The Arts · Year 6 · Movement and Choreography · Term 4

Elements of Dance: Space and Levels

Exploring how dancers use personal and general space, and varying levels (high, medium, low) in their movements.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9ADA6S01
• AC9ADA6D01

About This Topic

Year 6 students explore the fundamental elements of dance: space and levels. This involves understanding personal space, the area immediately surrounding a dancer, and general space, the entire performance area. Students investigate how manipulating these spaces can convey meaning, such as using close personal space to show intimacy or isolation, and expansive general space to create a sense of freedom or conflict. Varying levels, from high (jumps, leaps) to medium (walking, turning) to low (crawling, floor work), adds dynamic visual interest and emotional depth to movement.

By experimenting with these elements, students develop their choreographic skills and deepen their understanding of how movement communicates. They learn to analyze how a dancer's spatial choices and level changes can express character, emotion, and narrative. This exploration also fosters collaboration as students consider how their movements interact with others in the general space, defining relationships and creating group dynamics. Understanding space and levels is crucial for both creating and interpreting dance works.

Active, hands-on learning is particularly beneficial for this topic, as it allows students to directly experience and embody the concepts of space and levels, making abstract ideas tangible and memorable through physical exploration and creative expression.

Key Questions

1. Analyze how a dancer's use of personal space can communicate vulnerability or power.
2. Design a short movement sequence that explores different levels (high, medium, low) to create visual interest.
3. Explain how the use of general space can define relationships between dancers or with the audience.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

All movement happens at a medium level.

What to Teach Instead

Students often default to standing and walking. Exploring high and low levels requires conscious effort and experimentation, which is best achieved through guided practice and observation of professional dancers.

Common Misconception

Personal space is just about not bumping into people.

What to Teach Instead

Personal space is also about emotional and expressive territory. Through activities where students use their personal space to convey feelings like shyness or confidence, they learn its communicative power beyond physical boundaries.

Active Learning Ideas

Space Exploration: Personal vs. General

Students start by exploring their personal space, moving within an imaginary bubble. Then, they expand to explore the general space, moving freely while being aware of others. This activity helps differentiate the two concepts through kinesthetic learning.

20 min·Individual

Level Transitions Challenge

In small groups, students create short movement phrases that transition smoothly between high, medium, and low levels. They focus on the quality of movement and the visual impact of these changes, presenting their phrases to the class.

30 min·Small Groups

Spatial Relationship Sculptures

Working in pairs, students create 'frozen pictures' or sculptures using their bodies to represent different relationships (e.g., friendship, conflict, leader/follower) within the general space. They discuss how proximity and body shapes communicate these ideas.

25 min·Pairs

Frequently Asked Questions

How can Year 6 students understand the difference between personal and general space?

Students can explore personal space by moving within an imaginary bubble around them, focusing on gestures and shapes. General space exploration involves moving across the entire dance area, interacting with the environment and other dancers, fostering an awareness of shared territory and spatial dynamics.

What are some ways to make exploring dance levels engaging?

Use music with varying tempos and moods to inspire different levels. Incorporate imagery, like being a tall tree reaching for the sky (high level) or a small seed growing underground (low level). Challenge students to create sequences that tell a story using only level changes.

How does using space in dance communicate ideas?

Dancers use space to show relationships, emotions, and narrative. Close proximity can indicate intimacy or tension, while large, expansive movements might suggest freedom or power. The way dancers occupy and move through general space can define characters and plot points within a performance.

Why is active learning important for learning about space and levels in dance?

Kinesthetic learning allows students to physically embody and experience spatial concepts. By actively exploring different levels and spatial relationships, students develop a deeper, intuitive understanding that goes beyond theoretical knowledge. Performing and observing peers also provides immediate feedback and reinforces learning.