Dancers interact with space in myriad ways. They may stay in one place or they may travel from one place to another. They may alter the direction, level, size, and pathways of their movements. 

The relationships of the dancers to each other may be based on geometric designs or rapidly change as they move close together, then apart. Even when a dancer is dancing alone in a solo, the dancer is dynamically involved in the space of the performing area so that space might almost be considered a partner in the dance. 

Dancers may focus their movement and attention outwardly to the space or inwardly, into themselves. The line of travel may be quite direct towards one or more points in space or indefinite and meandering. 

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Dancers may also orient their movement towards objects or in relation to natural settings. Sometimes dances are created for specific locations such as an elevator or on a raft in a lake for site-based performances. 

Spatial relationships between dancers or between dancers and objects are the basis for design concepts such as beside, in front of, over, through, around, near or far.

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Watch this video, then: 

• As a group: Describe how space is used in this dance and use one of the reflective tools such as Descriptive Review to examine this dance more deeply. 
  
• On your own: Download the Same & Different tool to  compare and contrast the use of space in this video with one of the other videos on this website OR go online to make a digital comparison: Digital Venn Diagram

same__different.pdf
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Teachers Workshop, Perpich Center - photo by Dan Markworth

Dance With Two Army Blankets, by Shapiro & Smith Dance @ Hinckley, Minn. from V Paul V on Vimeo.

Dance with Two Army Blankets
Choreography: Danny Shapiro & Joanie Smith
Music: 
Performers: Lauren Baker, Kevin Iverson, Andrew Lester, Megan McClellan and Scott Mettille (Shapiro & Smith Dance)
Videographer: V. Paul Virtuccio