Dance Unit Notes
Dance Foundations
Understanding the basic principles of movement, including posture, alignment, and technique.
Exploring various dance styles such as ballet, jazz, and contemporary, to develop versatility in performance.
Emphasizing the importance of rhythm, musicality, and expression in dance. Incorporating improvisation and creativity allows dancers to enhance their personal style and engage more deeply with the art form.
Movement Exploration Stations / Exploring Space
Learning Goal: Understand and explore the six different elements of dance.
A Brief History of Dance
Earliest evidence of ancient dances found in 9000-year-old India and 5300-year-old Egypt.
More contemporary dance forms can be traced to Ancient Greece, China, and India.
These dances evolved into Roman and European medieval dances, traditional Chinese dances, Hidi, and other traditional dances.
Dance existed before written language, serving as a performance method for early cultures to pass down stories.
Social, celebratory, and ritual dances were crucial in early human civilizations.
The European Renaissance spurred new music and dance. Immigration to the New World mixed these dances with Native cultures, creating new dance types that remain popular.
Cultural Significance of Dance
Examples of culturally specific dances:
Mudangchum: Traditional Korean Shaman Dance
Portuguese Folk Dance
Mambo: Traditional Cuban Dance
Benefits of Dance
Builds confidence
Boosts memory
Reduces stress
Purposes of Dance
Three main purposes:
Ceremonial Dance: To show praise or commemorate important events. Example: Traditional Indigenous Pow Wow Dance
Recreational Dance: To relax, have fun, get fit, or socialize. Examples: Aerobic dance, line dancing, ballroom dancing
Artistic Dance: Movement performed to entertain an audience. Examples: Ballet, Tap, Modern, Hip-Hop, Jazz
The Six Elements of Dance
Body
Body Parts: Head, neck, chest, face, shoulders, arms, hips, knees, legs, feet
Body Shapes: Curved, straight, symmetrical, asymmetrical
On/Off
Space
Directions: Side, front, down, up, around, back
Place: Straight, curved, self-space
Size: Small, medium, big
Around/Through
Near/Far
In front/Behind
Over/Under
Time
Tempo: Fast, medium, slow
Action
Moving: Walk, skip, run, gallop, leap, slide, jump, hop
Stationary: Float, twist, melt, burst, push, swing, rise, reach, wiggle, turn, pull, kick, bend
Energy
Strong, sharp, light, smooth, bound, free
Relationship
Movement Exploration Stations / Exploring Space
Learning Goal: Understand and explore the six different elements of dance.
A Brief History of Dance
Earliest evidence of ancient dances found in 9000-year-old India and 5300-year-old Egypt.
More contemporary dance forms can be traced to Ancient Greece, China, and India.
These dances evolved into Roman and European medieval dances, traditional Chinese dances, Hidi, and other traditional dances.
Dance existed before written language, serving as a performance method for early cultures to pass down stories.
Social, celebratory, and ritual dances were crucial in early human civilizations.
The European Renaissance spurred new music and dance. Immigration to the New World mixed these dances with Native cultures, creating new dance types that remain popular.
Cultural Significance of Dance
Examples of culturally specific dances:
Mudangchum: Traditional Korean Shaman Dance
Portuguese Folk Dance
Mambo: Traditional Cuban Dance
Benefits of Dance
Builds confidence
Boosts memory
Reduces stress
Purposes of Dance
Three main purposes:
Ceremonial Dance: To show praise or commemorate important events. Example: Traditional Indigenous Pow Wow Dance
Recreational Dance: To relax, have fun, get fit, or socialize. Examples: Aerobic dance, line dancing, ballroom dancing
Artistic Dance: Movement performed to entertain an audience. Examples: Ballet, Tap, Modern, Hip-Hop, Jazz
The Six Elements of Dance
Body
Body Parts: Head, neck, chest, face, shoulders, arms, hips, knees, legs, feet
Body Shapes: Curved, straight, symmetrical, asymmetrical
On/Off
Space
Directions: Side, front, down, up, around, back
Place: Straight, curved, self-space
Size: Small, medium, big
Around/Through
Near/Far
In front/Behind
Over/Under
Time
Tempo: Fast, medium, slow
Action
Moving: Walk, skip, run, gallop, leap, slide, jump, hop
Stationary: Float, twist, melt, burst, push, swing, rise,
Movement Exploration Stations / Exploring Space
Learning Goal: Understand and explore the six different elements of dance.
A Brief History of Dance
Earliest evidence of ancient dances found in 9000-year-old India and 5300-year-old Egypt.
More contemporary dance forms can be traced to Ancient Greece, China, and India.
These dances evolved into Roman and European medieval dances, traditional Chinese dances, Hidi, and other traditional dances.
Dance existed before written language, serving as a performance method for early cultures to pass down stories.
Social, celebratory, and ritual dances were crucial in early human civilizations.
The European Renaissance spurred new music and dance. Immigration to the New World mixed these dances with Native cultures, creating new dance types that remain popular.
Cultural Significance of Dance
Examples of culturally specific dances:
Mudangchum: Traditional Korean Shaman Dance
Portuguese Folk Dance
Mambo: Traditional Cuban Dance
Benefits of Dance
Builds confidence
Boosts memory
Reduces stress
Purposes of Dance
Three main purposes:
Ceremonial Dance: To show praise or commemorate important events. Example: Traditional Indigenous Pow Wow Dance
Recreational Dance: To relax, have fun, get fit, or socialize. Examples: Aerobic dance, line dancing, ballroom dancing
Artistic Dance: Movement performed to entertain an audience. Examples: Ballet, Tap, Modern, Hip-Hop, Jazz
The Six Elements of Dance
Body
Body Parts: Head, neck, chest, face, shoulders, arms, hips, knees, legs, feet
Body Shapes: Curved, straight, symmetrical, asymmetrical
On/Off
Space
Directions: Side, front, down, up, around, back
Place: Straight, curved, self-space
Size: Small, medium, big
Around/Through
Near/Far
In front/Behind
Over/Under
Time
Tempo: Fast, medium, slow
Action
Moving: Walk, skip, run, gallop, leap, slide, jump, hop
Stationary: Float, twist, melt, burst, push, swing, rise,
Movement Exploration Stations / Exploring Space
Learning Goal: Understand and explore the six different elements of dance.
A Brief History of Dance
Earliest evidence of ancient dances found in 9000-year-old India and 5300-year-old Egypt.
More contemporary dance forms can be traced to Ancient Greece, China, and India.
These dances evolved into Roman and European medieval dances, traditional Chinese dances, Hidi, and other traditional dances.
Dance existed before written language, serving as a performance method for early cultures to pass down stories.
Social, celebratory, and ritual dances were crucial in early human civilizations.
The European Renaissance spurred new music and dance. Immigration to the New World mixed these dances with Native cultures, creating new dance types that remain popular.
Cultural Significance of Dance
Examples of culturally specific dances:
Mudangchum: Traditional Korean Shaman Dance
Portuguese Folk Dance
Mambo: Traditional Cuban Dance
Benefits of Dance
Builds confidence
Boosts memory
Reduces stress
Purposes of Dance
Three main purposes:
Ceremonial Dance: To show praise or commemorate important events. Example: Traditional Indigenous Pow Wow Dance
Recreational Dance: To relax, have fun, get fit, or socialize. Examples: Aerobic dance, line dancing, ballroom dancing
Artistic Dance: Movement performed to entertain an audience. Examples: Ballet, Tap, Modern, Hip-Hop, Jazz
The Six Elements of Dance
Body
Body Parts: Head, neck, chest, face, shoulders, arms, hips, knees, legs, feet
Body Shapes: Curved, straight, symmetrical, asymmetrical
On/Off
Space
Directions: Side, front, down, up, around, back
Place: Straight, curved, self-space
Size: Small, medium, big
Around/Through
Near/Far
In front/Behind
Over/Under
Time
Tempo: Fast, medium, slow
Action
Moving: Walk, skip, run, gallop, leap, slide, jump, hop
Stationary: Float, twist, melt, burst, push, swing, rise,