Dance "textbook" for different qualities of movement

December 27, 2013 11:00 AM

I am at the stage in my dance hobby in which I am trying to go beyond individual moves into dancing those movements in a way that evokes a specific feeling. Whether it's assertive & funky, soft and flowing, or happy and excited--I need to learn how to use my body to convey different moods. I'm taking private lessons, but are there written resources like textbooks or handbooks that walk through basic principles like "here's what makes arm or leg lines look confident, this is how to make a movement look quieter, etc."? I do partner dancing but resources for any style of dance are welcome.
posted by philosophygeek to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (2 answers total)

I don't have a specific book recommendation because I haven't really studied it, but Laban movement analysis and Bartenieff fundamentals breakdown movement qualities such as shape, effort, and space among other things.
posted by missriss89 at 11:32 AM on December 27, 2013

One book we have on our shelves is Blood Memory, by Martha Graham. My husband's mother studied with her. My husband was a professional ballet dancer and partner for many years, and he also studied with Tony Montanaro, a student of Marcel Marceau. You might enjoy this little clip about Tony. The body isolation movements are really striking -- I see my husband doing the hand wave thing that Tony does in the video, it's his big trick! Now I know where he got it from.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 1:49 PM on December 27, 2013