Elements and Types of Dance

• Dance involves moving the body, usually with music, to express ideas, emotions, or stories, and for social interaction or performance.
• Dance elements include Body, Space, Energy, and Time.
• Dance serves for artistic expression, social interaction, rituals, entertainment, and exercise.

Folk Dance vs Modern Dance

• Folk dance is traditional and reflects a community's culture.
• Modern dance is free and expressive, focusing on individual expression as a reaction to classical ballet.

Choreography

• Choreography involves designing movement sequences, specifying motion and form, or both.

• Rhythm is essential in dance for timing and synchronization with music and other dancers.

• A dance performed in front of an audience is a performance or concert dance.

• Traditional dance examples: Tinikling (Philippines), Samba (Brazil), Ballet (France/Russia), Flamenco (Spain).

• Dance expresses emotions, tells stories, and conveys artistic ideas, making it an art form.

• Dance preserves traditions, expresses cultural identity, celebrates rituals, and unites communities.

Contemporary Dance

• Contemporary dance combines modern, jazz, lyrical, and classical ballet elements.
• Pioneers: Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, and Isadora Duncan.
• Contemporary dance is more free and expressive, focusing on natural movement and emotions, unlike structured ballet.
• Common movements: floor work, fall and recovery, improvisation, contraction and release, body isolations.
• Floor work involves movements on the floor for support, sliding, rolling, and transitioning.
• Improvisation involves creating spontaneous dance movements without pre-planning.
• Contemporary dance emphasizes emotional expression and storytelling, often breaking traditional rules.

"Contraction And Release"

• "Contraction and release" is a movement technique by Martha Graham where dancers contract and release muscles to create dynamic motion.
• Contemporary dance is expressive because it allows dancers to express emotions and ideas freely through creative movements.
• Contemporary dance can include elements from ballet, jazz, modern, hip-hop, and cultural dances.

Folk Dance

• Folk dance is passed down through generations, reflecting the culture and traditions of a community or region.
• Folk dance's main purpose is for social interaction, celebration, ritual, and preserving cultural heritage.
• Philippine folk dance examples: Tinikling, Cariñosa, Singkil, or Pandanggo sa llaw.
• Folk dance is often performed in groups or pairs during festivals, rituals, or community gatherings.
• Folk dance is traditional and cultural, while modern dance focuses on personal expression and creativity.
• Costumes in folk dance show the culture, history, and the community's identity.
• Folk dance typically uses traditional or folk music, often with native instruments.
• Folk dance from other countries: Flamenco (Spain), Samba (Brazil), Polka (Poland), Irish Jig (Ireland).
• Folk dances celebrate harvests, weddings, festivals, historical events, or daily-life activities.
• Folk dances preserve culture by passing down traditions, stories, and values to future generations.
• Philippine folk dances represent everyday life, traditions, rituals, and celebrations, relating to agriculture, religion, courtship, and community.
• Pre-colonial dances were ritualistic and tribal, honoring deities, nature, and ancestors.
• The Spanish influenced many folk dances.

Spanish Colonization

• After 300 years of Spanish colonization, dances incorporated Hispanic elements like Catholic rituals, music, and clothing.
• Philippine folk dances are divided into Christian/Lowland, Indigenous/Tribal, and Muslim/Moro dances.
• Tinikling, which imitates tikling birds avoiding bamboo traps, is the national dance.
• Folk dances served as oral history before widespread literacy.
• Courtship and marriage are common themes.
• Folk dances vary by region.
• Each region represents its customs, dialects, and history.
• Dance was used to resist colonization.
• Some dances preserved indigenous practices and cultural identity.
• Revival and preservation began in the 20th century.
• Francisca Reyes-Aquino led research and documentation of folk dances starting in the 1950s.

Social Dance

• Social dance is for socializing, recreation, and entertainment at social gatherings, parties, and events.
• The purpose is fun, social interaction, and enjoyment rather than competition or performance.
• Social dance examples: Waltz, Cha-Cha, Tango, Swing, Salsa, or Foxtrot.
• Social dance is performed in pairs, groups, or lines, often with partners.
• Social dance is informal, while ballroom dance is formal with strict techniques and rules.
• Types of social dance: Ballroom dances (Waltz, Foxtrot) and Latin dances (Salsa, Cha-Cha, Rumba).
• Social dance promotes social bonding, communication, exercise, and cultural expression.
• It uses popular, folk, or ballroom music.
• Social dances are often held in parties, clubs, weddings, dance halls, and community gatherings.
• Social dance improves physical fitness, coordination, confidence, social skills, and reduces stress.

Hip-Hop Dance

• Hip-hop dance originated in the United States, specifically in the Bronx, New York City, during the 1970s.
• Hip-hop dance is a street dance style that features energetic movements, improvisation, and personal expression.
• Popular styles or moves: Breaking (B-boying/B-girling), Popping, Locking, Krumping, or Freestyling.
• Freestyle involves improvised dancing.
• The purpose is for self-expression, storytelling, entertainment, competition, and cultural identity.
• Hip-hop dance uses hip-hop music, including rap, funk, R&B, and electronic beats.
• Dance battles are friendly dance competitions.
• Hip-hop dance is part of hip-hop culture, which includes music, graffiti, DJing, and rapping (MCing).
• Benefits of learning hip-hop: physical fitness, creativity, confidence, coordination, stress relief, and social connection.
• Hip-hop is informal, energetic, and improvisational, unlike formal, structured ballet.

Hip-Hop Origins

• Hip-hop was born in the Bronx in the early 1970s.
• The founders include DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, and Grandmaster Flash.
• Elements of Hip-Hop: MCing (Rapping), DJing, Breakdancing (B-boying), and Graffiti Art.

Dance as Fitness

• Contemporary dance engages the entire body, like traditional exercises.
• Fast-paced contemporary dance routines elevate the heart rate.
• Contemporary dance emphasizes expressive movement, helping relieve stress and improve mental health.
• Therapy programs use contemporary dance to help individuals cope with anxiety and depression.
• Contemporary dance incorporates fluid and dynamic movements, enhancing joint mobility and flexibility.
• Contemporary dance requires little to no equipment.
• Dance is a versatile, engaging, and effective alternative to traditional fitness routines.