INTRODUCTION TO
DANCE
Prepared by: Prof. Ninna Ysabella Nemenzo Umbay
▹ Dance provides numerous functions in a society. People experience
dance in different ways and for many different reasons. Most people
are aware of dance as a performing art on stage, screen and media,
but dancing can also be a social activity, a form of physical fitness, or
a prime means of expressing cultural heritage and identity.
Historically, dance was often performed in rituals, worship, social
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HISTORY OF
DANCE
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Origins in antiquity:
“
The earliest historical records showing the origins of dance
are cave paintings in India dating to about 8000 BCE. Egyptian
tomb paintings also depict dance in about 3300 BCE These early
dances may have been religious in nature, and by the era of
ancient Greece, people were incorporating dance into celebrations
of the wine god Dionysus (and later the Roman god Bacchus) and
into ritual dances at the ancient Greek
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Olympic Games. In addition,
early people danced for enjoyment, seduction, and entertainment.
The very first physical proof
to support the question of
where does dance come
from are 9,000 year old cave
paintings in India. Imagery
of humans socially
gathering and dancing were
found alongside carved
stories of hunting,
childbirth, rituals, and
burials.
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EGYPTIAN
TOMBS
Tomb paintings tell stories where
priest use musical instruments
and dance to celebrate gods and
moving constellations. Many
paintings from this time of dance
illustrate women in revealing
garments dancing for the men of
wealth.
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India and China:
Dance throughout Asia has a rich
history. While Hindu dancing in India has
a rich performance history going back
millennia, in the late 1700s, dance was
restricted by British colonists, who
considered the dances immoral. Once
India gained its freedom from Great
Britain, the country revived its classical
dance traditions. Chinese dance dates
back at least 3,000 years, with
ceremonial dances and folk dances
adapted for performance at court. To
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this day, celebrations still include
European Social Dances:
Social dancing in most parts of the
world grew out of folk dances, many of which
were simple and repetitive. In Europe, the folk
dances of the Middle Ages turned into formal
ballroom dancing. These dances moved into
royal courts beginning in the Renaissance,
becoming popular as dancing masters taught
upper classes the proper steps for court
dances. As women's clothing allowed more
freedom of movement in the nineteenth
century, social dancing became more lively.
The waltz, in particular, swept around the
world as a major dance craze in the mid-
nineteenth
8 century, and social dances began
nfluence of Ballet:
Much of the dance created by
choreographers and composers and
performed as professional entertainment
today has its roots in ballet, which, in turn,
dates back to the Renaissance. Ballet dance
became an art in the eighteenth century,
when ballet companies sprang up around
the world, telling entire stories through the
emotional movements of the ballet
dancers. As shoes and costumes changed,
dancers gained greater expressive freedom,
but some ballet dancers found the rules
(and the pointe shoes) of classical ballet
restrictive. In the twentieth century, 9
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DEFINITION of
DANCE and
DANCING
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DANCE
▹ Dance, patterned and rhythmic bodily movements,
usually performed to music, that serve as a form of
communication or expression.
▹ Dance is an art form characterized by use of the
human body as a vehicle of expression.
▹ Dance has been described as “an exciting and vibrant
art which can be used in the educational setting to
assist the growth of the student and to unify the
physical, mental, and emotional aspects of the
human being.” (Dance Directions,
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11 1988).
DANCING
It is actually doing it (actual performance). This is a means of
expressing one’s emotions through movement disciplined by
rhythm.
It is an act of moving rhythmically and expressively to an
accompaniment. The word dancing came from an old
German word “danson” which means “to stretch”. Dancing is
a verb, dance is a noun.
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PHASES OF DANCE EDUCATION
PROGRAM
Dancing is part of the dynamic cultural expression
of all societies, and every individual has the potential
ability to dance. The inclusion of dancing in the physical
education program of school is simply to:
expose everyone, especially the youth to the many
benefits of learning dance, engage students in artistic
experiences through the processes of creation,
performance and response.
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personality development since
people involved in dance
improve their:
Grace and rhythm
Posture and biomechanics
Discipline
Dedication, motivation and
determination
Self-esteem and self-
confidence
Self-actualization
Values of cooperation,
resourcefulness, obedience
and respect 14
2. Dancing improves emotional, mental, social and
physical well-being;
3. Dancing provides a happy, fulfilled and satisfying
life;
4. Dancing improves reflexes and awareness of one’s
own body and the immediate environment; and
5. Dancing educates oneself and the audience during
the performance of a dance.
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Dance education programs include
opportunities for the development
of:
▹ Critical thinking and analytical skills;
▹ Cooperation and teamwork;
▹ Self-expression and self-esteem;
▹ Organization and problem solving;
▹ Cultural literacy; and
▹ Communicating emotions through movement.
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REASONS WHY PEOPLE DANCE
▹ Enjoyment
▹ Profession
▹ Ritual, praise and
worship of God
▹ Socialization
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VARIOUS
DANCE
FORMS
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1. BALLET
- It serves as a backbone for many other styles of dance, as many other
dance genres are based on ballet. It uses music and dance to tell
stories. Ballet dancers have the ability to transport an audience to
another world. Originated as courtroom dance in Italy, then flourished in
France and Russia before spreading across Europe and abroad
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2. FOLK DANCE
- Folk dancing is the oldest form of dance probably one of the earliest
forms of communication. Folkdance, which is also the expression of
oneself, is an expression through patterned movements. A traditional
dance of a given country which evolved naturally and spontaneously with
everyday activities, e.g. occupations, customs, festivals, rituals, and
innumerable themes common to all people everywhere.
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3. MODERN/CONTEMPORARY
DANCE
- It is a dance style that rejects
many of the strict rules of classical
ballet, focusing instead on the
expression of inner feelings. It
was created as a rebellion against
classical ballet, emphasizing
creativity in choreography and
performance. Born in the early
20th century, modern dance is a
dance style that centers on a
dancer’s own interpretations
instead of structured steps, as in21
traditional ballet dancing
4. JAZZ
- It is a fun dance style that
relies heavily on originality
and improvisation. Many
jazz dancers mix different
styles into their dancing,
incorporating their own
expression
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5. SOCIAL BALLROOM DANCE
- The term “ballroom dancing” is derived from the word ball, which in
turn originates from the Latin word ballare which means to “to dance”.
Refers to a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and
competitively around the world. Because of its performance and
entertainment aspects, ballroom dance is also widely enjoyed on stage,
film, and television.
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DANCE SPORTS - It is a new term for competitive ballroom dancing
in its international style. Dance sports encompasses both standard dances
as well as latin dances and has been recognized by the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) as an official sport.
INTERNATIONAL STYLES OF DANCE SPORT
LATIN MODERN STANDARD
a. Cha-cha-cha a. Waltz
b. Rumba b. Tango
c. Samba c. Foxtrot
d. Jive d. Viennese Waltz
e. Paso doble e. Quickstep
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6. HIP-HOP
- It is a dance style, usually
danced to hip-hop music, that
evolved from the hip-hop
culture. It is a form of popular
music that’s comprised mainly
of emceeing, deejaying, graffiti
and breakdancing
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7. LINE DANCE
- A line dance is a choreographed dance with a repeated
sequence of steps in which a group of people dance in one or more
lines or rows without regard for the gender of the individuals, all
facing the same direction, and executing the steps at the same time.
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8. FESTIVAL DANCE
- Cultural dances
performed to the beats of
instruments, usually
percussion, by a community
sharing the same culture.
These are usually done in
honor of a Patron Saint or in
the thanksgiving of a bountiful
harvest
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9. TAP DANCE
- It is an exciting form of
dance in which dancers wear
special shoes equipped with metal
taps. Tap dancers use their feet
like drums to create rhythmic
patterns and timely beats. Because
the dancer makes sound, they are
also considered a percussive
musician. It was developed in the
United States during the
nineteenth century, and is popular
in many parts of the world.
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MAJOR ELEMENTS OF
DANCE
The elements of dance are the foundational
concepts and vocabulary form developing
movement skills as well as understanding
dance as an art form.
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BODY
ACTION
SPACE
TIME
ENERGY
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BODY
- The body is the conduit between the inner realm of intentions,
ideas, emotions and identity and the outer realm of expression and
communication.
ACTION
- Action is any human movement included in the act of dancing. - It
can include dance steps, facial movements, lifts, carries, and
catches and even everyday movements such as walking.
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SPACE
- Dancers interact with space in myriad ways. They may stay in
one place and move parts of their body or their whole body, or
they may travel from one place to another.
TIME
- Rhythmic patterns may be metered or free rhythm. Much of
western music uses repeating patterns (2/4 or ¾ for example),
but the concepts of time and meter are used very differently
throughout the world.
ENERGY
- It refers to the face of an action and can mean both the physical
and mental energy that drives and characterizes movement. -
Choices about energy include32variations in movement flow and
MINOR ELEMENTS OF
DANCE
▹ MUSIC ▹ COSTUME ▹ SPECTACLE
- serves as - this refers to special - is a certain quality
accompaniment for a clothing worn only for done to the dance to
dance performance. It dance performances. make it attractive for
could be as simple as Costumes usually viewing by an
hand claps, humming differ from ordinary audience. This means
or chanting or as dresses worn daily in lavish costuming,
complicated as choral terms of cut, color and choreography,
singing or musical materials movement
ensemble such as band enhancements, sets,
or orchestra. props, and other
33 theatrical elements.
