Ballroom pro-am competitor, the Girl with the Tree Tattoo shares what she’s learned about the elements of dance – the concepts of weight, energy, space, and time – and how these dynamics apply in partner dance.
concept of space
Teaching Dynamics: It’s All In The Effort
The way we use our body’s weight can be light or strong. Think of weight in terms of force. How much force are you putting behind a gesture, or a leap? How much force to you use to lift a feather? Barely any. But a brick can take lots of effort, making you use a lot of strength or force. You can play around with weight by guiding a blindfolded person around the room. Do they like to feel a strong forceful touch or light touch?
Space: Inside, Outside and Through
When I teach dance I always start with the concept of space. It doesn’t matter if I am teaching 3 year olds or 63 year olds, space to me is a blank canvas. And I want to teach my students how to fill it.
