Introduction to Dance
WHAT IS DANCE?
• Dance comes from the German word damson, which means “to stretch or
“to drag”.
• Dance is considered the mirror of the society because it responds to
historical and religious events as well as social and political
statements.
• Dancing involves the coordinated and rhythmic movement of the body,
often accompanied by music, within a defined area. It serves to convey
emotions or concepts, release pent-up energy, or derive pleasure from the
motion itself.
History and Development of Dance from the Different Periods
PREHISTORIC
-religious manual and communication within older tribes including celebration
and ceremonies.
Purpose of their dance are for: rituals, war dance and entertainment
Format of dance: Circle Dance
Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Civilizations
-the time when real knowledge of dance came about
Purpose of dance: religious expression, magical purposes, honor
entertainment
Dance Format: Belly Dance
Ancient Egypt
-dances mostly involved worship
Dance format: acrobats, leaping, pair dance
Ancient Greeks
-It was not just for religious and military training but also a form
of entertainment and display.
Dance format: circle, open, closed or sprailling
Ancient Rome
-Dance from the ancient Rome was influenced by Etruscan and Greek Dance
and have different types or purpose.
Etruscan – don’t exist as a separate ethnic group.
Dance Purposes: entertainment, theatrical, ritual/religious, self-expressions
Dark and Early Middle Ages
-Both powerful people and the common folk performed dance routines.
-Ball dances arose because of the aristocratic lifestyle.
Early Renaissance
- Dance and art, in general, grew in popularity. The old constraints have
been loosened, and clerical thoughts and goals no longer govern all forms
of human creativity.
- Have reasonable knowledge of the choreographies, steps and music used.
15th and 16th Centuries (renaissance)
- Several dance styles emerged as well and are still commonly
recognized around the globe.
Different styles of dance
Ballet
-is often dubbed as the “backbone of dance.”
-It is a style that requires intricate movements to relay the message of a
story. This dance typically uses techniques and requires enormous diligence
and dedication to do a perfect execution.
-Ballet has three classifications: classical, neoclassical, and
contemporary.
Classical Ballet
-refers to a traditional form of artistic expression.
Neo- Classical Ballet
-usually done at more extreme tempos and more technical as well.
Contemporary Ballet
-is a style that integrates modern, ballet, and jazz.
-It allows the dancers to express their feelings freely. It unites the
mind and the body through dance movements.
Jazz
-is a lively and enthusiastic dance. It is naturally combined with
upbeat music such as hip-hop or show tunes to add a theatrical flair.
-This dance usually has a lot of leaps, quick footsteps, turns, and
other special moves.
Folk dance
-is leisure, ceremonial, or traditional dance that is usually executed
by members of a community.
Modern dance
-is deeply rooted in the ballet syllabus. It started as a free and
expressive form of dancing. This style began in the 20th century as a
response to classical ballet. In recent years, it has involved
fundamentals not usually related to dance, such as speech and film.
Hip-Hop
-is a style of dance that progressed from hip-hop principles
and is typically performed with hip-hop music.
-It is usually very bouncy, which permits the dancer to have
freedom of movement within the repetitive music and can
integrate it into one’s personality. and breakdancing.
Breakdancing
-is the most familiar and most diverse type of hip-hop dance.
-Other classes of hip-hop dance include:
krumping, popping, and locking.
Ballroom
-typically, is done in pairs - a man, and a woman. It is well known to be a
social dance because communication is important between the partners.
-The common types of ballroom dances are:
cha-cha tango paso doble
foxtrot mambo samba
jive waltz
lindy hop foxtrot
Dance Sport
-There is a competitive form of ballroom dancing called dance
sport.
Cheerdance
- is a relatively new area in athletics and culture which originated as an
art of gymnastics competitions in the '90s.
-This is one of the International Cheerleading Competition divisions that
concentrate on dance steps and fundamental gymnastics features, such as
tricks and advanced athletics abilities
