Lyrical Dance - Movements

Movements

Movements in lyrical dance are often characterized by their fluidity and grace. Leaps are often executed high, with a soaring quality; turns are airy, flowy and continuous.

However, a de-emphasis on grace may provide a more compelling window into a dancer's emotions: a succession of quick, small leaps may be executed low, displaying the ever-evolving traces of a dancer's internal landscape. When the music's tone is angry or frustrated, dancers use sharp, short movements. Anger is also an emotion seen in lyrical dance. In routines with a strong component of anger, it is common for the jazz portions and styles of lyrical to come out. However, a lethargic, drawn-out quality of movement may show a contemplative or hestitant feeling. When the routine is joyful or peaceful, dancers use lighter, more flowing movements.

Although lyrical was originally choreographed to music such as ballads that are slower/downbeat, melodic and sweet-sounding, it is a very broad form of dance including many dynamic, fast-paced and sometimes thrashy pieces. Upbeat, aggressive styles of music are used frequently. Music can be of any genre; pop,even hip hop/R&B styles, are popular for choreographing. Pop selections, including soulful, powerful songs by emerging artists, are often used in lyrical dance.

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Famous quotes containing the word movements:

    His reversed body gracefully curved, his brown legs hoisted like a Tarentine sail, his joined ankles tacking, Van gripped with splayed hands the brow of gravity, and moved to and fro, veering and sidestepping, opening his mouth the wrong way, and blinking in the odd bilboquet fashion peculiar to eyelids in his abnormal position. Even more extraordinary than the variety and velocity of the movements he made in imitation of animal hind legs was the effortlessness of his stance.
    Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)

    Virtues are not emotions. Emotions are movements of appetite, virtues dispositions of appetite towards movement. Moreover emotions can be good or bad, reasonable or unreasonable; whereas virtues dispose us only to good. Emotions arise in the appetite and are brought into conformity with reason; virtues are effects of reason achieving themselves in reasonable movements of the appetites. Balanced emotions are virtue’s effect, not its substance.
    Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225–1274)

    He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake;
    And when you think he’s half asleep, he’s always wide awake.
    —T.S. (Thomas Stearns)