2/2/22026 - Week 4 / Meeting 6: The Body / Emotions

 

Unit: The Body

Theme: Emotions

 

I

Introduction

Emotions can be expressed in dance improv. The dancer can get in touch with his/her emotions to generate gestures and movements that combined can become phrases.  The idea is that the dancer can make use of the stereotypical was of expressing emotions as well as more authentic movements. Because this class encourages the cultivation of the inside-out dancer, the goal is to find expressions that truly express the dancer's emotions.

II 

Learning Objectives

 

• Understand the connection between body and emotions
  
• Explain the creative process involved in the expression of emotions
• Gain awareness of the use of movement to transition from the word to the emotion
  
• Experience ensemble movement when integrating all the emotions
• Reflect on the creative process at the end of the process
  

 

III

Warm Up

 Stretching

 

IV 

Main Lesson

 

 1

Sesame Street: Emotions through Dance with Alvin Ailey Dance Theater

 Question 1

What was you impression about the way these dancers express emotions through dance? Explain

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2

Book:

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Taken_by_Surprise/OYbHhwUpxAMC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Dance+Improvisation&printsec=frontcover

 

Book Link:

Taken by Surprise: A Dance Improvisation Reader

By  Ann Cooper Albright, ‎David Gere

 

A dancer and a scholar, Ann Cooper Albright is Professor and Chair of the Department of Dance at Oberlin College. Originally an undergraduate philosophy major at Bryn Mawr College, she received her MFA in Dance from Temple University and a PhD in Performance Studies from New York University.

 

David Gere, Ph.D., is the founding director of the UCLA Art & Global Health Center and is a professor in the UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance, where he teaches courses in arts activism. His extensive writing and global curatorial projects address arts-based public health interventions and projects. Art & Global Health Center programs operate across five continents and engage and encourage local artist communities to take on public health issues in accessible and entertaining ways.

 

Question 2

After reading the Introduction to the book, what would improvisation mean to you?

 

 

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  V

 

Read the Article

 

 

The Nikolais/Louis Dance Technique: A Philosophy and Method of Modern Dance

Read: Defining Improvisation

Murray Louis and Alwin Nikolais

 https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Nikolais_Louis_Dance_Technique/Q8sGDAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Dance+Improvisation&pg=PA35&printsec=frontcover

VI

 

Activity

Dance the following emotions

1. Vanity

2. Surprise

3. Greed

4. Sadness

5. Hate 

6. Happiness

7. Fear

8. Love 

 

Question 3

 

In which way do emotions relate to improvisation as explained the introduction of Taken by Surprise?

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VII

Writing Activity

 

Write a one paragraph reflection about your experience in class today in terms of movement and reading about dance improvisation. 

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VIII

 Journaling

 

IX

Glossary

 

X

Sources

 

XI

Students' Work 

 

Jason Egre

Q) What was your impression of the way these dancers express emotions through dance? Explain.
The dancers communicated emotion effectively through their movement quality, timing, and overall energy. Some motions were soft and controlled, which gave a sense of sadness or reflection, while others were quick and forceful, suggesting excitement or tension. Their facial expressions also added to the performance by making feelings like curiosity and surprise more visible.

Q) After reading the introduction to the book, what would improvisation mean to you?
To me, improvisation means creating movement freely in the moment without relying on a fixed structure or detailed plan, while still being able to communicate emotion, meaning, and intention.