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 time
The Mouse Ran Up The Clock: Exploring Time With Nursery Rhyme
Jack be Nimble, Jack be Quick, Jack Jumped Over the Candlestick
I have the students run and jump over our “candlestick” on the word OVER. We accent the third beat and the children clap along. (one, two, Three, four/one, two, Three, four/one, two, THREE, four/ one, two, THREE, four.)
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?
