BAGUIO COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

Baguio City, Philippines

SUBJECT TITLE : PHYSICAL EDUCATION G12

MODULE TITLE : Introduction to Dance
MODULE NO :3
NOMINAL DURATION : 1 Hour (August 31 – September 5, 2020)
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this module, the learner should be able to:
a. define dance as how it is viewed in different context;
b. trace the development of dance and dance forms from various periods; and,
c. explain how to optimize the energy systems for safe and improved performance.

MODULE CONTENT:

LESSON 3. INTRODUCTION TO DANCE

The fundamental principle is that dance is an art

form or activity that utilizes the body and the range of
movement of which the body is capable. Unlike the
movements performed in everyday living, dance
movements are not directly related to work, travel, or
survival. Dance may, of course, be made up of movements
associated with these activities, as in the work dances
common to many cultures, and it may even accompany
such activities.
But even in the most practical dances, movements that make up the dance are not reducible to
those of straightforward labor; rather, they involve some extra qualities such as self-expression, aesthetic
pleasure, and entertainment.
One of the most basic motives of dance is the expression and communication of emotion.
People—and even certain higher animals—often dance as a way of releasing powerful feelings, such as
sudden accesses of high spirits, joy, impatience, or anger. These motive forces can be seen not only in the
spontaneous skipping, stamping, and jumping movements often performed in moments of intense
emotion, but also in the more formalized movements of “set” dances, such as tribal war dances or festive
folk dances.

According to Barbara Mettler (1980), “dance is an activity which can take many forms and fill
many different needs. It can be recreation, entertainment, education, theraphy and religion. In its purest
and most basic form, dance is art, the art of body movement.

HISTORY OF DANCE
Pre- historic Period – The Egyptians were the first great culture to infuse its society with the magic
of dance; which evolved from the most simple rituals used by hunters to find their prey.

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 BAGUIO COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
Baguio City, Philippines

Greek Period - Greek dance evolved from basic dramatic form which incorporated dance and
drama, music, spoken words, and costumes.
Participation in dance and drama festival was a
religious exercise not merely an amusement. There
were more than 200 Greek dances designed for every
mood and purpose.
Roman Period – Rome imported entertainers from
Greece to perform theatrical pieces in honor of the
gods and to amuse a population weary from a plague.
Romans were influenced by Grecian models, putting
the most emphasis on the spectacle and mime to the
extent that dancing itself disappeared.

Medieval Period – Originally, dance movements were part of

dramatic rituals, the best- known of which is the Latin Mass. By the
middle ages, these works moved from inside churches to the out-of-
doors. Another important rite of the middle ages was known as the
dance of death.
Renaissance Period – This period saw the birth of the theatre in
dance in the courts of Italian City states where such dance was used
as a political machinery to show splendour, wealth and power.
Classical Period – During the middle 17th century, ballet became
a spectacle in every court.
Public ballet performances
involved more than just
dancing because they were
a mixture of poetry, music, dialogue and elaborate
dance. Such ballet performance was known as ballets a
entrees.
Modern Period – During the 20th century, jazz and tap
dance became popular as classic ballet continued to
flourish. Social dances such as the foxtrot, two- step,
Boston, Charleston, Castle walk, Castle polka, tango,
conga and rumba became known.

ELEMENTS of DANCE

1. Space – It is the area surrounding a person in which he/ she is able to move.
 Level – It is the vertical distance from the floor.
 Direction – It is where the body moves (forward,
backward, up, down, sideways, diagonally, etc.)
 Focus- It is where the dancer’s eyes look as he/ she is
dancing.
 Size- It is how small or large the movement is.

2. Time – It is the duration of the movement.

 Beat- the ongoing underlying pulse
 Tempo – how fast or slow the movement
 Accent – strong beats that usually occur at regular
intervals
 Rhythmic Patterns – arranging long and short movement
or strong and light movement
 Duration – the length of time the movement lasts

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 BAGUIO COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
Baguio City, Philippines

3. Force – how the body uses energy while moving

4. Body – parts of the physical body.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD DANCE

1. Unity – interconnected phrases of the dance are coherent and flow smoothly together; attracts and
holds the audience’s attention.

2. Variety and contrast – add excitement and flavour in th e dance; changing the direction, use of energy,
timing of a movement phrase and avoiding repeating them in the exact way to add variety to the dance

3. Transition- keeps the unity and the continuity of the dance

4. Repetition – usually when a certain phrase or a section of choreography is repeated, it is the main
message of the dance

5. Climax – the apex of energy in the dance is reached

EVALUATING A GOOD DANCE

1. Choreographer – evaluates a part of an on-going process of developing a personal style which is both
spontaneous and organized

2. Dancer – evaluates the specific demands that the performance places on them
3. Audience – evaluate the particular context of the performance

STAGES IN ASSESSING A DANCE

1. Interpretation involves a personal reading of either the entire work or aspects of it. It is the appreciation
of style, content and images.

2. Description is a straightforward recounting of what you see and hear. It is focused on the individual
elements of a dance rather than on the whole.

3. Evaluation is your considered judgment of the work, which may be explicitly or implicitly stated.

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