Have students walk around the room and experiment with the five elements of dance. You may want to call out the components of each element one at a time (e.g.: skip, make a curvy shape, show me a low level etc) or combine them (e.g.: Skip backwards at a medium level) depending on the comfort level of your students. As an option, you may want to play music while the students are body-storming. This may be particularly helpful when students are experimenting with the element of time.

Pour la version française, voir le ressource de CODE "Éléments de danse".

Body Space Time Energy Relationship
Body Shapes (using the whole body, or isolating one body part) Levels Tempo Quality  
  • Curvy shape
  • Open shape
  • Closed shape
  • Twisted shape
  • Stretched shape
  • Symmetrical shape
  • Asymmetrical shape
  • High
  • Medium
  • Low
  • Slow
  • Fast
  • Acceleration
  • Deceleration
  • Exploding
  • Bouncing
  • Shaking
  • Melt
  • Erratic
  • Cautious
  • Solo
  • Duet
  • Trio
  • Meet/Part
  • Follow/Lead
  • Mirroring
Locomotor Movements Pathways (on the floor or in the air) Metre Force  
  • Run
  • Walk
  • Skip
  • Gallop
  • Crawl
  • Leap
  • Straight
  • Curvy
  • Zigzag
  • 2/4 time
  • ¾ time
  • 4/4 time
  • 6/8 time
  • Heavy
  • Light
  • Sustained
  • Bound
  • Flowing (fluidity)
 
Non-locomotor Movements Direction Rhythm Effort  
  • Stretch
  • Spin
  • Wave
  • Twist
  • Turn on the spot
  • Kick
  • Backwards
  • Forwards
  • Diagonal
  • Sideways
  • Up
  • Down
  • Syncopated
  • Even
  • Uneven
  • Freeze
  • Repeated
  • Accent
  • Pressing
  • Gliding
  • Sink
  • Twitch
  • Slump
  • Flick
  • Poke
  • Bend
  • Shiver
 
Body Bases        
  • Feet as body base (standing)
  • Hand and knees as body base (crawling)
  • Back as body base (lying on their backs)