Module 001 Nature of the

Different Dances

Module 001 Nature of the Different Dances

What is dancing?

• It is an act of moving rhythmically and expressively to an

accompaniment.
• The word dancing came from an old German word “damson” which
means to “stretch”.
• Dancing is the most vibrant and beautiful form of art in terms of
costumes, elegant moves and music.
• It's a great way of social interaction and provides a fun workout,
which increases flexibility and cardiovascular health.

Phases of the Dance Program

1. Creative Rhythms
✓ Also called fundamental rhythms or natural dances.
It is an end product of exploration and improvisation of
movements as children learn to move the parts of their
body and to use them as instruments of expression.

2. Folk/Ethnic Dance
✓ Handed down from generation to generations.
It communicates the customs, beliefs, rituals, and occupations of the
people of a region or country. Folk dancing belongs to the people. It
emanates from them.

✓ Ethnic tribes have their specific tribal art forms originated and
danced by the people of the tribe.
Example are the dances of the mountain peoples of the
Cordilleras, dances of the ethnic groups in the Cagayan
Valley Region and the ethnic dances in the Mindanao
Regions.

3. Social and Ballroom Dance

✓ Generally held in the evenings.

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 ✓ The setting of the social and ballroom dance is a social
gathering with the more formal atmosphere.

4. Recreational Dance
✓ Dancing without any real structure. These are meant to be fun
and freeing, and the goal is for dancers to focus less on form
and technique and more on the joy they feel from dancing.
It includes dance mixers, square dance round and couple
dances. Many of these dances have simple patterns and
combinations of walking steps, polka step and the waltz
step.
✓ The setting is usually informal gatherings and parties, reunions
etc.

5. Creative Dance
✓ The highest form of dance.
It is the end-product of exploration and improvisation of
movements as the dancer or the choreographer expresses
his feelings or emotions, ideas, and interpretations.
✓ This is a dance with a definite form, a beginning and an ending.
Examples of creative dance are ballet, jazz, and modern or
contemporary dance.

Different Types of Dances and Dancing Styles Across the Globe

Whether it's performed for religious reasons or simply as a hobby, any form
of dance has the power to bind people together from different parts of
the world.
 Figure 1. Tango Figure 2. Waltz

Figure 3. Foxtrot Figure 4. Cha-cha-Cha

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Figure 5. Paso Doble Figure 6. Jive

Figure 7. Merengue Figure 8. Rumba

 Figure 9. Ballet

Figure 10. Breakdown

Figure 11. Hip Hop

Course Module Figure 12. Tap