Question

Music and dance are similar because both are able to communicate ideas and emotions without the use of words. In the absence of a vocal part, musicians create sounds that evoke certain emotions. Composers and performers do this through different elements of music like melody, harmony, and rhythm.  Dancers can also communicate emotions, ideas, or even a story through their movements, and these movements are often tied to musical elements like rhythm.

Imagine that you are composing a ballet. Pick an emotion that you want to show the audience.

• Describe how you would use certain elements of music to create the sounds of that emotion.
• How would you choreograph the dancers to align with your musical ideas?

Answer 1

I would choose the emotion sad for my ballet dancing.Initially ask the dancers to close their eyes and relax and feel their emotions within.

I would use the following tracks for my dance

Swan Lake, Op. 20, Act II No. ...

Chopin: Nocturne No. 1 in B-Flat Minor, Op. ...

Nocturne No. 1 in E-Flat Minor, Op. ...

Ask them how they are feeling right now
where and how they sense that feeling in their bodies
how that feeling can move through/out of their body in today’s class
Whatever mood a dancer is in, whether happy, sad, frustrated, jealous, bored, afraid… these moods can be channeled into creativity through their body and movements
Ii would encourage dancers to “let go and really dance” , not only in the final stages before performances and exams. Get dancers to “try on” different feeling words in a combination, step or pose you are working on to see how that affects their movement quality and confidence. Get dancers to find the word that fits how they feel when they dance at their best.Consider the role of emotions in physical issues: When assessing technical weaknesses, injuries and physical tension, in addition to looking at bio-mechanical factors, also consider if there may be any emotional reasons why dancers hold their body in this way. Make the dance studio a safe environment (free of judging and ridicule) where dancers can practice being vulnerable, open, integrated and passionate.