THE STO.

NIÑO FORMATION AND SCIENCE SCHOOL-NIGHT CLASS

San Roque, Rosario, Batangas
School Year 2020-2021

PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH 3

FIRST MID QUARTER
INTRODUCTION TO DANCE

LESSON 1
Brief History and Nature of Dance
The human being has an innate yearning for regular rhythmic movement. Whether this is in form of
athletics, activities of daily living, or dance, the human body is the primary instrument for each. Dance Uses the
body as an instrument of expression in time and space.
What is dance?
Dance differs from athletics or other daily activities because it focuses primarily on “an aesthetic or
even entertaining experience.”

Why do people dance?

They dance for four reasons:
 To please Gods
 To please others
 To please themselves or self-expression
 To build community w/in ethnic group or social interaction.

Where do dance came from?

Dance is can be seen among:
 all civilization of the world
 different periods

Dances are rooted from prehistoric past.

Dance is….
 Form of religious rituals and social expressions
 To reinforce tribal unity and strength
 Approach to court and mating
 worship, communication and therapeutic experience

Kraus and Gaufman(1981) said that…

“Man danced originally to supplicate the gods on all important occasions of life.”

 During prehistoric time dance was not fully recorded

 Pre-Christian Era: the real knowledge of dance came about within the great Mediterranean and Middle
Eastern Civilizations…
 Ancient Egypt; Full blown and recorded (can be seen in painting and hieroglyphs: religious
expressions)

Ancient Greeks…
Linked with other experience, such as
 Aid to military education among boys in Athens and Sparta
 Also for entertainment and display
 Greek philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle and Socrates strongly supported this art as an integration
of the body and soul.

 Plato stated the importance of dance in his elucidation on the LAWS.

Kinds of Music and Dance
o Noble (fine and honorable)
o Ignoble (imitating what is mean and ugly)

Ancient Rome…
 gave less importance on dancing
 stopped valuing such qualities in art as the nation grew wealthy and powerful.
 dance became brutal (slaves and captives from many nationalities; gruesome purposes)
 became integral part of corruption, resulting in condemnation of dance by the early Christians.

Catholic Church, fall of Rome, changed the history of dance…

 Sole custodian of learning, education and morals
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John Kevin L. Espiritu
Subject Teacher
 THE STO. NIÑO FORMATION AND SCIENCE SCHOOL-NIGHT CLASS
San Roque, Rosario, Batangas
School Year 2020-2021

 First Christian emperors came and theatrical dance entertainment was prohibited
 Only performed in church and religious ceremonies.

Dark and Early Middle Ages…

 church condemned dance as an entertainment
 Singers, dancers, poets, actors, musicians, and jugglers continued to wander (perform)
 Village squares, eventually welcomed in castles and chateaus of feudal lords.
 marked the beginning of SOCIAL DANCING…
 PEASANTS: two basic types of dancing; round dance and couple dance
 nobility soon followed the peasants lead in dancing but more refined and courtly form.
 court dances emerged as a part of chivalric way of life.
 Noble-limited to gliding, curtseying, posing; floor wood or polished marble called ballroom
 Peasants- wider movements; grass or on beaten earth of the town

Early Renaissance…
 Dance was wholly accepted in courts as capitalist class produced patrons of learning and art in Europe
 Dance and art gained and impetus
 Entertainers became valuable appendage to the courts of Italy and France
 15th and 16th Century…
 vast dance movement occurred
 new dance courts performed by nobility; rise of the art of ballet in Italy and France.
 ballet, contemporary dances emerged and evolved in Europe.

Benefits of Dance and Creative Movements

Dancing
 one of the oldest and most popular forms of exercise
 Considered aerobic since they entail about an hour of continuous exercise

Polly de Mille- an exercise Physiologist at the Women’s Sports Medicine Center In New York: benefits through
dancing are similar to other of activities

1. Physical
 Develops cardiovascular and muscular endurance
 Improves coordination, balance, flexibility, and body composition
 Lowers risk of cardiovascular diseases
 Lowers body mass index
 Lowers resting heart rate
 Improves lipid metabolism
 Enables joint mobility
 Helps improve and maintain bone density, thus helps prevent osteoporosis
 Helps recover coordination and neuromuscular skills after injury

2. Mental/Emotional
 Helps keep the brain sharp
 Decreases incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
 Decrease depressive symptoms
 Increases sell-esteem and improves body image
 Aids in releasing emotional and physical tension

3. Social
 Gives sense of togetherness within a group
 Encourages positive social interaction and interpersonal relationship in a group
 Contributes to the individual’s potential for self-actualization in society

4.Cultural
 Promotes cultural values

LESSON 2
ELEMENTS OF DANCE

1. Space- this is the area that the performers occupy and where they move.
Page 2 of 5
John Kevin L. Espiritu
Subject Teacher
 THE STO. NIÑO FORMATION AND SCIENCE SCHOOL-NIGHT CLASS
San Roque, Rosario, Batangas
School Year 2020-2021

Four different aspects called Spatial Elements

 Direction- dance travels in any direction
 Size- movements can be varied by doing larger or smaller actions
 Level- movements can be done in a high, medium or low level
 Focus- performers may change their focus by looking at different direction.

2. Timing- may be executed in varying tempo(speed): the tempo that underlying sound is known as BEAT OR
PULSE.
Sequence of movement or group of phrases is done in varying tempos they generate rhythmic patterns.

3. Energy/Dance Energy or Force- can initiate or stop action, minimizes the monotony of the movements in
the performance
Six Qualities
 Sustained- movements are done smoothly, continuously, and with flow and control. It does not have a
clear beginning and ending.
 Percussive- movements are explosive or sharp in contrast with sustained movements. They have
accented with thrust of energy. They have clear beginning and ending
 Vibratory- movements consist of trembling or shaking. A faster version of percussive movements that
produces jittery effects
 Swinging- movements are traced a curved line or an arc in space. The movements are relaxed and
giving in to gravity on the downward part of the motion, followed by an upward application of energy
 Suspended- movements are perched in space or hanging on air. Holding a raised leg in any direction in
an example of a suspended movement.
 Collapsing- movements are released in tension and gradually or abruptly giving into gravity, letting the
body descend to the floor. A slow collapsed can be described as melting or oozing action downward
direction

4. Bodily Shapes- body is molded in space on in configuration of body parts. Can be rounded, angular, or
combination. Can be wide to narrow and from high to low. They can be symmetrical and asymmetrical

Symmetrical- balanced shapes; movements are practically identical or similar on both sides
Asymmetrical- unbalanced shape; movements of two sides of the body do not match or completely different
from each other

5. Group Shapes- a group of dancers perform movements in different group shapes Arranged in ways that are
wide, narrow, rounded angular, symmetrical, asymmetrical and viewed ass total picture.

LESSON 3
DANCE APPRECIATION AND COMPOSITION

Did you know?

Recreational Dance
 social activity that people of all ages can participate.
 folk, cultural, historical and social dances form the past and present.
 cultural roots, historical areas and geographic areas w/c the dance originates

Dance Fitness
Increase cardiovascular endurance, strength, flexibility, fitness
A good dance lifts and transports the audience from their seats during the performance it has
beginning, middle, end/conclusion:
 Beginning- may come in shape, pose entrance
 Middle- development of exploration of main idea
 End/conclusion- clear; shape, pose, exit

A good dance therefore, must have a shape or form for its choreography to be effective

Form
 which ideas and elements are arranged or combined into a logical sequence that results to unity and
consistency
 content and idea can be expressed and communicated
 must be done from the beginning to end
 Each dance is composed of phrases (small units) that are smoothly connected

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John Kevin L. Espiritu
Subject Teacher
 THE STO. NIÑO FORMATION AND SCIENCE SCHOOL-NIGHT CLASS
San Roque, Rosario, Batangas
School Year 2020-2021

 Choreographers and dancers use movement phrasing when working on dancing

Minton (1997)-suggest that movement must vary in length and shape, most of the dances these days
use equal length phrases: eight counts

Motif
 a good dance must contain motif, convey its meaning or intention
 single phrase that shows style and intention of dance is called motif
 may be repeated, varied and developed by manipulating movements. Example is itik-itik (itik concept)

CHARACTERISTIC OF A GOOD DANCE

1. UNITY- the interconnected phrase of the dance is coherent and flow smoothly together. The movement
fits together and each plays an important role that contributes to the entirety of a dance
2. CONTINUITY AND DEVELOPMENT- the phrase 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 along the end.
3. VARIETY AND CONTRAST- making one or several variations that highlight the facet of motif. This
provides variety with in the development of a dance. It also add excitements and flavor in the dance.
4. TRANSITION- this is the link between movements, phrases, and section 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 (Minton, 2007). Some phrases need to be repeated in choreography so that
the audience can see those movements again and identify its significance. Usually, when a certain
phrase or a section of choreography is repeated, it is the main message of the dance.
6. CLIMAX- this is where the apex of energy in the dance is reached.
CHOREOGRAPHIC FORMS

1. SEQUENTIAL FORMS- Contain themes/motif which progress in a specific order

2. CONTRAPUNTAL FORMS- several themes are woven together in choreography to form a complex
structure. The main theme is seen against one or more other themes. There are four contrapuntal
forms of dance:
a) Ground bas- single theme starts the dance and is repeated all the way through the dance while
other contrasting themes are simultaneously performed with it.
b) Round or canon- consist of two or more movement phrases or theme in which the main
movement phrases is imitated exactly and completely by the successive movements, but done
in strange manner.
c) Fugue or accumulation- a choreographic form that is constructed by adding on different
movement or dance phrases in every repetition of the main movement theme.
d) Suite- every section of the dance uses different tempos and qualities
3. EPISODIC FORM- episodic form is not musical form; instead, they are found in literature. They tell
story through connected and progressive sections called episodes.
4. OTHER COMPOSITIONAL FORMS-
a) Natural structures- mostly come from natural structures such as the season, life cycles, and
everyday life experiences.
b) Collage- consists of a series of movement phrases that often unrelated but have been brought
together to create a single dance with a beginning, middle and an end.
c) Tableau- different movement phrases are performed by different dancers simultaneously in the
same space.
d) Chance- the movement phrases are performed in random order and spatial placing
EVALUATING A GOOD DANCE

The success of any dance performance may depend on who the evaluators are. The evaluators’ role are
categorized as:

1. Choreographers- they will evaluate a part of an ongoing process of developing personal style which is
both spontaneous and organized.
2. Dancers- they will evaluate according to the specific demands that the performance places on them.
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John Kevin L. Espiritu
Subject Teacher
 THE STO. NIÑO FORMATION AND SCIENCE SCHOOL-NIGHT CLASS
San Roque, Rosario, Batangas
School Year 2020-2021

3. Audience- they will evaluate according to the particular context of the dance
STAGES ON ASSESSING A DANCE

1. Description- involves close observation of all the elements, characteristic and components of a dance
as described in the previous section of this module.
2. Interpretation- involves an appreciation of the ideas, content, images, and style contained within the
dance
3. Evaluation- takes into consideration how effectively the features and context of the dance have been
utilized in the actual performance of the dancers to portray the content and the quality of the dance.

GUIDE QUESTION IN ANALYZING AND EVALUATING A DANCE PERFORMANCE

 What was the title of the dance?

 Who was the choreographer?
 When was it performed?
 What was the genre/style of the dance?
 What was the accompaniment?
 Who were the dancers/company?
 Were there specific demands placed on dancers in performance? If yes, what were this?
 What are the movements and forms of dance?
 What does the set look like?
 What were the costumes/ profs used during the performance?
 How was the lighting of the show?
 Who was the designer of the show?
 What were the context and/ or significance of the dance?
 How will you evaluate the overall dance performance?

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John Kevin L. Espiritu
Subject Teacher