UNIT 1: Introduction to Dance

“Dance is fun! It lifts the spirit, strengthens the body, and

stimulates the mind.”
– Wayne Sleep (1986)
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. As time goes by, many studies
also concluded that dance could be a form of exercise or work out that improve health. Bremer
(2007) of The British Journal of General Practice on his article “Dance as Exercise,” cited that
the qualities and benefits offered by dancing depend on the form concerned but as a general
rule, it improves physical health by developing strength, suppleness, coordination, and balance
in varying amounts.
In this unit, we will trace the history of dances, describe its nature and discover the
types of dances, which we can engage in and make as a recreational activity. Dancing can
also be a part of our physical activity that promotes an active lifestyle for everyone.

CURRICULUM CONNECTION
LIFE LPO4: Conscientious, Adept PERFORMERS & ACHIEVERS
PERFORMING I am a conscientious, adept performer and achiever, competently pursuing
OUTCOME my mission in life.

PROGRAM OUTCOMES:
Physical Education
All SPCEM Physical Education Graduates can:
PO7: Create and adeptly execute a variety of individual and group skill, dance, and
sports movements that develop self-discipline, confidence, and teamwork.

FOCUSED ESSENTIAL PROGRAM OUTCOME:

EPO8: Cultivate specialized knowledge and skills in at least one area of their lives that
they apply in a variety of situations with facility and ease. (LPO4)

P.E - HEALTH
CONTENT STANDARD:
 Cultivate specialized knowledge and skills to understand dance in optimizing
one’s health; as requisite for physical activity assessment performance, and as a
career opportunity.

PERFORMANCE STANDARD:
 Each Paulinian learner cultivates his/her specialized knowledge and skills to lead
dance events with proficiency and confidence resulting in independent pursuit and in
influencing others positively which they apply in a variety of situations with facility and
ease.

APPLIED PERFORMANCE COMMITMENTS

APC1: Pay attention and respond to things happening in their surroundings and the needs of
others. (LPO5)
MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCIES
PE-Health 12 Competency

PEH12FH-Ia-19 - Discusses the nature of the different dances 

PEH12FH-Ib-c-2 - Explains how to optimize the energy systems for safe and improved
performance

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 LESSON 1.2 Dancing is Fun and Healthy!
“Dance is fun! It lifts the spirit, strengthens the body, and stimulates the mind.”
–Wayne Sleep (1986)
Dancing is one of the oldest and most popular forms of exercise. Several forms of
dancing are considered aerobic since they entail about an hour of “continuous exercises,
choreographed to music” (Fine, 1981). According to Polly de Mille, an exercise physiologist at
the Women’s Sports Medicine Center in New York, the health benefits gained through dancing
are similar to other forms of activities that involve sustained effort in the target zone.

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to;

 explain the benefits of dance in relation to our health; and
 enumerate ways in keeping oneself safety in dancing.

Let’s Warm Up!

Identify what dance style is being illustrated by the following pictures.

1. . 2.

3. 4.

5.
1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

3. ______________________________

4. ______________________________

5. ______________________________

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 Learn about It!
Based on the research from WHO, Globally almost half of all deaths are associated with
non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In Thailand, the government is working to increase the
level of physical activity to prevent NCDs. They are using tai chi, yoga, dancing, and other
healthy programs. These are mostly done in public parks. This all fits within WHO's efforts to
develop a global action plan to promote physical activity.
BENEFITS OF DANCING ON DIFFERENT ASPECTS

A. 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.

 According to Flores (1995), an increased fitness results in a great lowering of the

body mass index and resting heart rate for those who engage in a dance-based
fitness activity compared to those who engage in other regular physical activities.
It was also reported that there is a significant improvement in lipid metabolism
when dancing (Malvar, 2006).
 Moreover, dance movements are multidirectional, which means they enable joint
mobility specifically, hip motion and spine flexibility as opposed to treadmills or
elliptical machines (Keller, 2007; Childs, 2007). It is also a weight-bearing activity
that helps improve and maintain bone
density as well as prevent osteoporosis
(Keller, 2007).

 Dance therapy has been used in different

medical fields throughout history. It aids in
recovering coordination and other
neuromuscular skills after an injury (Dance
Your Way to Fitness, 2007; Chowder, 2013)

B. 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.”

 Dancing also gives other psychological health benefits as compared to other

forms of exercise. A published study in the journal “Neurobiology of Aging” adds
to evidence that exercise can help keep the brain sharp (Keller, 2007; Childs,
2007; Ravelin et al., 2006). Vorghese et al. (2003) greatly supports the mental
benefits of dancing in their study, concluding there is a decrease in the incidence
of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, with patients whose only regular
physical activity is associated with dancing

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  Gondoh et al. (2009) also studied the effects of aerobic exercise on brain
structure and psychological well-being. Their findings suggest that “insula
gray-matter volume (region involved in multimodal sensory integration and plays
a great role in the generation of affective states in response to emotional
stimulation) may be maintained by aerobic exercise (Gondoh et al., 2009). The
researchers found in this study that “[this] decreased the depressive symptoms
and increased the identity of the training group compared with the control group”
(Gondoh et al., 2009).

 It was assumed that there is a correlation between aerobic exercise and body
image. Ravelin et al. (2006) attributed dance as a medium for developing one’s
body image. Therefore, dancing is a great way to improve one’s body image.

C. 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 self-actualization in society”
(Kraus and Gaufman, 1981). Also, dance
gives a sense of togetherness in a group. For
recent years, varieties of dance-based group
fitness formats have been formulated and
have been in demand. One of the reasons why there has been a tremendous
growth of dance-based fitness regimens is the increasing need for self-
expression and social interactions amongst men and women in the new
millennium (Childs, 2007).

D. 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). It is through looking at the different
dances of other countries will one see the value of one’s culture.

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FRIENDLY REMINDER WHEN DANCING
Like other aerobic exercise and activities, dancing also requires proper precautions to
prevent injury. Since it also involves movement, it requires specific skills that need to be
improved and taking care of. The following are simple reminders to keep ourselves safe while
enjoying and performing a dance.
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.

Block and Tackle!

PSYCHOMOTOR ACTIVITY
Direction: Write your own steps on how to be safe while dancing. Use the given table below.
(3 points for each column)
Dance style
Description Proper Attire Do’s Dont’s

Check Your Understanding

A. The following are the benefits of dancing. Write the aspect where the following
belong.
___________1. Improvement of cardiovascular system
___________2. Understanding the lives of people
___________3. Meaningful group involvement
B. Write TRUE if the statement is a correct practice in keeping dancing safe and write FALSE
it
is not.
___________1. Dance immediately and set aside the proper techniques.
___________2. Limit the water intake during the practices.

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___________3. Wearing the shoes you like to wear.

Self-Check

 .

1. What are the three

 .
things I have learned in
this lesson?
 .

 .
2. What are the two
things I want to learn  .
more about?

3. Which part of the 

lesson I encountered is
considered tough to
handle? What are the key
strengths I relied on?

4. In which area/part do I 
think my skills would add
the most value?

5. How would I rate my

Very Good Good (Fair) (Poor)
learnings and (4) (3) (2) (1)
performance?
(Encircle)

SUGGESTIONS/COMMENTS/ REMARKS:
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________

References: Aparanto, Conrado A., et al., 2017, Physical Education and Health Volume II. Quezon City: Rex
Printing Company, Inc. Bremer, Zoe. 2013. US National Library of Medicine . May 15. Accessed February 28,
2018. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2034191/citedby/.

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