Dance is an art form that involves movement of the body.

Usually rhythmically and to

music, dance uses prescribed or improvised steps and gestures sequenced together. Dance may
be participatory, social, performed, ceremonial, or competitive. It is an important part of
ceremonies, rituals, celebrations, and entertainment. It may be performed solo, with a partner, or
with a group, either way, each dance tells a story.
There are five elements of Dance: body, action, space, time, and energy. The body is the
mobile figure or shape felt by the one dancing and is seen by the audience. Action includes the
dancer’s steps, moves, and facial expressions. Space explains the relationship of the dancer with
its surroundings. Time explains the relationship of the dancer with the music’s rhythm. Lastly,
energy is the variations in movement flow and use of force, tension and weight.
One of the most basic motives of dance is the expression and communication of emotion.
People, and even certain higher animals, often dance as a way of releasing powerful feelings,
such as sudden accesses of high spirits, joy, impatience, or anger. Here the dance helps to
generate emotions as well as release them.
Dance often involves movement being taken to an extreme, with, for example, the arms
being flung or stretched out, the head lifted back, and the body arched or twisted. Also, it
involves a special effort or stylization, such as high kicks, leaps, or measured walks. Dance
movements tend to be organized into a spatial or rhythmic pattern, tracing lines or circles on the
ground, following a certain order of steps, or conforming to a pattern of regular accents or
stresses. All of these characteristics may produce a state of mind and body that is very different
from that of everyday experience.
The second objective of dance is to convey theme(s), narrative, or dance ideas that can be
expressed through choreographies. Dance is seen through two different mediums. One is body
which is a medium that can be seen. The last medium is music which is a medium that can be
heard.
The history of Dance is difficult to assess for the reason that it often does not leave
behind physical artifacts, like stone tools and cave paintings. It is difficult, near impossible, to
say when dance originated.
In this assignment, our group focused on one particular dance era: Hip-hop. Hip-hop
began as a cultural movement in the streets of New York during the 1970s. The movement was
expressed through a variety of mediums, like music, dance, graffiti, and fashion. Out of all these
mediums, music became an underground art for African-American youths. Hip-hop became their
platform to voice out the social, economic, and political injustice. It became a form of self-
expression and not just rap music characterized with foul language and material worship. Soon
after, it became a form of lifestyle. African-Americans were able to express their voices as a
minority group. They used the culture as a vehicle of expression that represented individuality
and defiance. The everchanging moves in Hip-hop represents the history of the culture.
Five Elements of Dance
 Body: mobile figure or shape felt by the one dancing and is seen by
the audience
 Action: includes the dancer’s steps, moves, and facial expressions
 Space: explains the relationship of the dancer with its surroundings
 Time: relationship of the dancer with the music’s rhythm.
 Energy: the variation of movement flow and use of force, tension, and
weight

Objectives of Dance
 Convey theme(s), narrative, or dance ideas that can be expressed
through choreographies
 Despite the type of dance used, every dance tells a story
 Expression and communication of emotion

Mediums of Dance
1. Body: a medium that can be seen
2. Music: a medium that can be heard

Types of Dance
 Hip-Hop
 Jazz
 Ballet
  Folk Dance
 Tap
 Modern Dance

History of Hip-hop
 Hip-hop began as a cultural movement in the streets of New York during the
1970s. The movement was expressed through a variety of mediums, like
music, dance, graffiti, and fashion. Out of all these mediums, music became
an underground art for African-American youths. Hip-hop became their
platform to voice out the social, economic, and political injustice. It became
a form of self-expression and not just rap music characterized with foul
language and material worship. Soon after, it became a form of lifestyle.
African-Americans were able to express their voices as a minority group.
They used the culture as a vehicle of expression that represented
individuality and defiance. The everchanging moves in Hip-hop represents
the history of the culture.