CHAPTER 6DANCE

PREPARED BY:

ROGER B. TRAJANO

INSTRUCTOR

DanceIt is a form of art using

rhythmic bodily movements expressing ideas and emotions and accompanied by music.

As an art form, it may tell a story, set a mood, or express an emotion.

It is also a form of recreation.It is also a form of socialization.

ELEMENTSDancer

It is the most important element of dance. He executes the steps, follows the instruction of the choreographer, wears the costumes, and carries the props.

Choreographer It is a dance director. He does

the overall design of the dance, assigns the step to be executed by the dancer/s select the costumes and props that go with the dance, and determines the set designed for the dance.

DesignIt is the planned organization

or pattern of movements in time and space. It involves the movements and the positioning of the dancers, and the steps executed by them.

SubjectIt is the message of the dance.

It tells what dance is all about.

MovementsIt is classified into steps,

gestures, and facial expressions. Steps are the dancers’ movements from one point on stage to another; these includes leaps, turns, rolls, and somersaults.

Gestures are the movements of their heads, hands, feet, and other body parts; these includes swaying, head shaking, foot stomping, and clapping.

Facial expressions are the movements of their facial parts, as exemplified by the raising of eyebrows, putting of lips, and crumpling of forehead.

TechniquesIt is the style or way of

executing the movements.

CostumesIt is the things worn by the

dancers during their performance. These includes the head gear, the upper garments, and the footwear. Hat, caps, fez. Bonnets, helmets, crown, etc. blouse, kimono, kimona, etc.

Propertiesproperties are things carried

by the dancers as they perform. These includes glasses with lighted candles, sombreros, etc.

Set DesignIt is the setting or the

background that indicates the place of action for the dancers.

Other Theatrical ElementsElements such as lighting

effects, sound effects, and the like form part of a dance performance when the danced is performed as part of a musical play or when it is a theatrical dance.

KindsFolk or Ethnic Dances

are those performed by members of a tribe or ethnic group to conduct their day-to-day activities.

Social or Ballroom Dancesare those performed by pairs

or groups in ballrooms or dance halls to socialize.

Spectacular or Theatrical Dances

are those performed on stage as a spectacle to entertain the audience.

HISTORYPrehistoric Period

The Egyptians were the first great culture to infuse its society with the magic of dance; which evolved from the most simple rituals used by hunters to find their prey.

Greek PeriodGreek dance evolved from

basic dramatic form which incorporated dance, music, spoken words, and costumes.

Participation in dance and drama festival was a religious exercise not merely an amusement.

There were more than 200 Greek dances designed for every mood and purpose.

Roman PeriodRome imported entertainers

from Greece to perform theatrical pieces in honor of the gods and to amuse a population weary from a plague. Romans were influenced by Grecian models, putting the most emphasis on the spectacle and mime to the extent that dancing itself almost disappeared.

Medieval PeriodOriginally 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 PeriodThis Period saw the birth of

the theatre in dance in the courts of Italian City states, where such dance was used as a political machinery to show splendour, wealth and power.

Classic PeriodDuring the middle 17th

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 as ballets a entrees.

Modern PeriodDuring the 20th century, jazz

and tap dance became popular as classic ballet continued to flourish. Social dances such as the fox trot, two-step, Boston, Charleston, Castle walk, Castle polka, tango, conga, and rumba.

The EndThank You for

Listening