LESSON 1:

HISTORY AND NATURE OF DANCE

• Dance can be seen among all the
people and civilization of the world.
Dances thrive at different periods of
history and mostly were a result of
intercultural exchange and contact. The
origins of dance are rooted in the
prehistoric past. Various artistic,
religious, and social forces started out
the incorporation and development of
dance.
 WHY DO PEOPLE DANCE?
• It was used as a way of expressing
and reinforcing tribal unity and
strength.
• Serve as an approach for courtship
and mating.
• Serve as a means of worship.
• Serve as a gesture in order to
communicate.
• To supplicate the Gods on all
important occasions in life.
 Brief History of Dance
• The real knowledge about dances came
about during the pre Christian era.
• Early records of dance was shown on
Ancient Egypt as it was reflected on wall
paintings.
• Dance during this time was purely
religious as a means to honor their Gods.
• In Ancient Greek, dance serves as an
aid in military education among in
Athens and Sparta.
• Dance was also commonly used in
Academic education such as the 3
Greek philosophers strongly
supported this as art as “an
integration of the body and soul”
• In Ancient Rome, Dance was less
important.
• Dance became brutal, and sensational
as their entertainers were slaves and
captives from many nationalities.
• Dance act as a gruesome purposes.
• Dance became the integral part of
corruption which result in the
condemnation of dance by the early
Christians.
• During the development of
Christians and the fall of the Roman
empire, theatrical dance was
prohibited.
• Dance was used in religious
ceremonies and became part of
worship in church services.
• Although the Church had
condemned dance, some singers,
dancers, poets, actors, musicians,
and jugglers continued to wander
during the Dark and early Middle
Ages.
• Dance were performed in villages
squares and in serves to entertain
the feudal lords.
• The marked of the beginning of
Social Dance was formed during
Dark Ages.
• Peasants performed two types of
dance; round dance and couple
dance.
• Nobility soon followed the peasant’s
lead in dancing.
• They refined and courtly form the
dances.
• Court dance was emerged as part of
the chivalric way of life.
• Ballroom dance was formed as the
noblemen performed dance in
smooth floor, wood or polished
marble called ballroom.
• Dance was wholly accepted in the
courts during the early Renaissance
Period as the capitalist class
produced patrons of learning and
art in Europe.
• The rise of the art of ballet in Italy
and France was formed.
 What is Dance?
• It comes from the German word
“Danson” which simply means to
move.
• It is an inner impulse of man to
music expressing his feelings of joy,
moods, sentiments or any human
experience.
Classification of Dance
 Classical Dance
• These are dance with standardize
form and restrictions.
• It can be religious or royal
entertainment form.
 Classical Ballet
• It is a dance of supreme standards
learned from an academe.
• Ballet come from Italy word “Bal-lo”
which means to dance and flourished
in the royal court.
 Modern Dance
• It is a deviation from the principle of
classical ballet by Isadora Duncan.
• The principle of this dance express
naturalist and true expression of the
human body and soul.
 Contemporary Dance
• It is the combination of ballet and
modern dance whereby it use
other medium of dance like folk,
ethnic or tribal dance.
 Popular Dance
• This dance is highly recognized as
a dance form in television and
other dance centres.
 Folk Dance
• It is a dance developed
spontaneously and naturally by a
specific folk, usually handed
down from generations with
specific pattern or with slight
variations.
 Ethnic Dance/Tribal
• A dance particularly found in a
group of people living together in
a locality with common beliefs
and customs.
 Ballroom Dance
• It is a dance performed on a
ballroom areas for the purpose of
recreation and entertainment.