PE104

Lesson 3: Types
and Elements of
Dance
Module No. 1: Introduction to Dance
Types of Dance
– Categories
I. Ballroom Dance
Ballroom dancing is a partnership dance where couples, using
step-patterns, move rhythmically, expressing the characteristics
of music. Ballroom dancing consists of two styles: The
Smooth, or Standard, and the Rhythm, or Latin. The Smooth,
Standard style focuses on the elegance, grace and fluidity of
movement. Dancers rotate in a counter-clockwise direction,
moving around the entire floor. The couple is constantly
moving on the dance floor, transitioning from one place to the
next in a fixed pattern. The Foxtrot, Waltz, Tango, Viennese
Waltz and Quickstep are danced in this manner.
 1. Waltz
The Waltz is a soft, gentle, elegant, and
romantic dance that uses flowing movements
to make the dancers appear to float across the
dance floor. The basic movement is a three-
step sequence that consists of a step forward
or backward, a step to the side, and then a
step to close the feet together. The Waltz is a
progressive dance, moving counter clock
wise around the dance floor. The movement
of Waltz is characterized by the use of sway,
rise, and fall.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5lKqLmZ-bQ
2. Rumba
The Rumba is a slow, sensuous,
romantic dance with much flirtation.
Many basic figures of the dance have a
"tease and run" theme in which the lady
first flirts with and then rejects her
partner. In American Rhythm style,
Rumba is danced in a box-like basic
figure. Rumba music is written in 4/4
time, with four beats to each measure.
The music tempo is typically 104 to 108
beats per minute.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo7qju6_s9U
3. Cha Cha
The Cha Cha is a happy, energetic, carefree,
and party dance. It may be either danced to
authentic Cuban music, or Latin Pop or Latin
Rock. Popular mainstream artists such as
Santana, Marc Anthony, and Jennifer Lopez
are putting out great Cha Cha music. The
ballroom Cha Cha count is "one, two, three,
cha-cha-cha" or “one, two, three, four-and-
one". In American Rhythm style, Latin hip
movement is achieved through the alternate
bending and straightening action of the knees.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgQwEXqCqps

4. Samba
Samba is ballroom dance of Brazilian
origin, popularized in western Europe and
the United States in the early 1940s.
Characterized by simple forward and
backward steps and tilting, rocking body
movements, it is danced to music in 4/4
time with syncopated rhythm. Samba is a
quick paced Latin dance that takes a lot of
energy and style. Lots of fun as it circles the
dance floor.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8QexDjzao0

 5. Salsa
The Salsa is danced by stepping on 3 consecutive
beats of music and then pausing for 1 beat, then
repeating. The step timing can be thought of as "step,
step, step, pause; step, step, step, pause". Dance
teachers count the step timing as "quick, quick, slow;
quick, quick, slow". Each quick consumes one beat
of music, each slow consumes two beats of music.
Another style of Salsa is the Cuban style, full basic
has two back breaks rather than a forward break step
and a backward break step. The Cuban basic has a
side to side feel rather than a forward and back feel.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU6NBfuJv84
 6. Quickstep

The Quickstep is a fast and powerful

dance. It is elegant like foxtrot and fun
like Charleston. The dancers should
look very light on their feet. It is one of
the International Standard dances and
American Style dance competition
program does not include quickstep.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXX_-scKEtY

II. Contemporary Dance
Contemporary dance is a style of expressive dance
that combines elements of several dance genres
including modern, jazz, lyrical and classical ballet.
Contemporary dancers strive to connect the mind
and the body through fluid dance movements. The
term "contemporary" is somewhat misleading: it
describes a genre that developed during the mid-20th
century and is still very popular today.
 1. Lyrical Dance
Lyrical dance is a style that
combines ballet and jazz dancing
techniques. It is performed to music
with lyrics so that it inspires
expression of strong emotions the
choreographer feels from the lyrics
of the song. This style concentrates
on an individual approach and
expressiveness of such emotions as
love, joy, hurt, or anger.
 2. Interpretative Dance
It is a family of modern dance styles
that began around 1900 with Isadora
Duncan. It used classical concert
music but marked a departure from
traditional concert dance. It seeks to
translate human emotions, conditions,
situations or fantasies into movement
and dramatic expression, or else
adapts traditional ethnic movements
into more modern expressions.
 3. Classical ballet
It is also called romantic ballet, system of
dance based on formalized movements and
positions of the arms, feet, and body designed
to enable the dancer to move with the greatest
possible agility, control, speed, lightness, and
grace. Classical ballet is any of the traditional,
formal styles of ballet that exclusively employ
classical ballet technique. It is known for its
aesthetics and rigorous technique, its flowing,
precise movements, and its ethereal qualities.
 4. Modern Dance
Modern dance, theatrical dance that began to
develop in the United States and Europe late in
the 1900s as a rebellion against the formality
and structure of ballet. Modern Dance was born;
a dance discipline retaining some ballet
technique, expanding upon it and freeing it to
encompass the exciting world of total body
involvement and creative expression. Modern
dance may look jazz like, balletic, lyrical or
totally different – creating its style for the mood
being explored.
III. Hip Hop/Street Funk
Funk dancing is the perfect fusion of styles, incorporating jazz roots
into a melting pot of hip hop, break, popping and locking, along with
another fashionable dance genre
1. Popping

The dance is rooted through the

rhythms of live funk music and is
based on the technique of 
Boogaloo's posing approach, quickly
contracting and relaxing muscles to
cause a jerk or can be a sudden stop
in the dancer's body, referred to as
a pose, pop or a hit.
 2. Locking
The name is based on the concept
of locking movements, which basically
means freezing from a fast movement and
"locking" in a certain position, holding that
position for a short while and then
continuing at the same speed as before. It
relies on fast and distinct arm and hand
movements combined with more relaxed
hips and legs. The movements are
generally large and exaggerated, and often
very rhythmic and tightly synced with the
music.
 3, Krumping
It is a style of street dance
popularized in the United States,
described as Afro-diasporic
dance, characterized by free,
expressive, exaggerated, and
highly energetic movement.
Dancers who started krumping
saw the dance as a means for
them to escape gang life and "to
express raw emotions in a
powerful but non-violent way."
IV. Doxology
A doxology (Ancient Greek: δοξολογία doxologia,
from δόξα, doxa, "glory" and -λογία, -logia,
"saying") is a short hymn of praises to God in
various forms of Christian worship, often added to
the end of canticles, psalms, and hymns. The
tradition derives from a similar practice in the
Jewish synagogue, where some version of the
Kaddish serves to terminate each section of the
service.
Elements of
Dance
1. Body
Parts of the body: Head, eyes, torso, shoulders, fingers,
legs, feet …
Initiation: core, distal, midlimb, body parts
Patterns: upper/lower body, homologous, contralateral,
midline ….
Body shapes: Symmetrical/asymmetrical rounded twisted
angular arabesque
Body systems: muscles bones organs breath balance reflexes
Inner self: senses perceptions emotions thoughts intention
imagination
2. Action

Non-locomotor (axial): stretch bend twist turn rise fall

swing rock tip shake suspend

Locomotor (traveling): slide walk hop somersault run skip

jump do-si-do leap roll crawl gallop chainé turns
 3. Space
Direction—is the line of movement taken which maybe forward, backward,
sideward, diagonal, upward, or a combination of those mentioned.
Level—is movement through space that maybe done at a high, low, or medium
level.
Range—refers to the area covered as the body moves. It may be small as when
the movement is done in one’s place; or large when movement covers a wide area
as when getting away from one’s place.
Floor Pattern—the path or design that is made while moving in space is what is
termed as floor pattern. It may take a form of a circle, square, straight line or
zigzag.
4. Energy - (also known as force) gives movement varying degrees of
expressive intensity by how it is released in motion.
5. Force is the amount of energy expended in the movement. It can be
strong, as exhibited in the punch, or light, as expressed in a floating
movement.
(e.g., strong or weak energy)
6. Weight reflects our relationship to gravity. (e.g., heavy or light
movements)
7. Quality refers to the flow of energy in movement. (e.g., smooth, sharp
or swing).
 8. Stillness
Stillness refers to the absence of visible motion.

Active stillness does not move but it’s still filled with energy. Active
stillness is the energy we use when engaging in freeze action.

Passive stillness refers to the absence of motion and animating energy.

Letting all the energy drain out of the body while either sitting or lying
down and let the students relax and refocus their energy.
 Activity no. 2: Creative Portfolio (100points)
Creative Portfolio Contents:
 History/Origins
 Dance Steps
 Costumes
DANCE STYLES