ABSTRACT
Ballet is an outwardly expressive art form, and as such, ballet dancers are taught to use their face, eyes, and limbs communicatively. Space Effort is a useful tool for teaching dancers how to effectively channel their energy and attention in space. Sometimes the dancer's awareness must be pinpointed, or Direct, and sometimes it must be all encompassing, or Indirect. Awakening the senses of the face, skin, and body is a great way to embody Space Effort. The sensory system is designed to take in information from the environment, whether that is the internal environment of the body or the external environment beyond the body. Any movement in ballet can be performed with either Direct or Indirect Space. Determining which Effort quality to use is therefore dependent on the technical or artistic goals of the class exercises. Both Direct and Indirect Space Effort require dancers to be actively aware of their surroundings.
