Storytelling is one of the most essential elements in theater. A musical, drama or mystery has a beginning, middle and end. Examples of important, narrative-driven plays are "Guys and Dolls," "Billy Elliot" or Lillian Hellman's famous drama, "The Children's Hour." Dance, however, may be story-based -- like the ballets" Swan Lake," "Giselle" and "Nutcracker Suite" -- or completely devoid of story and even emotion like the modern dances choreographed by Merce Cunningham.
The text or script formats for dance is different from that for theater. A choreographer -- who creates and arranges dance steps, movements and patterns -- will usually supply dancers with a score, a general description of the movement and form in a choreographic work. Plays, on the other hand, provide actors with a script, the line-by-line dialog for each actor as well as general stage directions.
Story, emotions, relationships or pure movement are expressed and developed through dance movements, whether angular, curvilinear, solo, group, slow or fast. In plays, however, emotions, conflict, relationships and story development are predominantly expressed through the spoken word.
Dance and theater require different preeminent skills. While dance requires some acting -- like in the "Nutcracker Suite" when, on Christmas Eve, the principle dancer Clara exhibits wonder, sadness and joy over the nutcracker -- the dominant artistry is dance. In theater, while musicals almost always require dancing and singing as, for example, in "The Sound of Music," the dominant art is acting, especially in dramatic plays that range from the 16th century Elizabethan plays to modern ones.