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Kristen Harnett

English 5

Sweeney

15 May 2017

Kinesthetic Communication in Dance

As a dancer, I am interested in the topic of communication throughout the dance

community by means of non verbal kinesthetic movements both between audience members and

the dancers themselves. I started dancing when I was two in a performance studio, then on a

competition team, and now in a pre-professional collegiate level dance company. The aspect of

communication is vital to the community as a whole, whether it be in rehearsal, on the stage, in

the programs, or behind the scenes. The dances themselves communicate unique messages

created by the choreographers. The role of communication in the dance community is not only

important from the dancers to the audience, but also between dancers as they perform. Typically,

the dance discourse community will study ways to improve dance performance and technique,

injury prevention, and regard dance as a work of art. There, however, is limited research on the

kinesthetic communication between dancers as they perform, and the interactions they have on

stage. By looking at the kinesthetic communication that exists between dancers, we can see that

the audience prefers connected dancers and interactions on stage, therefore, the dance discourse

community should incorporate more kinesthetic communication within the art form.

The participants for the study conducted were four pre professional collegiate level

dancers in the Saint Marys Dance Company (ages 18-21) attending Saint Marys College of

California and four randomly selected students who also attend Saint Marys College of

California. The dancers come from a variety of dance backgrounds which affect the way they
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approach dance (ballet dancers are typically more presentational than modern dancers). These

dancers will be selected based on varying backgrounds, modern dance experience, and by the

casting of pieces for the Saint Marys Dance Company concert. Saint Marys Dance Company is

a modern dance company. The randomly selected students will provide an outside view of dance

from people who have little to no dance background. The participants will also include one Saint

Marys College of California dance professor, Shauna Vella.

To conduct this study, a survey of questions relating to kinesthetic communication were

given to the participants. Embedded into the survey were two videos. The first video was a

piece entitled New Beginnings by the New York City Ballet. This piece demonstrated dancing

without interactions such as eye contact and direct focus despite it being a duet. This piece was

more a more presentational form a dance. The second piece was entitled Half Noise by the

Amsterdam Dance Centre. This piece demonstrated kinesthetic communication through the

relationship developed by the dancers as the piece continued. This piece included touch, direct

focus, eye contact, and synchronized breath, creating a relationship with the audience that was

different than that of the first piece. The participants were asked their opinion of the two pieces

and for what reasons they selected the one the did.

The participants in this study were protected by means of an informed consent paragraph

that was attached to the top of each survey. The informed consent discussed how I am conducted

study to research the impact that kinesthetic communication between dancers has on the

chemistry, connection and overall visual appearance of the dance. And as a result of this

communication, the connection felt by the audience. The participants were then informed that

they would complete a voluntary survey, watch two videos, and respond to the videos. Afterwchi

I would collect the data from the participants surveys and compare it to that of the other subjects
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so I could analyze the impact that kinesthetic communication between dancers has on the

chemistry and connection between the dancers and overall visual appearance of the dance. The

participants were informed that the main components that will be observed are changes in

intention, eye contact, direct focus, reactions, and physical touch. The informed consent also

stated that by participating in this survey, participants were helping further my primary research

on kinesthetic communication in dance, and also that the identity of participants could be kept

anonymous upon request.

Dance is its own discourse community and has existed and evolved from tribal forms of

dance which are more ritualistic, to more presentational forms such as ballet, tap, jazz, and

modern. The dance community meets the criteria set by John Swales in The Concept of

Discourse Community of what a discourse community is. According to John Swales, a

discourse community is a group of people who share certain language-using practices (Swales

224). Swales also describes that for something to be a discourse community, it has to meet the

specific criteria of people coming together for a common shared goal, which can be stated or

unstated. A discourse community also has a unique mechanism of intercommunication between

members of the community in which they are able to share information and get feedback (Swales

221). Swales also explains that there is more that one genre per discourse community, and that

they are separated from others by their distinctive lexis. Swales also states that there is changing

membership and also various levels of membership within each discourse community (Swales

221).

The dance community can be considered a discourse community because it meets this

criteria. For example, the common goal of the discourse community is to tell stories to an

audience through beautiful movements, while making each movement appear effortless (Cohen).
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As a dancer, I have noticed behind the scenes of what the audience sees, dancers have methods

of intercommunication such as corrections in rehearsals and classes from experienced

choreographers. There are countless genres that exist within the dance discourse community,

such as ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, partnering, musical theatre, house, etc. (Cohen).

I have learned through years of training that within these genres there is specific terminology that

separates them. For example, the language in tap are terms such as shuffles (two brushes on the

front metal piece of the shoe) and wings (flicking the feet out while hopping and simultaneously

scraping the outsides of the metal on the shoes on the floor) (Cohen). In ballet, however, the

terms are all different because the majority are in French. Some examples of these include

arabesque (position where the body is supported on one leg, with the other leg extended directly

behind the body), pli (to fold, a movement where the dancer bends knees), pas de deux (dance

for two), and barre (typically used in classical ballet, a horizontal wooden bar where dancers

perform exercises at the start of a rehearsal) (Cohen). The dance community also has a changing

membership because the typical dancer will start at a young age, become professional by age 25

and retire by age 45. Dancers also move up in rank the longer they are in the professional

company starting at corps de ballet (lowest) to prima (highest) and sometimes even onto

choreographers (Cohen). As a result of the unique structure of a group of people sharing the

same language-using practices and communication, dance can be considered a discourse

community.

The majority of the time, the communication that exists in dance is not written or verbal

as people typically perceive communication to be. The communication that exists in dance is

usually kinesthetics, meaning that it is conveyed through movement. In Kinesthetic

Communication in Dance by Mary M. Smyth she states, dance is not simply a visual art, it is
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kinesthetic as well; it appeals to our inherent sense of motion (Smyth 19). In previous research,

Smyth studied perception and communication within psychology to investigate the ways people

gain information about the movements of other, and also to study how this information could

affect kinesthetic communication (Smyth 19). Kinesthetic communication has typically been a

study of sensation and perception, and that there is not a special input system, but it is instead,

when something happens as normal perceptual information comes in which relates it to the

movement system of the observer (Smyth 19). Watching people dance could potentially link

the movement communication systems of the observer and dancer by triggering the motor

command system of the observers body (Smyth 19). Smyth also explains that dance is often

compared to language as a result of the structure of the movement, messages being displayed

through movement, and also because relations between structure and meaning can be compared

to syntax and semantic (Smyth 20). Also, many dance forms other than Western theatrical

dance such as tribal dances are [communicative] through cultural codes, however, dance does

not present literal messages, but more metaphoric messages that are left up to the audience to

interpret (Bannerman 65). Because of the limitedly studied kinesthetic communication in dance,

I will conduct a study in which I will analyze the effects kinesthetic communication has on the

chemistry between the dancers and the overall visual appearance of the dance.

This study illuminated the aspect of kinesthetic communication that exist in dance, and

the differing opinions that people of varying dance backgrounds have about kinesthetic

communication. Typically when people think of communication, they think of it being written or

verbal; however, this study explored the effects kinesthetic communication has on dance. My

results revealed that kinesthetic communication is prefered among dancers and audience

members in order to improve connections made within the dance.

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The main objective of this study was to examine the dynamics and relationships that

evolved both between dancers and between the dancers and the audience members as a story was

told through movement. The participants were first asked in a survey who they thought the

target audience was for any dance performance. Freshman and dance major, Nikolina Palada,

stated that dance performances are targeted to those who enjoy questioning and commenting on

art they do not understand, any person whom enjoys the arts and also people who enjoy viewing

the expression of thoughts, emotions, or feelings through movement (Palada). Because the

general public has limited information of specific communication tools within dance such as

intention, eye contact, direct focus, reactions, and physical touch, viewing dance can often be a

confusing process. Therefore, dancers and choreographers must work together for the audience

to understand the communication going on. The main form of communication in dance is

movement using the body to tell a story. There are constraints on communication because of the

lack of spoken words. Because of this, it is harder to convey an idea, said sophomore and dance

major, Jing Lovekin. The body is innately expressive, these can be seen through non verbal

communication skills used both in dance and in everyday life. Saint Marys dance professor,

choreographer and professional dancer, Shauna Vella, stated, with dance, we study the range of

the nonverbal communication, and that can also be expressive in the way that is the the face or

the kind of rhythms that people use in order to create some kind of desired intention within their

body (Vella). Through the nonverbal communication, the body is limitless in the way of the

patterns that can be created. Dance is not specifically about the virtuosic things that the body can

do, it is more of what can be experienced by the audience and the dancers while you watch dance

(Vella). For example, the choreographer could choose to use spoken word in their choreography

in order for the audience to understand the plot that the choreographer has created or use no
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music at all in order to let the audience perceive what they want to. It is the choreographer's

choice to decide what constraints they want to create in dance, but there are infinite choices of

communication. The goal therefore, of dancers is to help the audience see the the deeper meaning

of the movements they perform. Dancers must convey why they do the movements they do so

that the dance is not merely a series of body shapes and patterns, but rather an intricate story.

Various styles of dance, do however play a role in the ways in which each message is received.

Palada explains,

For me, communication is completely different depending on the style of dance that is

being performed. I recently saw Cinderella by the San Francisco Ballet school. This

performance had a very clear plot line that was communicated to me by characters that

were introduced and gestures that were made along with the help of set and design. I

could contrast this very helpful communication of the story of Cinderella to a more

abstract dance company like Alonzo King Lines Ballet which is a contemporary modern

company. When I watch their company perform the movement is more abstract making it

harder for me to interpret what the choreographer is trying to tell me. This leaves room

for me to make my own inferences on the meaning of the choreography as opposed to

Cinderella which forced me to understand the story one specific way (Palada).

Different techniques and different cultures with different value systems all convey different

messages. For example, what an African dance say is very different from what a pas de deux in

ballet says. When watching the dance, one of the main things that the audience can become

aware of are the priorities that are happening for the choreographer or the culture of the dancers.

Some styles are very invested in using rhythm as a tool for communication, whereas others use

the virtuosity of the body to communicate (Vella). However, in many styles today, specifically
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modern dance, choreographers are beginning to prioritize the effects that kinesthetic

communication can have on a piece. Kinesthetic communication can affect the emotion that the

performers portray as well as spatial patterns, in addition to helping to explain a more complex

idea to the audience. With the aid of this communication, the chemistry between the dancers can

be more evident, making it easier for the audience to find personal connections within a piece.

Kinesthetic empathy and kinesthesia occur during live performance;the audience is able to feel

something that is almost emphatic to something that happens to the other people on stage

(Vella). People do have to feel what is going on, on stage because dance is not a static art form

and there are live humans creating a story with their bodies, and by witnessing these movements,

the audience members are then able to have a kinesthetic experience. However, if dancers

become too self involved with the movements and lose their performance quality it can decrease

the awareness, openness, and the repetitiveness of the audience members. People who are

typically not used to watching a lot of dance usually say well I dont understand it, but you can

just feel it and let it happen, and whatever you get from it is the message that was conveyed

(Vella).

Later in the study, the participants were asked both from the dancer and audience

perspective if they prefered having kinesthetic communication in a piece. Seven of the nine

participants all stated that they enjoyed having the kinesthetic communication. Freshman and

biochemistry major, Kenneth Garcia states, when the interactions are kept between only the

dance members it makes the audience observe the piece more in depth (Garcia). Because of

this, the audience is forced to pay attention to the piece more as the concepts behind the

movement are less presentational. These interactions are becoming more and more popular in
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styles such as modern and contemporary, and also evolving into the more traditional style of

classical ballet.

Professor Shauna Vella explains that learning to dance together and communicate while

dancing is of the utmost importance because as a society, and specifically as a pre

professional collegiate level dance company, we study nonverbal cues whether they are eye

contact, breathing together, timing, or even having the repetition of movement so that we can

move in unison with each other (Vella). Dancing is a constant play of communication between

dancers, even if the communication is not as direct as touching each other or making eye contact,

in order to stay on time and in sync, dancers must be in constant awareness and in constant

communication with their fellow dancers. To watch dance the audience is watching a

community that has constructed a piece for months. Even if the piece is an improvisation, the

audience is still able to experience the training that went into the creation of the piece, and the

see the real, authentic communication first hand. The interactions create another level of

authenticity for the audience to connect to.

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As another section of the study, the participants were instructed to watch two videos. The

first video was a piece entitled New Beginnings by the New York City Ballet which demonstrated

dancing without interactions. Despite the style being a classical pas de deux, the presentational

aspect of ballet performance quality did not allow for interactions such as eye contact and direct

focus. The second piece the participants viewed was entitled Half Noise by the Amsterdam

Dance Centre which demonstrated more aspects of kinesthetic communication such as touch,

direct focus, eye contact, and synchronized breath. As a result of the interaction, five of the eight

participants agreed that the communication made them feel a more authentic connection to the

piece. After reviewing the backgrounds of the participants who did not select the piece with the

kinesthetic communication as the preferred piece, I noticed that all the dancers had background

in strict classical ballet. This could potentially be a factor for the reasoning behind why they

made their decision. Typically in classical ballet schools, performers are taught to feed off of the

audience as opposed to the other dancers. However, dancers with less technical training and

more training in modern dance and also participants with no dance experience all typically chose

the piece with the communication. Palada commented that she was much more connected to the

second piece than the first and found that the dancers were grounded and had an established

relationship which drew [her] in and kept [her] attentive because the dancers were down to

earth and had less flow in their movement (Palada). She continued to explain that she enjoyed

that the dance had both moments of stillness and also rapid movement in comparison to the

other piece which had the same slow and light movement quality throughout which made it

easier to zone out and miss the movement (Palada). Because of the change in dynamics and the

structure of the relationship of the dancers, the piece which exhibited kinesthetic communication

was more appealing to my participants.

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After completing this study it became evident of the growing appreciation of kinesthetic

communication within the dance discourse community, and also within the general public.

Kinesthetic communication allows for dancers to create authentic relationships both with the

audience and their fellow dancers, creating a new layer of dynamics to a piece. Because of this

growing appreciation, people should continue to research the effects that nonverbal

communication has dancers and their audience. This research could be continued in a live

setting by having a live audience sit and watch a performance while trying to observe the various

aspects of kinesthetic communication such as touch, direct focus, eye contact, and synchronized

breath, and unison phrases in order to see the effects that kinesthetic communication has on live

performance. There are, however, limitation to be expected when conduction studies such as

these including not receiving enough participants, and not collecting the desired data. This

however, should be no setback because studying the effects of kinesthetic communication is not

only important to the dance discourse community, but also to our culture as a whole because we

do so much reading into nonverbal cues and body language.

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Examples of dancing with kinesthetic communication:

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Examples of dancing without kinesthetic communication:

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Works Cited

Bannerman, Henrietta. "Is Dance a Language? Movement, Meaning and

Communication." Dance Research 32.1 (2014): 65-80.

Cohen, Selma Jeanne. International Encyclopedia of Dance online. Retrieved from

http://albert.stmarys-ca.edu/record=b240387~S2?

_ga=1.93628189.122460106.1486780731

Garcia, Kenneth. Dance Communication. Survey. 3 May 2017.

Lovekin, Jing. Dance Communication. Survey. 3 May 2017.

Palada, Nikolina. Dance Communication. Survey. 3 May 2017.

Smyth, Mary M. "Kinesthetic Communication in Dance." Dance Research Journal 16.02

(1984): 19-22.

Swales, John. ''The Concept of Discourse Community." Genre Analysis: English in

Academic and Research Settings (1990): 217-228.

Vella, Shauna. Personal Interview. 1 May 2017.