DANCE AND RHYTHM

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
DANCE AND RHYTHM

Dance is more than the exploring of different ways to make a shape or learning a series of steps
to music; it is a way of moving that uses the body as an instrument of expression and communication.
Through dance, students learn teamwork, focus, and improvisational skills. Dance awakens new
perceptions in children which help them learn and think in new ways.

Dance is important right at the early

stage of development. Children need to
express and communicate their ideas and to
be given the opportunity to make creative
decisions, even at a young age. This decision
making promotes self-esteem and
independent thinking for children. Learning
the movement of others helps expand the
child’s movement vocabulary while creating
one’s own movement will put the child in a
teaching role and give her the chance for her
voice to be heard.

Dance also enables students to better understand themselves and the world in which they live.
Through the arts, teachers can often teach children to recognize the contribution of all cultures to the
fabric of our society and increase the understanding of diversity and values of all people. Dance lends
itself well to this task through learning traditional dances and creating new ones based on children’s
ideas. Dance also enhances skills of perception, observation, and concentration which will undoubtedly
help students in all of their school subjects.

OBJECTIVES
DANCE AND RHYTHM
At the end of this chapter the learner should be able to:
1. Acquire knowledge on the historical views of dance
2. Understand the basic course on dance and rhythm, its elements and its basic body movements
3. Recognize the social relevance and application of dance
4. Show appreciation of one’s body by giving emphasis of certain features in its dance styles

EXPECTED OUTCOMES
DANCE AND RHYTHM
1. The learner should be able to perform with accurate send of balance, and develop creativity through
rhythmic workouts
2. The Learner should be able to device and infinite number of body movements on such action as rotating,
bending, stretching jumping and turning
3. The learner should be able to employ appropriate body movements in the execution of the different dance
elements.
 PRE-TEST
DANCE AND RHYTHM

True or False. Direction: Write T if the statement is true, F if the given statement is false.
_______________1. Choreography pertains to the organization of the movement and figures in the dance. This
makes use of the theme and movements of dance steps

_______________2. Gesture does not involve using the body as an expressive instrument to communicate
feelings and ideas to pattern movement.
_______________3. Posture: to achieve this element you need to remain stagnant, since there is often a
discrepancy of what feels right and what looks right.
_______________4. Breathing is crucial to dance. Not only it does bring oxygen to the body but it also gives
your movement fluency and harmony; it is an expressive tool.
_______________5. Music gives life to the dance. this should be in accordance with the theme pattern of
movements of the dance
_______________6. Rhythm is determined by the tempo, the time value the notes in a measure are
played.
_______________7. Some notes in music are accented, or get a weaker beat with the primary, which
gets the weakest beat, denoted by ">" and the secondary, which gets a relatively stronger beat than the
others, denoted by a "/".
_______________8. Design refers to the floor patterns in relation to space
_______________9. Music is the main story line of dance. It tells what the dance is all about.
______________10. Balance is considered more than balancing on one leg. its aim to achieve and constantly
maintain an inner balance of the whole body.

LET’S READ
DANCE AND RHYTHM

BRIEF HISTORY OF DANCE

From the earliest moments of known human history, dance accompanied ancient rituals,
spiritual gatherings and social events. As a conduit of trance, spiritual force, pleasure, expression,
performance and interaction, dance became infused into our nature from the earliest moments of our
existence - from the moment when first African tribes covered themselves in war-paint to the to the
spreading of music and dance across all four corners of the world. Without a doubt, dancing remains
one of the most expressive forms of communications that we know.

The oldest proof of existence of dancing comes from the 9000 year old cave paintings that were found
in India, which depicts various scenes of hunting, childbirth, religious rites, burials and most importantly,
communal drinking and dancing. Since dancing itself cannot leave clearly identifiable archeological
artifacts that can be found today, scientist looked for secondary clues, written word, stone carvings,
paintings and similar artifacts. Period when dancing became widespread can be traced to the third
millennia BC, when Egyptians started using dance as integral parts of their religious ceremonies.
Judging by the many tomb paintings that survived the tooth of time, Egyptian priests used musical
instruments and dancers to mimic important events - stories of gods and cosmic patterns of moving
stars and sun.
 This tradition continued in ancient Greece,
where dance was used very regular and openly to public
(which eventually brought the birth of the famous Greek
theatre in 6th century BC). Ancient paintings from 1st
millennia clearly speak of many dance rituals in Greek
culture, most notably the one before start of each
Olympian Games, precursor to the modern Olympic
Games. As centuries went on, many other religions
infused dance in the core of their rituals, such as Hindu
dance "Bharata Nhatyam" which is preformed even
today.

Of course, not all dances in those ancient times

were intended for religious purposes. Ordinary people
used dance for celebration, entertainment, seduction and to induce the mood of frenzied exhilaration.
Annual celebration in honor of Greek god of wine Dionysus (and later Roman god Bacchus) included
dancing and drinking for several days. 1400BC year old Egyptian painting showed the group of scantily
dressed girls who danced for the wealthy male crowd, supported by the several musicians. This kind of
entertainment continued to be refined, until medieval times and the start of the Renaissance
when ballet became integral part of the wealthy class.

European dances before the start of Renaissance were not widely documented, any only few
isolated fragments of their existence remain found today. The most basic "chain shaped" dance
practiced by commoners was most widespread across Europe, but the arrival of Renaissance and new
forms of music brought many other styles in fashion. Renaissance dances from Spain, France and Italy
were soon surpassed by Baroque dances which became widely popular in French and English courts.
After the end of French Revolution, many new types of dances emerged with focused on less restrictive
woman clothing, and tendency for skipping and jumping. These dances soon became even more
energetic in 1844 with the beginning of so called "international polka craze" which also brought us the
first appearance of famous waltz.

After the short period of time when great ballroom masters created wave of complicated dances,
the era of modern day 2 person dance started with the careers of famous ballroom dances Vernon and
Irene Castle. After those early years of 20th century many modern dances were invented (Foxtrot, One-
Step, Tango, Charleston, Swing, Postmodern, Hip-hop, breakdancing and more) and the expansion of
musical brought those dances into worldwide popularity

DANCE AND MUSIC

History books usually place music among the sister

arts, incorporating its history into style periods such as
the baroque, the romantic, or the realist. Yet an
argument can be made that music has been related
much more closely with politics and the social life of
its publics than with painting, poetry, or the novel.
While broad artistic communities existed in the late
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, for the most
part a European musician had far more to do with his
patron than with painters or writers. Much the same
can be said of the dance, for it evolved in close
relationship to music in the grand festivals put on at
courts to honor births, marriages, or visiting
dignitaries. In such contexts we can profitably study
the history of music, dance, and indeed society itself.

Music is the most social of the arts. As a performing art governed by ritual, it is much less an
individual experience than reading books or viewing artworks. Music is involved in a great variety of
social contexts: the home and the school; the tavern and clubs; public institutions such as the church
and municipalities; and events in parks and arenas. Most important of all, musical performance has
been central to the social life of middle and upper classes, and in some places the working classes as
well.

DANCE AS RITUAL
Native American dances illustrate most of the purposes of dance that is of a ritualistic or
ceremonial nature: the war dance, expressing prayer for success and thanksgiving for victory; the dance
of exorcism or healing, performed by shamans to drive out evil spirits; the dance of invocation, calling
on the gods for help in farming, hunting, the fertility of human beings and animals, and other tribal
concerns; initiation dances for secret societies; mimetic dances, illustrating events in tribal history,
legend, or mythology; dances representing cosmic processes; and, more rarely, the dance of courtship,
an invocation for success in love. The dance of religious ecstasy, in which hypnotic or trancelike states
are induced (a characteristic phenomenon of Southeast Asia and Africa).

DANCE AS ECSTASY
Ecstatic dance is a free-form movement and type of dance form, often practiced without
a fixed choreography. The idea of ecstatic dance is to completely lend yourself and your body
to the rhythm of the music. In ecstatic dance, you move freely through the space leading to a
state of trance and ecstasy (hence the name ecstatic). In trance, many dancers find that ecstatic
dance brings them into a deep meditative state. In ecstatic dance, one is fully and devotedly in
the body and therefore also fully in the present moment.

The effects of ecstatic dance are many

and are varying depending on the dancer. A lot
of dancers report a feeling of bliss and
happiness, due to the ecstatic state of being.
Ecstatic dance can also be extremely
therapeutic, healing trauma, old wounds and
limiting beliefs on a physical level. Many
dancers also feel more connected to their peers
and their own emotions.

Ecstatic dance is by no means a

contemporary New Age practice. It is around since ancient times and has been practiced for
centuries. Already in classical Greek times, the maenads, followers of Dionysus, the god of
wine and - how could it be any different - religious ecstasy, practiced ecstatic dance. In
shamanism practiced throughout the world, ecstatic dance combined with rhythmic drumming
are spiritual practices was intended to alter states of consciousness in the individual.

THINK AND PONDER

DANCE AND RHYTHM

Direction: Answer the following questions briefly, write your answer on the space provided below.
1. What it the importance of having variations or sub-categories in dancing?
_________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________.

2. How did dance change through the past years? What are the drivers for this change?
_________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________.

3. Do dances have limits in terms of how far we can evolve and develop it?
 _________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________.

4. What is the importance of dance in relation to our society?

_________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________.

Activity No. 1: My words and Thoughts

Direction: Answer the following questions write your answer on the space provided below.
A. How would you relate dance and music?
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________.

B. How did dance begin?

________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________.

C. What is the difference between rhythm and music?

________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________.

LET’S READ
DANCE AND RHYTHM

DANCE AS ENTERTAINMENT AND DISPLAY

History of Dance as Entertainment
Professional dancers have worked as entertainers since prehistory. In ancient Egypt, the first
recorded professional dancers, along with acrobats and musicians, entertained royalty. In ancient
Greece dance was part of theater. From medieval times through the renaissance, dance was
entertainment and amusement for nobles and peasants alike.
During modern history as dance moved onstage, dance as entertainment was part of other art
forms or as interludes between dramas and operas. In the 19th century, dance continued to gain stature
through entertainment such as minstrel shows, circuses, spectacles, fairs, variety shows, and vaudeville
performances. Dance performances took place outdoors, in music and variety halls, theaters, and
arenas. When the transcontinental railway system linked the nation from coast to coast, dance as
entertainment exploded. Entire troupes or stock companies or self-contained companies who performed
all types of entertainment forms, traveled the country by train; they stopped in cities and small towns to
entertain people for the night. These companies were made up of versatile triple
threat performers - those who did all the acting, dancing, and singing roles required in an evening's
entertainment.
 In the 20th century, the love of dance as entertainment grew in new directions. Broadway revues
evolved into musical theater productions. With the invention of motion pictures and then television,
dance moved into entertainment mass media.
For Broadway shows, dance artists and
choreographers from ballet and modern dance companies
created dances in early-20th-century follies (elaborate shows
with music, songs, and dances), revues, and then musicals. As
musical theater dance developed, it continued to absorb the
styles of dance genres such as tap dance, ballet, modern
dance, and jazz dance. Each musical theater production had
its unique choreography using blended styles. Broadway
shows tour throughout the world, bringing classical and
contemporary musical theater productions to millions of people.
Dance movies have been popular since the early days of film. Producing these movies took
hundreds of dancers, such as in the work of Busby Berkeley in the 1920s as a Broadway dance director
and in 1930s movies where he directed musical numbers which led to his fame. Dance movies became
an important area of commercial dance. Dancers and choreographers have entertained and educated
audiences in historical dramas, animated movies, movie musicals, and science fiction movies alike.
Animated movies in which characters danced were the invention of Walt Disney and his creative staff.
Characters such as Snow White and the dancing dwarfs, princesses, and all kinds of creatures perform
animated dances. In the 1950s, Gene Kelly bridged the gap between animation and live characters
when he danced with an animated mouse in the film Anchors Away (1945).
With the advent of television, dance moved into variety shows, such as the Ed Sullivan
Show. They showcased a wide variety of dance artists and choreographers and made them household
names across America. As television programming expanded, so did the opportunities for dance shows.
The popular Dance in America series brought ballet and modern dance companies to homes across
America. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) continues to provide diverse programming of dance as art,
entertainment, and education.
Over the last decade, reality dance shows such as So
You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With the Stars have
expanded dance audiences and their appreciation of dance.
Televised dance or drill team competitions and other associated
dance competitions present another aspect of dance as
entertainment. Television programming now includes an array of
dance entertainment, including sitcoms and documentary series
on dancers, their personal lives, musical theater, and dance
genres from around the world.
After Disneyland opened in the 1950s, amusement and
theme parks became another mass entertainment medium.
Dance became an important feature in theme parks across the
nation and the world. Dancing characters from the movies reside in different areas of these parks. In
each park, one or more companies of dancers perform short entertainment shows throughout the day,
every day. Dancers perform blended historical, cultural, or social dance styles to entertain park visitors.
The Disney concept of performers - being in character and onstage while walking in the park or dancing
- spurred an entire entertainment industry. Other live entertainment settings, including cruise ships,
casinos, and resorts, provide multiple dancing stage shows as entertainment for guests.
When Internet technology expanded, another entertainment site emerged that would support
dance films, recorded dance performance, and ways to interact in real time with dancers and
choreographers across the globe. In the 20th century the term dance for the camera was coined to
describe dance that was filmed as art, education, or entertainment. Productions of dance for the camera
include documentaries of dancers and choreographers, historical and educational movies, concert and
cultural dance companies, and performances of choreographed artistic dance films. These dance films
are broadcast on television, shown in schools, or shown as fine art films. On the Internet, anyone can
post a personal dance video to be viewed by the class, the school, and often the entire world. Dance for
the camera has expanded into a whole new dimension that requires understanding dance as well as the
art of filming it. To create dance for the camera, you need to grasp the artistic and production values,
choices, and processes that are part of creating a filmed work.

BASIC COURSE ON DANCE AND RHYTHM

Musical Structure
Meter is probably the most important musical element for the dancer, even though tempo is the
speed that a measure of music is played. This is because rhythm is determined by the meter, the time
value the notes in a measure are played.
Musical time signature is denoted by fractions, such as 4/4, in which the upper number shows
how many beats are in a measure and the lower number shows which note gets one count, in this case
the quarter note. Examples are the Foxtrot, written in 4/4 time, the Waltz, written in 3/4 time, and the
Tango, written in 2/4 time.
Some notes in music are accented, or get a stronger beat with the primary, which gets the
strongest beat, denoted by ">" and the secondary, which gets a relatively stronger beat than the others,
denoted by a "/". For example, normally in 4/4 time the primary accent is on the first beat and the
secondary accent on the third beat.
However, when music is syncopated, the accent of the first beat is shifted to some other count
within the measure. Syncopation can also mean the continuing of one note into another, usually
accented note. When this happens in dance music, the dancer normally take three steps for two
syncopated notes (beat1 "and" beat2). Also, some dancers will not dance to the beat of the music but
the "offbeat".
Rhythm Patterns
Using three types of rhythm patterns is how some dance instructors prefer to teach
dance. Single Rhythm. This is one step taken for two beats of music. The step is taken on the first beat
with an added tap (toe step), brush step, kick or "hold" taken on the second beat. Examples of dances
this is used are the Tango and the Fox Trot. Double Rhythm. This is two steps taken on two beats of
music, such as in marching. In this rhythm pattern, the dancer starts with one foot and ends with the
opposite foot. Examples of usage include the Waltz and most Salsa variations. Triple Rhythm. This is
three small steps taken for two syncopated beats. Examples this is used are the Samba and the Cha-
Cha.

ELEMENTS OF DANCE
- Theme- is the main story line of dance. It tells what the dance is all about.
- Movement- refers to the dance steps and basic body movement required of a particular dance
- Technique- is a system of movements performed by a dancer. This developed through a constant
practice of certain difficult dance steps.
- Choreography- pertains to the organization of the movement and figures in the dance. This make use
of the theme and movements of dance steps
- Music- gives life to the dance. this should be in accordance with the theme pattern of movements of
the dance
- Accessories, costume and properties- accessories are what the dancers wear in addition the costume
such as earing, necklace, bells and feathers etc. Costume refers to what the dancers should wear,
properties refer to the things held and used by the dancers.
- Scenery- denotes the background on stage. It completes the whole setting of the dance. this involves
the back draft of the stage and properties placed on stage.
- Design- refers to the floor patterns in relation to space
- Gravity- the force that holds you to the earth. It is the force that you have to work with because it
constantly inhibits movements
 - Balance- is considered more then balancing on one leg. its aim to achieve and constantly maintain an
inner balance of the whole body.
- Posture- to achieve this element you need to change your perception of your body, since there is often
a discrepancy of what feels right and what looks right. Dancers work their entire dance living on their
posture, also called alignment. It is the key to balance and movement
- Gesture- involves using the body as an expressive instrument to communicate feelings and ideas to
pattern movement. With subtle gestures and postural attitudes, we show cooperation give confidence
to friends or show aggression to enemies.
- Rhythm- finding rhythm is largely matter of paying attention. It is something everybody has; though
some people are not aware or sensitive to it.
- Moving space- you have to move with care and awareness, gauging the space. Space is not just an
empty air but a tangible element that you move through.
- Breathing is crucial to dance. Not only it does bring oxygen to the body but it also gives your
movement fluency and harmony; it is an expressive tool.

UNDERSTAND AND REFLECT

DANCE AND RHYTHM

Direction: Complete the following statements; write your answer on the space provided. This part will enable
you to determine the concepts that you understand well and those that puzzles you. Good luck!

The things that I find Steps that I’m willing At the end of the day
difficult to to make to enhance I expect that…
understand are… my knowledge about
the topic are…

Think and Ponder.

Direction: Answer the following questions briefly, write your answer on the space provided below.
1. What is the category (entertainment, ecstasy, ritual; etc) that you like the most? Why?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________.
2. What is the main purpose of dancing?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________.
3. What is the relevance of beat, tempo, meter in dancing ?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
4. How can one improve his/her dancing skills (refer to the elements of dance)?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.

Activity No. 2: Identifying Key Points

 A. Directions: Fill in the spaces with proper information/data. Make sure that each entry is in accordance
to the terms of the diagram.

Dance as Ecstasy Dance as Ritual Dance as Entertainment

DIGITAL REFFERENCES
PHYSICAL EDUCATION

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http://webhome.auburn.edu/%7Elinmary/dance.html#:%7E:text=A%20good%20sens

e%20of%20rhythm%20is%20important%20in%20dance.&text=It%20is%20very%2

0important%20that,or%20stepping%20to%20the%20beat.

History of Dance - From Ancient Rituals to Modern Dances. (2021, January 22).

Www.Dancefacts.Net. http://www.dancefacts.net/dance-history/history-of-

dance/#:%7E:text=From%20the%20earliest%20moments%20of,spiritual%20gatheri

ngs%20and%20social%20events.&text=Period%20when%20dancing%20became%2

0widespread,parts%20of%20their%20religious%20ceremonies.

Infoplease. (2017, January 24). Ritualistic and ceremonial dance.

https://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/arts/performing/dance/dance/ritualistic-

and-ceremonial-dance

Marketing The Conscious Club. (2020, June 17). Ecstatic Dance: Letting Your Inner Wild

Side Out. The Conscious Club. https://theconsciousclub.com/articles/ecstatic-dance-

letting-your-inner-wild-side-out
Webber, W. (n.d.). Music and Dance | Encyclopedia.com. Www.Encyclopedia.Com.

Retrieved April 12, 2021, from

https://www.encyclopedia.com/international/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-

and-maps/music-and-dance

dance. (n.d.). [Illustration]. Vector.

https://www.google.com.ph/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vectorstock.com

%2Froyalty-free-vector%2Fdancing-people-vector-

24947841&psig=AOvVaw0wiW0mc-

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QjhxqFwoTCKjzzvCbivACFQAAAAAdAAAAABAO

deviant art

ANSWER KEY
PHYSICAL EDUCATION

PRE-TEST
1. T
2. F
3. F
4. T
5. T
6. F
7. F
8. T
9. F
10. T