WHAT IS DANCE?

BENEFITS OF DANCE
PHYSICAL ASPECT
•Develops cardiovascular and
muscular endurance
•Improves coordination,
balance, flexibility, and body
composition
•Lower risk of cardiovascular
diseases
•Lowers body mass index
•Lowers resting heart rate
•Improves lipid metabolism
•Enables joint mobility
•Helps improve and maintain
bone density
•Helps recover coordination and
neuromuscular skills after injury
MENTAL / EMOTIONAL
ASPECT
• Helps keep the brain sharp
• Decreases incidence of dementia and
Alzheimer’s disease
• Decreases depressive symptoms
• Increases self – esteem and improves
body image
• Aids in releasing emotional and
physical tension
SOCIAL ASPECT
• Gives sense of togetherness within
a group
• Encourages positive social
interaction and interpersonal
relationship in a group
• Contributes to the individuals
potential for self – actualization in
society
CULTURAL ASPECT
•Promotes cultural values
1. SPACE
- area the performers
occupy and where they move.
FOUR DIFFERENT ASPECT IN DANCE
a. Direction – dance movements can
travel in any direction.
b. Size – movements can be varied
by doing larger or smaller actions.
c. Level – movements can be done in
a high, medium, or low level.
d. Focus - performers may change
their focus by looking at different
directions.
2. TIMING
- the movements in timing
may be executed in varying
tempo(speed). Performers
move with tempo of an
underlying sound, known as
beat or pulse.
3. DANCE ENERGIES
- the movement here
propelled by energy or force. A
force can either initiate or stop
an action.
 Qualities of Dance Energies
a. Sustained – movements are
done smoothly,
continuously, and with flow
and control. It does not have
a clear beginning and
ending.
b. Percussive – movements are
explosive or sharp in contrast
with sustained movements.
c. Vibratory – movements
consist of trembling or
shaking.
d. Swinging – movements trace
a curved line or an arc in
space.
e. Suspended – movements are
perched in space or hanging
on air.
f. Collapsing – movements are
released in tension and
gradually or abruptly giving
into gravity, letting the body
descend to the floor.
4. BODILY SHAPES
- refers to how the entire
body is molded in space or the
configuration of body parts.
a. Symmetrical – balanced
shape
b. Asymmetrical – unbalanced
shape
5. GROUP SHAPES
- a group of dancers perform
movements in different group
shapes. They are arranged in
ways that are wide, narrow,
rounded, angular, symmetrical, or
asymmetrical and are viewed
together as a total picture or
arrangement within a picture
frame.
DANCE APPRECIATION and
COMPOSITION
What makes a good dance?
- a good dance displays a
significant meaning or conveys
a message. Sometimes, it also
portrays life experiences.
- a good dance lifts and
transport the audience from
their seats during the
performance.
Form
- is the instrument by which
ideas and elements are
arranged or combined into a
logical sequence which results
in unity and consistency, and
by means of which the content
or idea can be expressed and
communicated.
Phrase
- when combined one
movement with several others,
they form a unit. When units
are pieced together, they make
up a section in the
choreography and the sections
together form a whole dance.
Therefore, a phrase is the
smallest unit of form in the
whole dance.
Motif
- a good dance contains a
theme or a motif to be able to
convey its meaning or
intention to the audience.
- a single movement or a
short phrase of movement that
embodies the style and
intention of the dance.