History and

Nature of
Dance
 Dance can be seen among all the peoples
and civilizations of the world.
 The origins of dance are rooted in the
prehistoric era.
 Various artistic, religious, and social
forces started out the incorporation and
development of dance.
 Dance has been a major form
of religious ritual and social
expression within primitive
cultures.
 Man danced originally to supplicate the gods
on all important occasions of life. (Kraus and
Gaufman)
 During the pre-Christian era the real
knowledge of dance came about within the
Great Mediterranean and Middle Eastern
civilizations.
During the Ancient Egypt it was
reflected in their paintings, reliefs,
and in the literary records of the
hieroglyphs.
 Ancient Greeks
• An aid to military education among the boys
in Athens and Sparta.
• It is not only for military training, but also a
form of entertainment and display.
• Plato highlighted the two kind of dance and
music, the noble and the ignoble.
• It is also use in education, the
Greek philosophers such as Plato,
Aristotle, and Socrates strongly
supported this art as an
integration of the body and soul.
 Ancient Rome

• Gave less importance in dancing.

• Dance became brutal and sensationalized as
their entertainers were slaves and captives
from many nationalities and it was used more
often from gruesome purposes.
 Middle Age
• Beginning of social dancing.
• In round dance, dancers hold each other hands,
forming a long chain and move about in an
open and closed circle.
• Because of the noble men and women’s nature
of clothing and elaborate accessories.
 Early Renaissance
• During these times, new court dances
performed by the nobility came as well as the
rise of the art of ballet in France.
• The health benefits gained through dancing are
similar to other forms of activities.
Benefits of
Dance
 Physical
• Dancing is a good way to develop
cardiovascular and muscular endurance,
body composition, balance and flexibility.
(Malvar)
• Increased fitness resulted in great
lowering of the body mass index.
• There is a significant improvement in
lipid metabolism when dancing.
• It is also weight-bearing that helps
improve and maintain bone density and
as well as osteoporosis. (Keller)
• Dance renowned for its contribution to
therapy.
• It aids recovering coordination and other
neuromuscular skills after an injury.
 Mental/Emotional
• Intervention in mental health nursing.
• Gives also other psychological health
benefits as compared to other forms of
exercise.
• The researchers found in this study that
decreased the depressive symptoms and
increased the identity of the training
group.
 Social
• Provides a unique opportunity for meaningful
group involvement as it encourages intense,
positive social interaction and interpersonal
relationships.
• Gives sense of togetherness in a group.
 Cultural
• Promotes a place or a country’s rich culture
through showcasing the different cultural
dances.
• Closer understanding of the lives of the people
represented in the dance.