STEM 2019-2020 DANCE FEU Senior High School

UNIT 1
Introduction to Dance
Objectives: At the end of this chapter, the students are expected to:
1. Define and discuss the meaning of dance.
2. Understand the elements of dance.
3. Analyze the importance of the body, action, space, time and energy as elements of dance.
4. Appreciate the different Philippine Folk dances by giving some examples.

DANCE
The word “Dance” come from an old German word danson, which means “to stretch”.
All dancing is made up of stretching and relaxing.

Website: http://www.rounddancing.net/dance/articles/guest/cantrell/historyofdance.html

Dance defines…
 as an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and
music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or
performance setting.
 as an art that uses non- verbal movement in an extraordinary way to create a form,
order, or statement.
 as movement that transcends function and becomes communication.

Website: https://www.activedorset.org/a-z-of-sport/dance

Elements of Dance

Each dance elements contains movement concepts that make specific and distinctive. In
order to create and expressive and meaningful dance, the dance artist (or choreographer ) has to
make decisions about the look, flow and timing of the movements, drawing on the broad range of
visual designs, qualities of motion, and rhythm that are possible in movement. These elements
help a dance artist discover movements which are expressive and unique. These three areas
known as:

1. Space encompasses the overall design of movement- where it takes place in the space, as
well as its size and shape.
2. Energy (also called Force) involves the flow of motion- how movements are animated by
kinetic energy in distinctive ways.
3. Time includes how fast or slows of the movement.

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Introduction to Dance
 STEM 2019-2020 DANCE FEU Senior High School

Element of Space refers to the overall design of movement- both the shapes bodies make, and
how the performing space is filled with bodies in motion.

1. Size describes the range of shapes and movements from small to big. In the whole
body warm-up, students extend their bodies into a big shape and make the small
shape by contracting all their muscles. Travelling steps in all sizes. Students may take
very small steps that look like tiny; they may take very large steps in giant, reaching
lunges.
2. Level describes how high or low movement takes place in relation to the ground. The
students will explore their personal space by reaching their arms to the top (high), and
to the bottom (low). In a normal standing position, they are at medium level.
3. Shape refers to the designs the body makes in the space. (e.g. curved, straight)
4. Directions refer to both the directions of the body and the directions in the space.
Directions of the body are determined by how you are facing. The front, back, and
sides of the body lead us in motion.
5. Pathway refers to the design of the path made by body parts or the whole body while
travelling through space. (e.g. straight, curved, circular, zigzag).
6. Relationships describe our proximity to people and things. Students can move near
each other in a small place and can be apart to each other in a bigger place.

Element of Energy (also known as force) gives movement varying degrees of expressive
intensity by how it is released in motion.

1. Force is the amount of energy expended in the movement. It can be strong, as

exhibited in the punch, or light, as expressed in a floating movement.
(e.g. strong or weak energy)
2. Weight reflects our relationship to gravity. (e.g. heavy or light movements)
3. Quality refers to the flow of energy in movement. (e.g. smooth, sharp or swing).
4. Stillness refers to the absence of visible motion.
 Active stillness does not move but it’s still filled with energy. Active stillness is
the energy we use when engaging in freeze action.
 Passive stillness refers to the absence of motion and animating energy. Letting
all the energy drain out of the body while either sitting or lying down and let the
students relax and refocus their energy.

Element of Time refers to how fast or slow movement is, and how it unfolds rhythmically.
1. Speed is like tempo in music and refers to the rate at which movements occur. (e.g.
slow, fast, accelerate and decelerate)
2. Rhythm is the underlying pattern that gives order to music and dance
(Fowler 1994)

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Introduction to Dance
STEM 2019-2020 DANCE FEU Senior High School

SPACE ENERGY TIME

SIZE FORCE SPEED
(big, small) (strong, weak) (slow, fast)
(acceleration, deceleration)
LEVEL WEIGHT RHYTHM
(low, medium, high) (light, heavy) (natural time, steady beat)

SHAPE QUALITY
(curved, straight) (smooth, sharp, swing)
DIRECTION STILLNESS
(forward, backward, (active, passive)
Sideways, diagonal)
PATHWAYS
(straight, curved
circular, zigzag)
RELATIONSHIPS
(near, close, far, over,
under,around, between,
inside, outside, above,
below, together)
Table No. 1
Elements of Dance

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Introduction to Dance