During the dance course, I learned several aspects of dance. The first classes led to the understanding that indeed that dance is an art that takes into account various aspects such as coordination and alignment of the body. Dance entails choreography in which a dancer plans and arranges the dance movement into a meaningful process. In course of the process, a dancer has to ensure that there is coordination that entails complex body activities using the different body parts working together and efficiently. In course of the dance, one has to recall all of the body movements which are either defined in the form of steps, sequence or dances and ensure that there is consistency.
Additionally, the dancing classes emphasized on the attention and sensitivity to musical element while both practicing and performing. To take heed of the musicality one ought to understand the stage directions as they are provided by the choreographer. In this regard, there is the need to align all the aspects of dance including the body posture. The ankles, pelvis, thorax and the head ought to be aligned in such a way that they promote the dance skills. Also, a dancer should have elaborate body awareness understanding how they feel and what they can do. Body awareness requires one to have internal perception, environmental and physical perception of the body. Such awareness promotes the process of dancing giving the dancer the control that is required on the dance floor.
Dance entails the combination of the various aspects of dance which are a body, action, space-time, and energy. The first important aspect is the body and therefore a dancer can manipulate the whole body or parts of the body while dancing. In some cases, the body is constant motion while other time the body is still depending on the rhythm. When the body is in movement it is said to be in action. Dance action in this regard can take account of the body steps, gestures, and facial movements (Samanta et al.). In all cases, dancers are expected to use other bodies to device internal ideas and generate emotions. Additionally, they are expected to express these emotions in an outward manner sharing them with the audience and the partners in a dance.
While dancing, one requires a space in which the movements take place and where the body moves. Space has different impact on the nature and type of dance and incorporates various aspects of the stage. For instance, dance entails the proper use of space by taking account of the directions, size, pathways, and levels of the designated space (Samanta et al.). Further, the nature of the dance is defined by the relationship between the body movements in relation to the time. In this regard, the element of time brings about such aspects such as the duration of the movements, speed, and beat.
Another factor of dance is the energy which is the determinant of how a particular movement is conducted. Energy brings about the concept of energy and forces varying the force, tension, and weight with which the various movements are brought about. Depending on the energy applied in a particular dance move it can be described as lose, sharp, tight, flowing, swaying suspended, smooth, light, heavy or even percussive.
Throughout the course, I learned that there is specific etiquette that is applied by dancers in a studio. Indeed all the dancing activities are taught in an environment that promotes mutual respect between the instructor and the peers. In this regard, various rules have been put in place to ensure that discipline is upheld. Some of the rules include punctuality, silence, proper hygiene, appropriate dress and shoes (Samanta et al.). More so, it is important to ensure that everyone in the class remains focused by minimizing the disruptions during the class.
To emphasize the art of dance, an acronym was devised to help in understanding various element. One acronym that was extensively used is the BHARATANATYAM which is an acronym that incorporates expression, music, rhythm and the theatrical aspect in dance. A cohesive combination of the elements brings an embodied form of art. Another word is ADAVU which implies a pure dance technique in Bharatanatyam. Also in Indian classical dance, I learned of the importance of HASTA MUDRAS with various hand gestures that are used to signal with different meanings in the dance (Samanta et al.).
By the end of the course, I learned that Indian classical dance is considered to be the hidden language of the body and the soul. The dance involves moving rhythmically to music will following various sequences of steps. Although it is an art it can also be an expression of emotions, entertainment and even a symbol of happiness. In the course, I learned to portray the meaning of drama through presentation of various parts of the body and even costumes. However, the hands play an important role in expression of various meanings in the course of the dance.
Works Cited
Samanta, Soumitra, Pulak Purkait, and Bhabatosh Chanda. "Indian classical dance classification by learning dance pose bases." (2012): 265-270.
