BARBARA METTLER The Language of Movement Page 3 of 6 Creative dance is a free approach to the art of body movement. It differs from other kinds of dancing in a number of ways. Some kinds of dance emphasize theatrical techniques and audience entertainment. Others perform traditional cultural patterns. Some tell stories or interpret music. Creative dance stresses natural body movement and free expression. Its purpose is to enable each one of us to create movement forms which express our individual feelings and together to create movements which express the feelings of the group. We improvise. This means that we make up our movements while we dance. Instead of practicing learned movements, we practice improvisation. Improvisation is the freest form of dance. It opens the doors of dance activity to everyone. At the same time it challenges even the most advanced dancer because it calls forth maximum skill in the spontaneous creation of satisfying movement forms. It is not a preparation for some dance which will be performed in the future. It must be satisfying dance now. Although each one of us is unique in body structure and temperment, we can all share the same movement feelings. While improvising, we can sense the movements which are going on around us and, by relating our movements to the movements of others, together create group movement forms. Group improvisation is the most satisfying of all creative dance experiences because it enables us to participate in the creation of movement experiences that are greater than any we could create alone. We learn to recognize and develop movement themes as they occur, every individual contributing as much as he or she can to the movement of the group body. It is like a conversation. We do not know what we are going to say until we start talking and then we find things to talk about. A group body, like an individual body, consists of various members, all moving differently but able to move together as a unified whole. Members of an individual body are hands, arms, feet, legs, head, and other parts. Members of the group body are people. An individual body can make movements such as stretching, bending, twisting, running and jumping. A group body can form circles and lines, divide, come together, follow a leader, and so forth. In our study of creative dance we explore basic movements of both the individual and the group body.   <<< previous >>> next