2022-05-04

The Four Pillars of Dance!

Like most scientific rules that are universally accepted, even the basic rules of dance are universal. Be it Salsa, Cha Cha, Bollywood, Samba, Ballet, or the Indian Classical Dance forms; every dance has four pillars that lay a base for a solid and beautiful dance. Today we shall try to understand how diverse yet similar the dance forms are globally!

There are four pillars or elements of dance: Time, Space, Shape, and Energy. Let us now try to understand these.

1. Time: It is the duration of the movement. In Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam, the dancers hold positions so that the audience can grasp the movement's impact. Time further includes concepts like:
   1. Tempo - the pace of the movement, i.e., slow or fast
   2. Rhythm - arrangement of short or long or strong or light movements
   3. Beat - the constant undergoing pulse
   4. Accent - these are the recurring strong beats after intervals.
2. Space: It is the area surrounding dancers in which they can move. Space includes the below concepts:
   1. Level - It is the vertical distance from the floor. A jump closer to the base in Kuchipudi adds grace and poise to the dance.
   2. Direction - The way the body moves in a specific direction is also crucial in dance! I.e., whether the dancer is moving forward, backward, sideways, up, down, etc.
   3. Pathways are similar to the direction. However, they include the patterns dancers make while moving across the floor or in the air (for aerial acts).
   4. The Focus of the dancers' eyes while dancing also beautifies the performance.
   5. Size - Depending on the space available, the dancer has to decide on the size of the movements.
3. Shape: Any structure created with body parts, the whole body, or other dancers is called space. So be it a circle, star, or square formation during a dance performance, they are called Shape!
4. Energy: The word is simple enough to explain what energy is! A dancer has to decide the force or the power to use to ensure the audiences understand the story represented through the dance. The Force in dance could be Heavy or Light, Sharp or Smooth, Tensed or RElaxed, Bound or Flowing.

As said earlier, these are the base for all dance forms. These elements govern the sways in cha cha, the jete (leap) in ballet, and the mudras and leg and hand movements in Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam!

We are sure there are very few Academies and dancers who teach in such depth about all these factors apart from the basic dance. We at Antara ensure that our students learn the dance forms in-depth and all the philosophical and psychological impact of the dance on the mind and body!

So what are you waiting for? Enroll someone you know who would love to learn the nitty-gritty of dance or if you would love to learn dance, come along and join our family!