DANCE

According to Mettler (1980), dance is an

activity, which can take many forms and fill
many different needs. It can be for recreation,
entertainment, education, therapy, and
religion. Dance is a form of art because
through rhythmic movement people can
creatively express themselves, their culture
and even religion.
The Evolution of
Dance
 PERIOD THEME/ NATURE PURPOSE OF DANCE

Pre-historic  A form of religious ritual  First used dance as a

and social expression within gesture in order to
primitive cultures. communicate

“man danced originally to  It was used as a means of

supplicate the gods on all expressing and reinforcing
important occasions of life.” tribal unity and strength
Kraus and Gaufman (1981)
PERIOD THEME/ NATURE PURPOSE OF DANCE

 It is also an approach for

courtship and mating, and as
a means of worship, and
therapeutic experiences.

 People from the prehistoric

era performed ways they
hoped would appease the
forces of nature or give them
grant them new powers.
 PERIOD THEME/ NATURE
Mediterranean and Middle Eastern  It was only during this time that
Civilizations the real knowledge of dance came
about.
Ancient Egypt  Dance was in full bloom and
richly recorded. It is reflected in
their wall paintings, reliefs, and in
the literary records of hieroglyphs.
Ancient Greeks  Greeks believed that dance was
closely linked with other kinds of
experiences.  Plato immensely
gave importance to dance in
education as stated in his
elucidation on the Laws.
He highlighted the two kinds of
dance and music: the noble (fine
and honorable) and the ignoble
(imitating what is mean or ugly).
PURPOSE OF DANCE
 Most of the dances during this
era were mainly a medium of
religious expression.
Taught as an aid to military
education among the boys in
Athens and Sparta.  It was not
just for religious and military
training but also a form of
entertainment and display. 
Greek philosophers such as Plato,
Aristotle, and Socrates strongly
supported this art as an integration
of the body and soul.
 PERIOD THEME/ NATURE
The Ancient Rome  Romans gave less importance to
dancing.
 They gave lesser value for the arts as
the nation grew wealthy and powerful.
The Romans ceased to create and
perform dances.
 The development of the Catholic
Church in Europe, following the fall of
Rome transformed the history of dance.
 The Church was the sole custodian of
learning and education, as well as the
source of morals.
 When the first Christian emperors
came, theatrical entertainment was
prohibited.
PURPOSE OF DANCE
 Dance became brutal and
sensationalized as their entertainers
were slaves and captives from many
nationalities and it was used more often
for gruesome purposes (Kraus et al.,
1981).
 Dance eventually became an integral
part of the corruption in the latter days
of the Roman Empire, resulting in the
condemnation of dance by the early
Christians.
 However, dance still existed and was
performed within the Church during
religious ceremonies. The Christian
fathers approved the use of dance, if its
form and intent were holy and profound.
 Dances then became part of worships
and church services.
Dark and Early Middle Ages  This marked the beginning of
social dancing. The peasants
performed two basic types of
dancing: the round dance and the
couple dance.
 In a round dance, dancers hold
hands, forming a long chain and
move about in an open or closed
circle, or in an extended line.
 Couple dance, at that time, was
not as popular as round dance as it
was considered scandalous when it
was first seen.
 They performed in village
squares and were eventually
welcomed in the castles and
chateaus of feudal lords.
 At the same time, the common
people also amused themselves by
doing dances that were social in
character.
 Court dances emerged as part of
the chivalric way of life

 Nobility soon followed the

peasants’ lead in dancing but in a
more refined and courtly form.
 Because of the noblemen’s and
women’s nature of clothing and
elaborate accessories, their dance
steps were limited to gliding,
curtseying, and posing as they were
not able to move freely.

 The peasants’ dances, in contrast,

have large movements and wide-
stepping figures. This is due to their
less elaborate costumes allowing
bigger movements.

 Additionally, the peasants danced

on grass or on the beaten earth of the
town while noblemen danced on
smooth floor, wood or polished
marble called a ballroom.
Early Renaissance Dance was wholly accepted  During the Renaissance,
in the courts as the gradualdance, and art, in general,
increase of the capitalist class
gained impetus. The old
produced patrons of learningrestraints were loosened, and
and art in Europe. clerical ideas and purposes no
longer dominate all creative
The entertainers now expressions of the human
became a valuable appendage spirit (Kraus and Gaufman,
to the courts of Italy and 1981).
France.

They were to serve the

secular goals of the wealthy
and powerful nobles who had
emerged throughout Europe.
15th and 16th Centuries  A vast dance movement occurred  Other dance forms also came to
throughout the courts of Europe light and have been widely
recognized worldwide (Kraus and
 During these times, new court Gaufman, 1981).
dances performed by the nobility
came about and gave rise to the art
of ballet in Italy and France.

 From then on, several other dance

forms continued to sprout and
spread across several countries.

 After the pinnacle of ballet

prominence, contemporary dances
that were stylistic variations of
ballet emerged and evolved in
Europe.
 Show to your classmates the evolution of
dance in your own creative way.
CRITERIA BEGINNING (0-12 DEVELOPING (13- ACCOMPLISHED (17- SCORE
POINTS) 16 POINTS) 20 POINTS)
Content (Focus on
details/events are
clearly evident; it is
clearly related to the
topic.)

Organization
(Presentation of the
steps /events; clear
transitions of steps
from the next steps.
 CRITERIA BEGINNING (0-12 DEVELOPING (13- ACCOMPLISHED (17-20 SCORE
POINTS) 16 POINTS) POINTS)
Health topic is
clearly seen in the
performance
Creativity (flow,
appearance and
unique integration
of the group)

Total Score:
DIFFERENT STYLES OF
DANCES
 Ballet is often dubbed as the backbone
of dance. It is a dance style that requires
intricate movements to relay the message
of a story.
Contemporary dance is a
dance style that
integrates modern,
ballet, and jazz. It allows
the dancers to express
their feelings freely. It
unites the mind and the
body through dance
movements.
Jazz is a type of dance that is jolly and
enthusiastic. It is naturally combined with
upbeat music such as hip-hop or show tunes
to add a theatrical flair.
Folk dance are leisure or ceremonial
dances that are usually executed by
members of a community to which the
dance is traditional.
Modern dance is
deeply rooted in the
ballet syllabus. It
started as a free and
expressive form of
dancing. This style
began in the 20th
century as a response
to classical ballet.
Hip-hop is a style of
dance that
progressed from hip-
hop principles and is
typically performed
to hip-hop music.
Ballroom typically is
done with a partner, a
man, and a woman.
For this purpose, it is
well-known as the
social dance, because
of the communication
between the two dance
partners.
Cheer dance, is a relatively new
field of sports and dance as it has
only emerged during the early
1990s as part of the cheerleading
events.
BENEFITS OF DANCING ON
DIFFERENT ASPECTS
Physical
When done regularly, dancing is a good way to develop
cardiovascular and muscular endurance, and body
composition, (Malvar, 2006) as well as balance and flexibility
(Fine, 1981; Keller, 2007; Childs, 2007). Dance training also
improves coordination (RickettYoung, 1996). Angioi et al.
(2009) observed that there were significant improvements of
aerobic and muscular fitness in contemporary dancers who
engage in low to moderate intensity dance genres. Thus, low to
moderate dance exercise is as effective as other vigorous
exercise regimens in improving fitness. Thus, dancing is also a
great way to lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Mental/Emotional
Ravelin et al. (2006, p. 312) also suggested that dance
can be used as intervention in mental health nursing.
They revealed that dance can offer “an acceptable way
to release emotional and physical pressure.” Since the
majority of the problems of mental health nurses is in
dealing with their patients, it was suggested that dance
might be applied, as it is useful in facilitating “non-
verbal communication by offering a clear structure for
being together.”
Social
Dance provides a unique opportunity for
meaningful group involvement as it encourages
intense, positive social interaction and
interpersonal relationships in a working group.
They believe that “it contributes to each
individual’s potential for the fullest possible
selfactualization in society” (Kraus and Gaufman,
1981).
Cultural
Dance promotes a place or a country’s rich
culture through highlighting the different cultural
dances. People around the world are brought to “a
closer understanding of the lives of the people
represented and to an appreciation of their
respective folk cultures” through the folk dances
of a specific country (Duggan, Schlottmann,
Rutledge, 1948).
5 groups (draw lots) showing the distinct
characteristic and style chosen.
FRIENDLY
REMINDER
WHEN
DANCING
1. Assess yourself on what is the appropriate dance styles
you can perform based on the level of your fitness.

2. Consider the attire suitable for the dance styles you will be
performing. Professionally wear the clothes prescribed.

3. Don’t forget to have a warm up before you start and

cooling down after the dance. Always consider stretching.
4. Bear in mind the proper techniques and correct posture and skills in dance styles you
are about to perform or dance.

5. Always keep yourself hydrated by drinking water.