Republic of the Philippines

Laguna State Polytechnic University

ISO 9001:2015 Certified Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally
Accredited
College of Teacher education

Course PATHFIT 3 - Choice of dance, sports, martial arts, group exercise,outdoor and
adventure activities
Sem/AY First Semester/2024-2025
Module No. 2
Lesson Title Popular Dance Creation
Week Duration 15-18
Date
Description of The lesson on Contemporary Dance and Choreography introduces students to the
the Lesson dynamic and expressive world of contemporary dance, focusing on its fluid
movement styles, creativity, and emotional depth. It covers fundamental
techniques such as balance, floor work, and improvisation, emphasizing the
importance of body awareness, alignment, and personal expression. The lesson
also explores the art of choreography, guiding students through the process of
creating and structuring original dance pieces. Through a combination of theory
and practice, students will learn to develop their unique movement vocabulary,
experiment with choreographic elements, and understand the creative process
behind designing compelling dance performances.

Learning Outcomes
Intended Learners should be able to:
Learning ● Develop Unique Movement Vocabulary: Students will be able to create
Outcomes and perform contemporary dance sequences that reflect their individual
style and emotional expression.
● Choreographic Skills: Students will demonstrate the ability to design and
structure original dance pieces, utilizing choreographic principles such as
space, timing, and dynamics.
Targets/ At the end of the lesson, Learners should be able to:
Objectives ● Master Fundamental Techniques: Students will gain proficiency in
contemporary dance techniques, including balance, floor work, and
improvisation.
● Create a Short Choreographed Piece: Students will complete a
choreographed dance sequence, applying creative and technical skills
learned in class.

Stu dent Learning Strategies

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 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally
Accredited
College of Teacher education

Self-Paced Mode Lecture Guide

What is Modern Dance?

Modern dance (often referred to as contemporary or lyrical, but we will go into

more detail about that below) is a genre of dance that was introduced in the
early 1900s. Modern dance came along in part as a rebellion against the
traditional, more highly technical forms of dance such as ballet, and has since
become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers throughout
the world. Modern dancers strive to connect the mind and the body through
fluid dance movements while focusing on spontaneity and self-expression.
Modern dance is a term that describes many types of dance techniques. It is a
category of dance styles, often referred to as a genre of dance. Many of the main
styles in this genre are credited to specific choreographers who pioneered new
and unique ways of moving and created new movement vocabularies based on
their personal philosophies: their views of how dance functions as an artistic
tool.

Contemporary dance usually means that it has been created recently, and is
performed to contemporary music. This style of dance is all about versatility
and improvisation while focusing on emotional and physical expression. This
style of dance is a fusion of jazz, ballet, and modern styles.

Lyrical dance is most often performed to songs with lyrics and is all about
smooth, fluid movement and expression of emotions. The music can be of a
wide range of genres, as long as it is emotionally charged and expressive, and
the lyrics/nature of the music used will serve as inspiration for choreography.
This style of dance is a fusion of jazz and ballet styles.

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 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally
Accredited
College of Teacher education
History of Modern Dance
Modern dance, theatrical dance that began to develop in the United States and
Europe late in the 19th century, receiving its nomenclature and a widespread
success in the 20th. It evolved as a protest against both the balletic and the
interpretive dance traditions of the time.

The forerunners of modern dance in Europe include Émile Jaques-Dalcroze,

proponent of the eurythmics system of musical instruction, and Rudolf Laban,
who analyzed and systematized forms of human motion into a system he called
Labanotation (for further information, see dance notation). A number of the
modern dance movement’s precursors appeared in the work of American
women. Loie Fuller, an American actress turned dancer, first gave the free
dance artistic status in the United States. Her use of theatrical lighting and
transparent lengths of China-silk fabrics at once won her the acclaim of artists
as well as general audiences. She preceded other modern dancers in rebelling
against any formal technique, in establishing a company, and in making films.

Dance was only part of Fuller’s theatrical effect; for another American dancer,
Isadora Duncan, it was the prime resource. Duncan brought a vocabulary of
basic movements to heroic and expressive standards. She performed in thin,
flowing dresses that left arms and legs bare, bringing a scale to her dancing that
had immense theatrical projection. Her revelation of the power of simple
movement made an impression on dance that lasted far beyond her death.

Formal teaching of modern dance was more successfully achieved by Ruth St.
Denis and Ted Shawn. St. Denis based much of her work on Eastern dance
styles and brought an exotic glamour to her company. Shawn was the first man
to join the group, becoming her partner and soon her husband. Nonballetic
dance was formally established in 1915, when they founded the Denishawn
school.

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 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally
Accredited
College of Teacher education
nother influential pioneer of modern dance was dancer,
choreographer, and anthropologist Katherine Dunham, who
examined and interpreted the dances, rituals, and folklore of the
black diaspora in the tropical Americas and the Caribbean. By
incorporating authentic regional dance movements and
developing a technical system that educated her students
mentally as well as physically, she expanded the boundaries of
modern dance. Her influence continues to the present day.

Like Dunham, Trinidadian-born dancer and choreographer Pearl

Primus studied anthropology. Her studies led her to Africa (she
ultimately took a Ph.D. in African and Caribbean studies), and
her choreography explored African, West Indian, and African
American themes.

Lester Horton, a
male dancer and choreographer who worked during the same
period as Dunham and Primus, was inspired by the Native
American dance tradition. He was involved in all aspects of the
dance, lighting, sets, and so on and also was a noted teacher,
whose students included Alvin Ailey, Jr., and Merce Cunningham,

Eventually rejecting psychological and emotional elements present in the

choreography of Graham and others, choreography of Graham and others,
Cunningham developed his own dance technique, which began to incorporate
as much ballet as it did modern dance, while his choreographic methods
admitted chance as an element of composition and organization. Also in the
1950s Alwin Nikolais began to develop productions in which dance was
immersed in effects of lighting, design, and sound, while Paul Taylor achieved
a generally vigorous and rhythmic style with great precision and theatrical

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 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally
Accredited
College of Teacher education
projection in several works responding to classical scores.

Cunningham was a prime influence on the development of postmodern dance

in the 1960s and later. Based especially in New York City, a large number of
new dancers and choreographers—Trisha Brown, Yvonne Rainer, Pina
Bausch, and many others—began to abandon virtuoso technique, to perform
in nontheater spaces, and to incorporate repetition, improvisation,
minimalism, speech or singing, and mixed-media effects, including film. Out of
this context emerged artists such as Twyla Tharp, who gradually
reintroduced academic virtuosity, rhythm, musicality, and dramatic narrative
to her dance style, which was based in ballet and yet related to the
improvisatory forms of popular social dance. (See also Tharp’s Sidebar: On
Technology and Dance.)

Since its founding, modern dance has been redefined many times. Though it clearly is not
ballet by any traditional definition, it often incorporates balletic movement; and though it
may also refer to any number of additional dance elements (those of folk dancing or
ethnic, religious, or social dancing, for example), it may also examine one simple aspect of
movement. As modern dance changes in the concepts and practices of new generations of
choreographers, the meaning of the term modern dance grows more ambiguous

The Benefits of Modern Dance:

Creative Thinking - The impact that artistic training
in general, and modern dance training specifically, can
have on a student’s life is often grossly
underestimated. Whether your student plans to
become a professional dancer, an attorney, a teacher,
or a mechanical engineer, they’ll have a distinct
advantage over competitors. In study after study,
employers list creative thinking as one of the
employable skills they want most, and the total of a
candidate’s employable skill set weighs as heavily in
their hiring decisions as job-specific skills, training, and experience.

Stress Reduction - Modern dance classes contribute to healthier kids today

and better-balanced adults in the future by teaching students to access their
emotions and translate them into physical motion. Both physical exercise and
introspection help to alleviate stress, and even on days when students come

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 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally
Accredited
College of Teacher education

to class feeling the weight of the world on

their shoulders, they’ll leave class in a more
positive mood, less prone to anxiety and
depression. The endorphins produced as a
result of a dance class will give the student a
sense of peace, well- being, and optimism.

Self-Expression - Not only does

modern dance training teach students
how to access their emotions and give
them physical conditioning and
training to express them, but it also
gives them a sense of empowerment.
Creatively rendering emotion and
thought into physical movement gives
students a kind of unique “voice” with
which to express themselves, so they
can find ways to express themselves,
even when words aren’t sufficient.
This can be especially helpful for shy
students or students with learning disabilities and builds confidence in
students who might otherwise feel invisible and unheard.

Different Types of Modern Dance

BALLET - Tutus, pointe shoes and men in tights are

what come to mind when someone mentions ballet.
Yet Ballet is so much more than that. Said to be the
most difficult genre to master, ballet is a rigorous
style of dance that is the foundation of most forms
of dance training. It is usually set, but not limited to,
orchestrated music and is often the first dance style
a child will experience as they begin their dance
classes. Ballet shoes are usually worn until the
dancer's feet have developed enough strength to
progress into pointe shoes, often happens around
the age of 12 and only after the students have been given permission by

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 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally
Accredited
College of Teacher education
their teacher. Ballet is an excellent teaching tool for all dancers as it is a
complex mixture of technique, coordination and musicality.
JAZZ - is the most popular style of
dance among dancers. Jazz combines all
dance styles in a high energetic dance
that is without conventional
boundaries. It has been influenced by
ballet, modern, tap, hip-hop, African
dance and many more styles. Jazz is
most often accompanied by upbeat,
currently popular songs. Jazz shoes
typically have a leather split sole which
offers the dancers foot more freedom
to bend and move. Due to the upbeat
music, dramatic themes and cool choreography, it isn’t hard to see why this is the
most popular dance style!

TAP DANCE is best described as "musical

feet". Tap is a form of dance where
dancers use their feet as percussive
instruments. Tap shoes are that are
specially designed with percussive metal
plates on the toe and heel, called taps.
There are many different styles of tap
dancing however the two most noted are
Rhythm Tap and Broadway Tap. Rhythm Tap is more musically driven, where
Broadway Tap is more dance and movement-oriented. Tap is great for fostering
rhythm in dancers, as it turns their feet into a musical instrument.

LYRICAL Though the basis of lyrical dance is ballet

merged with jazz and modern. It is dynamic while
simultaneously subtle, and focuses on conveying
feelings and emotions through movement. Set to
popular songs that emphasize deeper feeling and
emotion, such as grief, longing, love and despair.
Lyrical shoes provide protection for the dancer while allowing them to feel the

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 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally
Accredited
College of Teacher education
dance floor as much as possible. Though proper dance techniques are important,
the true heart of lyrical is found in its expressive nature.

HIP HOP is an edgy, raw and intense urban dance style

also known as Street Dance. The origin of popping, locking
and crumping, Hip Hop is mostly danced to rap, urban and
not surprisingly, hip hop music. Funky, high-top dance
sneakers are normally worn by dancers. What sets Hip
Hop apart from most dance genres is that its original
street dance was freestyle in nature and did not follow a
predefined choreography. A style of dance that is open to
personal expression, Hip hop artists were free to interpret
the dance in any way they could, and this lead to many
innovative and exciting dance styles.

Contemporary dance embodies ballet, modern,

jazz and lyrical. It uses a technique such as ballet as
its fundamentals and creates many more
movements that do not adhere to the strict rules
of ballet and modern. here are different categories
of contemporary dance such as Contemporary
Ballet and Contemporary Jazz. Contemporary
dance can be danced to all types of music and in non-traditional costumes.
Contemporary dancers often wear lyrical dance shoes, and sometimes no shoes at
all.

Line Dancing is a social dance that is made

up of a sequence of repeated steps and is
traditionally associated with country-western
music. It is a solo dance that is danced in a
straight line, a circle or in a “follow the leader”
pattern. Footwear is decided by the dancer
and is if often cowboy boots for the men and
heels for the women. Many women choose to
wear a Cuban heel shoe as it offers great support and is the perfect heel height

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 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally
Accredited
College of Teacher education
for any age!

Characteristics of a Modern Dance

GRAHAM:
This was named after Martha Graham. This style basically focuses on the use of
contraction, release, recovery, and fall. Graham is distinguished by floor work and the use
of pelvic and abdominal contractions. The style is much grounded and the technique is
visibly contrary to the slender and graceful, airborne ideals of ballet
LIMON:
This was named after Jose Limon. It involves exploring the use of energy in relation to
gravity and working with weight in terms of rebound, fall, suspension and recovery. Limon
technique uses the feeling of “heavy energy” and weight in the body, and movement is
initiated using breath to lift, and swings through the body to create and halt movement
and thus it feels very nice to perform.
RELEASE:
Placing emphasis on minimizing tension in the search for fluidity and clarity and the
efficient use of breath and energy. In Release technique just as it sounds, we release
through the muscles and joints to create ease of movement, releasing the breath to
support the release of the body. A dance style as well as a great relaxation technique
IMPROVISATION:
It mainly focuses on the relationship between movements and performance
and on the investigation of movements. Development of individual movement
material is made possible through a variety of creative explorations.
CONTACT IMPROVISATION

Contact improvisation describes a duet dance form characterized by fluid

movement, weight exchange, and touch. Partners improvise the dance using
the natural movement of the body.

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 Republic of the Philippines
Laguna State Polytechnic University
ISO 9001:2015 Certified Province of Laguna
Level I Institutionally
Accredited
College of Teacher education

Performance Tasks

PERFORMANCE TASK:
- Perform an example of Modern Dance. Be Creative!
Criteria 5 4 3 2 1
(Outstanding) (Excellent) (Good) (Fair) (Poor)
Technique Movements Movements Most Some Movements
and Precision flawless and precise and movements movements often
highly mostly error- accurate accurate, but incorrect or
precise; free; high with minor several errors lack clarity;
exceptional accuracy errors; evident significant
clarity generally errors
clear
Rhythm and Perfectly in Consistently in Generally in Occasionally Frequently
Timing sync with the sync with the sync with the off-beat or out off-beat or
music; music; excellent music; minor of sync; some out of sync
outstanding timing timing issues timing with the
timing and inconsistencies music
rhythm
Expression Exceptionally Highly Generally Some energy Lacks
and expressive expressive and expressive and energy and
Presentation and engaging; and expression, but expression;
captivating; excellent engaging; inconsistent; minimal
outstanding audience shows good limited engagemen
engagement connection energy engagement t with the
audience

Learning Resources
References:
● https://www.scribd.com/document/480290630/shs-hope3-q1-mod4-forprint
● https://www.scribd.com/document/527816665/Week-004-Module-004-Modern-and-
Contemporary-Dance

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