1. Elements of Dance:
How we move in dance…

2. What is the element of ENERGY?
Energy in dance describes the emotion or how much force is used to create a movement
We use energy everyday, but dance uses energy to help communicate a feeling or purpose of a dance move
You can tell WHY a dance move exists by HOW much energy a dancer uses to create it

3. 1. Weight
Light: seems to require very little ENERGY. These movements take a long time to come down and are easy when moving upwards.
Describes how heavy or light a movement is
Heavy: seems to require a lot of ENERGY; dancer can be ‘weighed down’ and sluggish. Appearing to struggled or show resistance
HEAVY: push, pull, drag, hold, press, bounce
LIGHT: float, fly, sway, swing

4. 2. What is quality?
Quality of a movement is much like the quality of a good movie or a nice pair of clothes.
It describes the condition of which the movement (item) is currently in.
We can describe a movement quality by looking at its ENERGY.
Sharp, sustained, smooth, tight, loose

5. 3. ENERGY explains Emotions
ENERGY in a dance can also tell us the emotion a choreographer or dancer is trying to communicate.
High energy: scared, angry, worried, anxious
Low energy: sick, tired, sad, bored, frustrated
We can use this to inform us of the purpose of dance move

6. 4. Why do we need ENERGY in dance?
Helps us to communicate the purpose, message, or idea of a dance.
Connects the audience to the choreography
Without energy, there’s no purpose to the dance
Energy creates new ways of expression simple actions
Makes complex actions easier to understand

7. 5. How do I use ENERGY in my dancing?
Effort is the first step in applying ENERGY to a dance routine.
You can start with an of the dance mediums (image, music, object, or issue) and try to express it using only ENERGY.
Decide whether or not a dance needs a lot or a little of energy.
Then play with the variations of ENERGY.