BARBARA METTLER The Language of Movement Page 4 of 6 Creative dance is the pure art of body movement, underived from any other art and undiluted by non-dance elements. Like every art, it uses a certain material and a certain instrument. The material of dance is movement. The instrument is the human body. Although it is impossible to separate the material from the instrument of dance, we must learn to analyze them separately in order to devise studies to sevelop skill in the use of the body-instrument and craftmanship in the creation of meaningful movement forms. Studies in the ujse of the body as expressive instrument include exploration of basic body movements, movement of separate body parts, tension and relaxation. Studies in the use of movement as expressive material include improvising with movement qualities of force, time and space such as forceful, forceless; slow, fast; large, small. The meaning of creative dance is the feeling inherent in the movement, which begins as a sensation in the muscles then travels throughout the entire nervous system, involving the whole person - body, emotions, mind. The dance form is organic, which means that the dance grows out of itself like any living thing. Every movement has a life of its own, growing ot of the preceding one and, at its conclusion, giving birth to another. Creative dance form may be abstract or representational. In representational form the movement represents an action derived from a specific life experience, while in abstract form the movement expresses a generalized feeling abstracted from many life experiences. Abstract form is more universal than representational form because it expresses feelings which can be understood by anyone, while representational form requires familiarity with the specific actions from which the feelings have been derived. The art of body movement is the central art, leading us into all the others. Movement is audible, so it can lead into the arts of sound. We sometimes improvise our own accompaniments while we dance, using sounds of breath, voice, hands, feet or a musical instrument. We can accompany ourselves, or some members of the group can improvise in sound while others improvise in movement. Movement is visible and can provide access to the visual arts. Through the movements of our bodies we can create beautiful visual designs. As action, movement can become the art of action, drama. Creative dance can integrate all the arts. <<< previous >>> next