ABSTRACT

Ballet dancers layer their movements with sharp unexpected accents and lingering suspensions. They, too, alternate between acceleration and deceleration, staccato and legato. The use of a specific Time Effort quality affects the artistic tone of the movement. In contemporary choreography, artists, such as William Forsythe, create complex movement phrases that alternate seamlessly between Sudden and Sustained Time. This syncopated use of time contributes to an unpredictable, exciting, and rhythmically sophisticated choreographic style. This chapter tabulates a list of synonyms, images, and musical suggestions for teaching Time Effort. There are a number of ways to incorporate Time Effort into the technique classes. The chapter also discusses these ways. Artistically, the use of Sudden or Sustained Time may convey a large range of emotional states depending on the mood or context of the choreography or class phrases. Alternating between Sudden and Sustained accents during a basic exercise teaches students how to dance "in the moment" and it develops their musical sensibilities.