By Danielle Pierce-Master, MA Dance / Edited by Samantha Bellerose, B.Ed, Dip.Dance(Performing Arts)
Creative Movement refers to a dance practice where the students are responsible for generating movement, in response to a prompt of some kind. Students explore concepts of Body, Effort, Space, Time, and Relationship while developing a personal vocabulary of locomotor and non-locomotor movements.
Creative movement involves exploration and improvisation, as well as time to manipulate and refine the ideas with feedback from peers and the teacher. This kind of class is essential for young children, for whom play is a crucial part of development. Props like scarves, hoops, ribbon wands, fabric, instruments, and balls make the class a multi-sensory experience. Dancers work alone and in small groups to respond to prompts that may come from a dance concept, a work of art, a poem, music, nature, and more!
Creative movement approaches can provide a rich experience for dancers of all ages (including adults and professionals). Often “Creative Movement” is reserved as a class title for the youngest dancers, but really is for dancers of all ages! Participation in creative movement activities helps dancers to develop skills as improvisers and choreographers, as well as skills in critical thinking, decision making, and collaboration.
This page is just one of hundreds of definitions of the many styles and genres of dance. This library is being continually added to by the writers and contributors of Dance Parent 101!