2 options
Physics and the art of dance : understanding movement / Kenneth Laws ; photographs by Martha Swope.
Table of contents Available online
View onlineLIBRA QP310.D35 L388 2002
Available from offsite location
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Laws, Kenneth.
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Dance--Physiological aspects.
- Dance.
- Ballet dancing--Physiological aspects.
- Ballet dancing.
- Human mechanics.
- Biophysics.
- Physical Description:
- xix, 236 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm
- Place of Publication:
- Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2002.
- Contents:
- The Role of Physical Analysis 4
- The Physics of Dance 7
- The Value of Analysis to Dancers 10
- The Value of Analysis to Observers 12
- Analysis for Teachers and Health Professionals 14
- Communication: Words, Images, and Photographs 16
- 2 Balance 18
- Condition for Static Balance 20
- Regaining Balance 24
- Balance while Rotating 29
- A Final Look 31
- 3 Motions without Turns 34
- Acceleration from Rest 36
- Motion in a Curved Path 40
- Stopping Horizontal Motion 42
- Vertical Jumps 43
- Connections between Horizontal and Vertical Motions 47
- The Grand Jete "Floating" Illusion 47
- The Effect of Turnout on Traveling Jumps 49
- Landings from Jumps 51
- Dance Floors: Elasticity and Friction 56
- A Final Leap 59
- 4 Pirouettes 62
- Torque and Rotational Momentum in a Pirouette 66
- Controlling Rotational Velocity 69
- Characteristics of Pirouettes 71
- The Arabesque Turn 72
- The "Illusion Turn," 75
- The Grande Piroutte 76
- Fouette Turns 78
- Repeated Pirouettes 81
- A Final Turn 82
- 5 Turns in the Air 86
- The Demi-fouette 88
- The Tour Jete (Grand Jete en Tournant) 91
- The Saut de Basque 94
- The Turning Assemble 97
- The Tour en l'Air 98
- A Final Leap 100
- 6 The Pas de Deux 102
- The History and Appeal of the Pas de Deux 104
- Who's Responsible for What? 110
- Physical Interactions between Partners 112
- Balance 113
- Accelerating Motions 118
- Final Poses 119
- To the Next Step 121
- 7 The Mechanics of Partnered Turns 124
- Starting a Supported Pirouette 126
- Balance during a Supported Pirouette 132
- Stopping Rotation 134
- Other Supported Turns 136
- A Final Turn 139
- 8 The Mechanics of Lifts 142
- The Straight Lift 145
- Other Front Lifts 151
- Overhead Lifts 155
- Other Lifts 159
- Catches 162
- A Final Thrust 162
- 9 The Effects of Body Size 164
- Height of a Vertical Jump 166
- Entrechats 170
- Horizontal Accelerations and Body Size 172
- Body Size and Pirouettes 172
- Adagio Movements 173
- Body Size and Partnered Dance 174
- Effects of Body Shape 175
- A Final Comparison 175
- 10 A Step Into the Future 178
- Appendix A Linear Mechanics and Newton's Laws 185
- Appendix B Rotational Mechanics 192
- Appendix C Anatomical Data for Dancers 197
- Appendix D Rotational Inertia for Some Body Configurations 199
- Appendix E Acceleration Away from Balance 204
- Appendix F Off-Balance Pirouettes 207
- Appendix G Arabesque Turn Analysis 210
- Appendix H Quantitative Analysis of the Grande Pirouette 215
- Appendix I Quantitative Analysis of the Fouette Turn 219
- Appendix J Quantitative Analysis of the Supported Fouette Turn 221
- Appendix K Lean, Don't Slip 224.
- Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- ISBN:
- 0195144821
- 0195149165
- OCLC:
- 46703102
The Penn Libraries is committed to describing library materials using current, accurate, and responsible language. If you discover outdated or inaccurate language, please fill out this feedback form to report it and suggest alternative language.