RHYTHMIC ACTIVITIES
DANCE
Dancing can be a way to stay
fit for people of all ages,
shapes and sizes.
 It has a
wide range of physical and
mental benefits including;
✔improved condition of your heart and
lungs
✔increased muscular strength, endurance
and motor fitness
✔increased aerobic fitness ✔improved
muscle tone and strength
✔weight management
✔stronger bones and reduced risk of
osteoporosis
✔better coordination, agility and flexibility.
✔improved balance and
awareness
✔ increased physical confidence
✔ improved mental functioning
✔ improved general and psychological
well-being
✔ greater self-confidence and self-esteem
✔ better social skills.
DANCING:
•Dancing means to express
one’s emotion through
movements discipline by
rhythm.
•Came from old German word
Danson which means to stretch.
Essentially, all dancing is made
up of stretching and relaxing.
DANCE:
•It refers to movement set to music
where there emerges organization,
structure and pattern.
•Is an art form which human
movements becomes the medium
for sensing, understanding, and
communicating ideas, feelings and
experiences.
•One of the most beautiful forms of
art.
•Is no longer a hobby but also one
of the most lucrative professions
as well.
•Every Dance has a unique
identity.
RHYTHM:
•It is a measure motion of flow,
characterized by regular recurrence
of elements or features as beats,
sounds, or accents.
•It is natural to every individual.
This is because of sense of rhythm
which is influenced by the rhythmic
beating of the person’s heart the
rhythmic movements of lungs as
oxygen are taken in and carbon
dioxide is force out the body’s system
and other movements of the organs
of the human body.
•When an individual move in
response to a particular rhythm or
music, we call the movements as
spatial rhythmic movements or rhythms.
•It is the pattern of movement.
PHASES OF DANCE
1. Folk/ Ethnic dance
•It is a cultural art form
handed down from
generation to generation. It
communicates the customs,
beliefs, rituals, and
occupations of the people of
a region or country.
• Folk dancing belongs to the
people. It emanates from
them.
*Ethnic tribes have their
specific tribal art forms
originated and danced by the
people of the tribe.
2.SOCIAL AND BALLROOM
•The setting of the social
and ballroom dance is a
social gathering with the
more formal atmosphere than
the simple and informal parties
in which the recreational
dances are the usual forms.
•Social and ballroom dancing
are generally held in the
evenings. *The participants
are usually in formal attire.
3.RECREATIONAL
•Includes dance mixers,
square dance round and
couple dances.
*Many of these dances have
simple patterns and
combinations of walking
steps, polka step and the
waltz step.
*The setting is usually
informal gatherings and
parties, reunions etc.
4. CREATIVE
•It is the highest form of
dance. It is the end-product of
exploration and improvisation
of movements as the dancer
or the choreographer
expresses his feelings or
emotions, ideas, and
interpretations.
•This is a dance with a
definite form, a beginning
and an ending.
*The principles of art form are
all observed in the
composition of the dance.
FUNDAMENTAL POSITION OF
ARMS AND FEET IN
FOLKDANCE
•Rhythm is a measured
motion or flow, characterized
basically by recurrence of
elements or features as
beats, sounds, or accents.
•Rhythms denote an aspect
of the quality of movement,
which is sometimes thought
as dance. Structured forms,
which start creative rhythmic
movements, are sometimes
called rhythm.
• Dancing is a means of
expressing one's emotions
through movement
disciplined by rhythm.
It is an act of moving
rhythmically and
expressively to an
accompaniment.
The word dancing originated
from the German word
"danson" which means to
stretch.
*All dancing is basically made
up of stretching and relaxing
movements.
•Dance is a series of
movements set to music
where there emerge
organization, structure, and
pattern.
•Rhythmic Activities –
rhythmic movements using
the body as a means of
expressing a
communication. Can be
either being through
fundamental rhythms
using locomotor or axial
movements or in higher form
of dance.
WORLD HISTORY OF
DANCE
1. Primitive Dance
-Social Dances on occasions that
celebrated birth, commemorated
deaths, and marked special events
in between.
*Magical dances to ask gods to
end famine; to provide rain, or to
cure sick.
*Primitive dancers also shared
certain gestures and movements,
which were drawn from their
everyday lives.
* Primitive dancers used all of these
movements in both their social and
religious or magical dances. These
were not created for entertainment
as many dances today.
2. Ancient Egypt
-Far more than mere pastime,
dancing became an integral part of
Egyptian life. It evolved from the
simplest rituals used by the
hunters to find their prey. A leader
was called a priest dancer and
was responsible for seeing that the
dances were performed correctly
so that the hunt would be
successful.
3. Ancient Greece
-Participation in dance and drama
festivals was a religious exercise,
not merely an amusement.
Greek dance can be divided into
large and small motions, movements
and gestures. Movements were
closely related to gymnastic
exercises that resembled dance.
4. Roman Empire
-Under the reign of Caesar
Augustus in about 22 BC, the
Pantomime dance-drama became
an independent form of artistic
expression.
*The Roman Pantomime a highly
developed art form that made
lavish and creative use of dance.
5. Christian Era
-Dance was performed on
cathedral porches, church squares
and market places, miracle plays,
mystery plays and morality plays
that taught the church’s lessons
were enacted in a theatrical way. In
dramatic ritual games with dance
movement, the passing of the
seasons was celebrated as it had
been by primitive tribes.
EVOLUTION OF DANCE IN THE
PHILIPPINES
Primitive Era
-To early Filipinos, dance was an
expression of community life that
animates the various rituals and
ceremonies.  also have learned many of
* Ethnic dances were found among
the ethno-linguistic groups
scattered all over the Philippine
Islands, who have not been
substantially westernized, either by
Spain or the United States.
*Examples of these ethnic tribes are
the Ibaloy, Kankanai, Ifugao, Kalinga,
Apayao, and Bontocs. These tribes
share common religious beliefs,
generally animistic, and make
offerings to household gods called
“anitos”, in the course of which
dancing occurs.
1. Ritual Dances
-are dances which connect the
material world to the
spiritual. Rituals sustain the spiritual
and social life of the indigenous       
Filipinos.
The Babaylan or medicine men of
primitive cultures whose powers to
invoke the assistance of a god
were feared and respected, were
considered by many to be the first
choreographers or composers
of formal dances.
2. Life-Cycle Dances  
- are dances which celebrate an
individual’s birth, baptism,
courtship, wedding, and demise.
3. Occupational Dances
- are dances which
transform defense and
livelihood activities to
celebratory performances.
4. Mimetic Dances  
- are special dances which
are mimetic in nature.
*The surrounding animal life
also easily lends itself to
imitate dances that are both
graphic and symbolic.
*The Primitive dances of the
Filipino people draw their
inspiration from the different
images around them and
religious and social activities
of the tribe which are of
communal purpose. They may
their dance movements and
patterns from the birds and
animals around them.
FOLK DANCE
* A folk dance
- is a dance developed by people
that reflect the life of the people of
a certain country or region.
* Not all ethnic dances are folk
dances.

*For example, ritual dances or
dances of ritual origin are not
considered to be folk dances.
* Ritual dances are usually called
"Religious dances" because of their
purpose.
* The terms "ethnic" and
"traditional" are used when it is
required to emphasize the cultural
roots of the dance.
* In this sense, nearly all folk dances
are ethnic ones. If some dances,
such as polka, cross ethnic
boundaries and even cross the
boundary between "folk" and
"ballroom dance", ethnic differences
are often considerable enough to
mention.
CONTRIBUTORS
TO PHILIPPINE FOLK DANCE
1. Francesca Reyes-Aquino
• Francesca Reyes-Aquino
(1899-1983) is considered as
“Mother of Philippines Folk
Dance”.
• She presented four folk
dances—Cariñosa,
Abururay, Salabat and
Areuana—as her
dissertation piece of her
Master’s degree in Physical
Education.
* She is also the author of
numerous academic books
for folk dances including
Philippine Folk Dances and
Games (1927) and Philippine
National Dances (1946).
2.Leonor Orosa-Goquingco
• Leonor Orosa-Goquingco
(1917-2005) is the second
National Artist awardee for
dance after Reyes-Aquino.
Born in Jolo, Sulu, the young
Orosa immerse in learning
and training herself in
artistic pursuits, specifically
in ballet.
• The year 1939, Orosa made
a mark in Philippine dance
by being the only dance
representative sent to the
First Cultural Mission in
Japan. She also produced
two ballet productions that
same year, Circling the
Globe and Dance Panorama.
This was followed by another
dance production, The
Elements, staged in 1940.
• She choreographed
numerous dance
productions using her own
story lines and showed
them in their numerous
tours abroad (1958).
* She broke traditions and
barriers by featuring
Philippine colours in ballet
productions such as, a
Muslim royal wedding
(Festival in Maguindanao),
local legends of the first
man and woman (Eons Ago:
The Creation), rice planting
sequences and tinikling
(The Bird and The Planters).
Synthesizing ballet with
Philippine folk dance, she
used indigenous costumes
in many of her known
choreographies.
3. Lucrecia Reyes-Urtula
• Inspired by the works done
by Francesca Reyes-Aquino,
she also thought in PWU
where she pursued and
continued her passion in
Philippine folk dances, both
as researcher, dance
director, and choreographer.
• Urtula also helped
popularize Philippine folk
dance as a theatrical
presentation. As dance
director of Bayanihan
Philippine Dance Company,
her choreographies were
based on her own research
on traditional dances in the
country, adapted to
theatrical audience.
• She used the story lines of
many local epics and
legends as themes of many
of her works. Among her
most notable choreograph
works include Singkil, which
was based on Maranao Epic;
a. Vinta, a dance that
highlighted the greatness of
Filipinos as sailors;
b.Tagabili, a story of conflict
among different local
groups;
c.Pagdiwata which featured
the four-day harvest festival;
 Salidsid, showcasing
a mountain wedding
dance.
 In Sound of Wings,
Urtula used the many
stories and legends
about Philippine birds
and adapted them
into a dance
performance. For her
creative works in
further modernizing
Philippines folk dance,
Reyes-Urtula was
awarded National
Artist for Dance in
1988.
4.Ramon Obusan
• “When you talk about
dance you just don’t talk
about dance. You talk music,
costume, beliefs, traditions,
purpose and occupation.
Dance is the brightest jewel
in the crown of national
heritage” said by Ramon
Arevalo Obusan (1938-2006),
the 2006 National Artist for
Dance. The article, entitled
The Old Man Scholar in the
official webpage of the
Ramon Obusan Folkloric Solstice, Amada, premiered in 5. Double circle, partners
Foundation, Inc. (ROFG), the Cultural Centre of the facing clockwise
encapsulate Obusan’s Philippines in 1970 as part of
6. Double circle, partners
journey as a choreographer, Reyes’ first dance concert. It
facing each other
artistic director, and scholar was also Reyes who founded
of dance. CCP’s resident dance 7. Double circle, partners
company, now known as Ballet facing
Philippines, which she
managed as art director for 20 8. Square or quadrille
• In ROFG, Obusan worked
years. formation each other
hard to present Philippine
folk dances in their most 9. Double lines, facing front
• Reyes introduced many
authentic form— costume,
innovations in Philippine 10. Double lines, partners
movements, music. Among
modern dance. In her facing each other
his most memorable
choreography she used
choreographed works 11. Scatter formation in pairs
classical music for modern
include:
dance and rock music for
12. Several lines or long open
a. Kayaw (1968 and 1974), ballet. She collaborated with
formation
featuring Cordillera rituals in composer Nonong Pedero in
dance and music; 1972 in staging Tales of 13. Semi-circle or half moon
Manuvu, which was based on
b.Vamos a Belen (1998- the story creation. In 1980,
2004), an anthology of the Reyes worked with Ryan
journey of the shepherds in Cayabyab and Bienvenido
their search for the child Lumbera (National Artist for
Jesus Literature, 2006) for the
c. Noon Po sa Amin, libretto of Rama Hari, based
tableaux of the Philippine on the Indian epic Ramayana.
history set in songs, dance In these two performances,
and drama. Reyes’ ballet dancers shared
the stage with the young
singers at that time such as
Leah Navarro, Anthony
5.Alice Reyes
Castelo, Celeste Legaspi,
• In 2014, Alice Garcia Reyes Basil Valdez, Kuh Ledesma,
(1942) became the fifth Leo Valdez who later made
recipient of National Artist their own mark in original
Award for Dance. As a Pilipino music. In Rama Hari,
dancer, she started her Reyes also danced the part of
training in classical ballet at a Sita.
young age. She also trained
under the Bayanihan
Philippine National Dance FORMATIONS COMMONLY
Company, attended Centre USED IN RHYTHMIC
Dance in Colorado Springs to ACTIVITIES
pursue modern dance and
jazz education and training. 1. Single circle, facing
She also trained under Martha clockwise
Graham and Merce 2. Single circle partners facing
Cunningham, considered two each other.
of the best in modern dance in
United States. 3. Single circle, facing counter
clockwise
•In 1969, Reyes
choreographed Amada, a 4. Single circle, facing center
ballet performance based on
Nick Joaquin’s novel Summer