Republic of the Philippines

Tarlac State University

College of Education
Center of Development
Lucinda Campus, Tarlac

WRITTEN REPORT

ROMELYN F. PUERTO
BEED 1-2
 DANCE AND ITS ELEMENTS

WHAT IS DANCE?
 Dance is a way of knowing and communicating. All societies use dance to
communicate on both personal and cultural levels and to meet physical and spiritual
needs.

PURPOSE OF DANCE
 TO CONVEY A MESSAGE OR TO PRESENT AN IDEA FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE.

ELEMENTS OF DANCE
 BODY- What we move
 TIME- When we move
 SPACE- Where we move
 FORCE- How we move
 ACTION- Using your body to move

SPACE
 The area of space occupied by the dancer’s body; includes direction, size,
pathways, levels and shapes.
 Direction- which way a dancer faces or moves.
 Size- magnitude of a body shape or movement.
 Pathways- patterns made as a dancer moves through the air or on the floor.
 Levels- the vertical distance from the floor.
 Shapes- the form created by the body’s position in space.

FORCE (ENERGY)
 Degree of muscular tension and use of energy while moving.
 Dynamics- how a movement is done
 Flow- continuity of movement
 Weight- strength (force) lightness of movement.

ACTION
 Is any human movement include in the act of dancing.

KINDS OF DANCE
Varied in form, the dance may be performed for religious, magical, commemorative, ceremonial,
and recreational or entertainment purposes. Some types which are important are the following:

1. Ethnologic dance. Is that dance which is native to a specific race or ethnic group. It
includes folk dancing because folk dances are often derived from ethnic dances. These
dances are associated with national and cultural groups. Religious rituals (ethnic dances)
are designed as hymns of praise to a god, or to bring on good fortune in peace or war.

Folk dancing is a form of social dancing that has become part of the customs and

traditions of people. Well-known folk dances include the square dance, the Irish

and Polka. Mot folk dances developed among people in village and I were passed

on from generation to generation in a particular region. (Sachs, 1978)

By means of folk dances, we can learn a great deal about the culture of a people- their
beliefs, interests, desires and habits. Through our own folk dances, we can discover a lot
more about our own heritage.

Each folk dances has its own pattern. Similarities, however, exist among dances of a
particular country and among dances of different countries where culture have
intermingled. (Santiago & Esclabanan, 1979). We have variety of folk dances that we have
inherited from our people. These were recorded and published by Francisca Reyes Aquino
in the Philippine Folk Dances and Games (1927) and in the Philippine National Dances
(1946). Worthy to mention is the book Philippine Dance by Reynaldo G. Alejandro.

The illustration of some of the Philippine folk dances are the following:

 TINIKLING- is our national dance. All attired in native apparel, the balintawak
and barong tagalog, the onlookers cheer as a couple dance, skipping between
bamboo poles, imitating the lively movements of the ‘tikling’ birds.
 ALCAMFOR- is a dance that suggests the exotic aroma of scented kerchiefs with
which the ladies tease the gentlemen. The dignified movement is reminiscent of the
FRENCH MINUTE.
 BANGA- literally means claypot, used as water for food containers. These claypots
are balanced on the head of Igorot women as they wind up and down the mountain
trail.
 BILAAN- is a dance that depicts that lively, simple movements of birds in flight
and as they preen themselves, beautifully portrayed tribal maidens. Costumes worn
are typical of the ethnic tribe Bilaan from Cotabato.
 ITIK-ITIK- is a Philippine native dance interpreting the playfulness of duckling
wading in the river.
 JOTA CAVITENA- is a dance that shows strong Spanish Influence. Costume is
elaborately embroidered “Maria Clara” and “Barong tagalog”. Castanets, fashioned
from bamboo, provide clacking sounds adding to the lilting music.
 PANDANGGO SA SAMBALILO- is a flirtatious dance from Bulacan. It shows
a barrio swain and his lady love play and dance with a native hat. He tries to show
off by picking the hat from the ground without using his hands.
 SAYAW ED TAPEW NA BANGKO- a couple “showing off” their skills while
dancing on top of a long and narrow bench.
 SINGKIL- is a famous from Mindanao. The princess, the prince and their retinue,
in a pose of the Singkil. This is an intricate dance where the dancers’ feet dart
precariously in and out of a complicated pattern of clacking bamboo poles.
 THE IFUGAO DANCE- depicts a mountain tribe of the Philippine dancing to the
sound of the “gangsa” (brass gong).