BENEFITS OF

DANCE
DANCE – is one of the oldest and most popular forms of exercise. Several forms of dancing are considered aerobic since
they entail about an hour of “ continues exercises, choreographed to music” (Fine, 1981).

According to Polly de Mille, the health benefites gained through dancing are similar to other forms of activities that involve
sustained effort in the target zone.

Specific Benefits of Dance:

 Physical

 Develops cardiovascular and muscular endurance

 Improves coordination, balance, flexibility, and body composition
 Lower risk of cardiovascular diseases
 Lowers body mass index
 Lower resting heart rate
 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

 Helps keep the brain sharp

 Decreses incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
 Decreases depressive symptoms
 Increases self-esteem and improves body image
 Aids in realeasing emotional and physical tension
 Social

 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

 Promotes cultural values

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

ELEMENTS OF DANCE
 SPACE

This is the area the performers occupy and where they move. It can be divided into four different aspects, also known as
spatial elements.

a. Direction – dance movements can travel in any direction. The performers can go forward, side, backward, diagonal,
circular, and so on. They may also face any direction while executing a single movement or several elements.
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.
 TIMING

The movements in timing may be executed in varying tempo (speed). Performers move with the tempo of an underlying
sound, known as beat or pulse. The timing can be varied by moving faster or slower than the normal beat. When a sequence
of a movement or group of phrases is done in varying tempos, they generate rhythmic patterns. The addition of silences or
pauses also adds to rhythmic patterns.
DANCE ENERGIES – The movements here propelled by energy or force. A force can either initiate or stop an action.
Dance uses different energies and a varied use of these minimizes the monotony of the movements in a performance.

 SUSTAINED – movements are done smoothly, continuously, and with flow and control. It does not have a clear
beginning and ending.
 PERCUSSIVE – movements are explosive or sharp in contrast with sustained movements. They are accented with
thrust of energy. They have a clear beginning and ending.
 VIBRATORY – movements consist of trembling or shaking. A faster version of percussive movements that produces a
jittery effect (Minton,2007)
 SWINGING – movements trace a curved line or an arc in space. The movement are relaxed and giving in to gravity on
the downward part of the motion, followed by an upward application of energy.
 SUSPENDED – movements are perched in space or hanging on air. Holding a raised leg any direction is an example
of a suspended movement.
 Collapsing – movements are released in tension and gradually or abruptly giving in to gravity, letting the body descend
to the floor. A slow collapse can be described as a melting or oozing action in a downward direction (Minton, 2007)
BODILY SHAPES – It refers to how the entire body is molded in space or the configuration of body parts. The body can be
rounded, angular, or a combination of two. Other body shapes can be from wide to narrow and from high to low.

 SYMMETRICAL – balanced shape; movements are practically identical or similar on both sides.

 ASYMMETRICAL – unbalanced shape; movements of two sides of the body do not m

match or completely different from each other.