Brief History and Nature of Dance

Learning Objectiv
es
 to know the definition
of dance
 to be familiar with the
history and nature of
dance
 to understand the
specific benefits of
dance and creative
movement
DANCE
Brief History and Nature of
Dance
What Is Dance?
According to American dancer, dance educator, author, and
film and video producer Barbara Mettler…
“Dance is an activity which

can take many forms and
fill many different needs. It
can be recreation,
entertainment, education,
therapy, and religion. In its
purest and most basic form,
dance is art, the art of body
movement.”
Unlike athletics or
other daily activities,
dance focuses
primarily on “an
aesthetic or even
entertaining
experience” (Myers,
2005).
Reasons of People for Dancin
g
 to please the gods
 to please others
 to please themselves
(self-expression)
 to build community
within an ethnic
group (social
interaction)
Brief Histor
y of Dances
People from the prehistoric
era performed ways they
hoped would appease the
forces of nature or give
them new powers of their
own.
It was only during the pre-
Christian era that the real
knowledge of dance came
about within the great
Mediterranean and Middle
Eastern civilizations.
 Dance became full-blo
wn and was richly rec
orded in ancient Egyp
t as reflected in the
ir wall paintings, re
liefs, and in the lit
erary record in hiero
For ancient Greeks, w
ho thought highly of
dance, it was closely
linked with other kin
ds of experiences suc
h as an aid to milita
ry education among th
e boys in Athens and
Sparta, as well as a
form of entertainment
 The Greek also used danc
to aid education in genera
as philosophers such as
Plato, Aristotle, and
Socrates strongly
supported this art as an
integration of the body
and soul.
 The ancient Rome g
ave less importanc
e to dancing as th
e nation grew weal
thy and powerful.
 It became brutal a
nd sensationalized
as their entertain
ers were slaves an
d captives from ma
ny nationalities.
 It was used more o
ften for gruesome
purposes.
 It eventually beca
me an integral par
t of the corruptio
n in the latter da
ys of the Roman Em
pire, resulting in
the condemnation o
f dance by the ear
After the fall of Rome, the history of
dance transformed following the
development of the Catholic Church,
which was by then the sole custodian
of learning and education as well as
the source of morals. During this time,
theatrical entertainment was
prohibited and dance was performed
only during worships, church services,
and religious ceremonies.
 Althoughthe Church h
ad condemned dance as
entertainment, some s
ingers, dancers, poet
s, actors, musicians,
and jugglers continue
d to wander in villag
e squares to perform
during the Dark and e
arly Middle Ages
 These performers were
eventually welcomed
in the castles and
chateaus of feudal
lords.
 The common people
also amused
themselves by doing
dances that were social
in character, marking
the beginning of social
Nobility soon
followed the
peasants’ lead in
dancing but in a
more refined and
courtly form as
court dances
emerged as part of
the chivalric way of
life.
The old
Renaissanc
restraints
were loosened and c
e
lerical ideas and p
urposes no longer d
ominate all creativ
e expressions of th
e human spirit.
The entertainers no
w became valuable a
ppendage to the cou
rts of Italy and Fr
 Inthe 15th and 16th c
enturies, new court d
ances in Europe perfo
rmed by the nobility
came about at about t
he same time as the r
ise of the art of bal
let in Italy and Fran
ce. From then on, sev
eral other dance form
s continued to sprout
and spread across sev
After the pinnacle of
ballet prominence,
contemporary dances that
were stylistic variations
of ballet emerged and
evolved in Europe. Other
dance forms also came to
light and have been
widely recognized
worldwide.
Benefits of Dance
and Creative Move
ment
PHYSICA
L  Develops
cardiovascular and
muscular endurance
 Improves coordination,
balance, flexibility, and
body composition
 Lowers risk of
cardiovascular diseases
 Lowers body mass
index
 Lowers resting heart rate
 Improves lipid metabolism
 Enablesjoint mobility (hip m
otion and spine flexibility)
 Helpsimprove and maintain bo
ne density, thus helping prev
ent osteoporosis
 Helps recover coordination an
d neuromuscular skills after
injury
MENTAL/EMOTIONAL
o Helps keep the brain sharp
o Decreases incidence of
dementia and Alzheimer’s
disease
o Decreases depressive
symptoms
o Increases self-esteem and
improves body image
o Aids in releasing emotional and
physical tension
• Gives sense of SOCIAL
togetherness within a
group
• Encourages positive
social interaction and
interpersonal
relationship in a group
• Contributes to the CULTURAL
individual’s potential
for self-actualization in • Promotes
society cultural values

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Learning Objectiv

“Dance is an activity which

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