manipulation of elements, principles, and design strategies to create mood and convey ideas in the arts, including but not limited to:
- dance: body, space, dynamics (dance), time, relationships, form, and movement principles
- drama: character, time, place, plot, tension, mood, focus, contrast, balance
- music: beat/pulse, metre, duration, rhythm (music), tempo, pitch, timbre, dynamics (music), form (music), texture, notation
- visual arts: elements of design: line, shape, space, texture, colour, form (visual arts), value; principles of design: pattern, repetition, balance, contrast, emphasis, rhythm (visual arts), movement, variety, proportion, unity, harmony
the elements of dance are universally present in all dance forms and grow in sophistication over time
what the body is doing, including whole or partial body action, types of movement (locomotor and non-locomotor), etc.
where the body is moving, including place, level, direction, pathway, size/reach, shape, etc.
how energy is expended and directed through the body in relation to time (quick/sustained), weight (strong/light), space (direct/indirect), and flow (free/bound)
how the body moves in relation to time, including beat (underlying pulse), tempo, and rhythmic patterns
with whom or what the body is moving; movement happens in a variety of relationship including pairs, groups, objects, and environments
The shape or structure of a dance; the orderly arrangement of thematic material. For example: phrase, beginning, middle, end, ABA, canon, call and response, narrative, abstract
alignment (mobility, stability, plumbline), weight transfer, flexibility, strength, balance, coordination
in drama, taking on and exploring the thoughts, perceptions, feelings, and beliefs of another
groupings or patterns of strong and weak beats
the length of a sound or silence in relation to the beat
the arrangement of sounds and silences over time
the frequency or speed of the beat
how high or low a note is
the characteristic quality of a sound independent of pitch and dynamics; tone colour
relative and changing levels of sound volume (e.g., forte, piano, decrescendo)
the structure of a musical work
simultaneous layering of sounds (e.g., multi-part music making)
could include use of traditional and non-traditional notation (e.g., guitar tablature); in dance, this can include written formal and informal systems of symbols, shapes, and lines that represent body position and movement; in drama this can include diagrams indicating stage directions
the visual element that pertains to an actual or implied three-dimensional shape of an image; visual art forms can be geometric (e.g., sphere, cube, pyramid) or organic (e.g., animal forms)
describes lightness or darkness
the planned use of the visual elements to achieve a desired effect
a principle of design concerned with the arrangement of one or more of the elements so that they give a sense of equilibrium in design and proportion (e.g., radial, symmetrical, or asymmetrical)
the combination of pattern and movement to create a feeling of organized energy
deliberate control of the viewer’s visual path across a work (e.g., a strong diagonal thrust of a colour)
the relationship in size of parts, to a whole, and to one another
these concepts are closely related and often overlap; elements are used to create a sense of completeness
The elements of music are universally present in all forms of vocal and instrumental music and grow in sophistication over time.