The Perception of the Fleeting Moment in Dance

The perception of the fleeting moment in dance is considered by this author from the viewpoint of each of the other arts: visual arts, music and literature. Fleeting moments are classified in four categories according to the first and second derivatives of movement: posing, suspended, gliding and transitional moments. Various elements of visual design, their qualities and organization are discussed and applied to the first three categories. The roles of repetition, as in music, and of meaning, as in literature, are also discussed—as they help the viewer in remembering fleeting moments in dance.