Dance
Social
- an activity which can take many forms and
fill many different needs
- In its purest and most basic form, dance
is an art, the art of body movement.
- it focuses primarily on “an aesthetic or
even entertaining experiences”
Brief History
 Dance has been a major form of
religious ritual and social expression
within primitive cultures
 Dance became full blown and was richly
recorded in Egypt first
 Dance was also commonly used in
education by Greeks
Benefits of Dance and Creative
Movement
1. Physical
a. Develops cardiovascular and
muscular endurance
b. Improves coordination, balance,
flexibility and body composition
c. Lowers risk of cardiovascular
diseases
d. Lower body mass index
e. Lowers resting heart rate
f. Improves lipid metabolism
g. Enables joint mobility (hip motion
and spine flexibility)
h. Helps improve and maintain bone
density, thus helping prevent
osteoporosis
i. Helps recover coordination and
neuromuscular skills after injury
2. Mental and Emotional
a. Helps keep the brain sharp
b. Decreases the incidence of dementia
and Alzheimer’s disease
c. Decreases depressive symptoms
d. Increases self-esteem and improves
body image
e. Aids in releasing emotional and
physical tension
3.
a. Gives sense of togetherness within a
group
b. Encourages positive social
interaction and interpersonal
relationship in a group
c. Contributes to the individual’s
potential for self-actualization in
society
4. Cultural
a. Promotes cultural values
Elements of Dance
 The human body is living in time and
space, and it exhibits some effort. Thus,
all movements occur in time, through
space, and with effort.
4 Elements of Dance
1. Space
- This is the area the performers occupy
and where they move
- It can be divided into four different
aspects namely:
a. Direction
- Dance movements can travel in
any direction.
- The performers can go forward,
side, backward, diagonal,
circular, and so on.
b. Size
- Movements can be varied by
doing larger or smaller actions.
c. Level
- Movements can be done in a
high, medium, or low level.
d. Focus
- Performers may change the
focus by looking at different
directions.
2. Timing
- The movements in timing may be
executed in varying tempo (speed)
- Performers move with the tempo of an
underlying sound, known as beat or
pulse.
- Can be varied by moving faster or
slower than the normal beat
- When done in varying tempo, they
generate rhythm patterns.
3. Dance Energies
- The movements are propelled by
energy or force.
1. Sustained
- Movements are done smoothly,
continuously, and with flow and
control.
2. Percussive
- Movements are explosive or sharp
in contrast with sustained
movements.
- They are accented with thrust of
energy
- They have a clear beginning and
an end.
3. Vibratory
- Movements consists of trembling
or shaking.
- A faster version of percussive
movements that produces a jittery
effect.
4. Swinging
- Movements traced a curved line or
are in space.
- The movements are released and
giving in to gravity.
5. Suspended
- Movements are perched in space
or hanging on air.
- Example: holding a raised leg
6. Collapsing
- Movements are released in tension
and gradually or abruptly giving in
to gravity, letting the body descend
to the floor.
4. Bodily Shapes
- refers to how the entire body is
molded in space or the configuration of
body parts.
- The body can be rounded, angular, or
a combination of the two.
- Other body shapes can be from wide
to narrow and from high to low.
a. Symmetrical
- balanced shape
b. Asymmetrical
- two sides do not match or
completely different from each
other.
Dance Appreciation and Composition
What makes a good dance?
 A good dance displays a significant
meaning or conveys a message,
sometimes it also portrays life
experiences.
 A good dance lifts and transports the
audience from their seater during the
performance.
 It has a beginning, middle, and
end/conclusion.
 The beginning of a dance may come in
a form of a shape, a pose, or an
entrance.
 The middle consists of a development or
exploration of the main idea.
 The ending/conclusion should be clear
and may be in a form of a shape, form,
or an art.
Form
- is the instrument by which ideas and
elements are arranged or combined into a
logical sequence which results in unity and
 consistency and by means of which the
content or idea can be expressed and
communicated
- It is the organizing factor of any work or
dance composition.
- It should progress through time from the
beginning to the end of the choreography.
- Each section is composed of several units
that are smoothly connected to each
other.
- These small units are called phrases.
Phrases
- When you combine one movement with
several others, they form a unit.
- When units are pierced together, they
make up a section in the choreography
and the sections together form a whole
dance.
- Therefore, a phrase is the smallest unit of
form in the whole sentence.
Motif
- A good dance contains a theme or motif to
be able to convey its meaning or intention
to the audience.
- A dance without meaning makes it harder
for the audience to understand, thus
making it superficial and easy to forget.
- A single movement or a short phrase of
movement that embodies the style and
intention of the dance is called a motif.
- A good dance uses a motif in which the
movements are repeated, varied, and
developed by manipulating the movement
components or elements.
Characteristics of a Good Dance
1. Unity
- The interconnected of the dance are
coherent and flow smoothly together
- The movements fit together and each
plays an important role that
contributes to the entirety of the
dance.
2. Continuity and Development
- The phrases of the dance that are
organized progressively, making each
movement phrase move naturally into
the next.
- There is a continuous development of
the movement phrase and the
audience is swept away along to the
end.
3. Variety and Contrast
- Making one or several variations that
highlight the facet of the motif.
- This provides variety within the
development of a dance.
- It introduces new material, which is
noticeably different from anything so
far in the dance.
4. Transition
- The link between movements,
phrases, and sections of the dance.
- It makes the logical progression of the
dance flow smoothly.
- Also, it is vital because it keeps the
unity and continuity of the dance.
5. Repetition
- It emphasizes movements and phrases
that are important to the dance and
gives a feeling of closure to a work.
- Same phrases need to be repeated in
choreography so that the audience can
see those movements again and
identify its significance.
6. Climax
- This is where the apex of energy in the
dance is reached.
- It is similar to the climax in a story
where a series of events culminates.
- The climax may be a fast and enraged
blast of energy and action, or it could
fade away to a gentle and quiet exit
that makes the end of a particular
story.