MyLeoNes™

Dance pathways shape movement — Art, 7–10

A dancer can travel through space in straight, curved, zigzagging or looping pathways, and each route changes what we see.

idea

A pathway is the route your body takes as you move. You can walk in a straight line, curve around a chair, zigzag between two points or make a circle. The route is part of the dance, not just a way of getting from one place to another.

why

If dancers only moved towards a destination, a dance could look like ordinary walking. Pathways solve the problem of making movement visible and organised in space. A long curve can feel flowing, a sharp zigzag can feel alert, and a circle can bring people together or keep them apart.

worked example

Mark two spots on the floor, A and B, about three metres apart. First, travel from A to B in a straight line with four equal steps. Next, use eight smaller steps to make a curve around a chair, still ending at B. The destination stayed the same, but the second pathway makes the movement look more cautious and spacious.

trap

You may focus so much on the arms, face or steps that you forget the route across the floor. That mistake is reasonable because those body parts are easy to watch closely. But two dances with the same steps can look completely different when one travels in a line and the other curves or circles.

use

Choreographers use pathways to guide dancers around a stage and to help the audience notice relationships between people. You also meet them in marching bands, sports warm-ups and parade design. When you plan a safe route through a room, you are thinking about pathways, even though it is not a dance.

Keep exploring

Other languages

Loading MyLeoNes™…