Spatial Awareness

Understanding ‘Spatial Awareness in Performance’

• Spatial Awareness refers to the comprehension and application of space in dance, including dimensions, direction, levels, pathways, and patterns.

• It’s crucial for dancers to be aware of their own space, the space of others, and the space of the entire performance area or stage.

• Effective use of spatial awareness in dance can create visually captivating formations, sequences, and transitions.

ELEMENTS OF SPATIAL AWARENESS

• It involves understanding personal space, the area your body occupies and your surrounding “kinesphere”, as dancers must be aware of their body’s reach and shape at all times.

• Group space or “general space” considers the interaction of multiple dancers within a performance space, such as the spacing between dancers and group formations.

• Spatial awareness also conceives the full extent of performance space, understanding how a stage or performance area can be used fully to entail a variety of movements and directions.

DEVELOPING SPATIAL AWARENESS

• Dancers can develop spatial awareness through exercises that involve navigating or moving around a stage, shifting focus and direction.

• Practice routines with different formations, levels, and pathways to become more accustomed to managing your space effectively.

• Implementing tools such as mirrors can be useful to visually perceive and enhance spatial awareness during practice.

APPLYING SPATIAL AWARENESS IN PERFORMANCE

• Use spatial awareness to enrich the visual effect of routines by exploiting the performance space with diverse formations and pathways, and coordinating movements with other dancers.

• Through proper understanding and usage of space, dancers can avoid potential collisions, ensure safety, and provide a smooth performance.

• Always remember to map out your surroundings before performing, enabling safe and effective utilization of the performance space.