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 1.1 The Evolution of Dance
“Before man can do anything, he must draw breath, he must move. Movement is the source and
condition of life. To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. This is power,
it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking.”
– Agnes de Mille (1963)

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

 Trace the origin or history of dance; and
 Describe the nature, styles, and types of dances.

Let’s Warm Up!

Direction: You will recall your participation in dance whether during your PE classes or
outside school, like in the street dance, festival, party, or competition. In the table below,
answer all the questions and get ready with your responses for discussion.

List down your dance

experience/participation.

What dance styles did you

do?

Where did you perform?

Are you alone or with others?

Describe your dance

experience.

What benefits did you

acquire in dance
participation?

Learn about It!

BRIEF HISTORY AND NATURE OF DANCE
Dance can be seen among all the people and civilizations of the world. Dances thrived
at different periods of history and mostly were a result of intercultural exchange and contact
(Alejandro and Santos-Gana, 2002). The origins of dance are rooted in the prehistoric past.
Various artistic, religious, and social forces started out the incorporation and development of
dance.

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 The table on the next page summarizes the origin and background of dance from pre-
historic up to the modern times.
Period Theme/ Nature Purpose of Dance
Pre-historic  A form of religious ritual and social  First used dance as a gesture
expression within primitive cultures. in order to communicate
“man danced originally to supplicate  It was used as a means of
the gods on all important occasions of expressing and reinforcing
life.” Kraus and Gaufman (1981) tribal unity and strength
 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
Mediterranean It was only during this time that the real knowledge of dance came
and Middle about.
Eastern
Civilizations
Ancient Egypt  Dance was in full bloom and richly  Most of the dances during
recorded. It is reflected in their wall this era were mainly a medium
paintings, reliefs, and in the literary of religious expression.
records of hieroglyphs.
Ancient Greeks  Greeks believed that dance was  Taught as an aid to military
closely linked with other kinds of education among the boys in
experiences. Athens and Sparta.
 Plato immensely gave importance  It was not just for religious
to dance in education as stated in his and military training but also a
elucidation on the Laws. form of entertainment and
 He highlighted the two kinds of display.
dance and music: the noble (fine and  Greek philosophers such as
honorable) and the ignoble (imitating Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates
what is mean or ugly). strongly supported this art as
an integration of the body and
soul.
The Ancient  Romans gave less importance to  Dance became brutal and
Rome dancing. sensationalized as their
 They gave lesser value for the arts entertainers were slaves and
as the nation grew wealthy and captives from many
powerful. The Romans ceased to nationalities and it was used
create and perform dances. more often for gruesome
 The development of the Catholic purposes (Kraus et al., 1981).
Church in Europe, following the fall of  Dance eventually became an
Rome transformed the history of integral part of the corruption in
dance. the latter days of the Roman
 The Church was the sole custodian Empire, resulting in the
of learning and education, as well as condemnation of dance by the
the source of morals. early Christians.
 When the first Christian emperors  However, dance still existed
came, theatrical entertainment was and was performed within the
prohibited. 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  This marked the beginning of social  They performed in village
Middle Ages dancing. The peasants performed two squares and were eventually

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 basic types of dancing: the round welcomed in the castles and
dance and the couple dance. chateaus of feudal lords.
 In a round dance, dancers hold  At the same time, the
hands, forming a long chain and common people also amused
move about in an open or closed themselves by doing dances
circle, or in an extended line. that were social in character.
 Couple dance, at that time, was not  Court dances emerged as
as popular as round dance as it was part of the chivalric way of life
considered scandalous when it was
first seen.
 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  Dance was wholly accepted in the  During the Renaissance,
Renaissance courts as the gradual increase of the dance, and art, in general,
capitalist class produced patrons of gained impetus. The old
learning and art in Europe. restraints were loosened, and
 The entertainers now became a clerical ideas and purposes no
valuable appendage to the courts of longer dominate all creative
Italy and France. expressions of the human spirit
 They were to serve the secular (Kraus and Gaufman, 1981).
goals of the wealthy and powerful
nobles who had emerged throughout
Europe.
 A vast dance movement occurred  Other dance forms also came
Centuries throughout the courts of Europe to light and have been widely
 During these times, new court recognized worldwide (Kraus
dances performed by the nobility and Gaufman, 1981).
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.

Different Styles of Dances

Many diverse dance styles around the world have been chosen by individual depends
on their skills and style. Practicing many kinds of dance were taken seriously by others. As
they get older, they learn several types of dance before they specialize in one area. Below is
the brief overview of some of the most popular dance styles.

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 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. The
basic dance steps in ballet usually use the entire dance styles. This
dance typically uses technique and requires enormous diligence and
dedication to perfect. Ballet has three
classifications: classical, neoclassical and
contemporary.

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. Jazz dancers frequently have
more freedom to express their unique character through their dance presentations.

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. In current years, it has involved fundamentals, not usually related to dance, such as
speech and film.

Hip-hop is a style of dance that progressed from hip-hop

principles and is typically performed to hip-hop music. Breakdancing
is the most familiar type of hip-hop dance, but other classes include
crumping, popping, and locking. This style of dance is perhaps the
most diverse of the other forms. It is usually very bouncy, that permits
the dancer to have freedom of movement within the repetitive music,
and can integrate it to one’s personality.

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.
The common types of ballroom dances are Cha Cha, Foxtrot, jive, lindy hop, mambo, pasa-
doble, quickstep, rumba, samba, tango, Vietnamese waltz, and the waltz. There is a
competitive form of ballroom dancing, which is called a dance sport. It has different rules and
regulations in executing the steps.

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 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. It is one of the categories in the
International Cheerleading Competition that focuses on dance techniques and basic elements
of cheerleading, including stunts and advance gymnastics skills. The performers are
cheerleaders and not just dancers.

Block and Tackle!

PSYCHOMOTOR ACTIVITY
Individual presentation
 Pick from any of the different dance styles it can be: jazz, modern, ballroom, folk
dance, and hip-hop. Show the distinct characteristics and styles of the dance chosen
through a creative presentation. Observe proper etiquette and safety protocols for
exercise.
 Observe how to optimize the energy systems for safe and improved performance.
 Perform all the parts of a workout: warm-up, stretching, activity portion (dance), and
cool down stretch. The dance exercise must be at least 3 minutes .
 Send your dance presentation via email (leticiasibyan88@gmail.com) or messenger
(Leticia Sibayan)

Criteria Beginning Developing Accomplished Score

(0-12 points) (13-16 points) (17-20 points)
Content (Focus on
details/events are clearly
P evident; it is clearly related
R to the topic.)
E Organization
S (Presentation of the
E steps /events; clear
N transitions of steps from
T the next steps.
A Health topic is clearly
T seen in the performance
I Creativity (flow,
O appearance and unique
N integration )

TOTAL SCORE:

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 Check Your Understanding

A. What historical period of dance is being described?

Answers Description
1. Dance as aid to military education

2. Entertainer became valuable appendage to the court of Italy and

France
3. Court dance became popular

B. Pick one type

of dance Rubric Number of Points you are
interested Content has relevance to the 3 to learn
question
and explain
why you The thought is well organized. 3 are
interested in it.
The reasoning ability is 2
manifested.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
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Self-Check

1. What are the 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?

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5. How would I rate my Very Good Good (Fair) (Poor)
learnings and performance? (4) (3) (2) (1)
(Encircle)
References: Aparanto, Conrado A., et al., 2017, Physical Education and Health Volume II. Quezon City: Rex
Printing Company, Inc.

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