Download C 3 Elements of the Arts - Creative Classroom Collaboratives

C3
“Creative Classroom Collaborative”
Summer Seminar 2011
Glossary of Terms for Artistic Disciplines
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ELEMENTS OF THEATER
actor – a person who interprets a role and performs it in a play
choreography – patterns of movement and stillness
classic – having lasting significance or worth; enduring
climax – the crucial moment, turning point, or dramatic high point in the action of a play, book,
or film that can bring the previous events together, usually at the end of the story
costumes – what the performer wears to help enhance qualities of the character that they are
portraying
curtain – drapery that hides the stage from the audience; when the performance is about to
start, the curtain parts to the sides or rises up out of sight. Usually, curtain is closed again during
intermission, and at the end of the show
curtain call – the appearance of performers or a performer at the end of the show to receive
applause from the audience. They enter in order of importance, with the stars coming last and
usually taking more than one bow
dialogue – conversation in a play, usually between two or more characters
director – a person who creates an overall concept for a production, supervises all elements of
the production and guides the actors in their performances
dramatization – a work adapted from another medium, such as a novel or a poem, for dramatic
presentation
interpretation – the expression, through performance, of a particular concept of a role, scene,
play, or musical composition
lighting effects – the atmosphere, moods, and time of day created by the use of light
monologue - a form of dramatic entertainment or comedic solo by a single speaker
music – patterned sound changes in pitch, rhythm, loudness, melody and other qualities,
capable of setting mood, time, or atmosphere
narrator – a person who reads or speaks lines that advance a story, apart from the characters’
lines
producer – a person responsible for mounting and financing a production, selecting the
material, choosing the creative artists, staff, and administration, arranging the publicity
props – a property which a performer handles on stage, ex: a wallet, an umbrella, or a letter
scene – unit within a play
scenery – onstage decoration to help show the place and period of the show
script – the written text of a play. It includes what is said and what is to happen
sketch – a hasty or un-detailed drawing or painting often made as a preliminary study
sound effects – sounds characteristic of humans, animals, objects, and forces of nature (e.g.
wind, rain) that can be performed live or pre-recorded
storyteller – one who relates stories or anecdotes
translation – changing the text from one language to another by selecting words that have the
same meaning and retains the spirit and tone of the text
ELEMENTS OF DANCE
All dance has the same three basic building blocks:
space—the whole design and use of the place in which a dance unfolds
time—measurable period when movement or dance occurs. Dance articulates the passage of
time through a myriad of movement patterns, from complex, rhythmic to long, unbroken stillness.
energy—amount of force of the movement; sometimes referred to as the color, texture or
dynamic of the movement
Dance productions incorporate some of these theatrical elements:
scenery—environment or setting of a dance, created, for example, by painted flats, painted
backdrops, back curtains, lighting and/or slides on a cyclorama (a white screen-like curtain at
the back of the stage)
prop—item the performer handles, such as a hat or pocketbook, used to create a sense of time
and place
Score—musical or sound accompaniment (may be created for the dance or may be preexisting music or sound)
stage lights—lights used to illuminate the stage, or an area of the stage, to suggest a mood or
setting
backstage—the area around and behind the stage where theatre technicians work, and where
dancers enter and exit the stage
A dance production requires many people in different roles, working together as a team:
choreographer—artist who creates dances
composer—creator of music
dancer—artist who executes and gives meaning to the movements of a dance
artistic director—artistic leader of a dance company, who may or may not be a choreographer.
S/he makes the decisions about hiring and casting the dancers, and about the repertory
rehearsal director—person responsible for coaching and rehearsing a dance after the
choreographer creates the dance
designer—creator of the costumes (and sometimes the sets for a dance)
lighting designer—designs and arranges the lighting for a performance
stage manager—person who calls the cues (e.g., changes in lighting, raising and lowering
curtains, moving scenery) and directs the theatre technicians backstage
theatre technicians (or technical crew)—those people responsible for the backstage technical
activities (lighting, sets, curtains, and sound)
ELEMENTS OF MUSIC
You do not need to know anything at all about a piece of music in order to enjoy it. However
you may find you enjoy it even more if you know a bit about why it was composed and how it
achieves its effect. Once you know what to listen for, you may even find you enjoy types of
music that previously did not interest you.
Music has certain ingredients, as described here. What the music sounds like depends on
which ingredients are used and how they are combined. For instance, you could probably
identify a piece of 1950’s rock and roll because of the type of rhythm, the instruments used
and the style of singing.
Tempo
The speed of the beat in music is called the tempo. Using Italian terms (such as adagio,
“slow;” allegro, “fast;” largo, “very slow;” and presto, “very fast”) the composer indicates on
the score the speed at which the piece should be played.
Rhythm
Rhythm is a pattern of long and short sounds and pauses which fit around the beat. Some
music, such as drumming, is made up of rhythm alone.
Tone Color
Each instrument has its own special sound, or tone. The instrument chosen for a piece of
music gives it a certain sound quality called timbre or tone color.
Expression
Music played without energy and feeling sounds lifeless. A musician needs to express the
mood of the music, using contrasts
in volume, emphasis and so on.
Structure
Without a structure, music would sound disorganized. Most structures are based on repetition
and variation of a theme or tune.
Beat or Pulse
If you clap along to a piece of music, you can usually find yourself clapping on the beat or
pulse.
Dynamics
Variations in intensity between sounds (softs and louds) refer to the dynamics of the piece.
Italian terms and abbreviations are often used in sheet music to indicate difference levels:
pianissimo (pp,) “very soft;” piano (p,) “soft;” mezzo-forte (mf,) “fairly loud;” forte (f,) “loud;” and
fortissimo (ff,) “very
loud.”
Harmony
Harmony is the combining of notes to create chords, sets of two or three notes played at once.
Notes which sound good together are often said to be in harmony. A lot of music has harmonies
added to the melody to make it sound more interesting or to create a particular effect.
Melody
The melody or tune is the part which you might whistle or sing. It is made up of notes of different
pitches. (Pitch describes how high or low a musical note is.) The notes in a tune also have a
rhythm.
Elements and Principles of Visual Art
Elements of Art
The elements of art are the building blocks used by artists to create a work of art.
Line is a mark with greater length than width. Lines can be horizontal, vertical,
or diagonal; straight or curved; thick or thin.
Shape is a closed line. Shapes can be geometric, like squares and circles; or
organic, like free-form or natural shapes. Shapes are flat and can express length
and width.
Forms are three-dimensional shapes expressing length, width, and depth. Balls,
cylinders, boxes, and pyramids are forms.
Space is the area between and around objects. The space around objects is often
called negative space; negative space has shape. Space can also refer to the
feeling of depth. Real space is three-dimensional; in visual art, when we create
the feeling or illusion of depth, we call it space.
Color is light reflected off of objects. Color has three main characteristics: hue
(the name of the color, such as red, green, blue, etc.), value (how light or dark it
is), and intensity (how bright or dull it is).
• White is pure light; black is the absence of light.
• Primary colors are the only true colors (red, blue, and yellow). All other
colors are mixes of primary colors.
• Secondary colors are two primary colors mixed together (green, orange,
violet).
• Intermediate colors, sometimes called tertiary colors, are made by mixing
a primary and secondary color together. Some examples of intermediate
colors are yellow green, blue green, and blue violet.
• Complementary colors are located directly across from each other on the
color wheel (an arrangement of colors along a circular diagram to show
how they are related to one another). Complementary pairs contrast
because they share no common colors. For example, red and green are
complements, because green is made of blue and yellow. When complementary
colors are mixed together, they neutralize each other to make
brown.
Texture is the surface quality that can be seen and felt. Textures can be rough or
smooth, soft or hard. Textures do not always feel the way they look; for example,
a drawing of a porcupine may look prickly, but if you touch the drawing, the
paper is still smooth.
Principles of Design
The principles of design describe the ways that artists use the elements of art in a work of art.
Balance is the distribution of the visual weight of objects, colors, texture, and space.
If the design was a scale, these elements should be balanced to make a design feel
stable. In symmetrical balance, the elements used on one side of the design are
similar to those on the other side; in asymmetrical balance, the sides are different
but still look balanced. In radial balance, the elements are arranged around a central
point and may be similar.
Emphasis is the part of the design that catches the viewer’s attention. Usually the
artist will make one area stand out by contrasting it with other areas. The area could
be different in size, color, texture, shape, etc.
Movement is the path the viewer’s eye takes through the work of art, often to focal
areas. Such movement can be directed along lines, edges, shape, and color within the
work of art.
Pattern is the repeating of an object or symbol all over the work of art.
Repetition works with pattern to make the work of art seem active. The repetition
of elements of design creates unity within the work of art.
Proportion is the feeling of unity created when all parts (sizes, amounts, or number)
relate well with each other. When drawing the human figure, proportion can refer
to the size of the head compared to the rest of the body.
Rhythm is created when one or more elements of design are used repeatedly to
create a feeling of organized movement. Rhythm creates a mood like music or
dancing. To keep rhythm exciting and active, variety is essential.
Variety is the use of several elements of design to hold the viewer’s attention and
to guide the viewer’s eye through and around the work of art.
Unity is the feeling of harmony between all parts of the work of art, which creates
a sense of completeness