PE 12

1. History and
Nature of
Dance

2. Introduction
Dance is an
activity which can
take many forms
and fill many
different needs.

3. It can be….
• Recreation
• Entertainment
• Education
• Therapy
• Religion

4. Dance is art, the
art of body
movement
-Barbara Mettler,
1980

5. What is Dance?
Focuses primarily
on “aesthetic or
even entertaining
experience”
(Myers, 2005)

6. Purposes/Functions
• To please Gods
• To please others
• To please themselves or
self-expression
• To build community within
an ethnic group or social
interaction
(Myers, 2005)

7. BRIEF HISTORY
OF DANCE

8. HISTORY OF DANCE
Pre-Historic
Dance was used as a form of
expression and communication.
Early humans performed dances
during rituals and ceremonies related
to fertility, hunting, and religious rites.

9. HISTORY OF DANCE - Ancient Civilizations
Egypt
Dance was integral to religious and social ceremonies,
often depicting stories of gods and nature
Greece
Dance was part of Greek theater, combining drama with
movement to tell stories
India
Dance was deeply connected to religious rituals,
particularly in Hindu temples.

10. HISTORY OF DANCE - Medieval Period
Dance was often restricted by the Church
in Europe but survived in folk traditions
Court dances, such as the minuet, became
popular among the nobility.

11. HISTORY OF DANCE - Renaissance
Dance experienced a revival, with the
emergence of ballet in Italy and France
Court dances became more
sophisticated, leading to the
development of dance as an art form

12. HISTORY OF DANCE - Modern Era
The 20th century saw the rise of modern
dance, which emphasized self-expression
and broke away from classical forms
Dance became a key element in
entertainment, including musicals, movies,
and television.

13. NATURE OF
DANCE

14. NATURE OF DANCE
Artistic Expression
Dance is a form of artistic expression, using the
body to convey emotions, tell stories, and
reflect cultural values.
Cultural Significance
Dance is deeply rooted in cultural traditions,
often reflecting the history, beliefs, and values
of a community.

15. NATURE OF DANCE
Physical Activity
Dance is a physical activity that promotes
fitness, coordination, and flexibility
Social Interaction
Dance often serves as a means of social
interaction, bringing people together in
celebrations, rituals, and communal events

16. NATURE OF DANCE
Variety of Forms
Dance encompasses a wide range of styles,
from classical ballet to contemporary, folk,
and street dance
Educational Tool
Dance is used in education to teach rhythm,
coordination, and cultural appreciation.

17. SPECIFIC
BENEFITS OF
DANCE

18. • Develops cardiovascular
and muscular endurance
• Improves coordination,
balance, flexibility, and
body composition
• Lower risks of
cardiovascular disease
• Lowers Body Mass Index
• Lowers resting heart rate
PHYSICAL
• Lowers lipid metabolism
• Enables joint mobility (hip
motion and motion
flexibility)
• Helps improve and maintain
bone density, thus helps
prevent osteoporosis
• Helps recover coordination
and neuromuscular skills
after injury

19. • Helps keep the brain sharp
• Decrease incidence of dementia and
Alzheimer’s Disease
• Decrease depressive symptoms
• Increase self-esteem and improves body image
• Aids in releasing emotional and physical
tension
MENTAL

20. • Gives sense of togetherness within a
group
• Encourages positive social interaction
and interpersonal relationship in a group
• Contributes to the individual’s potential
for self-actualization in society
SOCIAL

21. •Promotes cultural values
CULTURAL

22. ELEMENTS OF
DANCE

23. 1. SPACE
• The area the performers occupy
and where they move
• Can be divided into 4 different
aspects also known as spatial
elements

24. SPACE – Spatial Elements
a. Direction
• performers can go forward, backward,
diagonal, circular, and so on
• They may also face any direction while
executing a single movement or
several phrases

25. SPACE – Spatial Elements
b. size
• Movements can be varied by doing
larger or smaller actions

26. SPACE – Spatial Elements
c. level
• Movements can be done in a high,
medium, or low level

27. SPACE – Spatial Elements
d. focus
• Performers may change their focus
by looking at a different directions

28. 2. TIMING
• Tempo (speed)
• Performers move with the tempo of
an underlying sound, known as beat
or pulse

29. 2. TIMING
• Faster or slower than normal beat
• When sequence of a movement or
group of phrases is done in varying
tempos, they generate rhythmic
patterns

30. 2. TIMING
• The addition of silences or pulse
also adds to rhythmic patterns

31. 3. DANCE ENERGIES
• Movements here propelled by
energy or force
• A force can either initiate or stop an
action

32. Qualities of Dance Energies
a. Sustained
• Movements are done smoothly,
continuously, and with flow and
control
• It does not have a clear beginning
and ending

33. Qualities of Dance Energies
b. percussive
• movements are explosive or sharp
in contrast with sustained
movements
• Have a clear beginning and ending

34. Qualities of Dance Energies
c. vibratory
• Movements consists of trembling or
shaking
• Faster version of percussive
movements that produces jittery
effect

35. Qualities of Dance Energies
d. swinging
• Movements trace a curved line or an
arc in space
• The movements are relaxed

36. Qualities of Dance Energies
e. suspended
• Movements are perched in space or
hanging on the air

37. Qualities of Dance Energies
f. collapsing
• Movements are released in tension
and gradually or abruptly giving
into gravity, letting body descend to
the floor

38. 4. BODILY SHAPES
• Refers to how the entire body is
molded in space or the
configuration of body parts
• Can be rounded, angular, or both

39. 4. BODILY SHAPES
a. Symmetrical
• Balanced shaped
• Movements are practically identical
or similar on both sides

40. 4. BODILY SHAPES
b. asymmetrical
• Unbalanced shaped
• Movements of two sides of the
body do not match or completely
different from each other

41. 5. GROUP SHAPES
• Group of dancers perform
movements in different group
shapes
• Total picture or arrangement within
a picture frame (Minton, 2007)

42. Recreational Dance
• Social activity in which people of all
ages can participate
Dance Fitness
• Is a fun way to increase
cardiovascular endurance, strength,
and flexibility

43. WHAT MAKES A GOOD DANCE?
• It displays a significant meaning or conveys
message
• Portrays life experience
• Maybe presented abstractly and symbolically
but still convey emotion and meaning
(McGreevy-Nicholas et al. 2005)

44. WHAT MAKES A GOOD DANCE?
• Lifts and transports the audience from their
seats during the performance
• It has a beginning, middle, and end/conclusion

45. What is a form?
•The instrument by which ideas
and elements are arranged or
combined into a logical
sequence which results in unity
and consistency

46. What is a phrase?
•Smallest unit of form in the
whole dance (Blom and Chaplin,
1988)

47. What is a motif?
•A single movement or a short
phrase of movement that
embodies the style and intention
of the dance

48. CHARACTERISTICS
OF A GOOD DANCE

49. • Interconnected
phrases of the dance
are coherent and
flow smoothly
together
1. UNITY

50. • The phrases of the dance
that are organized
progressively, making each
movement phrase move
naturally into the next
2. CONTINUITY AND
DEVELOPMENT

51. • Introduces new material,
which is noticeably
different from anything
so far seen in the dance
(Rickett-Young, 1996)
3. VARIETY AND
CONTRAST

52. • The link between
movements, phrases,
and sections of the
dance
4. TRANSITION

53. • Emphasizes movements
and phrases that are
important to the dance
and gives a feeling of
closure to a work (Minton,
2007)
5. REPETITION

54. • This is where the
apex of energy in
the dance is reached
(Schrader, 1996)
6. CLIMAX

55. Activity 1: Dance Benefits
Directions: Based on your experience and observation. Give at least two
benefits of dance based on the following (write your answers in your notebook):
PHYSICAL
1. _____________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________
EMOTIONAL
1. ______________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________
MENTAL
1. ______________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________
SOCIAL
1. ______________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________
CULTURAL
1. ______________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________