ABSTRACT
Nature provides people with many examples of jumping actions. Birds “hop” from twig to twig, frogs “leap” into the air, so do fleas. The Mexican jumping bean may not have been observed by everyone, but jumping fish are familiar, as are grasshoppers. Marking the rhythm through springing is common in many kinds of folk dances. The music played may invite a bouncing reaction. The addition of elevation, of steps going into the air, heightens everything beyond the normal in theatrical dance, thus adding greatly to exaggeration and to stylization. Apart from the enjoyment it imparts of momentarily being suspended in the air, springing may have as its impetus a specific spatial design. Experiment with basic bouncing, rebound springing into the air with no thought of limb placement or body design. Springs of short duration in the air may be little bounces of excitement or a gentle marking of the beat or rhythm.
