Rhythmic Activities

Primative Dance
 The cult dance associated with Apis, the bull, celebrated the choosing, nurturing, and
sacrifice of this beast. The priest of Osiris performed funerary dances after the killing of
animal, and the rediscovery of the new bull was also attended by dancing.
 In the festival in honor of Pallas Athene, the palilia (the bonfire dance) was performed
by shepherds in honor of the goddess to give thanks to the fruitfulness of their flocks.

Asian Dance
 One authority declared that “The main idea of Oriental dance is found in the Japanese
word asobi which means play, and comes from the idea of the play of the Gods.” (Clarke
and Crisp, 1980).
 BharataNatyam, is the oldest dance in the world that is still performed today. It is a
dance originally performed in the temples of India, combines rhythmically complicated
dancing with Hindu legends told in song and pantomine.
 Like other Indian dance forms, this temple dance uses mudras – hand gestures that
have recognized meanings. Mudras often stand for animals, plants, or feelings. Indian
classic dance contains three components – natya which represents the dramatic quality,
nritta, the rhythmic aspect of the dance, and nritya, which has something to do with the
expressive possibilities, the conveying of rasa (sentiment) and bhava (mood) through
facial expression and bodily gestures.
 China is not historically a nation in which dance was of any real importance. One of the
rare indications about the earliest and uniquely Chinese dances has to do with the use
of a long sleeve (known as the “water sleeve”) as a technical and expressive side to
dance.
 It appears that the use of sleeves was part of shamanistic worship. Sleeve dancing was
widespread in China.
Europe Folk Dance
 The folk dances contain memories and references to religious or magical dances.
 The ring dances, the maypole dances, the bonfire dances, sword dances, processional
celebrations, and early religious dances are usual traditions of folk dances throughout
Europe.
 Bonfire dances are traces of the the ancient worship of the sun.

Ballroom Dance
 French Quadrille which combined contredanses and cotillions became extremely
popular.
 The Galop was possibly the simplest dance ever introduced into the ballroom.
 The Boston Two-Step, which is basically a marching step with interpolated skips became
popular.
 One Step, which followed the Boston two-step was the most popular of the dances.
Inspired by the ragtime music, it required performers to dance one step to a beat.
 In 1900, the jerky Nero rhythms of the Cakewalk challenge the smoothly gliding waltz.
Dances derived from “savage” Africa swamp the dance halls of the Western world. This
began when West African slaves, shipped to North America, brought with them tribal
songs and dances. When the slaves gained freedom, Negroes performed native music
and dances in New Orleans Congo Square.
 One dance that epitomized the freedom and wildness of the 1920’s was Charleston.
 Jitterbugging was an American pastime at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. The dance
provided a release from a wartime pressures.
 The basic technique of the so-called “a new form of sexual display typified by the gigolo
image of the sultry Southern male – the Rumba, which was accepted by the public in
1930
 Samba is dance of Brazil.
 Paso Doble, with its imitation of the bull fight stems from Spain but was refined for the
ballroom in the Southern region in France. The man represents the matador, the lady his
cape.
 Cha ChaCha is a descendant of the Cuban Mambo.

Social Dance
 Carole which involved song and simple dance steps was the perpetuation of the most
ancient of the social dance forms. In its linked form in single file, it evolved into
Farandole, in its circular form, the Branle, and became a couple dance in the South of
France as Estampie, where the man and the woman hold hands and move forward side
by side.
 Minuet, a lively dance in triple meter where small steps were essential part of the dance
gained popularity during the time of King Louis XIV, the Sun King. Its development from
a rustic dance into a dance of the gentry indicates its process of refinement.
 Important and significant adaptation from folk elements were the Contredanses, the
linguistic adaptation of the English – country dances. Later on, it was transformed into
French contredanses, where the dance figures were grouped into a general title of
Cotilion, which was in vogue in the 18 th century. Its name was derived from the French
cotte, which was a short petticoat worn by peasants. Descendant of the Cotiollion was
the Quadrille, a square dance that emerged during the Napoleonic years in France at
about 1740.

Ballet
 The Ballet Comique de la Reine Is considered to be the first ballet. It was a magnificent
spectacle of about
 5 ½ % hours performed in 1581 in honor of a royal wedding. The ballet told the ancient
Greek myth of Circle, who had the magical power to turn men into beasts. The ballet
included especially written instrumental music, singing, and spoken verses as well as
dancing. Dance technique was extremely limited, and so Beaujoyeulx depended on
spectacular costumes and scenery to impress the audience. Printed copies of the verses
used in the ballet were distributed so that the audience is sure to understand the story.
The ballet was a great success.
 King Louis XIV founded the Royal Academy of Dancing to train professional dancers to
perform for him and his court. Professional ballets began in the king’s dancing academy.

Modern Dance
 Isadora Duncan, one of the most spirited pioneers, danced in her bare feet and wore
loose – fitting garments that allowed her freedom of movements were inspired by
nature, classical music, and Greek drama and sculpture. Her ideas greatly influenced the
development of not only of modern dance but also of ballet.

International Dance Terms

 ALLEMANDE LEFT - The boy turns to the girl at his left and takes her L hand in his L hand
and turns her once around counterclockwise, then both falling back to places.
 DRAW - The free foot is drawn toward the supporting foot, by pressing the toes against
the floor as the close is made, with or without transfer weight.
 HOME POSITION - The couples’ original position in a set.
 STAR RIGHT AND LEFT - Also known as Mill or Wheel Right and Left. Dancers put their R
hands in the center and walk around clockwise, and at the caller’s command, they turn
right about, put the Left hands in the center and walk counterclockwise.

Dance Step
 Break Leg - Girl: Does the counterpart Jump feet apart sideward (ct. 1), spring to face
right (left) and kneel on L (R) (ct. 2). 1M
 Dutch Step - Step R (L) sideward (ct. 1, step L (R), brush L (R) heel Forward with toes
pointing upward (ct. 2), hop On the R (L) in place (ct. 3), 1M
 Hopsa - Leap sideward R (L) (ct. 1), step L (R) across R (L) (ct. and), close R (L) to L (R) (ct.
2), pause (ct. and) 1M
 Pas De Basque - half-foot circle in the air with the L (R) foot and leap Sideward (ct. 1),
slide R (L), slide R (L) to fourth position (ct. 2), cut R (L) forward with the L (R) foot (ct. 3).
1M
 Russian Polka - Heel-brush R (L) Heel-step R (L) And 1 Close L (R) Step R (L) foot II 1M
  Varsouvienne Step - Slide R foot diagonally forward R (ct. 1), step L close R in Third
position (ct. 2), step R sideward (ct. 3), point (ct. 2), step R. 2M

International Folk Dances

 ARKADSKY is a very lively dance for big men due to the characteristic gesture of the
arms and the energetic steps inherent among Russian dancers.
 CZARDAS Csarda or Czarda means “village inn”. The Czardas derived its name from the
peasant dances performed outside the village inns. Gypsy musicians popularized the
Czardas. These tunes and dances are divided into 2 parts: a slow stately part and a quick
part called “friska”.
 CSHEBOGAR is a Hungarian “grief dance”
 KALVELIS is an occupational dance which means “little smith” where the clapping of the
hands suggests the hammer and the anvil of the blacksmith.
 OH SUSANA is an American round dance mixer and it is used as a prerequisite to square
dancing.
Characteristics if the Waltz:
A. Erect posture and rise-and-fall. The first step of the measure is taken with bent knee and
followed on the second and third steps by both partners rising to full height on balls of
the feet.
B. Forward steps are taken on the heel and directly toward the partner.
C. On side step steps, both partners sway slightly away from their direction of travel.
D. Partners stay fairly close together and take a long reaching steps.
Cha – Cha – Cha

 In 1953, the Cuban Orchestra America started playing the time-honored danzon with a
new syncopated beat. It sounded like a slow mambo, and Cuban dancers used a slight
triple hip undulation on the slow count. This was change gradually into triple step on the
slow count, thus cha – cha – cha was born. It was introduced in the US in 1954.
 Cha – cha - cha- is written in “cut” time with four count rhythm. It is the most popular of
the Latin dances. It has a catchy rhythm.
Jive

 The main difference between the Rock ‘N’ Roll and jive is that Jive is danced in what is
called Triple Rhythm while Rock ‘N’ Roll uses “quick a quick” rhythm in place of “Slow”
rhythm. The music is written in time, and two different rhythms form its basis;
Characteristic of Samba

 Pendulum motion, where the entire body sways opposite to the feet (step forward,
sway back; step right, sway left and so forth).
The Paso Doble

 Paso Doble is a Spanish dance and the movements danced by the man are symbolic of
those made by the torero (or matador) in the bullring. The lady represents the cape and
her movements suggest the cape passes made during a bull fight. The music is played in
a March time.