Architecture and Dance: A sensuous experience

Dance is movement that is physical, cultural, social and psychological. It has always been an essential part of human life that is used to express meaning or to communicate a message. It is a part of celebrations and ceremonies and is a non-verbal expression that communicates with people. Dance as a discipline shares similar creative aspects with architecture. They both use and define space. Dance is movement of the human body through space over time and architectural spatial qualities are experienced by the human body through movement over time (Huang, 1991).

“Time in dance establishes rhythm. Time in dance gives order to motion. Dance may be perceived as ephemeral at its time of performance, but it is through its making, conceptualization, process, medium, and product that it becomes temporal. Dance transcends time through experience and memory.” (Huang, 1991)

“Time in architecture reveals spatial qualities. Time in architecture allows for generosity and growth. Architecture transcends time through the collection of memories that deposits itself in archetypal spaces.” (Huang, 1991)

Although similar, dance and architecture seem to be in contrast with each other. Dance is about movement while architecture is more about being static. Dance has qualities of rhythm, dynamism, liveliness and can appeal to the emotional side of the observer. Both architecture and dance require movement, time and space (Huang, 1991). Both these disciplines have evolved over time and moved away from old concepts of space and form. Architecture now embraces dynamism and rhythm, while dance embraces the chaotic and the random (Christov-Bakargiev, 2013).

By exploring how people move through the site over time and linking each space to the qualities associated with dance and also providing opportunities for different kinds of experiences will give a link between the two disciplines. Observing the creation of dance, and importing choreography into architecture allows for the creation of programme that, like dance, uses chance and unpredictability (Huang, 1991). This will allow the architecture to in-cooperate energy, intent, suspense and direction.

‘Architecture designed via space frees the building of formal considerations; it is through the negative element, the space, that the architectonic form becomes meaningful and defined (Chang, 1981).

Dance can be private for the individual or can be done for an audience. Playing on the issues of transparency immerses the observer in the art of performance and these will be tested in the performing arts theatre and school. The project will explore informal performance spaces for the public. The performing arts theatre and school will provide an opportunity to employ spatial concepts used in dance to develop and design the architectural space. Through doing this, this can open a new dimension in architecture. This will in turn allow the performances to define the space. 

Elements of dance 

Rudolf von Laban was a very influential dance instructor and theorist of the twentieth century who believed that dance was not subordinate to music. He identified the principles inherent in movement which led to the development of a system known as the Laban Movement Analysis.

He classified the characteristics of choreography into elements that can lend themselves to the process of designing buildings within their context. Elements such as shape, space, timing and dynamics can be played upon to open up the dialogue and breaking through traditional design process to provide richer experiences that enhance the performance. 

Shape is connected with how the body is flexible and responsive. It can be about straight, curved, jagged or angular lines. Levels, symmetry, asymmetry and scale are key concepts that will be incorporated in the design of the theatre and school. Space deals with the geometric forms of the body and these include horizontal and vertical patterns. Timing will be used to determine the rate at which people move through the site and the key experiences they will go through. Dynamics in dance is the quality of movement, uniqueness, richness and power. It brings together all the elements such as weight, time, space and flow to achieve it. The quality of the spaces in the theatre will play an important role and the transition between these spaces creating a unique experience in each space. Capturing views of the site and aspects of the performance from official productions to private rehearsal. 

References 

Chang, A., 1981. The tao of architecture. 1 ed. New Jersey : Princeton .

Christov-Bakargiev, C., 2013. Dance and Architecture. [Accessed 29 September 2013]
Available at: http://thinking-in-practice.com/dance-and-architecture
[Accessed 12 September 2013].

Hanna, J., 1987. To dance is human. 2 ed. Austin : University of Texas press .

Huang, E., 1991. Body in space: The sensual experience of architecture and dance, Melbourne: Massachusetts Institute of technology.

Moeller, M., 2006-7. National building museum, the stories of architecture, engineering and design. [Accessed 2 October 2013]
Available at: http://www.nbm.org/about-us/publications/blueprints/architecture-dance.html
[Accessed 2 october 2013].

Morell-Perea, D., 2006. Architizer. [Accessed 2 October 2013]
Available at: http://stat2.architizer.com/en_us/projects/view/uiuc-graduate-dance-laboratory-i/24017/#.UlJLXYanofg
[Accessed 6 October 2013].

Springer, 2010. Architecture linked. [Accessed 2 October 2013]
Available at: http://architecturelinked.com/profiles/blogs/calatrava-and-the-nyc-ballet
[Accessed 6 October 2013].

Image References

01_ Image from http://apkconcepts.wordpress.com/category/architecture/ , accessed 01.10.2013

02_ Image from http://c-monster.net/2011/06/10/roof-piece//, accessed 01.10.2013

03_ Image from http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2012/jun/24/shobana-jeyasingh-toomortal-architecture-dance/, accessed 01.10.2013