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Communication in Dance is how people communicate verbally or nonverbally to express a message while performing a dance. Dance is a form of art that allows dancers to express certain emotions about their self and portray a message to the audience. There are numerous forms and styles of dance that are performed to a group of people for others to watch and hopefully enjoy. Whether it be performing for a dance competition or recital or dancing for a wedding or a social event, dance brings a level of energy in different ways and communicates different messages. Verbal cues, nonverbal communication, the audience's perspective and what happens behind the scenes are important aspects on how people communicate through dance.

Verbal Cues

In certain situations, dancers verbally communicate with each other while dancing by using cues. Verbal cues in a dance are important in making sure each dancer is on the same page with one another. Verbal cues are only present when there is more than one dancer. Dancers on a team together that are competing to win a competition use verbal cues throughout a dance. Sayings such as "hit" or "go" are used in a dance before and during important skill in order for each dancer performing to be on the same beat with each other. Before the start of a dance, dancers give cues to one another for each dancer to be ready before the song is played.

Nonverbal Communication

As people dance, a message is typically portrayed as a form of communication. In most occasions, dancers use nonverbal communication in a dance to display certain emotions or messages by the movements and expressions of one's body. Nonverbal communication and dance are two concepts that relate to one another for the dancer or dancers to establish a personal connection to the dance but without having to speak. Dance can be a form of nonverbal communication through the dancer's body itself or through dancing with others. The way people dance and move their bodies expresses a certain type of emotion and feelings through a dancer's body. The use of gestures and movements in dance transmits messages. Slow and soft movements are associated with sadness, rapid and shaky movements express anger, and fast and wide movements are linked with happiness. Along with movements of the body, facial expressions, eye contact, posture, proxemics, and haptic are variables used in all different ways to communicate nonverbally in dance. A dancer's facial expressions displays emotions of joy, anger, sadness, or confusion. Eye contact is an essential part in a dance in connecting with the audience or with another dancer. The use of a lot of dynamic eye contact in a dance displays a positive relationship between the dancers. Not displaying enough eye contact with the audience or another dancer expresses a deeper emotion. Throughout the venue in which a dancer is dancing, lots of smiling through a dance expresses happiness and joy where none or very little smiling might communicate sadness and anger. Proxemics is a form of nonverbal communication that is used to determine the amount of space between the dancers and how close they are interacting with each other. During a dance, dancers might use close proximity to show love and affection but this might not always be the case. Not using the full amount of space on the floor can express a divide between the dancers or the dancer itself which could show a negative connection. Hands should be noticeable while dancing to establish a sense of trust. If there is more than one dancer, dancers use handwork to show affection towards one another.

Audience Perspective

Dance brings joy for the dancers themselves because it is something they love to do but it is important for the audience to have a type of emotion when the dance is over. A dancer wants the audience to enjoy the dance as much as he or she does. The way the audience is clapping after a dance shows a lot on how their perspective of the dance was. Clapping communicates that the audience was satisfied with the performance and that they enjoyed watching it. Not only clapping when the dance is over but during a dance when something exciting happens shows that the audience is engaged in the performance. When watching a performance, it is important for the audience to make a connection to any aspect of the dance. Standing ovation occurs when the majority of the audience stands up from their seats and expresses how well the performers did by clapping and cheering. The goal of a dance is for the audience to feel and experience the emotions associated with the story behind the dance. Connections are made not only made through the dance itself but the music, costumes, the lighting plays an important role.

Behind the Scenes

The way people communication through a dance has a lot more to do than just the dancer's movements. The lighting, and music plays an important role in setting the mood before the dance. The different colors that are used on stage and how dim or bright they are reflects the mood of the dance. Visibility is an important aspect of lighting because the audience should see certain things based on the type of lighting that is used and where it is emphasized. Point-light display is used to emphasize certain body points by placing small white illuminated dots on the dancer and full-light display is used to highlight the whole body of the dancer. Displaying certain colors can determine the mood and emotions of a dance. Generally, warm colors- yellow, red and orange are used to display emotions of excitement and even anger. Yellow and orange are typically used to express happiness and laughter while red is used to create a darker and deeper emotion that might express forms of anger. Cold colors- blue, green and purple are considered to be more calming and relaxing colors but can also express sadness and love. The person who designs the movements and creativity of the dance is known as the choreographer. The choreographer is very essential to the process of a dance because it is their job to construct a dance that is fulfilling to the dancer or dancers. They start by picking a genre and type of music they think will be best for the dancers to express while dancing. Music creates a relationship between the use of gestures in one's body and the lyrics displayed from the song. The lyrics and beat of a song express the emotion of a dance. Upbeat and energetic music that have positive and happy lyrics brings a level of energy and excitement in the dancer's movements. Songs that are depressing and slow are associated with movements that are more drawn out and emphasized more precisely. In order for the music to fit the dance, the dancer's movements should be in sync with the beat and language of the music.