DANCING FOR

FITNESS AND
HEALTH
Introduction to Dance
Wayne Sleep (1986)

“Dance is fun! It lifts the spirit,

strengthens the body, and stimulates
the mind.”
Introduction to Dance
Barbara Mettler, 1980,
• According to
“Dance is an activity which can take many
forms and fill many different needs. It can
be recreation, entertainment, education,
therapy and religion. In its purest and most
basic form, dance is art, the art of body
movement”.
 Francisca Reyes Aquino
- a National Artist for
Dance
- she is known for her
valuable contribution
in Philippine Folk
Dance.
Steve Villaruz Dr. Larry A. Gabao
- Treading Through: 45 - Dance with Me
years of Philippine Dance
 Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa

- pangalay
("gift offering")
- recognized as a
cultural worker for
"Preserving the
Pangalay"
What is Dance?
It is a form of art using rhythmic bodily movements
expressing ideas and emotions and accompanied
by music.
Movement of body which includes hand, arm and
head.
As an art form, it may tell a story, set a mood, or
express an emotion.
It is also a form of recreation.
It is also a form of socialization.
What is Dance?
- Dance is one of the most beautiful forms of art
that has grown in leaps and bounds.
- Dance is no longer just a hobby; it is also one of
the most lucrative professions as well. Besides,
dance therapy is very much in vogue these days
simply because the experience of dancing helps a
person to heal from within.
- Dance is a form of expression that helps a person
bring forth who they are, and what they're
passionate about.
The Evolution of Dance
Agnes de Mille (1963)
“Before man can do anything, he must draw
breath, he must move. Movement is the
source and condition of life. To dance is
to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful,
more powerful. This is power, it is glory on
earth and it is yours for the taking.”
HISTORY
OF
DANCE
Choreography is performed by both individu-
als and cultures around the globe. Dance
flourished at various times in the past and
were largely the product of cross-cultural
trade and interaction (Alejandro and Santos-
Gana, 2002).
The history of dance can be traced back to
ancient times. Dance was first incorporated
and developed by a variety of musical,
spiritual, and mass movements.
Prehistoric 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.
Greek Period
- Greek dance evolved from basic dramatic form
which incorporated dance, 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 mod-
els, putting the most emphasis on the
spectacle and mime to the extent that
dancing itself almost 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 the churches to the out-of-doors.
Another important rite of the Middle Ages was
known as the dance of death (Danse Macabre).
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.
Classic 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 fox trot,
two-step, Boston, Charleston, Castle walk,
Castle polka, tango, conga, and rumba.
WHY DO PEOPLE DANCE???
• It has been used in worship.
• It plays a role in courtship.
• It serves as a form of acquaintance for man and
woman.
• It is an expression of one feelings.
• As in old times, it brings magical power to people.
• It brings victory or somehow restores health to life.
• It serves to entertain others.
• It gives beauty and inspiration to others.
• It is use as whole-body workout.
DIFFERENT
STYLES OF
DANCE
Many diverse dance styles around the
world depend on their skills and technique.
Practicing many kinds of dance routines
was taken seriously by others.
People tend to learn several types of dance
before they specialize in one class.
BALLET
often dubbed as the “backbone of dance.”
It is a style that requires intricate movements to
relay the message of a story.
The basic steps in ballet usually use the entire
range of dance styles. This dance typically uses
techniques and requires enormous diligence and
dedication to do a perfect execution.
Ballet has three classifications:
classical, neoclassical, and contemporary.
 Catherine de Medici
- married to King Henry II
of France
- brought Ballet with her
to the Frernch court
- she produced the first
ballet entitled Le Ballet
Comique de la Reine
in the year 1581.
 King Louis XIV
- known as the
"Sun King"
- his dancer master at
the time is
Pierre Beauchamp
BASIC EXERCISES:
• Alignment
• Turn-out
• Weight Distribution
• Balance
• Pull-up
TYPES OF DANCES
▪ MODERN DANCE
– was developed in the early 1900s, the time when
dancers came out against the stiffness and restraints
of classical ballet. It created its own techniques, cos-
tumes, shoes, and gave more attention to self-expression
and individual creativity rather than technical expertise. It
allows dancers and choreographers to create steps
using their moods and emotions producing a more
relaxed dance style.
▪ MODERN DANCE
– 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.
▪ CONTEMPORARY DANCE
– may include techniques that are found in ballet
and modern dance such as floor work, fall and
recovery, improvisation, even incorporating yoga,
pilates, and martial arts together with techniques
introduced by such famous dancers as Graham,
Hawkins, Horton, and Cunningham.
▪ CONTEMPORARY DANCE
– dance 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
– a lively and enthusiastic dance. It is naturally
combined with upbeat music such as hip-hop or
show tunes to add a theatrical flair.
- Jazz dancers frequently have more freedom to
express their unique character through their dance
presentations.
- These dances usually have a lot of leaps, quick foot-
steps, turns, and other special moves.
 Modern dance focuses on emotions and
mods while contemporary dance focuses on
creating new techniques and
movements.
▪ FOLK DANCE – A dance developed by the people
on a certain or region.
▪ ETHNIC DANCE – An indigenous dance from a
certain race or country.
FILIPINO
FOLK
DANCES
FOLK DANCE
• it is the traditional dance of people within
a specified culture, evolved by them and
embodying a national or regional flavor.
• a leisure, ceremonial, or traditional dance
that is usually executed by members of a
community.
The Philippines enjoys a rich cultural heritage which
includes a diverse collection of traditional dances.
From the well-known national dance the Tinikling,
which pays homage to the movements of a
much-loved bird, to dances that reflect elements of
daily Philippine life, these folk dances all offer a
glimpse into the history of the country.
Ballroom dance is a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both
socially and competitively around the world. This dance is well
known to be a social dance because communication is important
between the partners.
Ballroom dance is also widely enjoyed on (stage, film, and
television.) The term 'ballroom dancing' is derived from the word
ball which in turn originates from the Latin word ballare which
means 'to dance' (a ball-room being a large room specially
designed for such dances).
The common types of ballroom dances are:
Cha Cha, Foxtrot, Jive, lindy hop, mambo, pasa-doble,
quickstep, rumba, samba, tango, Vietnamese waltz, and the
waltz.
There is a competitive form of ballroom dancing, which is
called a dance sport. It has different rules and regulations in
executing the steps.
It is an organized sports activity involving short routines that
combine dance, gymnastics, and stunt elements to cheer on
teams, most commonly in basketball and football. Performers
of these one to three-minute routines are called
"cheerleaders".
Cheerleading originated in Britain and spread to the United
States where it remains most common, but has also become
popular in other parts of the world, such as Europe, Central
America, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Asia.
- relatively new area in athletics and culture, having first
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. Cheerleaders are among the participants.
A style of dance that progressed from hip-hop principles and is
typically performed with hip-hop music.
It is usually very bouncy, that permits the dancer to have
freedom of movement within the repetitive music, and can
integrate it to one’s personality.
Hip Hop dance originated from a cultural movement that began in
1970’s New York.
The movement also includes Djing, rapping, and graffiti.
The Hip Hop dance style incorporates locking, popping, breakin,
house and more recently krumping, which are all stand alone individ-
ual
dance forms in themselves.
Hip Hop dance is very energetic, expressive, improvisational and so-
cial.
A direct opposite of traditional dance forms such as Ballet, Jazz and
Tap that were taught in dance studios and establishments.
•Locking - freezing from a fast
movement and "locking" in a
certain position
- movements are gen-
erally large and exagerrated, and of-
ten rhythmic and tightly synced
with the music.
•Popping - involves continuous
contraction of the muscles to
the beat to give a jerky/snapping ef-
fect - a bouncy style.
•Breaking or B-boying - commonly called breakdancing
- consists of four basic elements:
toprock, downrock, freeze, and power moves
 - Toprock - upright dancing and shuffles
- Downrock - footwork dancing performed on the floor
- Freeze - poses that breakers throw into their dance
- Power Moves - impressive acrobatic moves normally made up of circu-
lar
motions where the dancer will spin on the floor or in the
air.
Street dance evolved from Hip Hop dance as the term ‘street’comes
from the fact that the dance style didn’t originate in dance studios
but on the streets and clubs among groups of people.
Street dance also incorporates into it other dance styles such as Jazz,
Contemporary and more making it more accessible to everyone.
It is the most predominantly featured style of dance in the music videos of
some of the biggest artists in the world such as Usher, JustinTimberlake,
Pussycat Dolls and more.
 an organized event where dance performance is celebrated.
Dance festivals may include competitions for individual dancers
or teams, or may simply serve as a cultural event focused on
dance. Some dance festivals seek to show off talented regional,
national, or international dance companies in all categories,
while others focus on the performance of a specific style of
dance.