Project 2: A Space for Dance, explaination

Dancing in the 1920s was always the main entertainment. In 1924, the Charleston became popular. It first appeared in an Afro-American revue called Runnin' Wild and introduced shimmying, exuberant and sometimes violent kicking and arm-swinging, all of which were performed in the seemingly awkward posture of a half-squat. The effect, however, was one of grace and lighthearted abandon. At first, the Charleston was an exhibition dance considered too difficult for non-professionals to master due to its sudden shifting rhythms and breathtaking pace. Yet, within a year it had swept the country.
In my design for A Space for Dance, I wanted to portrait the energy of the Charleston by designing a floor plan that looked very sporadic and dynamic. Triangles represent the speed and agility, as well as the gracefulness of the dance. Notice the stairs connecting the top level to the second. Each rise is a different height, which is significant to the way each dance move of the Charleston is never exactly the same and much energy is required to climb these stairs, just as there is much energy required to perform the dance. Looking at the two triangles set next to these stairs, you can see the sudden shift from one angle to the next, just as if you were shifting from one dance move to the next.
The spacial relationship of the Charleston portraits adjacent spaces because each move can be clearly defined and can respond to a specific function in the dance. In the design, each space can be clearly defined and adjacent spaces are both separated and combined.
The spacial organization of the Charleston can be defined as a clustered organization because of the repetitive, energetic moves in the dance. As the design shows, there are several spaces that have similar functions and share common visual traits such as shape and orientation.