Motif and Development

Motif and Development

Motifs are a single movement or a short phrase of movement which embody the style and intention of a dance. They are repeated, varied and developed by manipulating the movement. These manipulations usually involve some changes in the movement components of action, space, time or dynamics.

Motifs can be developed in the following ways:

·  Use different parts of the body

·  Alter the basic posture, e. g. standing to lying, sitting, up-side down

·  Add or change the direction

·  Change the size

·  Change the level

·  Alter the focus

·  Change the direction, dimension or plane

·  Alter the air or floor pattern

·  Increase of decrease the tempo

·  Vary the pattern of beats of the rhythm

·  Change the accents

·  Retrograde it – reverse the order of the movements

·  Change the dynamic or quality

·  Fragment the motif – use only one part repeatedly or some parts only, or change the order of the parts

·  Alter any of the aspects of the physical setting

·  Mix bits from different motifs together

·  Combine any of the above