Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1998 14:41:11 -0500 From: Steven Bytnar Subject: Dancing 101 Exam Review & U2 - Still Haven't Found What I'm Dancing For To: dance-at-joes@uiuc.edu The Dance-At-Joes final exam is next week, so... G __ \\ ,,)_ \'-\( / \ | ,\ \|_/\\ / _ '.D / / \ | /_\ |_\ '- '- --------- JustDance! --------- Final exam review: There are 4 dancing principals: *Proportion - There must be a pleasing relationship in size and shape amoung the dancers. Groups of dancers are best organized in circles. Many formations are available, but unpractical on a crowded dance floor. *Balance - The result of proper distribution of weight to your feet. *Rhythm - Rhythm is a dancer. It's your soul companion.. oh nevermind. :) The organization of dancing elements to create a dominant visual pathway by related movements. Following someone elses dance moves or their movement can cause a sense of coordinated rhythm. 1) Flailing - the act of waving your arms like your neck is broken. 2) Transition - the indiscrete change from one dance move to another, usually by progression, gradation or sequence of movements. 3) Repetition - repeating form, patterns of moves. Part of a coordinated rhythm. Keeps things from seeming boring or monotonous. 4) Humptying - limp to tha sounds like ya legs is broken, shakin' and twitchen' kinda like ya was smokin' crazy whack funky. People say you look like MC Hammer on crack, but you're just doin the Humpty Dance. That's aaiit 'cause my body's in motion. It's supposed to look like a fit or a commotion. *Dominance - Emphasis. Implies subordination. The dance is controlled by one (sometimes more) elements. Through the development of dominance, the dance indicates to the viewer what is most important in their movements. For couples dancing, everyone can watch the dominance switch back and forth, making viewers realize what is most important to them. 8) Fun! Right! Oh yea. 1) Center of interest - Various moves can draw all parts of the dance together, providing an area on which to focus attention. 2) Developing a center of interest a) Special moves such as jumping, floor arches, body-to-body grooving, the Hand Jive, or YMCA. b) Circle edge to center movements makes you seem more important and more centric to the group. c) Revealing clothes are good attention getters d) Matching background rhythms to emphasize large body movements. Hip twists, bouncy moves, lunging. *Classification of form/shape: 1) Naturalistic. exploits/exagerates natural moves. 2) Free form. Normally expressed in clothing. Free flowing lines, outlines, precise curves. Can include quick and sharp movement. 3) Geometric: vertical motion, horizontal motion, zig zags. *Style: form changes with variety of music. We dance to mostly 80's styles. *Dance form's the third dimension: mentioned in Center Of Interest as edge to center movements. Not just moving up & down and side to side, you can move forward and backward too! * Interlocking two person dances: This brings a whole new dimension to the dance floor. 8) *Space is taste: 1) Dont crowd others in your group, but yet consider the overall scene. 2) Consider open crowded and space within the group. Everyone wants to be comfortable. 3) Consider your space. You want to be comfortable. Example: "Hogarth curve" - an S curve. William Hogarth said "A straight line, a line of duty, a curving line, a line of beauty." *Themes: 1) Expressiveness: the abilty to portray or communicate something to the viewer. May be an idea, theme, emotion, mood or message. If creative, distinctive and or original, the dance becomes a work of art. The message may be cheer, humor, love, friendship, etc. 2) Dominance: if the theme is uncertainty, or singularity, (dancing with yourself), dominance should be minimized. Most expressive dances have dominance well developed. Sample exam question: To give your dancing the most pizzazz, create a _flowing_visual_pathway_ or _________ to _lead_ the eye smothly and gracefully _to_the_area_where_the_ design_should_be_visually_tied_together ie. the _____ of _____ which is _created_by_using_proper _________. Answers to the blanks: rhythm center interest dominance Gratuitous, nonreworded song. ------------------------- Cyndi Lauper Time After Time Lying in my bed I hear the clock ticks and think of you Caught up in circles, confusion is nothing new flash back warm night, almost left behind suitcase of memories Time after sometime you pictured me I'm walking too far ahead you're callin' to me I can't hear what you've said you said: "Go slow, I fall behind " the second hand unwinds If you're lost you can look and you will find me Time after time If you fall I will catch you, I'll be waiting Time after time I turn, my picture fades and darkness has turned to grey watching through windows you're wondering if I'm OK Secrets stolen from deep inside the drum beats out of time If you're lost you can look and you will find me Time after time If you fall I will catch you, I'll be waiting Time after time ------------------------- The comments in () are music-video related type notes. I know the rewording is a bit mellow. That's why I put the Gratuitous Nonreworded song first. :) ------------------------- U2 Joshua Tree I Still Haven't Found What I'm Dancing For I have climbed the highest mountains (Vertical Plains) I have run to Fifth Street Only to dance with you Only to dance with you I have run I have crawled I have scaled Joe's Jail Bars, Joe's Jail Bars Only to be with you But I still haven't found What I'm dancing for But I still haven't found What I'm dancing for (Scene: a bar with the objects in the margin are lined up) I have kissed a Woodchucks' lips (prolly bite your lips off first) Felt the numbness in my fingertips (drink a little too much?) It burned like fire (a prairie fire) This burning desire (a flambe-diesel) I have sung with the tongues of angels (Madonna's Like a Prayer) I have danced with a devil (last week's little devil!) It was warm under the lights (warm beer from dance floor lights?) Although the night was cold (that dance floor always stays warm) But I still haven't found What I'm dancing for But I still haven't found What I'm dancing for I believe in Dancing At Joes Where I can dance until one, dance until one But why am I still dancing? (Dance at Joes continues this summer) Who broke my bonds? (Symbolism of becoming stronger,) Who loosened my chains? (... getting higher self-esteem,) Who carried my cross? (... and less self conscious.) Made dancing a game? (the more it seems like a game, the easier it is) What did I gain? (Did any of that make me a different dancer?) (... Yes. Better? You tell me. :) ) You know I still believe in it (it = dancing) Though I still haven't found What I'm dancing for Though I still haven't found What I'm dancing for --Steve Steven Bytnar Computer Engineering U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign "That is why it is called a development version. They don't even know if all the bugs are _in_ it yet." http://www.uiuc.edu/ph/www/s-bytnar