[ PE ] UNIT 1 | Lesson 1: The Evolution of Dance

Dance

can be seen among all the people and civilizations of the world .

Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Civilizations

(Theme/ Nature)

It was only during this time that the real knowledge of dance came about.

Pre-historic

(Theme/ Nature)

A form of religious ritual and social expression within primitive cultures.

Pre-historic

(Purpose of Dance)

Dance was initially used as a gesture for communication, to express and reinforce tribal unity and strength, for courtship and mating, worship, and therapeutic experiences, and performed dances to appease nature's forces or gain new powers.

Ancient Egypt

(Purpose of Dance)

Most of the dances during this era were mainly a medium of religious expression.

Ancient Egypt

(Theme/ Nature)

Dance was in full bloom and richly recorded. It is reflected in their wall paintings, reliefs, and in the literary records of hieroglyphs.

Ancient Greeks

(Theme/ Nature)

Greeks believed that dance was closely linked with other kinds of experiences, and Plato emphasized its importance in education, as stated in his elucidation on the Laws, highlighting two kinds of dance and music: the noble (fine and honorable) and the ignoble (imitating what is mean or ugly).

• the noble (fine and honorable)

• ignoble (imitating what is mean or ugly).

Plato’s two kinds of dance and music in Ancient Greeks:

Ancient Greeks

(Purpose of Dance)

Dance was taught as an aid to military education among boys in Athens and Sparta, serving not only for religious and military training but also as a form of entertainment and display. Greek philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates strongly supported dance as an integration of the body and soul.

The Ancient Rome

(Theme/Nature)

Romans diminished the importance of dance and ceased creating and performing it as they grew wealthy. The Catholic Church's rise transformed dance history, becoming the main source of learning and morals, and prohibiting theatrical entertainment under the first Christian emperors.

The Ancient Rome

(Purpose of Dance)

Dance became brutal and sensationalized in Rome, leading to its condemnation by early Christians. Despite this, dance continued in the Church, with approval for its use in holy and profound contexts, eventually becoming part of worship and church services.

Dark and Early Middle Ages

(Theme/Nature)

This marked the beginning of social dancing. The peasants performed two basic types of dancing: the round dance and the couple dance.

Round Dance

In Dark and Early Middle Ages, dancers hold hands, forming a long chain and move about in an open or closed circle, or in an extended line.

Couple Dance

Dark and Early Middle Ages, at that time, was not as popular as round dance as it was considered scandalous when it was first seen.

Dark and Early Middle Ages

(Purpose of Dance)

Dance was performed in village squares and later welcomed in the castles of feudal lords. Common people also engaged in social dances, while court dances emerged as part of the chivalric way of life.

• the round dance

• the couple dance

In Dark and Early Middle Ages, The peasants performed two basic types of dancing:

Early Renaissance

(Theme/Nature)

Dance was fully accepted in the courts as the rise of the capitalist class produced patrons of learning and art in Europe. Entertainers became valuable to the courts of Italy and France, serving the secular goals of wealthy and powerful nobles across Europe.

Early Renaissance

(Purpose of Dance)

dance, and art, in general, gained impetus. The old restraints were loosened, and clerical ideas and purposes no longer dominate all creative expressions of the human spirit

15th and 16th Centuries

(Purpose of Dance)

Other dance forms also came to light and have been widely recognized worldwide

15th and 16th Centuries

(Theme/Nature)

A vast dance movement spread throughout European courts, leading to new court dances by the nobility and the rise of ballet in Italy and France. This period saw the emergence and spread of various dance forms across countries, and after ballet's peak, contemporary dances as stylistic variations of ballet evolved in Europe.

Ballet

• is often dubbed as the “backbone of dance.”

• It is a style that requires intricate movements to relay the message of a story.

Contemporary dance

is a style that integrates modern, ballet, and jazz.

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.

Jazz Dancers

frequently have more freedom to express their unique character through their dance presentations.

Folk Dance

is a leisure, ceremonial, or traditional dance that is usually executed by members of a community.

Modern Dance

• is deeply rooted in the ballet syllabus.

• 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

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.

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.

• This dance is well known to be a social dance because communication is important between the partners.

Dance Sport

competitive form of ballroom dancing

Cheerdancing

is a relatively new area in athletics and culture, having first originated as an art of gymnastics competitions in the 90s

Ballet

• is the first dance style, which started from 15th - 16th century.

• It is considered as one of the most difficult styles of dancing.

Lisa Teresita Pacheco Macuja-Elizalde

is the first Filipino to be known in this kind of dance style. In 1984, she became the first Filipina prima ballerina, and the first ever foreign soloist to join the Kirov Ballet.