WHAT IS DANCE?

•Dance -the movement of the body and rhythmic way, usually to music and within a
given space, for the purpose of expressing an idea or emotion, releasing energy, or simply
taking delight in the movement itself.

Dance -is an art form, often classified as a sport, consisting of sequences of the body
movements with aesthetic and often symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully
selected.

Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire all
movements or by its historical period or place of origin.

HISTORY OF DANCE
DANCE has been around all over the world since the most primitive of human civilizations.

-early cave paintings seem to defect dancing figures as early as 3300 BC. Early on, dance
seemed to primarily be used for ceremonial purpose or to communicate stories.

DANCE is one of the oldest of the arts.

•Anthropologists believe that early tribal societies dance in ritual ceremonies asking gods
or spirits for battle for hunting success.

DANCE was also used in early times by Egyptians, Israelites, in other groups for religious
ceremonies and festivities.

•BELLY DANCE -the dance considered by historians to be the oldest dance in the world.

The dance started about 6,000 years ago, Seventh grade, first dance ever.

PURPOSE OF DANCE
One of the earliest structure uses of dances may have been in the performance and in the
telling of myths.

-It was also sometimes used to show feelings for one of the opposite gender.

-It is also linked to the origin of the “love making”.

-Dance has always been a part of human culture, rituals and celebrations.
-Today, most dancing is about recreation and self expression, although it can also be
done as a competitive activity.

-Dancing is an enjoyable way to be more physically active and stay fit.

BENEFIT OF DANCE
1.Improved condition of your heart and lungs.

2.Increase muscular strength, insurance and motor fitness.

3.Increase aerobic fitness.

4.Improve muscle tone and strength.

5.Weight management.

6.Stronger bones and reduced risk of osteoporosis.

7.Better coordination, agility and flexibility.

-Dance is an effective type of exercise that raises your heart rate and works your muscles.

•Exercise can help with symptoms of depression and anxiety by releasing certain
chemicals in your brain.

-It also provides a way to escape repetitive negative thoughts and worries.

•Cultural dance -is a practical form of physical activity to promote physical and mental
health among subgroups of populations that often have lower amounts of participation in
physical activity.

Dancing promotes confidence, self-esteem, personal expression and flexibility of the body
and mind.

-It is a great way to connect your child to a supportive community and an appreciative
audience.

-Dance classes promote physical fitness as being fun and easy and are the catalyst to
engage in fitness for a lifetime.
ELEMENTS OF DANCE
Acronym ( BASTE )

1.BODY -the body is the mobile figure or shape, felt by the dancer, seem by others. The
body is sometimes relatively still and sometimes changing as the dancer moves in place or
travels through the dance area.

2.ACTION -WHAT a dancer does example is Travelling, turning, elevation,

gesture,stillness,use of body parts, floor-work and the transference of weight.

3.SPACE -refers to the space through which the dancer’s body moves (general or
personal space, level, size, direction, pathway, focus).

4.TIME -is applied as both musical and dance elements (beat, tempo, speed, rhythm,
sudden, slow, sustained)

5. ENERGY -physical energy in dance refers to the force, effort, and dynamic applied to
movement.

-it is mainly found in the forms of kinetic, static, potential, and/or elastic energy.

•Mental energy -refers to a dancer’s state of mind which can also affect the effort and
dynamic applied to movement.

DANCE APPREATION AND COMPOSITION

1.What Makes A Good Dance?

A good dance displays a significant meaning or conveys a message.

-It also portrays life experiences.

-Dance may be presented abstractly and symbolically but still convey emotion and
meaning.

-It has BEGINNING, MIDDLE AND END/CONCLUSION. A good dance, therefore, must
have a shape and form for its choreography to be effective.
2.What is a Form?

A 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.

3.What Is Phrase?

When you combine one movement with several others, they for unit, when unit are pieced
together, they make up a section in the choreography and sections together form a whole
dance.

-“a phrase is the smallest unit of form in the whole dance”.

4.What is Motif?

A single movement or a short phrase of movement that embodies the style and intention
of the dance is called motif, a good dance uses a motif in which the movements are
repeated, varied and developed by manipulating the movement components or
elements.

WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD DANCE?

Acronym ( U,C and D, V and C, T, R, C)

1.Unity -the movements fit together, and each plays an important role that contributes to
the entirety of the dance.

2.Continuity and Development -the phrases of the dance that are organized
progressively, making each movement phrase move naturally into next.

3. Variety and Contrast -variety and contrast in movement phrases add excitement and
flavor to the dance.

-changing the direction, use of energy, timing of movement phrase, and avoiding repeating
them in exact way or ways to add variety to the dance.

4.Transition -this is the link between movements, phrases, and sections of the dance. It
makes the logical progression of the dance flow smoothly.
5.Repetition -some phrases need to be repeated in the choreography so that the
audience can see those movements again and identify its significance. Usually, when a
certain phrase or section of the choreography is repeated, it is the main message of the
dance.

6.Climax -this is where the apex of energy in the dance is reached.

VARIOUS CHOREOGRAPHIC FORMS IN DANCE

1.Sequential Forms

-These forms contain themes/motif which progress in a specific order.

a)AB (two-part) Form-simplest form and like a verse and a chorus of a song.

b)ABA (three-part) Form- exact repetition of chorus(A), vense(B), chorus (A).

c)Rondo Form (ABACA) unifying theme (A), contrasting themes (B, C, D, E, F…..)

d)Theme and Variations Form-

2. Contrapuntal Forms

-Several themes are woven together in the choreography to form a complex structure.

a) Ground bass
b) Round or canon
c) Fugue or accumulation
d) Suite

3. Episodic Form

-Narrative form is an episodic form that tells a story or conveys an idea and all the
sequence of the story determines the structure of the dance.

4.Other Compositional Forms

•Natural Structures-seasons, life, cycles, everyday

•Collage-series of movements brought together to create a single dance.

•Tableau-moving snapshots.

•Chance- it is done in different order and therefore has different appearance.

EVALUATING A GOOD DANCE
The success of any dance performance may depend on who the evaluators are,
Appreciation on the importance of dances comes from the point of view of the
choreographer, the dancer, or the audience.

1.Choreographers- evaluates a part of an ongoing process of the developing style.

2.Dancers- evaluates according to the specific demands that the performance places on
them.

3.Audiences-evaluates according to the context of the dance.

STAGES IN ASSESSING A DANCE

1.Description -notes down the composition of the dance in terms of the element and the
characteristics of the dance.

2.Interpretation -involves an appreciation of the ideas, content, images, and style

contained within the dance.

3.Evaluation -how effectively the features and context of the dance have been utilized in
the actual performance of the dancers to portray the content and the quality of the dance.