Personal and shared space
Personal space is the bubble around you. Stretch your arms and legs in every direction without moving your feet: the space you reach is your personal space. It travels with you when you move.
Shared space (general space) is the whole room or stage where all dancers move. Rules for sharing:
- Look ahead and around before you move.
- Keep your bubble from touching other bubbles.
- Fill empty places on the floor, so the group looks balanced.
- Stop at once if you are about to bump into someone.
Levels and directions
Levels
Level means how high or low the body is from the floor.
- Low level: crouching, kneeling, lying or crawling.
- Middle level: standing, walking, bending the knees.
- High level: on tiptoe, jumping, or arms stretched up.
Directions
Direction is where the body travels or faces: forward, backward, left, right and also diagonal. Changing direction makes a path, and a path makes a pattern, like a zig-zag or a circle.
Mix levels and directions: go forward low, then turn and rise high. This gives your dance variety and tells a story.
Key formulas and definitions
- Key term: personal space = the bubble around you, as far as you can reach
- Key term: shared space = the whole floor used by all dancers
- Key term: level = low, middle or high height of the body
- Key term: direction = forward, backward, left, right or diagonal
- Memory: Bubble, Share, Level, Direction
Worked examples
1. Four dancers are on a small floor. How can they avoid bumping?
Each keeps their arms inside their own personal space, looks around before moving, spreads out to fill empty parts of the floor and slows down or stops near others.
2. Plan a 3-move path using different levels.
Move 1: crawl forward at low level. Move 2: stand and turn right at middle level. Move 3: jump on tiptoe with arms up at high level. Three levels, two directions.
3. A dancer wants to show 'sadness turning to joy'. How can levels help?
Start low, curled on the floor to show sadness. Slowly rise through middle level and finish at a high level with arms wide to show joy.
Common mistakes
- Thinking personal space stays in one place. It moves with you.
- Moving without looking around. Always check the shared space first.
- Using only the middle level. Using low and high levels makes dance richer.
- Choosing one direction only. Change direction to make interesting patterns.