Brief History and Nature of Dance

Chapter 1
WHAT IS DANCE?
In its purest, most basic form, dance is
art, the art of body movement. Dance
differs from athletics or other daily
activities because it focuses primarily
on “an aesthetic or even
entertaining experience” (Meyers,
2005).
WHAT IS DANCE?
• Although there have been immense
comparative differences in period and
culture, people still dance mainly for four
reasons:
1. To please the gods.
2. To please others.
3. To please themselves or self-expression;
4. To build community within an ethnic
group or social interaction.
WHAT IS DANCE?
• Although there have been immense
comparative differences in period and
culture, people still dance mainly for four
reasons:
1. To please the gods.
2. To please others.
3. To please themselves or self-expression;
4. To build community within an ethnic
group or social interaction.
HISTORY AND NATURE OF DANCE
HISTORY AND NATURE OF DANCE
As a religious expression ANCIENT
EGYPT. As an aid to military education
ANCIENT GREECE. Ancient Greeks
believed that a man’s grace in dance
equaled his prowess in battle, therefore
dance was incorporated in their basic
education. As a way of expressing tribal
unity PHILIPPINES and as an approach
for courtship PHILIPPINES.
HISTORY AND NATURE OF DANCE
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..
HISTORY AND NATURE OF DANCE
• 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.
HISTORY AND NATURE OF DANCE
This tradition continued in ancient Greece,
where dance was used very regular and openly
to public. 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.
HISTORY AND NATURE OF DANCE
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.
BENEFITS OF DANCE AND CREATIVE
MOVEMENT
BENEFITS OF DANCE AND CREATIVE
MOVEMENT
1. Body awareness. To work on their coordination, body control,
balance, stamina, and overall strength.
2. Spatial awareness. To move in their own personal space, be
aware of other children’s personal space and respect others as
everyone move together in a shared space.
3. Self-confidence. Taking risks in activities, performing for an
audience and to trust their ideas and abilities.
4. Concentration. Develop a sustained focus of mind and body.
BENEFITS OF DANCE AND CREATIVE
MOVEMENT
5. Cooperation and Collaboration. Working in
groups, listening and responding, offering
suggestions, exploring others’ ideas.
6. Problem-solving. Look at problems in new
ways and practice their critical thinking skills.
7. Imagination. Making creative choices,
thinking of new ideas, and interpreting familiar
materials in new ways.
8. Fun! Learning through play and at the same
time improves motivation and reduces stress.
PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF DANCE
PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF DANCE
• 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
PHYSICAL BENEFITS OF DANCE
• Improves lipid metabolism
• Enables joint mobility (hip motion and
spine flexibility)
• Helps improve and maintain bone
density, thus helps prevent osteoporosis
• Helps recover coordination and
neuromuscular skills after injury.
MENTAL/EMOTIONAL BENEFITS OF
DANCE
MENTAL/EMOTIONAL BENEFITS OF DANCE
• Helps keep the brain sharp
• Decreases risk of dementia and
Alzheimer’s disease
• Decreases depressive symptoms
• Increases self-esteem and improves body
image
• Aids in releasing emotional tension
SOCIAL BENEFITS OF DANCE
SOCIAL BENEFITS OF DANCE
• 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
CULTURAL BENEFITS OF DANCE
CULTURAL BENEFITS OF DANCE
Promotes cultural values
Improved learning and health
Increased tolerance
Opportunities to come together with
others