HOPE-3-HANDOUT.docx

PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH H.O.P.E. 3 - DANCE **[INTRODUCTION TO DANCE]** **[What is DANCE?]** \- the movement of the body in a rhythmic way, usually to a music and within a given space, for the purpose of expressing an idea or emotion, releasing energy, or simply taking delight in the moveme...

PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH H.O.P.E. 3 - DANCE **[INTRODUCTION TO DANCE]** **[What is DANCE?]** \- the movement of the body in a rhythmic way, usually to a music and within a given space, for the purpose of expressing an idea or emotion, releasing energy, or simply taking delight in the movement itself. \- 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 *(Barbara Mettler,1980)* \- focuses primarily on *"an aesthetic or even entartaining experience"*. People still dance mainly for four reasons: a. \- a series of body movements that are done accompanied by a music. **[BRIEF HISTORY OF DANCE]** - Dance has been a major form of religious 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 \- means of worship \- communication \- therapeutic experience. As Kraus and Gaufman (1981) said, *" man danced originally to supplicate the Gods on all important occasions of life"* - Pre-Christian Era \- dance became full blown and was richly recorded in ancient Egypt. It was reflected in their wall paintings, reliefs, and in the literary record in hieroglyphs. - Ancient Greeks -dance was taught as an aid to military education among the boys in Athens and Sparta. It was not just for religious and military training but also a form of entertainment and display. \- dance was also used in education. Greek philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates strongly supported this art as an integration of the body and soul. Plato highlighted the two kinds of dance and music: a. b. - Ancient Rome -dance became brutal and sensationalized as entertainers were slaves and captives from nationalities and it was used more often for gruesome purposes. Dance eventually became an integral part of the corruption in the latter days of the roman empire, resulting in the condemnation of dance by the early Christians. - 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.* - 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 political machinery to show splendour, wealth and power. - Classic Period -during the middle 17^th^ 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 *ballet e entrees.* - Modern Period -during the 20^th^ century, jazz and tap dance became popular as classical ballet continued to flourish. Social dances such as Foxtrot, Two-step, Boston, Charleston, Castle Walk, Castle Polka, Tango, Conga, and Rumba. **BENEFITS OF DANCE** +-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+ | **PHYSICAL** | **MENTAL/ | **SOCIAL** | **CULTURAL** | | | EMOTIONAL** | | | +-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+ | 1. Develops | 1. Helps keep | 1. Gives sense | Promotes | | cardiovascu | the brain | of | cultural values | | lar | sharp | togethernes | | | and | | s | | | muscular | 2. Decreases | within a | | | endurance | incidence | group | | | | of dementia | | | | 2. Improves | and | 2. Encourages | | | coordinatio | Alzheimer's | positive | | | n, | disease | social | | | balance, | | interaction | | | flexibility | 3. Decreases | and | | | , | depressive | interperson | | | and body | symptoms | al | | | composition | | relationshi | | | | 4. Increases | p | | | 3. Lowers risk | self-esteem | in a group | | | of | and | | | | cardiovascu | improves | 3. Contributes | | | lar | body-image | to the | | | diseases | | individual' | | | | 5. Aids in | s | | | 4. Lowers body | releasing | potential | | | mass index | emotional | for | | | | and | self-actual | | | 5. Lowers | physical | ization | | | resting | tension | in society | | | heart rate | | | | | | | | | | 6. Improves | | | | | lipid | | | | | metabolism | | | | | | | | | | 7. Enables | | | | | joint | | | | | mobility | | | | | | | | | | 8. Helps | | | | | maintain | | | | | bone | | | | | density, | | | | | thus helps | | | | | prevent | | | | | osteoporosi | | | | | s | | | | | | | | | | 9. Helps | | | | | recover | | | | | coordinatio | | | | | n | | | | | and | | | | | neuromuscul | | | | | ar | | | | | skills | | | | | after | | | | | injury | | | | +-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+-----------------+ **[ELEMENTS OF DANCE]** Dance can be broken into the following five elements: - Body - Action - Space - Time - Energy **BODY: *Who dances? The Dancer!*** \- Dancers use their bodies to take internal ideas, emotions, and intentions and express them in an outward manner, sharing them with others.  \- It refers how the entire body is molded in space or the configuration of body parts. **Symmetrical** - movements are practically identical or similar on both sides. **Asymmetrical** - movements of two sides of the body do not match or completely different from each other. #### **ACTION**: *The Dancer Does What? Moves!* #### Action is any human movement involved in the act of dancing. What do dancers do? They move---this is the action they perform. Movement can be divided into two general categories: - - #### **SPACE: *Where Does the Dancer Move? Through Space!*** The area that the dance performers occupy and where they move. To better explain, here are some ways a choreographer or dancer thinks about space: - - - - - - - #### **TIME: *How Does the Body Move in Relation to Time?*** - **Beat** - the on going underlying pulse - **Tempo** - how fast or slow the movements - **Accent** - strong beats that usually occur at regular - **Rhythmic Pattern** - patterns made by arranging long and short movement or strong and light movement - **Duration**- the length of time the movement lasts. #### **ENERGY: *How? The Dancer Moves Through Space and Time With Energy!*** Movements are propelled by energy or force. This force can either initiate or stop an action. Dance uses different energies. Varied use of these minimizes the monotony of the movements in the performance. - **Sustained** - done smoothly, continuously, and with flow and control. It does not have a clear beginning and ending. - **Percussive** - explosive or sharp in contrast with sustained movements. They are accented with thrust of energy and have a clear beginning and ending. - **Vibratory** - movements consist of trembling and shaking. A faster version of percussive movements that produces a jittery effect. - **Swinging** - movements trace a curved line or an arc in space. The movements are relaxed and giving in to gravity on the downward part of the motion, followed by an upward application of energy. - **Suspended** - movements are perched in space or hanging on air. - **Collapsing** - movements are released in tension and gradually or abruptly giving in to gravity, letting the body descend to the floor. **DANCE APPRECIATION AND COMPOSITION** **FORM -** is the instrument by which ideas and elements are arranged or combined into a logical sequence which results in unity and consistency. It is the organizing factor of any work or dance composition (Lockhart, 1982). **PHRASE -** When you combine one movement with several others, they form a unit. When units are pieced together, they make up a section in the choreography and the sections together form a whole dance. Therefore, \"a ? is the smallest unit of form in the whole dance\" (Blom and Chaplin, 1988). **MOTIF -** A good dance contains a theme or a motif to be able to convey its meaning or intention to the audience. It may be a single movement or a short phrase of movement that embodies the style and intention. These movements are repeated, varied, and developed by manipulating its components or elements. **CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD DANCE** 1. **Unity** - The interconnected phrases of the dance are coherent and flow smoothly together. The movements fit together and each plays an important role that contributes to the entirety of a dance. 2. **Continuity and Development** - The phrases of the dance that are organized progressively, making each movement phrase move naturally into the next. There is a continuous development of the movement phrase and the audience is swept along to the end. 3. **Variety and Contrast** - Making one or several variations that highlight that facet of the motif. It introduces new material, which is noticeably different different from anything so far seen in the dance. 4. **Transition** - This is the link between movements, phrases, and sections of the dance. It makes the logical progression of the dance flow smoothly. 5. **Repetition** - It emphasizes movements and phrases that are important to the dance and gives a feeling of closure to a work. 6. **Climax** - This is where the apex of energy in the dance is reached.