PE MIDTERMS

Dance can be

seen among all the peoples and civilizations of the world.

Dances thrived at different periods in history and were mostly a result of

intercultural exchange and contact.

The origins of dance are rooted in the prehistoric past

Various artistic, religious, and social forces started out the incorporation and development of dance.

Dance has been a major form of

religious and ritual and social expression within primitive cultures.

It was used as a way of expressing and reinforcing tribal unity and strength, as 

an approach for courtship and mating, as means of worship, communication, and therapeutic experience.

The first use of dance was a

 gesture in order to communicate or give them People from the prehistoric era

he dances during this time had not yet been fully recorded. It was only during the

pre-Christian era that the real knowledge of dance came about within the Great Mediterranean and 

Middle Eastern civilizations. 

Dance became

full blown and was richly recorded in Ancient Egypt. 

It was reflected in their

wall paintings, reliefs and in the literary records of the hieroglyphs.

Most of the dances in this era were the

chief medium of religious expression.

Most of the dances in this era were the

 chief medium of religious expression.

The Ancient Greeks

also thought highly of dance. It was for them closely linked with other kinds of experiences.

Dancing was taught as an

aid to military education

among the boys in

Athens and Sparta. 

Dance was not only for religious and military training, but also a form of

entertainment and display.

Dance was also commonly used in

education.

Greek Philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates

strongly supported this art as an integration of the body and soul.

Plato

immensely gave importance to dance in education in his Elucidation on the Laws.

He highlighted the two kinds of dance and music, 

The Noble (Fine and Honorable) 

The Ignoble (Imitating what is mean or ugly). 

The Noble

(Fine and Honorable) 

The Ignoble

(Imitating what is mean or ugly). 

A good dance contains a

theme or a motif to enable it to convey its meaning or intention to the audience.

A dance

 without meaning makes it harder for the audience to understand it, thus making it superficial and easy to forget.

Motif

A single movement or a short phrase of movement that embodies the style and intention of the dance is called a

Elements of Dance

The human body

exists in time and space, and it exhibits some effort. Understanding these elements and the infinite variety of movements that can be created by varying each element will help not only in dance-making  but also in dance training and appreciation.

Movement is part of life.

o get a sense of how we are as a mover, what our movement needs are, and where these needs come from, let

The Ancient Rome

On the other hand, it gave less importance to dancing. It stopped valuing such qualities in art as the nation grew healthy and powerful. 

Dance became brutal and sensationalized as their entertainers were slaves and captives from many nationalities and it was used more often for gruesome purposes. Dance eventually became an integral part of the corruption in the later days of the Roman Empire resulting in the condemnation of dance by the early Christian.

Catholic Church

• The development of the Catholic Church in Europe following the fall of Rome transformed the history of dance. During this time, the Church was the sole custodian of learning and education and the source of morals. When the first Christian emperors came, theatrical entertainment was prohibited. However, dance still existed and was performed within the church during religious ceremonies. The Christian fathers approved the use of dance provided that its form and intent were holy and profound. Dances then became part of worship and church services.

• Although the Church had condemned dance as entertainment, some singers, dancers, poets, actors, musicians, and jugglers continued to wander during the Dark and early Middle Ages. They performed in village squares and eventually were welcomed in the castles and chateaus of feudal lords. 

• At the same time, the common people also amused themselves by doing dances that were social in character.

This marked the beginning of social dancing. The round dance, dancers hold each other by hand, forming a long chain and move about in an open or closed circle, or in an extended line.

Couple dance

at that time, was not as popular as round dance as it was considered scandalous when first seen.

History

Nobility soon followed the peasants’ lead in dancing but in a more refined and courtly form. 

Court dances emerged as part of the chivalric way of life. 

Because of the noble men and women’s nature of clothing and elaborate accessories, their dance steps were limited to gliding, curtseying, and posing as they were not able to move freely.

• The peasant dances, in costumes resulting in freer movements. Also, peasants danced on grass or on the beaten earth of the town while noblemen danced on smooth floor or wood or polished marble called the ballroom.

Dance then was wholly accepted in the courts during the Early Renaissance as the gradual increase of the capitalist class produced patrons of learning and art in Europe.

• During the Renaissance, dance and art in general gained their returning impetus. The old restraints were loosened and clerical ideas and purposes no longer dominated all creative expressions of the human spirit.

The entertainers now became valuable appendages to the courts of Italy and France and they were to serve the secular goals of the wealthy and powerful nobles who had emerged throughout Europe.

• A vast dance movement occurred throughout the courts of Europe in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. During these times, new court dances performed by nobility came about as well as the rise of the art of ballet in France. From then on, several other dance forms continued to sprout and spread across several countries. After the pinnacle of ballet prominence came contemporary dances. Other dance forms also came to light and have been widely recognized worldwide.

Chapter 3 Dance Appreciation and Composition

A form is the instrument by which ideas and elements are arranged or combined into a logical sequence which results in unity and consistency, and by means of which the content or idea can be expressed and communicated.

 It is the organizing factor of any work or dance composition. 

The form should progress through time from the beginning to the end of the choreography. Each section is composed of several units that are smoothly connected to each other. These small units are called phrases.

Many smaller pieces of movement make up the overall shape or development of a dance composition

When you combine one movement with several others, they form a unit. 

Therefore,

A phrase is the smallest unit of form in the whole dance.

It can be related to a sentence in writing compositions. Choreographers and dancers use movement phrasing when working on dances.

Benefits of Dance: Physical

cardiovascular and muscular endurance, body composition, as well as balance.

Dance training

Observed that there were significant improvements of aerobic and muscular fitness in contemporary dancers who engage in low to moderate intensity dance genres.

Thus, low to moderate dance exercise

is as effective as other vigorous exercise regimens in improving fitness. 

Further affirmed through their study that cardiorespiratory fitness improves with

moderate intensity exercise training programs particularly on women. Thus, dancing is also a great way to lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Increased fitness resulted in a great lowering of the body mass index and resting heart rate

for those who engage in a dance-based fitness activity compared to those who engage in other regular physical activity. 

•  It was also reported that there is a significant improvement in lipid metabolism when dancing. 

• Dance movements are multidirectional that they enable joint mobility, specifically hip motion and spine flexibility, as opposed to treadmills or elliptical machines. 

weight-bearing

 activity that helps improve and maintain bone density as well as prevent osteoporosis. 

Dance therapy

has been used in different medical fields throughout history. It aids in recovering coordination and other neuromuscular skills after an injury. 

Mental/Emotional

Dance can be used as intervention in mental health nursing. 

The authors revealed that dance can offer

“an acceptable way to release emotional and physical pressure”

“Non-verbal communication b offering a clear structure for being together”

Since majority of the problems of mental health nurses are dealing with their patients, it was suggested that dance may be applied as it is useful in facilitating

Dancing also gives other

psychological health benefits as compared to other forms of exercise.

A study published in the journal

• “Neurobiology of Aging” Adds to evidence that exercise can help keep the brain sharp. 

Greatly supported the mental benefits

of dancing in their study concluding that dancing was the only regular physical activity associated with a significant decrease in the incidence of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

The effects of aerobic exercise

on brain structure and psychological well-being. Their findings suggest that “insula gray-matter volume (region involved in multimodal sensory integration and lays a great role in the generation of affective states in response to emotional stimulation) may possibly be maintained by aerobic exercise”.

It was assumed that there is a correlation between aerobic exercise and body image.

Attribute dance as a medium for developing one’s body image. Therefore dancing is a great way to improve one’s body image

Social

Dance provides

a unique opportunity for meaningful group involvement as it encourages positive social interaction and interpersonal relationships in a working group.

Dance gives a sense of togetherness in a group

For recent years, varieties of dance-based group fitness formats have been formulated and have been in demand.

One of the reasons why there has been a tremendous growth of dance-based fitness

• regimens is the need for self-expression and social interaction amongst men and women in the new millennium. 

Cultural

Dance promotes a place or a country’s rich culture through showcasing the different cultural dances.

The people around the world are brought to

• “a closer understanding of the lives of the people represented and to an appreciation of their respective folk cultures through the folk dances of a specific country. 

• It is through looking at the different dances of other countries will one see the value of one’s culture