The Arts · Grade 5 · The Body in Motion · Term 2

Shape and Space in Dance

Investigating how dancers use positive and negative space to create visual interest and meaning.

• Ontario Curriculum Expectations
• D1.1

About This Topic

Shape and Space in dance focuses on how the body occupies the world around it. In Grade 5, students explore 'positive space' (the space the body fills) and 'negative space' (the empty space around and between bodies). The Ontario Curriculum emphasizes using these elements to create clear images and communicate relationships. For instance, two dancers standing far apart create a different 'story' than two dancers whose limbs intertwine to form a single shape.

This topic also introduces levels (high, medium, low) as a way to vary visual interest and power dynamics. By experimenting with these concepts, students learn to 'paint' with their bodies. This topic is inherently active; it requires students to move, observe, and adjust their physical presence in real-time to see how their shapes change the 'feel' of the room.

Key Questions

1. Explain how a dancer uses their body to communicate an emotion or tell a story.
2. Describe how changes in direction, level, and speed affect the way a dance movement looks.
3. Compare how slow, controlled movements and quick, sharp movements create different feelings in a dance.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze how positive and negative space are used by dancers to create specific visual relationships.
• Compare the emotional impact of movements performed at high, medium, and low levels.
• Explain how changes in speed and direction alter the audience's perception of a dance phrase.
• Create a short dance sequence that communicates a simple story using varied levels and spatial patterns.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of a peer's use of space to convey a specific character trait.

Before You Start

Grade 4: Body Awareness and Movement Exploration

Why: Students need a foundational understanding of how their bodies can move in different ways before exploring how those movements occupy and interact with space.

Grade 4: Elements of Dance (Space, Time, Energy)

Why: Prior exposure to the basic concepts of space, time, and energy in dance provides a necessary vocabulary and conceptual framework for this Grade 5 topic.

Key Vocabulary

Positive Space	The area that a dancer's body or bodies occupy on the stage or dance floor. This is the space that is filled.
Negative Space	The empty space around and between dancers, or the space that the body carves out. This space is just as important as the space the body fills.
Level	The vertical distance of a movement from the floor. Levels include high (e.g., jumps, reaching up), medium (e.g., standing, walking), and low (e.g., floor work, crouching).
Spatial Pattern	The pathway or design a dancer creates on the floor or in the air through their movement. This can be direct, curved, or zigzag.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Dance is only about moving constantly.

What to Teach Instead

Students often think stillness isn't part of dance. Use the 'Statue' activity to show that a strong, intentional shape can be just as expressive as a jump or a turn.

Common Misconception

Negative space is 'nothing.'

What to Teach Instead

Students may ignore the air around them. Use a hula hoop to help them visualize their 'kinesphere' (the space they can reach), showing that the space they *don't* fill is what defines the shape they *do* make.

Active Learning Ideas

Inquiry Circle: Negative Space Sculptures

In groups of three, one student creates a frozen 'statue' shape. The second student must fill a 'hole' (negative space) in that shape without touching them. The third student fills the remaining space. They then rotate.

20 min·Small Groups

Gallery Walk: The Shape Museum

Half the class creates a 'frozen' shape representing a word (e.g., 'growth' or 'conflict'). The other half walks through the 'museum,' identifying how the use of levels and negative space communicates that word.

20 min·Whole Class

Think-Pair-Share: Level Shifts

Pairs create a 10-second movement where one person is always 'high' and the other is 'low.' They then switch. Afterward, they discuss how it felt to be in the 'powerful' vs. 'grounded' position.

15 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• Choreographers for professional dance companies, such as the National Ballet of Canada, use principles of positive and negative space to design visually compelling stage pictures and convey narrative themes.
• Set designers for theatrical productions carefully consider how the placement of actors (positive space) and the surrounding set elements (negative space) will guide the audience's eye and enhance the story's mood.
• Animation artists designing character movement for films like 'Turning Red' manipulate the space around characters to emphasize their emotions and interactions, using sharp angles for anger or flowing curves for joy.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Ask students to form a group of three. Instruct them to create a single tableau (frozen shape) using their bodies that represents 'friendship'. Have them identify which parts of their shape are positive space and which are negative space, and explain why.

Discussion Prompt

Show a short video clip of a dance performance. Ask students: 'How did the dancers use the space around them to create a feeling of closeness or distance? Describe one moment where the use of negative space was particularly effective in telling the story.'

Exit Ticket

Students write on an index card: 'One way I used level today to change the feeling of my movement was...' and 'One way I used positive or negative space to show a relationship between two dancers was...'

Frequently Asked Questions

How can active learning help students understand shape and space?

Dance is the ultimate active learning subject. By physically 'filling' negative space, students gain a spatial awareness that a textbook cannot provide. These collaborative activities require them to constantly negotiate their position relative to others, which mirrors the real-world teamwork and non-verbal communication skills highlighted in the Ontario Curriculum.

How do I help students who are self-conscious about moving?

Start with 'frozen' shapes rather than fluid movement. Being a 'statue' feels safer for many students and allows them to focus on the design of the shape without the pressure of 'dancing' rhythmically.

What are 'levels' in dance?

Levels refer to the height of the movement: Low (on the floor), Medium (standing/kneeling), and High (jumping or reaching up). Using all three makes a dance more visually dynamic.

How does this connect to geometry?

Dance is 'living geometry.' You can ask students to create shapes with acute angles, parallel lines, or symmetrical balance, reinforcing their math curriculum through movement.