History and nature of dance

• During this time, dancers wore elaborate costumes and masks to hide their identities.
• Space in dance is the area the performers occupy and where they move, which can be divided into four different aspects, also known as spatial elements: direction, size, level, and focus.
• Timing in dance refers to the movements which may be executed in varying tempo (speed), moving with the tempo of an underlying sound, known as beat or pulse.
• Dance energies are propelled by energy or force, which can either initiate or stop an action.
• Sustained movements in dance are done smoothly, continuously, and with flow and control, and do not have a clear beginning and end.
• Percussive movements in dance are explosive or sharp in contrast with sustained movements, and are accented with a thrust of energy, having a clear beginning and ending.
• Vibratory movements in dance consist of trembling or shaking, a faster version Of percussive movements that produce a jittery effect.
• Swinging movements in dance trace a curved line or an arc in space, the movements are relaxed and giving in to gravity on the downward part of the motion, followed by an upward energy application.
• Suspended movements in dance are perched in space or hanging on the air, holding a raised leg in any direction is an example of a suspended movement.
• Collapsing movements in dance are released in tension and gradually or abruptly giving in to gravity, letting the body descend to the floor, a slow collapse can be described as a melting or oozing action in a downward direction.
• Bodily shapes in dance refer to how the entire body is molded in space or the configuration of body parts, which can be rounded, angular, or a combination of two.
• Group shapes in dance are performed by a group of dancers, arranged in wide, narrow, rounded, angular, symmetrical, or asymmetrical, and are viewed together as a total picture or arrangement within a picture frame.