The Dance Instrument: Dance Design Space

Year Published: 1975

Creator: The Athletic Institute

Complete Record: Illustrates the element of space in modern dance. Shows how space can be as pliable, active, passive, or alive as the dancer causes and wishes it to be. _______________________________ LS cloud formations from airplane. LS Rock panorama with clouds and cloud shadows on the desert. LS, camera facing towards floor. Four dancers define the points of a rectangle taped on the floor. Camera angle changes to side view. Pastel abstract drawing. Rotating sculpture of a lot of sticks. DIRECTIONS Using the sculpture as a model, the narrator asks how many different movement possibilities are there: Forward and back, side-to-side, up and down, on diagonals. Dancers demonstrate how these directions are shown by the human body. PATHS Overhead view of a freeway system with cloverleaf ramp. The narrator instructs the dancers to follow his directions of paths. Three dancers illustrate: Straight paths on floor with long sweeps, travel in a zig, zag path, cut a curved path, draw a half circle and retrace it, draw a completed circle and replace it, draw a figure eight, repeat curved path above floor with a body part, and draw designs of curvilinear shape. Etc. Rotating wire figure-eight sculpture. Just as the concept of volume can be manipulated by the designer, narrator says the image of volumes can be changed. Dancers shown from overhead camera changing shapes with linked arms. Camera moves to side to show ‘volumesque’ shapes created by three dancers. SPACE AROUND OTHER DANCERS. Modern iron sculpture showing square with regular cut-out circles on each side penetrated by floating figure. The narrator instructs the dancers to explore the space around dancers, and to be aware of time-path. OCCUPIED and EMPTY SPACES. Modern curved metal sculpture and similar fountain. The narrator instructs the dancers to explore occupied and empty spaces as they are created by moving. Narrator exhorts dancers to become aware of open spaces your body can create. Go through the spaces. Explore empty spaces. Connect one edge to another. Consider this as a group shape. Etc. Camera to side, dancers explore. One man in solo. Then three female dancers. CANTILEVER Image of perilously balanced natural rock formation. CU of various parts of this formation. The narrator says that as dancers explore their relationships to each other spatially, the activity makes the choreographer/viewer aware of the principles of design. The painter with his first stroke and the dancer with their first movement call attention to their intentions. Space is active, pliable, alive. Space is energy made visible through spatial expression. Extended demonstration, dance. Ending image of balanced figure sculpture. Final image, one of Degas dancers.