EARTH: Realm of Dance
Dancing the 5 Elements: the primary modality of the body-based Earth Element
THE DANCE OF ELEMENTAL ALCHEMY ©️2010
EARTH DANCE
Earthquake, shimmy-shake, ground break, awake.
Strong, grounded, stable, aligned.
Instinctual, disinhibited, organic.
Footwork, floorwork, getting up and down from the floor.
Lie down, crawl, sit, stand, walk, stomp.
Plié (bend the knees), lunge, squat.
Movement is weighted by gravity.
Initiates from the ground and travels through the body in a natural pathway using biology & physics, not muscular contraction.
Earth is the home of self-nurturing and bodily health practices like nutrition, hydration, rest and rejuvenation, etc.
AIR DANCE
Float, fly, soar, more...
Initiates from the breath.
Balanced, risky, light, ethereal, flighty, playful, soft.
Built upon the stable foundation of Earth, follows the same natural pathways, then adds suspended arms, reactive upper body, and the ability to defy gravity.
Standing on one leg, relevé (tiptoes), turns & spins, suspension.
Skip, bounce, jump, leap, twirl.
Arms like wings or holding a bubble, moves within the space as though bones are hollow and and filled with helium.
Veils, fans, fanveils, wings, flow toys.
Air is the home of musicality and improvisation.
It is the first creative inspiration to dance.
FIRE DANCE
Powerful, passionate, explosive!
Warm, sensual, inviting…
Ignites from the core, travels outward through the blood.
Muscularly attacked initiation which then radiates out through the previously honed natural pathways and releases—the bridge between natural & muscular movements.
Whip, flick, pop, smack, ROAR!
Swoon, burn, melt, sigh…
Hand floras, tiger claws & lightning bolt arms.
All The Fire Toys!
Fire is the home of emotional expression and body language.
WATER DANCE
Circles & Infinities
Rolling & rippling movements
Snakey arms & serpentine spine
Movements flow from the source to the chosen destination in a circuitous fashion via fluid, muscular contraction.
Crash! Splash! Dribble...drop--BING!
Fountaining up and falling with gravity, rather than exploding.
Tension is always maintained and channeled, rather than released.
As the Domain of Mind, Water is the home of choreography--deliberately choosing one moment of inspiration & emotion (Air & Fire) to memorize and hone into a bodily expression (Earth) that is repeated each time you dance to that music.
It also tells the story of how each section in the music lands for someone as translated through the medium of bodily movement.
METAL DANCE
Stab. Slash. Slice-Poke-Cut.
Punch through. Hammer down.
Demolish.
Embellish.
Intricate precision.
Moves are executed in a linear fashion using solid grounding and meticulous muscular contraction.
Air moves within the space; Metal pierces and cuts through the space.
Blades, coins, weapons, jewelry, finger cymbals.
Dramatic poses and stances.
Reverent salutation.
Deep bow.
Metal is the home of the Stage Face—whether it is a transparent or opaque mask upon the genuine emotions going on underneath. This includes costumes, makeup, and hair.
It is also the connection and communication with one’s audience—whether that connection is overt and direct, or the dancer is dancing solely for the self and allowing an audience to come along for the ride. (Even if the audience is only one’s pets and dust bunnies.)
THE DANCE OF ELEMENTAL ALCHEMY - in action:
UP NEXT: The Real Earth Dance - how being unable to walk for a week taught me more about this first foundational element than I could have ever learned in a century of dancing with it on my feet.
© 2010 Hartebeast
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