DANCE

Dance
Dance is movement set to music where there
emerge organization, structure and pattern. The word
Dance comes from Greek word “danson” which
means to stretch. All dancing is made up of stretching
and relaxing. Thus, a simple analysis of term “sayaw”
easily lead one to say that it must have derived from
the word “saya” which means happy. If a happy
person is in rhythmical movement he/she show an
outward expression of his feeling.
Dance
• Dance of many types is the physical expression of
rhythm and music.
• It is a pure expression of the dancer’s thoughts and
feelings.
• It is the union of movement, rhythm and arts of life.
• It is the union of minds and body expressing the
intangible through the medium of time and space.
• It is man’s primitive and natural way of self-
expression.
Dance
Is said to be the oldest of all arts. Man’s gestures
express emotions through rhythmic movements.
Body movements heighten the pleasure of being
and at the same time mirror the life of the
society. The medium of dance is the body of the
dancer. It is through his body that ideas or
feelings are communicated to the audience.
A Dancer and Dancing
A dancer may move only a part of his/her body or the
whole body in-tune of the music. The movements may
be instinctive, hence, people do not have to undergo
rigid training to be able to dance. Dancing is a personal
expression of something within the person that
connects him to others. Dancing as a performing art
may be telling the audience a story, setting the mood
or expressing idea.
Types of Dance
Dances may vary depending on the place of origin, the
music. The reason for the dance and the type of dancers.
The following are some general classification of dances:
1. Ethnologic (Ethnic) dances includes folk dances
associated with national and/or cultural groups. For
Philippine folk dances, examples are tinikling, pandango
sa ilaw and singkil.
2. Social or Ballroom dances are the type of dancing that
are generally performed in pairs. Examples are tango,
waltz and boogie.
3. Ballet is a type of dance which originated in the royal
courts of the Medieval era. It may be a solo or concerted
performance on stage accompanied by music. A ballet is
generally built around a theme or story. Examples are Swan
Lake, and the Nutcracker.
4. Social or Ballroom are sometimes contemporary or
interpretative dances. They represent a rebellion against the
classical formalism of ballet. These dances emphasize
personal communication of moods and themes and is
strongly influenced by societal trends in music. Examples are
hip-hop, and the popular dance crazes.
5. Musical Comedy (musicale) refers to those dances
performed by one dancer or a group of dancers in
theaters, night clubs, motion pictures, and television. It
combines various forms of ballet, modern, tab and
acrobatics.
Elements of Dance
A set of movements must have certain basic elements to be
considered as dance. These elements are:
1. Music plays an important role in the dance to which it is closely
related. It should be melodic and harmonious and fits into the
movements of the dance. Music motivates the dancers to
move in-tune with its rhythm. The background music of the
dance functions to captivate the interest and awe the
audience.
2. Movement is how the dancers use their bodies to move and
create organized patterns. Dances also use gestures which
express specific emotions or ideas in sign language.
3. Choreography is refers to how the steps and
movements are connected for it to be performed in an
organized manner. The choreography guides the
dancers’ movements for them to perform the
movement, convey the message and tell the story
through body language.
4. Technique is the skill of the dancer in executing the
movements. A good dancer has complete control over
the muscles of his body thus creating grace and fluidity
of movement.
5. Theme is the content or the main ingredient of the
dance. It tells what a dance is trying to convey. It has to
do with the message of the dance.
6. Design is the planned organization of patterns of
movement in time and space. Pattern in time, is
provided by rhythm to be executed in space on a stage
or dance floor.
7. Costume. The type of dance performed and the
costumes worn relate closely to the customs, beliefs
and environment of the people. Costumes enhance the
effect of dance.