What Is Space in Dance?

A dancer’s personal space is the area directly around the body, called the kinesphere. This area is smaller or larger as the dancer moves and changes positions, and it is referred to as the near-reach kinesphere or the far-reach kinesphere.

This concept was developed by Rudolf Laban, a dancer and choreographer who noted the art of movement and founded Laban Movement Analysis. Other types of space used in dance are active space and performance space. Active space is an abstract concept that occurs when the space itself takes on a significant meaning. Performance space simply refers to the area where the dance occurs.