Reflect on the creative process at the end of the process
  

 

III

Warm Up

 Stretching

 

IV 

Main Lesson

 

1

 Body Storming

 

2

Videos 

 

SHAPES

 

 

Question 1

 

Write your reflections on the above videos.

 

 3

There are 5 Basic Body Shapes:

WIDE

NARROW

ANGULAR

ROUND

TWISTED

COMBINED

ANGULAR LEGS / WIDE ARMS

NARROW ARMS WITH ANGULAR LEGS

WIDE ANGULAR AND ROUND

ANGULAR AND WIDE

 

Question 2

 

When thinking about these shapes listed above, which are your favorite shapes and why?

 

 4

Link:
Shape as an Aspect of Space

Body shapes are present in all actions in dance. Shapes in dance convey meaning. There are many types of shapes: shapes with straight lines and angles • curving or organic shapes • open and closed shapes • symmetrical and asymmetrical shapes • harmonious and contrasting shapes • centered and off-centre shapes.

 

Question 3

Which shapes mentioned above do you relate to in dance? Explain.

 

 5

 

 The Nikolais/Louis Dance Technique

 (Page 36 / second column first paragraph)

Question 4

Summarize the tips given to teachers and students about dance improvisation by listing at least 3 tips.

6

 

Article on Improvisation

 

 I Want to Be Ready: Improvised Dance as a Practice of Freedom

Introduction 

(Page 4) on "practices of freedom"

Danielle Goldman

 https://www.google.com/books/edition/I_Want_to_Be_Ready/YCbXr-nFHccC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Art,+Music+and+Dance+Improvisation&printsec=frontcover

Goldman, Danielle (2010). I Want to Be Ready: Improvised Dance as a Practice of Freedom. University of Michigan Press

Question 5

 

 

 

Read paragraphs 2,3 and 4 (Page 4) and express your ideas about the political application of improvisation? Illustrate your ideas by connecting them to the piece "I Want to be Ready" shown in the video above.

V

Case Studies

 

1

Gillian Rhodes

 

Gillian Rhodes is an American performing artist and storyteller. She graduated with a degree in dance from Columbia University and has since spent ten years performing, teaching, and choreographing across Asia, in Cambodia, South Korea, and now Pakistan.

 

Basic Improvisation Score and Examples: Shapes 

"An improvisation score is a set of rules that you set to help you know what to do while improvising. In this series I'm giving you some examples of scores and what they might look like. Your goal should not be to copy these movements, but see how I am using the prompt of shapes in a variety of ways. Then, you can try to find your own ways of creating shapes with your body. Circles and squares are the easiest, you can also add lines and angles." Gillian Rhodes

 Question 6

In which way can body shapes help the dancer in the process of dance improvisation? 

 2

Body Awareness and Freedom in Movement

Question 7

Body parts are a great reference when improvising dance right on the spot. Explain.

 

 VI

Activities

 1

 

Solo & Ensemble

Choose the shapes that are most significant to you and create a score in which you use new movements phrases.

Dance the phrase to a piece of music of your choice.

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2

Exploration of shapes by progressively moving feet, arms and other body parts tracing the shape of circles, squares, triangles and lines.

Individual explorations and group explorations.

 

Moving with music.

3

 

Embodying shapes as the body moves across the room. Work individually and in groups. Whole group moves like a cluster.

Moving with music.

 

Music

VII

 Journaling

 

VIII

Glossary

 

IX

Sources

 

X

Students' Work

Academic

 

William Brodsky

Although I was not in class for this session, I explored the material on my own and found it surprisingly impactful. Working with body shapes as a foundation for dance improvisation was something I hadn’t fully considered before, but the more I explored, the more I realized how essential shapes are—not only to creating movement, but to creating meaning.

After watching the videos and reviewing the five basic body shapes—wide, narrow, angular, round, and twisted—I began experimenting with how these shapes feel in my body. I was particularly drawn to angular and twisted shapes. There’s a tension and control in angular shapes that feels powerful and defined, while twisted shapes invite more nuance and complexity. They can feel slightly chaotic, off-balance, or emotionally charged—all qualities I find compelling in improvisation. I liked how twisted shapes created tension in stillness and motion, and how angular ones gave clarity and intention.

Reflecting on the extended list—symmetrical/asymmetrical, open/closed, curving/organic, and centered/off-centered—I found myself most connected to asymmetrical and off-centered shapes. I think that’s because I often improvise from a place of instinct and feeling, and these shapes allow the body to express tension, conflict, or shift. They don’t feel staged—they feel spontaneous and real. When I used asymmetrical shapes in movement, I felt more emotionally honest. There was a kind of freedom in not having to “even things out.”

The readings, especially from The Nikolais/Louis Dance Technique, reminded me of the importance of starting with sensation and letting movement evolve from that awareness. One tip that stood out was to trust the impulse, rather than thinking too hard about what’s next. Another valuable takeaway was to use isolated body parts—which I’ve found expands my vocabulary and helps break the habit of moving from only the core. Lastly, embracing the full space—floor to ceiling, center to edge—was something I experimented with by tracing shapes through space using my legs and arms independently.

From Danielle Goldman’s I Want to Be Ready, the idea of improvisation as a political practice of freedom really resonated. It made me reflect on how the body can resist expectations simply by moving outside of codified patterns. In improvisation, we reject pre-written structures, which is itself an act of agency. It reminded me that movement can be a protest, a reclamation, or a redefinition of space. It made the process feel bigger than just self-expression—it felt like self-possession.

In the end, what I learned from this unit is that shapes aren’t just tools to “start” movement—they are movement. Every dance is essentially a string of changing shapes, and the way we transition between them tells the story. This unit expanded my improvisation practice by showing me how much I can generate by simply noticing the shape my body is in—and asking, “what comes next?”

 

Gabriele Pernigotti

1. Write your reflections on the above videos.

It's amazing how the body can transform into so many shapes and allow multiple bodies to tell a story which each person watching can interpret completely differently based on their own experiences. Movement allows us humans to communicate without the need to talk. 

1. When thinking about these shapes listed above, which are your favorite shapes and why?

I believe the angular because it's the one I find the most amazing when watching it be incorporated into dances. 

1. Which shapes mentioned above do you relate to in dance? Explain.

wide is the one I relate because i think its a basic when speaking about dance, specially improvisation. 

1. Summarize the tips given to teachers and students about dance improvisation by listing at least 3 tips.

1- start trusting your body that the intuition in your body is ages old compared to your experience. 

2- All criticism should be of positive nature by pinning what the student can be successful at as well as where they fell off and how they can go back on track. 

3- let loose as long as you keep yourself on the premises of the improvisation, knowing you don’t have to remember or repeat any of the steps while improvising. 

1. Read paragraphs 2,3 and 4 (Page 4) and express your ideas about the political application of improvisation? Illustrate your ideas by connecting them to the piece "I Want to be Ready" shown in the video above.

The political application of improvisation highlights how spontaneous, unscripted actions can challenge authority, provoke thought, and express dissent. Improvisation in dance or performance art allows individuals to subvert norms and conventions, offering a powerful tool for resistance and activism. In the piece "I Want to be Ready," the piece reflects an individual's desire for empowerment and freedom through movement, resonating with themes of identity, struggle, and transformation. 

1. In which way can body shapes help the dancer in the process of dance improvisation? 

They can give dancers a base to remember where they can begin when wanting to create a dance improvisation with multiple movements and not just be stuck in the same 3-4 they remember or excel in. 

1. Body parts are a great reference when improvising dance right on the spot. Explain.

This is because we have multiple body parts we can move as well as use to express certain things. our body parts represent different things such as the mouth represents talking, the heart loves, the eyes watching or tears, etc. By referring to them we can give more context to the improvisation.

 

Kennedy Cameron

1. Video 1 – "Revelations" by Alvin Ailey:
Wow—this piece is pure emotion in motion! You can feel the history, the struggle, and the joy in every movement. The dancers move with such passion and grace, like they’re telling a story without saying a word. The mix of sorrowful, soulful music with powerful, uplifting choreography takes you on a rollercoaster—one minute you’re holding back tears, the next you want to jump up and clap along. It’s like watching strength and beauty dance hand in hand.

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1b. Video 2 – "Body Shapes in Dance":
This one was like a cool behind-the-scenes peek into how dancers use their bodies to speak. It’s wild how just shifting your shape can change the whole vibe—one moment a dancer is reaching out like they’re yearning for something, and the next, they’re curled up like they’re hiding from the world. Shapes aren’t just poses; they’re like secret codes that tell stories. Definitely made me think differently about how movement can say so much without words.

2. My favorite shapes are Round, Wide, and Twisted. Round shapes feel calm and smooth, Wide shapes are bold and confident, and Twisted shapes add a cool, unexpected edge. Each brings its own vibe and makes movement more expressive!

3.  I relate most to curving or organic shapes and asymmetrical shapes in dance. Curving shapes feel natural and expressive, like flowing with the music, while asymmetrical shapes add creativity and surprise, making movements more interesting and unique.

4.   

1. Focus on exploring space, shape, and time rather than personal expression.
2. Use movement to create visual designs, treating the body like an instrument for shapes and patterns.
3. Encourage spontaneity and respond to external stimuli like sounds, props, and environment.

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5. Improvisation in dance can challenge political structures by emphasizing freedom, adaptability, and resistance to rigid norms. In I Want to Be Ready, the dance reflects resilience and readiness to confront social injustices, showing how movement can be a form of protest and self-expression.

6.  Body shapes provide structure and inspiration during improvisation. They guide movement choices, help explore new physical possibilities, and add variety to the dancer's expressions.

7.  Using body parts as reference points allows dancers to focus on isolated movements, spark creativity, and quickly generate new movement ideas on the spot.

 

Mackenzie Damus

 Question 1: I was unable to watch these videos because it is not granting me access on
YouTube

Question 2: I would say that my favorite shape is combined because I like to have a mix of
everything. For instance, I like combining movements with my arms while pointing my toes and
using my legs to take up more of the atmosphere around me when expressing myself through
dance.

Question 3: I would say curving or organic shapes relate to me because I like to do what feels
comfortable with my body. Additionally, I like using harmonious and contrasting shapes because
they are very optically pleasing.

Question 4:
Tip 1 - freedom is not about trade-offs, it should go beyond getting out of situations by making
deals and limiting one’s full potential
Tip 2 - Freedom is an ongoing process, freedom is something that is to be worked on a daily
basis through actions and choices made
Tip 3 - Being free requires you to stay creative, improving can help you stay flexible and restrict
limitations, and keep your freedom.

Question 5: Improv is a strong political tool because it enables creative, flexible ways to respond
to suppressive systems. Examples of these systems include resisting strict structures and
changing the definition of freedom to be a more ongoing process. The dance piece is a way to
show fluid, unexpected means of movement to show resilience to the strict rules society
opposes on us as humans and a way to achieve freedom.