Action is any human movement included in the act of dancing— it can include dance steps, facial movements, partner lifts, gestures, and even everyday movements such as walking. Dance is made up of streams of movement and pauses, so action refers not only to steps and sequences, but also to pauses and moments of relative stillness.
Dancers may use movements that have been choreographed or traditional dances taught by others who know the dances. Depending on the dance style or the choreographer's decision, dancers may also revise or embellish movement they have learned from others. Movement can also be improvised, meaning that the dancers make it up "on the spot" as they spontaneously dance. Movement that travels through space is broadly called locomotor movement in contrast to axial movement, which occurs in one spot. |
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Understanding and discussing action does not require extensive dance terminology since movement can be categorized and described according to its qualities. For example, while a “sashay” in American Square Dance might be called a “chassé” in Ballet or an “undercurve” in Modern Dance technique, we can also describe it as a “slide” since that essential characteristic is present in all those steps.
Watch this Video, then:
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MN Dance Education Summit - photo by Dan Markworth
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Between The Fire and Ice (excerpt)
Choreographer: Joe Chvala
Music: Joe Chvala, Eric Jensen, Savage Aural Hotbed
Performers: Joe Chvala, Luke Walrath and the Flying Foot Forum
Videographer:
Flying Foot Forum is a vibrant and bold percussive dance/theater company that fuses percussion and percussive dances with many other forms of music, dance and theater, telling unusual tales, creating a wild variety of characters, and exploring universal ideas in inventive and exciting new ways. Founded in 1993 by Joe Chvala, the Flying Foot Forum has been presented in a variety of venues around the world from Paris to New York City, Jacob’s Pillow to England. Continue reading more on Flying Foot Forum website.
Choreographer: Joe Chvala
Music: Joe Chvala, Eric Jensen, Savage Aural Hotbed
Performers: Joe Chvala, Luke Walrath and the Flying Foot Forum
Videographer:
Flying Foot Forum is a vibrant and bold percussive dance/theater company that fuses percussion and percussive dances with many other forms of music, dance and theater, telling unusual tales, creating a wild variety of characters, and exploring universal ideas in inventive and exciting new ways. Founded in 1993 by Joe Chvala, the Flying Foot Forum has been presented in a variety of venues around the world from Paris to New York City, Jacob’s Pillow to England. Continue reading more on Flying Foot Forum website.