ABSTRACT
A dance aims to communicate an idea and, therefore, there is much more to it than the mere arranging of movements. It has a form, an overall shape, system, unity, mould or mode of being. The foundation of a dance is its initial motif. This has emerged during improvisation through the influence of the stimulus, the composer's artistic imagination, and his/her movement interpretation of the two. A motif may last for a length of time and could consist of seven or eight movements which create one, two movement phrases. The composer's use of the space environment could be presented as another means of development. Some dances use 'positional' motifs. The pathways the dance creates on the floor and in the air are living parts of the dance. Movement is an interrelation of action, quality and space and no one aspect can exist without the others in the motifs, but one or two can be more emphasised.
