The body mass index (BMI) or Quetelet index is a value derived from

the mass (weight) and height of a person. The BMI is defined as the body mass divided by

the square of the body height, and is universally expressed in units of kg/m2, resulting from mass
in kilograms and height in metres.
The BMI may also be determined using a table or chart which displays BMI as a function
of mass and height using contour lines or colours for different BMI categories, and which may
use other units of measurement (converted to metric units for the calculation).
The BMI is a convenient rule of thumb used to broadly categorize a person
as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obesebased on tissue mass (muscle, fat, and bone)
and height. That categorization is the subject of some debate about where on the BMI scale the
dividing lines between categories should be placed. Commonly accepted BMI ranges are
underweight: under 18.5 kg/m2, normal weight: 18.5 to 25, overweight: 25 to 30, obese: over 30.
BMIs under 20.0 and over 25.0 have been associated with higher all-cause mortality,
increasing risk with distance from the 20.0-25.0 range. The prevalence of overweight and obesity
is the highest in the Americas and lowest in South East Asia. The prevalence of overweight and
obesity in high income and upper middle income countries is more than double that of low and
lower middle income countries.

BMI categories
The following table shows the standard weight status categories associated
with BMI ranges for adults:

BMI Weight status

Below 18.5 Underweight

18.5–24.9 Healthy

25.0–29.9 Overweight

30.0 and above Obese

 BMI of less than 18.5

A BMI of less than 18.5 indicates that you are underweight, so you may need to put on some weight.
You are recommended to ask your doctor or a dietitian for advice.

BMI of 18.5–24.9

A BMI of 18.5–24.9 indicates that you are at a healthy weight for your height. By maintaining a healthy
weight, you lower your risk of developing serious health problems.

BMI of 25–29.9

A BMI of 25–29.9 indicates that you are slightly overweight. You may be advised to lose some weight for
health reasons. You are recommended to talk to your doctor or a dietitian for advice.

BMI of over 30

A BMI of over 30 indicates that you are heavily overweight. Your health may be at risk if you do not lose
weight. You are recommended to talk to your doctor or a dietitian for advice.

Health risks
A healthy weight can help prevent a range of diseases and health conditions.

People with a BMI of 30 or more have a higher risk than others of diseases
such as heart disease,type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood
pressure, colorectal cancer, for example. Some of these can be life-
threatening.

Having a BMI of under 18.5 can increase the risk

of malnutrition, osteoporosis, anemia, and a range of problems that can result
from various nutrient deficiencies. It can also be a sign of a hormonal,
digestive, or other problem.

Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health. It has many benefits,
including improving your overall health and fitness, and reducing your risk for many chronic
diseases. There are many different types of exercise; it is important that you pick the right types
for you. Most people benefit from a combination of them:
 Endurance, or aerobic, activities increase your breathing and heart rate. They keep your
heart, lungs, and circulatory system healthy and improve your overall fitness. Examples include
brisk walking, jogging, swimming, and biking.
 Strength, or resistance training, exercises make your muscles stronger. Some examples
are lifting weights and using a resistance band.
 Balance exercises can make it easier to walk on uneven surfaces and help prevent falls.
To improve your balance, try tai chi or exercises like standing on one leg.
 Flexibility exercises stretch your muscles and can help your body stay limber. Yoga and
doing various stretches can make you more flexible.
Fitting regular exercise into your daily schedule may seem difficult at first. But you can start
slowly, and break your exercise time into chunks. Even doing ten minutes at a time is fine. You
 can work your way up to doing the recommended amount of exercise. How much exercise you
need depends on your age and health.
Other things that you can do to make the most of your workouts include

 Choosing activities that work all the different parts of the body, including your core
(muscles around your back, abdomen, and pelvis). Good core strength improves balance and
stability and helps to prevent lower back injury.
 Choosing activities that you enjoy. It's easier to make exercise a regular part of your life
if you have fun doing it.
 Exercising safely, with proper equipment, to prevent injuries. Also, listen to your body
and don't overdo it.
 Giving yourself goals. The goals should challenge you, but also be realistic. It's also
helpful to reward yourself when you reach your goals. The rewards could be something big, like
new workout gear, or something smaller, such as movie tickets.

Endurance Exercise (Aerobic)

Endurance exercise is one of the four types of exercise along
with strength, balance andflexibility. Ideally, all four types of exercise would be included
in a healthy workout routine and AHA provides easy-to-follow guidelines for endurance
and strength-training in its Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults.

They don’t all need to be done every day, but variety helps keep the body fit and
healthy, and makes exercise interesting. You can do a variety of exercises to keep the
body fit and healthy and to keep your physical activity routine exciting. Many different
types of exercises can improve strength, endurance, flexibility, and balance. For
example, practicing yoga can improve your balance, strength, and flexibility.  A lot
of lower-body strength-training exercises also will improve your balance.

Also called aerobic exercise, endurance exercise includes activities that increase your
breathing and heart rate such as walking, jogging, swimming, and biking.

Endurance activity keeps your heart, lungs and circulatory system healthy and improves
your overall fitness. As a result, people who get the recommended regular physical
activity can reduce the risk of many diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and
stroke.

Examples of endurance exercise:

 Walking briskly
 Running / jogging
 Dancing
 Swimming
 Biking
 Climbing stairs at work
 Playing sports such as tennis, basketball, soccer or racquetball
What if I’m recovering from a cardiac event or stroke?
Some people are afraid to exercise after a heart attack. But regular physical activity can
help reduce your chances of having another heart attack.

The AHA published a statement in 2014 that doctors should prescribe exercise to stroke
patients since there is strong evidence that physical activity and exercise after
stroke can improve cardiovascular fitness, walking ability and upper arm strength.

If you’ve had a heart attack or stroke, talk with your doctor before starting any exercise
to be sure you’re following a safe, effective physical activity program.

10 Forms of Resistance Training That

Strengthen Your Muscles
 Leg adduction
 Plank
 Side plank
 Short arc squats/wall slides
 Straight leg raises
 Wall shin raises
 Heel step downs
 Arm raises
 Internal and external rotation

7 Easy Exercises for Better Balance

1. Sumo Squat With Outer Thigh Pulse

2. Standing Crunch With Under-the-Leg Clap

3. Curtsy Lunge With Oblique Crunch

4. Plank With Flying Plane Arms

5. Rolling Forearm Side Plank

6. Arm Sequence With Lifted Heels

7. T-Stand With Hinge and Side Bend

Flexibility Exercises
Stretch #1 Shoulder & Chest

Stretch #2 Arm Across Chest

Stretch #3 Triceps Stretch

Lower Body Flexibility Exercises

Stretch #4 Glute Stretch

Report this ad
 

Stretch #5 Adductor Stretch

 

Stretch #6 Standing Quadriceps

Stretch #7 Standing Calf

Volleyball is a popular team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each
team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. [1] It
has been a part of the official program of the Summer Olympic Games since Tokyo 1964.

The complete set of rules are extensive[2], but play essentially proceeds as follows: a player on one
of the teams begins a 'rally' by serving the ball (tossing or releasing it and then hitting it with a hand
or arm), from behind the back boundary line of the court, over the net, and into the receiving team's
court.[3] The receiving team must not let the ball be grounded within their court. The team may touch
the ball up to 3 times, but individual players may not touch the ball twice consecutively. [3] Typically,
the first two touches are used to set up for an attack, an attempt to direct the ball back over the net
in such a way that the serving team is unable to prevent it from being grounded in their court.

The rally continues, with each team allowed as many as three consecutive touches, until either (1): a
team makes a kill, grounding the ball on the opponent's court and winning the rally; or (2): a team
commits a fault and loses the rally. The team that wins the rally is awarded a point and serves the
ball to start the next rally. A few of the most common faults include:

 causing the ball to touch the ground or floor outside the opponents' court or without first
passing over the net;
 catching and throwing the ball;
 double hit: two consecutive contacts with the ball made by the same player;
 four consecutive contacts with the ball made by the same team;
 net foul: touching the net during play;
 foot fault: the foot crosses over the boundary line when serving.

The ball is usually played with the hands or arms, but players can legally strike or push (short
contact) the ball with any part of the body.

A number of consistent techniques have evolved in volleyball,

including spiking and blocking (because these plays are made above the top of the net, the vertical
jump is an athletic skill emphasized in the sport) as well as passing, setting, and specialized player
positions and offensive and defensive structures.

History

Origin of volleyball
In the winter of 1895[4], in Holyoke, Massachusetts (United States), William G. Morgan,
a YMCA physical education director, created a new game called Mintonette, a name derived from
the game of badminton,[5] as a pastime to be played (preferably) indoors and by any number of
players. The game took some of its characteristics from other sports such as tennis and handball.
[6]
 Another indoor sport, basketball, was catching on in the area, having been invented just ten miles
(sixteen kilometers) away in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, only four years before.
Mintonette was designed to be an indoor sport, less rough than basketball, for older members of the
YMCA, while still requiring a bit of athletic effort.

The first rules, written down by William G Morgan, called for a net 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) high, a 25 ft
× 50 ft (7.6 m × 15.2 m) court, and any number of players. A match was composed of nine innings
with three serves for each team in each inning, and no limit to the number of ball contacts for each
team before sending the ball to the opponents' court. In case of a serving error, a second try was
allowed. Hitting the ball into the net was considered a foul (with loss of the point or a side-out)—
except in the case of the first-try serve.

After an observer, Alfred Halstead, noticed the volleying nature of the game at its first exhibition
match in 1896, played at the International YMCA Training School (now called Springfield College),
the game quickly became known as volleyball (it was originally spelled as two words: "volley ball").
Volleyball rules were slightly modified by the International YMCA Training School and the game
spread around the country to various YMCAs.

Refinements and later developments

Japanese American women playing volleyball, Manzanar internment camp, California, ca. 1943

The first official ball used in volleyball is disputed; some sources say Spalding created the first
official ball in 1896, while others claim it was created in 1900. The rules evolved over time: in 1916,
in the Philippines, the skill and power of the set and spike had been introduced, and four years later
a "three hits" rule and a rule against hitting from the back row were established. In 1917, the game
was changed from requiring 21 points to win to a smaller 15 points to win. In 1919, about 16,000
volleyballs were distributed by the American Expeditionary Forces to their troops andallies, which
sparked the growth of volleyball in new countries. [9]
The first country outside the United States to adopt volleyball was Canada in 1900. [9] An international
federation, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), was founded in 1947, and the first
World Championships were held in 1949 for men and 1952 for women. [12] The sport is now popular
in Brazil, in Europe (where especially Italy, the Netherlands, and countries from Eastern
Europe have been major forces since the late 1980s), in Russia, and in other countries including
China and the rest of Asia, as well as in the United States.

A nudist/naturist volleyball game at the Sunny Trails Club during the 1958 Canadian Sunbathing Association
(CSA) convention in British Columbia, Canada

Beach volleyball, a variation of the game played on sand and with only two players per team,
became a FIVB-endorsed variation in 1987 and was added to the Olympic program at the 1996
Summer Olympics.[9][12] Volleyball is also a sport at the Paralympics managed by theWorld
Organization Volleyball for Disabled.

Nudists were early adopters of the game with regular organized play in clubs as early as the late
1920s.[13][14] By the 1960s, a volleyball court had become standard in almost all nudist/naturist clubs.[15]

Volleyball in the Olympics

Rules of the game

Volleyball court

The court dimensions

A volleyball court is 9 m × 18 m (29.5 ft × 59.1 ft), divided into equal square halves by a net with a
width of one meter (39.4 in).[16] The top of the net is 2.43 m (7 ft 11 11⁄16 in) above the center of the
court for men's competition, and 2.24 m (7 ft 4 3⁄16 in) for women's competition, varied for veterans
and junior competitions.[3]

The minimum height clearance for indoor volleyball courts is 7 m (23.0 ft), although a clearance of
8 m (26.2 ft) is recommended.[16]

A line 3 m (9.8 ft) from and parallel to the net is considered the "attack line". This "3 meter" (or "10-
foot") line divides the court into "back row" and "front row" areas (also back court and front court).
[16]
 These are in turn divided into 3 areas each: these are numbered as follows, starting from area "1",
which is the position of the serving player:

Rotation pattern

After a team gains the serve (also known as siding out), its members must rotate in a clockwise
direction, with the player previously in area "2" moving to area "1" and so on, with the player from
area "1" moving to area "6". Each player rotates only one time after the team gains possession of
the serve; the next time each player rotates will be after the other team wins possession of the ball
and loses the point.

The team courts are surrounded by an area called the free zone which is a minimum of 3 meters
wide and which the players may enter and play within after the service of the ball. [17] All lines denoting
the boundaries of the team court and the attack zone are drawn or painted within the dimensions of
the area and are therefore a part of the court or zone. If a ball comes in contact with the line, the ball
is considered to be "in". An antenna is placed on each side of the net perpendicular to the sideline
and is a vertical extension of the side boundary of the court. A ball passing over the net must pass
completely between the antennae (or their theoretical extensions to the ceiling) without contacting
them.[3]

The ball
FIVB regulations state that the ball must be spherical, made of leather or synthetic leather, have a
circumference of 65–67 cm, a weight of 260–280 g and an inside pressure of 0.30–0.325 kg/cm2.
[18]
 Other governing bodies have similar regulations.

Game play
Each team consists of six players.[16] To get play started, a team is chosen to serve by coin toss. A
player from the serving team throws the ball into the air and attempts to hit the ball so it passes over
the net on a course such that it will land in the opposing team's court (the serve).[16] The opposing
team must use a combination of no more than three contacts with the volleyball to return the ball to
the opponent's side of the net.[16] These contacts usually consist first of the bump or pass so that the
ball's trajectory is aimed towards the player designated as the setter; second of the set (usually an
over-hand pass using wrists to push finger-tips at the ball) by the setter so that the ball's trajectory is
aimed towards a spot where one of the players designated as an attacker can hit it, and third by
the attackerwho spikes (jumping, raising one arm above the head and hitting the ball so it will move
quickly down to the ground on the opponent's court) to return the ball over the net. [3] The team with
possession of the ball that is trying to attack the ball as described is said to be on offense.

The team on defense attempts to prevent the attacker from directing the ball into their court: players
at the net jump and reach above the top (and if possible, across the plane) of the net to block the
attacked ball.[3] If the ball is hit around, above, or through the block, the defensive players arranged in
the rest of the court attempt to control the ball with a dig(usually a fore-arm pass of a hard-driven
ball). After a successful dig, the team transitions to offense.

Buddhist monks play volleyball in the Himalayan state of Sikkim, India.

The game continues in this manner, rallying back and forth, until the ball touches the court within the
boundaries or until an error is made. [16] The most frequent errors that are made are either to fail to
return the ball over the net within the allowed three touches, or to cause the ball to land outside the
court.[16] A ball is "in" if any part of it touches a sideline or end-line, and a strong spike may compress
the ball enough when it lands that a ball which at first appears to be going out may actually be in.
Players may travel well outside the court to play a ball that has gone over a sideline or end-line in
the air.

Other common errors include a player touching the ball twice in succession, a player "catching" the
ball, a player touching the net while attempting to play the ball, or a player penetrating under the net
into the opponent's court. There are a large number of other errors specified in the rules, although
most of them are infrequent occurrences. These errors include back-row or libero players spiking the
ball or blocking (back-row players may spike the ball if they jump from behind the attack line),
players not being in the correct position when the ball is served, attacking the serve in the front court
and above the height of the net, using another player as a source of support to reach the ball,
stepping over the back boundary line when serving, taking more than 8 seconds to serve, [19] or
playing the ball when it is above the opponent's court.

Scoring
A point is scored when the ball contacts the floor within the court boundaries or when an error is
made: when the ball strikes one team's side of the court, the other team gains a point; and when an
error is made, the team that did not make the error is awarded a point, in either case paying no
regard to whether they served the ball or not. If any part of the ball hits the line, the ball is counted as
in the court. The team that won the point serves for the next point. If the team that won the point
served in the previous point, the same player serves again. If the team that won the point did not
serve the previous point, the players of the serving team rotate their position on the court in a
clockwise manner. The game continues, with the first team to score 25 points by a two-point margin
awarded the set. Matches are best-of-five sets and the fifth set, if necessary, is usually played to 15
points. (Scoring differs between leagues, tournaments, and levels; high schools sometimes play
best-of-three to 25; in the NCAA matches are played best-of-five to 25 as of the 2008 season.)[20]

Libero
The libero player was introduced internationally in 1998, [26] and made its debut for NCAA competition
in 2002.[27] The libero is a player specialized in defensive skills: the libero must wear a contrasting
jersey color from their teammates and cannot block or attack the ball when it is entirely above net
height. When the ball is not in play, the libero can replace any back-row player, without prior notice
to the officials. This replacement does not count against the substitution limit each team is allowed
per set, although the libero may be replaced only by the player whom he or she replaced. Most U.S.
high schools added the libero position from 2003 to 2005. [23][28]

The modern day libero often takes on the role of a second setter. When the setter digs the ball, the
libero is typically responsible for the second ball and sets to the front row attacker. The libero may
function as a setter only under certain restrictions. To make an overhand set, the libero must be
standing behind (and not stepping on) the 3-meter line; otherwise, the ball cannot be attacked above
the net in front of the 3-meter line. An underhand pass is allowed from any part of the court.

The libero is, generally, the most skilled defensive player on the team. There is also a libero tracking
sheet, where the referees or officiating team must keep track of whom the libero subs in and out for.
Under FIVB rules, two liberos are designated at the beginning of play, only one of whom can be on
the court at any time.

Furthermore, a libero is not allowed to serve, according to international rules. NCAA rules for both
men and women differ on this point; a 2004 rule change allows the libero to serve, but only in a
specific rotation. That is, the libero can only serve for one person, not for all of the people for whom
he or she goes in. That rule change was also applied to high school and junior high play soon after.

Skills
Competitive teams master six basic skills: serve, pass, set, attack, block and dig. [3] Each of these
skills comprises a number of specific techniques that have been introduced over the years and are
now considered standard practice in high-level volleyball.

Serve
A player making a jump serve

3D animation floating serve

A player stands behind the inline and serves the ball, in an attempt to drive it into the opponent's
court. The main objective is to make it land inside the court; it is also desirable to set the ball's
direction, speed and acceleration so that it becomes difficult for the receiver to handle it properly. [3] A
serve is called an "ace" when the ball lands directly onto the court or travels outside the court after
being touched by an opponent; when only the only player on the server's team to touch the ball is
the server.

In contemporary volleyball, many types of serves are employed:

 Underhand: a serve in which the player strikes the ball below the waist instead of tossing it
up and striking it with an overhand throwing motion. Underhand serves are considered very easy
to receive and are rarely employed in high-level competitions.
 Sky ball serve: a specific type of underhand serve occasionally used in beach volleyball,
where the ball is hit so high it comes down almost in a straight line. This serve was invented and
employed almost exclusively by the Brazilian team in the early 1980s and is now considered
outdated. During the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, however, the sky ball serve was
extensively played by Italianbeach volleyball player Adrian Carambula. In Brazil, this serve is
called Jornada nas Estrelas (Star Trek)
 Topspin: an overhand serve where the player tosses the ball high and hits it with a wrist
snap, giving it topspin which causes it to drop faster than it would otherwise and helps maintain
a straight flight path. Topspin serves are generally hit hard and aimed at a specific returner or
part of the court. Standing topspin serves are rarely used above the high school level of play.
 Float: an overhand serve where the ball is hit with no spin so that its path becomes
unpredictable, akin to a knuckleball in baseball.
 Jump serve: an overhand serve where the ball is first tossed high in the air, then the player
makes a timed approach and jumps to make contact with the ball, hitting it with much pace and
topspin. This is the most popular serve among college and professional teams.
 Jump float: an overhand serve where the ball is tossed high enough that the player may
jump before hitting it similarly to a standing float serve. The ball is tossed lower than a topspin
jump serve, but contact is still made while in the air. This serve is becoming more popular
among college and professional players because it has a certain unpredictability in its flight
pattern. It is the only serve where the server's feet can go over the inline.
Pass

A player making a forearm pass or bump

Also called reception, the pass is the attempt by a team to properly handle the opponent's serve, or
any form of attack. Proper handling includes not only preventing the ball from touching the court, but
also making it reach the position where the setter is standing quickly and precisely. [3]

The skill of passing involves fundamentally two specific techniques: underarm pass, or bump, where
the ball touches the inside part of the joined forearms or platform, at waist line; and overhand pass,
where it is handled with the fingertips, like a set, above the head. [3] Either are acceptable in
professional and beach volleyball; however, there are much tighter regulations on the overhand pass
in beach volleyball.

Set

Jump set

The set is usually the second contact that a team makes with the ball. [3] The main goal of setting is to
put the ball in the air in such a way that it can be driven by an attack into the opponent's court. [3] The
setter coordinates the offensive movements of a team, and is the player who ultimately decides
which player will actually attack the ball.

As with passing, one may distinguish between an overhand and a bump set. Since the former allows
for more control over the speed and direction of the ball, the bump is used only when the ball is so
low it cannot be properly handled with fingertips, or in beach volleyball where rules regulating
overhand setting are more stringent. In the case of a set, one also speaks of a front or back set,
meaning whether the ball is passed in the direction the setter is facing or behind the setter. There is
also a jump set that is used when the ball is too close to the net. In this case the setter usually jumps
off their right foot straight up to avoid going into the net. The setter usually stands about ⅔ of the
way from the left to the right of the net and faces the left (the larger portion of net that he or she can
see).

Sometimes a setter refrains from raising the ball for a teammate to perform an attack and tries to
play it directly onto the opponent's court. This movement is called a "dump". [30] This can only be
performed when the setter is in the front row, otherwise it constitutes an illegal back court attack.
The most common dumps are to 'throw' the ball behind the setter or in front of the setter to zones 2
and 4. More experienced setters toss the ball into the deep corners or spike the ball on the second
hit.

As with a set or an overhand pass, the setter/passer must be careful to touch the ball with both
hands at the same time.[3] If one hand is noticeably late to touch the ball this could result in a less
effective set, as well as the referee calling a 'double hit' and giving the point to the opposing team.

Attack
The attack, also known as the spike, is usually the third contact a team makes with the ball.
[3]
 The object of attacking is to handle the ball so that it lands on the opponent's court and cannot be
defended.[3] A player makes a series of steps (the "approach"), jumps, and swings at the ball.

Ideally the contact with the ball is made at the apex of the hitter's jump. At the moment of contact,
the hitter's arm is fully extended above their head and slightly forward, making the highest possible
contact while maintaining the ability to deliver a powerful hit. The hitter uses arm swing, wrist snap,
and a rapid forward contraction of the entire body to drive the ball. [3] A 'bounce' is a slang term for a
very hard/loud spike that follows an almost straight trajectory steeply downward into the opponent's
court and bounces very high into the air. A "kill" is the slang term for an attack that is not returned by
the other team thus resulting in a point.

Contemporary volleyball comprises a number of attacking techniques:

 Backcourt (or backrow)/pipe attack: an attack performed by a back row player. The player
must jump from behind the 3-meter line before making contact with the ball, but may land in front
of the 3-meter line.
 Line and Cross-court Shot: refers to whether the ball flies in a straight trajectory parallel to
the side lines, or crosses through the court in an angle. A cross-court shot with a very
pronounced angle, resulting in the ball landing near the 3-meter line, is called a cut shot.
 Dip/Dink/Tip/Cheat/Dump: the player does not try to make a hit, but touches the ball lightly,
so that it lands on an area of the opponent's court that is not being covered by the defense.
 Tool/Wipe/Block-abuse: the player does not try to make a hard spike, but hits the ball so that
it touches the opponent's block and then bounces off-court.
 Off-speed hit: the player does not hit the ball hard, reducing its speed and thus confusing the
opponent's defense.
 Quick hit/"One": an attack (usually by the middle blocker) where the approach and jump
begin before the setter contacts the ball. The set (called a "quick set") is placed only slightly
above the net and the ball is struck by the hitter almost immediately after leaving the setter's
hands. Quick attacks are often effective because they isolate the middle blocker to be the only
blocker on the hit.
 Slide: a variation of the quick hit that uses a low back set. The middle hitter steps around the
setter and hits from behind him or her.
 Double quick hit/"Stack"/"Tandem": a variation of quick hit where two hitters, one in front and
one behind the setter or both in front of the setter, jump to perform a quick hit at the same time.
It can be used to deceive opposite blockers and free a fourth hitter attacking from back-court,
maybe without block at all.
Block

Three players performing a block (a.k.a. triple block)

Blocking refers to the actions taken by players standing at the net to stop or alter an opponent's
attack.[3]

A block that is aimed at completely stopping an attack, thus making the ball remain in the opponent's
court, is called offensive. A well-executed offensive block is performed by jumping and reaching to
penetrate with one's arms and hands over the net and into the opponent's area. [3] It requires
anticipating the direction the ball will go once the attack takes place. [3] It may also require calculating
the best foot work to executing the "perfect" block.

The jump should be timed so as to intercept the ball's trajectory prior to it crossing over the net.
Palms are held deflected downward roughly 45–60 degrees toward the interior of the opponents
court. A "roof" is a spectacular offensive block that redirects the power and speed of the attack
straight down to the attacker's floor, as if the attacker hit the ball into the underside of a peaked
house roof.

By contrast, it is called a defensive, or "soft" block if the goal is to control and deflect the hard-driven
ball up so that it slows down and becomes easier to defend. A well-executed soft-block is performed
by jumping and placing one's hands above the net with no penetration into the opponent's court and
with the palms up and fingers pointing backward.
Blocking is also classified according to the number of players involved. Thus, one may speak of
single (or solo), double, or triple block.[3]

Successful blocking does not always result in a "roof" and many times does not even touch the ball.
While it's obvious that a block was a success when the attacker is roofed, a block that consistently
forces the attacker away from their 'power' or preferred attack into a more easily controlled shot by
the defense is also a highly successful block.

At the same time, the block position influences the positions where other defenders place
themselves while opponent hitters are spiking.

Dig

Player going for a dig

Digging is the ability to prevent the ball from touching one's court after a spike or attack, particularly
a ball that is nearly touching the ground. [3] In many aspects, this skill is similar to passing, or
bumping: overhand dig and bump are also used to distinguish between defensive actions taken with
fingertips or with joined arms.[3] It varies from passing however in that is it a much more reflex based
skill, especially at the higher levels. It is especially important while digging for players to stay on their
toes; several players choose to employ a split step to make sure they're ready to move in any
direction.

Some specific techniques are more common in digging than in passing. A player may sometimes
perform a "dive", i.e., throw their body in the air with a forward movement in an attempt to save the
ball, and land on their chest. When the player also slides their hand under a ball that is almost
touching the court, this is called a "pancake". The pancake is frequently used in indoor volleyball, but
rarely if ever in beach volleyball because the uneven and yielding nature of the sand court limits the
chances that the ball will make a good, clean contact with the hand. When used correctly, it is one of
the more spectacular defensive volleyball plays.

Sometimes a player may also be forced to drop their body quickly to the floor to save the ball. In this
situation, the player makes use of a specific rolling technique to minimize the chances of injuries.

Team play

Volleyball is essentially a game of transition from one of the above skills to the next, with
choreographed team movement between plays on the ball. These team movements are
determined by the teams chosen serve receive system, offensive system, coverage system,
and defensive system.

The serve-receive system is the formation used by the receiving team to attempt to pass the
ball to the designated setter. Systems can consist of 5 receivers, 4 receivers, 3 receivers, and
in some cases 2 receivers. The most popular formation at higher levels is a 3 receiver
formation consisting of two left sides and a libero receiving every rotation. This allows
middles and right sides to become more specialized at hitting and blocking.

Offensive systems are the formations used by the offense to attempt to ground the ball into
the opposing court (or otherwise score points). Formations often include designated player
positions with skill specialization (see Player specialization, below). Popular formations
include the 4-2, 6-2, and 5-1 systems (see Formations, below). There are also several different
attacking schemes teams can use to keep the opposing defense off balance.
Coverage systems are the formations used by the offense to protect their court in the case of
a blocked attack. Executed by the 5 offensive players not directly attacking the ball, players
move to assigned positions around the attacker to dig up any ball that deflects off the block
back into their own court. Popular formations include the 2-3 system and the 1-2-2 system. In
lieu of a system, some teams just use a random coverage with the players nearest the hitter.

Defensive systems are the formations used by the defense to protect against the ball being
grounded into their court by the opposing team. The system will outline which players are
responsible for which areas of the court depending on where the opposing team is attacking
from. Popular systems include the 6-Up, 6-Back-Deep, and 6-Back-Slide defense. There are
also several different blocking schemes teams can employ to disrupt the opposing teams
offense.

When one player is ready to serve, some teams will line up their other five players in a screen to
obscure the view of the receiving team. This action is only illegal if the server makes use of the
screen, so the call is made at the referee's discretion as to the impact the screen made on the
receiving team's ability to pass the ball. The most common style of screening involves a W formation
designed to take up as much horizontal space as possible.

Player specialization
There are 5 positions filled on every volleyball team at the elite level. Setter, Outside Hitter/Left Side
Hitter, Middle Hitter, Opposite Hitter/Right Side Hitter and Libero/Defensive Specialist. Each of these
positions plays a specific, key role in winning a volleyball match.

 Setters have the task for orchestrating the offense of the team. They aim for second touch
and their main responsibility is to place the ball in the air where the attackers can place the ball
into the opponents' court for a point. They have to be able to operate with the hitters, manage
the tempo of their side of the court and choose the right attackers to set. Setters need to have
swift and skillful appraisal and tactical accuracy, and must be quick at moving around the court.
 Liberos are defensive players who are responsible for receiving the attack or serve. They
are usually the players on the court with the quickest reaction time and best passing
skills. Libero means 'free' in Italian—they receive this name as they have the ability to substitute
for any other player on the court during each play. They do not necessarily need to be tall, as
they never play at the net, which allows shorter players with strong passing and defensive skills
to excel in the position and play an important role in the team's success. A player designated as
a libero for a match may not play other roles during that match. Liberos wear a different color
jersey than their teammates.
 Middle blockers or Middle hitters are players that can perform very fast attacks that usually
take place near the setter. They are specialized in blocking, since they must attempt to stop
equally fast plays from their opponents and then quickly set up a double block at the sides of the
court. In non-beginners play, every team will have two middle hitters.
 Outside hitters or Left side hitters attack from near the left antenna. The outside hitter is
usually the most consistent hitter on the team and gets the most sets. Inaccurate first passes
usually result in a set to the outside hitter rather than middle or opposite. Since most sets to the
outside are high, the outside hitter may take a longer approach, always starting from outside the
court sideline. In non-beginners play, there are again two outside hitters on every team in every
match.
 Opposite hitters or Right-side hitters carry the defensive workload for a volleyball team in
the front row. Their primary responsibilities are to put up a well formed block against the
opponents' Outside Hitters and serve as a backup setter. Sets to the opposite usually go to the
right side of the antennae.

At some levels where substitutions are unlimited, teams will make use of a Defensive Specialist in
place of or in addition to a Libero. This position does not have unique rules like the libero position,
instead, these players are used to substitute out a poor back row defender using regular substitution
rules. A defensive specialist is often used if you have a particularly poor back court defender in right
side or left side, but your team is already using a libero to take out your middles. Most often, the
situation involves a team using a right side player with a big block who must be subbed out in the
back row because they aren't able to effectively play back court defense. Similarly, teams might use
a Serving Specialist to sub out a poor server.

1. Choose your players. Ideally, you want at least 6 players per team for a competitive game.
However, if you're playing with a group of friends, keep the same number of players on each
side.

You should have 2 rows of players, with the first row closest to the net and the back row closest to
the rear boundary of the court.

The player in the back right corner will serve the ball. You can rotate players around the court so that
you will have a new server for each service game.

If you are rotating players out, rotate clockwise -- looking at the net, the player closest to it on the
right side would rotate out, allowing for many players to play.

2. Determine which team will "serve" the ball first. Toss a coin or form an agreement to find out
who will begin the game.

3. Serve the ball from behind the line at the back of the court. If you serve from in front of the
line it will be a point for the other team. This is known as a foot fault. The ball has to go over
the net (but it can touch), and it has to land within the court for the serve to be good.[3]

The player on the right-hand side at the back of the court serves. Each player will only
receive one service attempt per serve rotation; you may serve as many times as you can get
the ball in the other teams court.

The ball is good even if it lands on a line.

4. Return the ball if you're on the receiving team. Thus the rally has begun! A typical play will be
bump, set, spike -- but as long as it goes over within three hits, it's good.

Technically, you can hit the ball with any part of your body so long as the ball does not come
to a rest.
 Players may go over the lines, but the ball may not. If a player on your team hits it out of
bounds, you may run to retrieve it -- successfully so if it doesn't touch the ground.

5. Continue hitting the ball back and forth across the net until a fault happens. This could be
because of any one of the following:

The ball hits the ground. This can cause the serving team to score 1 point for their team.

If the ball hits the ground on the side of the serving team, then the other team has the
opportunity to serve.

If the ball hits the ground on the side of the receiving team, then the serving team can serve
again.

The point is awarded to the team that did not allow the ball to hit the ground.

The ball goes out of bounds. The team that hits the ball out of bounds loses the point.

Someone touches the net. If a player on one team touches the net, then the opposing team
picks up a point.

Someone's foot goes under the net. When this happens, the opposing team receives the
point.

Someone hits the ball 2 consecutive times. Players can't strike the ball twice in a row, unless
a strike is in the block. A block does not count as a touch.

A team hits the ball 4 or more times without sending it over. 3 is the maximum.

Catching the ball without bumping it on the acceptance from play.

Letting the recipient team receive the ball bump from anything besides their arms or hands
can cause the serving team to pick up a point.

Returning the ball without allowing the ball to cross over the top of the net will score one
point for the serving team.

6. Serve the ball again. The team that won the last point gets to serve the ball. If you're rotating,
rotate now.

If your team has the ball, it's common for the rows to back up a bit. The idea here is to get
ready for an attack. If you don't have the ball, move forward. The idea instead here is to
make the attack.

Teams who produce an error or send the ball out-of-play will automatically send the ball over
to the other team to serve. No extra score must be added to the "new" serving team.

NO penalty may be given in any situation where the ball touches the net then goes over to
the other side to be played. The ball continues to be live and playable (unless it comes back
towards the recipient team on the volley).

7. Continue playing until you reach a threshold. You can decide how many points you will allow
for each game. For instance, you can start a new game when a team earns 15 points.

Recent rules state that regulation games go to 25 points, with the third game (in a set of
three) going to 15. Sometimes, games may take the form of ending with a certain time limit
but this must be agreed upon - generally, this time limit will be eight minutes, but may be
longer or shorter dependent on situation for the game.
A standard match is three games long. Each team should switch sides at the start of a new
game.

The loosing team during each service should have the chance to serve in the next game of
the match.

A game must be won by two points. 25-26 will not cut it; it must be 25-27. Because of this,
close games can go on much longer.

Part Two of Four:

Learning the Shots

1. Learn the basic stance. When you're not serving, it's common to take on a basic
volleyball stance. Your feet should be placed slightly wider than your shoulders, your
weight should be forward on your toes, and your knees bent. Make sure your arms
are free and in front of you.

2. Practice your serve. A basic serve gets the ball over the net and into the other court
to start the rally. This can be done anywhere behind the serve line. A serve that
immediately scores a point (only touches the server's hands) is referred to as an
"Ace." Most commonly, this is done by hand, fist or arm.

More experienced players can try an overhand serve:

Toss the ball in front of you.

Raise your dominant hand in the air. Bend your elbow to bring your hand closer to
your shoulder.

Straighten your elbow and strike the ball with the outside of your hand.

Less experienced players can serve underhanded.

Hold the ball in your hand out in front of you.

Make a fist and pull your dominant hand down and to the side. Your elbow should be
slightly bent, and your thumb should be stretched across your fingers.

Strike the ball at waist level using the front side of your fist. The ball should hit your
fist against your bent thumb and index finger.

3. "Bump" the ball. This is the most commonly used shot for returning a serve. Ideally,
you would "pass" it to the setter on the team. The bump is the first in a 3-move play.

Make a fist with your left hand and wrap your right hand around it. Both thumbs
should be flat against the top of your hands with your thumbnail facing upward.

Rotate your elbows until the flat side of your forearm is facing upward. Your arms
should be straight out in front of you at a slightly downward angle, and your elbows
should be locked.

Move so that the ball is directly in front of you. Stand with your feet shoulder-width
apart and wait until the ball is at the same level as your waist.

Allow the ball to strike your forearms about 2 to 6" (5 to 15 cm) above your wrists.
When the ball makes contact with your forearms, push up with your legs and angle
your "platform" toward your target.
 4. Practice setting. Typically, you will not set the ball on the return of serve. Instead, you
will use the set to get the ball into the air so that another player can bump it or spike
it.

Hold your hands in the air and make a triangle window you can see through. Place
your feet shoulder-width apart, and bend your legs slightly.

Hit the ball with your fingertips when the ball reaches eye level. Push upward with
your legs as your strike the ball.

If you slap it with the palm of your hand, in a real game, that will be called out for
"lifting," like you actually caught the ball and just lifted it back up.

5. Know how to spike. This is also known as the "attack."

Approach the ball and lift your dominant hand. Your hand should be curved into the
shape of the ball, and your elbow should be bent.

Jump up and strike the ball with your palm. Reach as high as you can for maximum
power. The ball should travel over the net but sharply downward so that it is difficult
for the other team to return it.

6. Be ready to block. For the (three) players at the net, this is used to stop an attack, or
spike. There are two types of blocks:

An offensive block aims to keep the ball on the opponent's side of the court. The
timing must be exactly right to jump up, predict the trajectory of the ball, and slam it
back onto the opponent's side. Ideally, it sends the ball straight to the floor.

A defensive, or soft, block is used just to stop the power behind the ball to make it
easier to send back. The ball hits the blocker's palm, rolls along their fingertips
(losing power) and is received by another player.

A block does not count as one of the three hits allotted to a side to get the ball over
the net.

7. Dig. This is mainly a term for a dive -- a spectacular play where the player saves the
ball right before it hits the ground. It involves a great level of reflex and agility.[18]

In diving, players land on their chests with their arms stretched out. It is very
important to do this safely as injury is likely if done wrong. Seasoned players employ
a rolling technique to minimize the risk of injury.

Part Three of Four:

Employing Strategy

1. Have designated setters. Setting is a definite skill and maintains the offensive for the
team. They must be able to operate in tandem with the hitters and place the ball exactly
where it needs to be for the attacker to strike the ball effectively.

They must be swift and agile in addition to having technical accuracy when it comes
to launching the ball. With a bad set, the ball is going nowhere.

Just be warned: setters have a lot of restrictions. When they are in the front row they
can attack and hit the ball at their will, but, when they are back row, they may not
attack any ball that is above the net.
2. Use a "libero." If you're getting up there in skill, using a libero may be a strategy your
team wants to employ. This is not counted as a substitution -- this player wears a
different color.

This player receives the attack or serve and must have cat-like reflexes. They are a
"defensive specialist."[19] They usually replace the middle blocker or center when
they are supposed to rotate into the back row. If you have a player that is great at
receiving attacks, put 'em in as the libero.

That literally means "free," as in they're free to sub in and out as often as they want.
However, they cannot play in the front row.

3. Employ middle, opposite and outside hitters. Each designation of hitter has their strong
points. Look at your team and see who falls into what category:

Middle hitters must perform fast attacks and be decent blockers. They are playing
offense and defense constantly.

Opposite hitters (or right-side hitters) are a back-up setter and primarily work on
defense. They must provide a good block at all times because they are essentially
blocking the opposing team's outside, or strong-side, hitter.[21]

Outside hitters should be the most consistent hitter on the team as that's generally
where all the serves go. They are also often employed if a first pass goes astray from
the middle.

4. Substitute players. Though some leagues will allow unlimited substitutions, international
rules say that you can have a maximum of 6 (not including the libero).

You can also pull in a serving specialist or a defensive specialist (not the same thing
has a libero) if your team is lacking in serving or defense skills.

5. Consider different formations. We'll be assuming you're working with 6 players here. If
you're not, adapt your number of players and their skills to other various formations.
However, with six, there are generally three to choose from (the numbers refer to
positions, not to number of players):

4-2 formation. This has four hitters and two setters. Generally speaking, the setters
position themselves on the right; they are the two front attackers. This is generally
only used in beginner's play.

6-2 formation. This is where a player comes up from the back and acts as a setter.
The front row is all poised to attack. All players will be hitters at some point or
another.

5-1 formation. This has only one player as a setter, regardless of where they are
positioned in the rotation. Obviously then, there are sometimes 2 and sometimes 3
attackers in the front row. The setter can then change up their strategy as they rotate
and even just dump the ball lightly over the net at times. It's very setter-centric!

6. Always try to pay attention! The ball could come at you at any time!
 School children perform sit-ups, a common type of calisthenic, during a
school fitness day.
Calisthenics is a form of exercise consisting of a variety of movements which exercise large muscle
groups (gross motor movements), such as running, standing, grasping, pushing, etc. These
exercises are often performed rhythmically and with minimal equipment, as bodyweight exercises.
They are intended to increase strength, fitness and flexibility, through movements such as pulling,
pushing, bending, jumping, or swinging, using one's bodyweight for resistance. Calisthenics can
provide the benefits of muscular and aerobic conditioning, in addition to improving psychomotor
skills such as balance, agility and coordination.
Urban calisthenics are a form of street workout; calisthenics groups perform exercise routines in
urban areas. Individuals and groups train to perform advanced calisthenics skills such as muscle-
ups, levers, and various freestyle moves such as spins and flips.
Sports teams and military units often perform leader-directed group calisthenics as a form
of synchronized physical training (often including a customized "call and response" routine) to
increase group cohesion and discipline. Calisthenics are also popular as a component of physical
education in primary and secondary schools over much of the globe.
We often underestimate how much we can do with JUST our body in a workout program. In
fact, some of the most grueling workouts involve no equipment and are just bodyweight
exercises. This type of training is referred to as calisthenics training.
Calisthenics training involves a variety of bodyweight movements using little to no
equipment. Movements include chin-ups, pull-ups, calf raises, leg raises planche push-
ups,incline push-ups and more. It’s known to promote the growth of lean muscle mass while
also helping increase endurance, strength, mobility, and flexibility.
I know what you’re thinking, "just using your body? That sounds boring." You would be
surprised to see the different ways you can push yourself by just doing bodyweight exercises.
Here are several benefits to calisthenics exercises:
 Use multiple muscles groups at once, giving you a full body workout.
 Known to burn more calories than common cardio workout programs.
 Builds functional strength that you'll actually use, helping you complete everyday
activities easier.
 Lower risk of injury due to no equipment involved.
 Increases your resting metabolic rate.
 Builds full body control, balance, speed, endurance, and flexibility.
Calisthenics exercises also provide a way for you to workout anywhere. Whether you're an
at-home mom, traveling the world, or just don't want to pay for that gym membership -
calisthenics training is designed to support anyone's goal, anywhere.
Ok, I don’t know about you, but all of those benefits listed above from calisthenics workouts
sounds amazing. And especially if you can do them anywhere! But let’s review some of the
basic exercises used in this training.
Push-up

Push-ups are probably one of the most popular bodyweight movements for building strength
in your arms, chest, and shoulders. They’re also a full-body workout. I don’t think there will
ever come a day when this bodyweight calisthenics movement will become easy. It can be
challenging to even the most advanced athlete that has calisthenics skills.

How-to:

Start with a high plank position, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Ground your
toes to the floor so that your lower half is stable. Engage core, glutes, and hamstrings, and
flatten your back so your body is neutral and straight. Begin to lower your body to the floor
making sure your butt doesn't dip or stick out but remains neutral with the rest of your body.
Let your chest hit the floor and then push yourself back up keeping your elbows in, close to
your body.
You can find several different variations of this calisthenics exercise by making it harder or
easier depending on what your goal is for the workout. It’s our go-to beginner calisthenics
exercise for anyone looking to improve their calisthenics body. If you can’t get a push-up
quite yet, do an incline push-up to get you there!
A challenging variation of the push-up is planche push-ups. It’s basically a push-up with
your feet elevated. It’s hard. But planche push-ups can be something to work towards when
gaining more calisthenics skills.

Sit-up
The sit-up is known for being a great calisthenics exercise that helps build core strength. If
you’re wanting that calisthenics body, it all starts with building your trunk. Core calisthenics
exercises train muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips, and abdomen. This will lead to
better balance and stability in your preferred sport and every-day routine/activities.
How-to:
Lie on your back with an exercise mat under you. Bend your knees and place your feet
roughly hip distance apart. Place your arms and hands next to your body. Exhale and pull
your core up in towards your spine as you raise your torso. Once your torso is just inches
from your thighs, touch your feet with your hands and then lower yourself back down to do
another rep.
There are many difference ab exercises that you can do to increase your core strength. Some
of the best calisthenics workouts involve a variety of core exercises that are designed to help
build and promote core stability. Crunches are another variation of sit-ups that you might see
in beginner calisthenics workout programs.

Squat

Squats are one of the most foundational functional movements that use almost every muscle
group in your body. By performing this bodyweight calisthenics exercise every day, you’ll
help build strength for real-life activities and improve your overall calisthenics body
performance.

How-to:
Start by placing your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward. Have arms
hanging loosely at your side. Begin the squat by making sure your chest is up, shoulder back,
and the core is engaged. Start to bend the knees while pushing your butt and hips down and
out. Bring your arms up straight in front of you while making sure to keep your chest up and
shoulder back. As you lower, push your knees out while keeping your weight on your heels.
Once your thighs are below parallel, straighten your legs and squeeze your butt to stand back
up.

Pull-up

Pull-ups tend to be one of the most frustrating movements to learn, but once mastered, can
take your full body calisthenic training to the next level. They help develop muscle, power,
and body awareness. To perform pull-ups or chin-ups, you have to engage almost every
muscle group in your body.

How-to:

Grab the bar shoulder-width apart with an overhand grip (palms down). Engage your quads
and core, start to pull yourself by pulling your elbows down towards the floor. Pull yourself
all the way up until your chin is over the bar. Lower yourself back down until your arms are
straight again.
Don't have a pull-up just yet? Check out our post, Pull-Up Routine for Anyone, to learn how
to do a pull-up.
As with almost all exercises, there are many variations to a pull-up. Visit our post, Pull-Up
Variations to Get Over The Bar, to check out different ways you can perform a pull-up!
Now that we’ve gone through the basics, here are some other common bodyweight exercises
you might see in a beginner guide for improving calisthenics - calf raises, leg raises,
alternating lunges, handstand holds, handstand push-ups, crunches, and dips, the ultimate
triceps exercise.

Mimetic Dance is a style of dance that simply imitates behaviour

found in nature, particularly of animals. This style of dance is found
 in most indigenous cultures of the Philippines, especially that of the
Aetas.

Visayan Dances
 

Visayan folk dancing runs the gamut from worship dances to courtship and
wedding dances.  A distinctive type is the wide assortment of mimetic dances
in which movements try to mimic, for example, the flight of birds, the catching
of fish, the making of wine, and other aspects of Visayan life.

Sinulog (worship dance)
Gapnod (worship dance)
Surtido Cebuano (square
dance)
La Berde (courtship dance)
Kuradang (wedding dance)
Itik-Itik (mimetic dance) Vera-Reyes Inc. Philippines, 1980
Mananagat (mimetic dance)
Mananguete (mimetic dance)  
Ohong-Ohong (mimetic Vera-Reyes Inc. Philippines, 1978
dance)  

 
*

Sinulog (Cebuano word for "carried along by the current") is believed to have

originated from a ritual dance for a pagan deity who was fished out from the
sea.   It was later Hispanized and transformed into a dance of worship for
the Santo Niño.   There are many types of sinulog dances.  The simplest,
least acculturated, and perhaps the purest form of ritual prayer is what has
been called the tindera sinulog.   Performed on the patio of the Santo
Niño Basilica, it is danced by women candle peddlers on behalf of devotees
who buy candles from them as an offering for petitions or for thanksgiving. 
Performed to a silent, resilient beat, the dancer performs this supplicatory
dance with no formal costume or audience.

There are three distinct phases in this ritual dance.  There is first an
introductory rite wherein the dancer takes an erect stance and raises the
offering of candles toward the image of the Santo Niño.  The dancer then
recites a prayer.  As soon as the prayer is uttered, the dancer performs the
gently bouncing sinulog movement.  The bouncy movement is restrained and
almost pious, originating from the torso and seeming to flow to the limbs in
gentle, wave-like motions.  The dance closes with another prayer.

An elaborate version of the sinulog, called troupe

sinulog, is said to exhibit a "masculine" style of dancing
-- one that is more convulsive and energetic than the
feminine tindera style.  This version features jumping,
hopping, and arm gestures that resemble fighting.  It
also calls for drum accompaniment. (Source:  Cebu, More than an
Island.  1997, Ayala Foundation, Inc., Philippines; 279pp.)

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Gapnod (Cebuano for "flotsam") is a worship dance popular among the

people of Negros Oriental.  It is a reenactment of the discovery by a fisherman
of the image of St. Anthony of Padua, the patron saint of the town of Sibulan,
Negros Oriental.  The dance is one of rejoicing and merrymaking that ends in
a fluvial procession along the coast. (Source:  Folk Culture of the Central Visayas
[Kalinangan Series 2], 1986, Instructional Materials Corporation, Philippines; 194pp.)

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The Surtido Cebuano is a square dance said to have originated in Bantayan,

Cebu.  It is a cobbling together of Spanish, Mexican, and French influences
along with indigenous elements.  Surtido (literally, assortment) is performed
by several pairs of dancers, with the head pair called cabeceras and the side
pairs, costados, guiding the other dancers in varied quadrille formations.  It
used to be a dance of long duration performed by a big group to the tune of
beautiful Visayan folk airs.  The modern arrangement is more lively and
suitable for dancing by small groups.

La Berde (literally, green) is a courtship dance

from a mountain settlement in Talamban, Cebu. 
In a series of quick steps and quick changes, the
dance celebrates what is lush and full of life.  The
dance is performed by an interesting cast of two
girls and a boy, instead of the usual pair of
dancers.

Kuradang,  also known as curacha,   is a lively wedding dance popular in

Bohol,  where it  is performed to the accompaniment of a rondalla, an
ensemble of string instruments. 
 The dance is performed in three parts, with three different
rhythms.  The dancing couple starts the performance with
a ballroom waltz.  Then the music shifts to a faster beat for
the "chasing" scene, in which the female dancer flees and
the male pursues her all across the dance floor.

         The tempo picks

Vera-Reyes Inc. Philippines, 1978
up even more for the final part, in which the chase
ends with a furiously flirtatious scene.  The female is
won over, and the male imitates a flamboyant bird in a
mating dance.

Itik-Itik is a mimetic dance that

depicts the movements of wading
and flying itik (ducks).  Dancers
mimic the short swaying gait of
waddling feet and the intense
energy of close-cropped flapping
wings.

The mimetic
dance Mananagat (Cebuano for
"fisherman") depicts fishermen at
sea.  Dancers in long-line
formations mimic women
scooping water from
the banca (canoe) with bamboo
shells and men wielding wooden
paddles.

 
>*

Mananguete (coconut wine tapper) reenacts

the stages of making tuba (coconut wine).  The
dance starts with movements that mimic the
sharpening of the sanggot (scythe) and then
proceeds to the cleaning of the kawit (bamboo
container), climbing of the coconut tree,
extracting of the sap, and finally, tasting of
the tuba.

    Philippine Airlines, 1990

Ohong is the Cebuano word for "mushroom" and the mimetic dance Ohong-
Ohong features rapid twirling movements by women dressed in long, billowy
skirts with layers of petticoats visually representing mushrooms.  The dance is
a celebration of the onset of rains and of bountiful harvests.

An individual sport is a sport in which participants compete as individuals.

Individual Sports
There are certain sports, such as golf, bowling, and tennis that, for the most part, are
considered individual sports, which are sports played alone without teammates. Yes,
there are exceptions, such as the Ryder Cup in golf, in which two teams from either side of
the Atlantic Ocean compete, but often the competition is for an individual trophy. A sample
of the thousands of individual sports includes:

 Badminton
 Bowling
 Boxing
 Cycling
 Figure skating
 Golf
 Skiing
 Snowboarding
 Surfing
 Swimming
 Track and field
 Wrestling

Skills
There are thousands of individual sports, and the skill requirements for each vary greatly;
however, there are certain skills that apply to most individual athletes. Most have high levels
of cardiovascular fitness to allow for long hours of practice and play. Most have well-toned
muscles and are flexible.
One major advantage of competing in an individual sport is that the athlete can progress at
her own pace to improve skills. The skills she needs are more mental than physical. She
needs autonomy, self-discipline, focused thinking, and passion. She must work on a specific
skill over and over until it is mastered. She is able to practice as early or late as she wants.
She gets to take all the credit for winning, but she is on her own and can blame no one but
herself for any lackluster performances.

Dual Sports
It's always fun to cheer on your team or favorite player, but understanding a little bit about
the game and scoring can help. Let's take a look at a variety of dual sports.
One major dual sport is tennis, which involves a player using a racket to serve a ball over a
low net while the opposing player attempts to return the ball back over the net. In tennis,
points are awarded when a serve is failed to be returned. Tennis can be player against
player, which is called singles, or it can be two players against two players, which is called
doubles.
Another dual sport is racquetball. This game is much like tennis, except there is no net.
Instead, the server hits the ball off of the opposing wall and the opponent must try to return
the ball, again hitting it back against the wall. In racquetball, points can only be awarded to
the server. Much like tennis, racquetball can be played either singles or doubles.
The last dual sport we'll discuss is wrestling, which involved two wresters competing for
points. However, wrestling has a complicated scoring system. A fall, or pin, is when a
wrestler is able to pin both his or her opponent's shoulders to the mat while exhibiting
control. This awards the most points, which is six. An escape from the opponent is worth
one point, whereas reversing control is worth two points. A bout is referred to as a major
decision when the opponent wins by 8-14 points. If an opponent is winning by 15 points, the
match is stopped and the win is considered a technical fall, worth five points. All the points
per bout are counted toward the overall team score.
 Wrestler Trying to Pin his Opponent

Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit

a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger
teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one
player per side) and "doubles" (with two players per side).
Badminton is often played as a casual outdoor activity in a yard or
on a beach; formal games are played on a rectangular indoor court.
Points are scored by striking the shuttlecock with the racquet and
landing it within the opposing side's half of the court.
Each side may only strike the shuttlecock once before it passes over
the net. Play ends once the shuttlecock has struck the floor or if a
fault has been called by the umpire, service judge, or (in their
absence) the opposing side.[1]
The shuttlecock is a feathered or (in informal matches) plastic
projectile which flies differently from the balls used in many other
sports. In particular, the feathers create much higher drag, causing
the shuttlecock to decelerate more rapidly. Shuttlecocks also have a
high top speed compared to the balls in other racquet sports. The
flight of the shuttlecock gives the sport its distinctive nature.
The game developed in British India from the earlier game
of battledore and shuttlecock. European play came to be dominated
by Denmark but the game has become very popular in Asia, with
recent competitions dominated by China. Since 1992, badminton
has been a Summer Olympic sport with four events: men's singles,
women's singles, men's doubles, and women's doubles, [2] with mixed
doubles added four years later. At high levels of play, the sport
demands excellent fitness: players require aerobic stamina, agility,
strength, speed, and precision. It is also a technical sport, requiring
good motor coordination and the development of sophisticated
racquet movements.[3]

Rules
The following information is a simplified summary of badminton rules based on the BWF
Statutes publication, Laws of Badminton.[13]
Court

Badminton court, isometric view

The court is rectangular and divided into halves by a net. Courts are usually marked for both
singles and doubles play, although badminton rules permit a court to be marked for singles
only.[13] The doubles court is wider than the singles court, but both are of the same length.
The exception, which often causes confusion to newer players, is that the doubles court has
a shorter serve-length dimension.
The full width of the court is 6.1 metres (20 ft), and in singles this width is reduced to
5.18 metres (17 ft). The full length of the court is 13.4 metres (44 ft). The service courts are
marked by a centre line dividing the width of the court, by a short service line at a distance
of 1.98 metres (6 ft 6 inch) from the net, and by the outer side and back boundaries. In
doubles, the service court is also marked by a long service line, which is 0.76 metres (2 ft
6 inch) from the back boundary.
The net is 1.55 metres (5 ft 1 inch) high at the edges and 1.524 metres (5 ft) high in the
centre. The net posts are placed over the doubles sidelines, even when singles is played.
The minimum height for the ceiling above the court is not mentioned in the Laws of
Badminton. Nonetheless, a badminton court will not be suitable if the ceiling is likely to be
hit on a high serve.
Serving
The legal bounds of a badminton court during various stages of a rally for singles and doubles games

When the server serves, the shuttlecock must pass over the short service line on the
opponents' court or it will count as a fault. The server and receiver must remain within their
service courts, without touching the boundary lines, until the server strikes the shuttlecock.
The other two players may stand wherever they wish, so long as they do not block the
vision of the server or receiver.
At the start of the rally, the server and receiver stand in diagonally opposite service
courts (see court dimensions). The server hits the shuttlecock so that it would land in the
receiver's service court. This is similar to tennis, except that a badminton serve must be hit
below waist height and with the racquet shaft pointing downwards, the shuttlecock is not
allowed to bounce and in badminton, the players stand inside their service courts, unlike
tennis.
When the serving side loses a rally, the server immediately passes to their opponent(s) (this
differs from the old system where sometimes the serve passes to the doubles partner for
what is known as a "second serve").
In singles, the server stands in their right service court when their score is even, and in
her/his left service court when her/his score is odd.
In doubles, if the serving side wins a rally, the same player continues to serve, but he/she
changes service courts so that she/he serves to a different opponent each time. If the
opponents win the rally and their new score is even, the player in the right service court
serves; if odd, the player in the left service court serves. The players' service courts are
determined by their positions at the start of the previous rally, not by where they were
standing at the end of the rally. A consequence of this system is that each time a side
regains the service, the server will be the player who did not serve last time.
Scoring
Main article: Scoring system development of badminton

Each game is played to 21 points, with players scoring a point whenever they win a rally
regardless of whether they served[13] (this differs from the old system where players could
only win a point on their serve and each game was played to 15 points). A match is the best
of three games.
If the score reaches 20-all, then the game continues until one side gains a two-point lead
(such as 24–22), except when there is a tie at 29-all, in which the game goes to a golden
point. Whoever scores this point will win.
At the start of a match, the shuttlecock is cast and the side towards which the shuttlecock is
pointing serves first. Alternatively, a coin may be tossed, with the winners choosing whether
to serve or receive first, or choosing which end of the court to occupy first, and their
opponents making the leftover the remaining choice.
In subsequent games, the winners of the previous game serve first. Matches are best out of
three: a player or pair must win two games (of 21 points each) to win the match. For the first
rally of any doubles game, the serving pair may decide who serves and the receiving pair
may decide who receives. The players change ends at the start of the second game; if the
match reaches a third game, they change ends both at the start of the game and when the
leading player's or pair's score reaches 11 points.
Lets
If a let is called, the rally is stopped and replayed with no change to the score. Lets may
occur because of some unexpected disturbance such as a shuttlecock landing on a court
(having been hit there by players playing in adjacent court) or in small halls the shuttle may
touch an overhead rail which can be classed as a let.
If the receiver is not ready when the service is delivered, a let shall be called; yet, if the
receiver attempts to return the shuttlecock, the receiver shall be judged to have been ready.
Equipment

Badminton racquets

Badminton rules restrict the design and size of racquets and shuttlecocks.
Racquets
Badminton racquets are lightweight, with top quality racquets weighing between 70 and 95
grams (2.5 and 3.4 ounces) not including grip or strings. [14][15] They are composed of many
different materials ranging from carbon fibre composite (graphite reinforced plastic) to solid
steel, which may be augmented by a variety of materials. Carbon fibre has an excellent
strength to weight ratio, is stiff, and gives excellent kinetic energy transfer. Before the
adoption of carbon fibre composite, racquets were made of light metals such as aluminium.
Earlier still, racquets were made of wood. Cheap racquets are still often made of metals
such as steel, but wooden racquets are no longer manufactured for the ordinary market,
because of their excessive mass and cost. Nowadays, nanomaterials such as carbon
nanotubes and fullerene are added to racquets giving them greater durability. [citation needed]
There is a wide variety of racquet designs, although the laws limit the racquet size and
shape. Different racquets have playing characteristics that appeal to different players. The
traditional oval head shape is still available, but an isometric head shape is increasingly
common in new racquets.
Strings
Badminton strings for racquets are thin, high performing strings with thicknesses ranging
from about 0.62 to 0.73 mm. Thicker strings are more durable, but many players prefer the
feel of thinner strings. String tension is normally in the range of 80 to 160 N (18 to 36 lbf).
Recreational players generally string at lower tensions than professionals, typically between
80 and 110 N (18 and 25 lbf). Professionals string between about 110 and 160 N (25 and
36 lbf). Some string manufacturers measure the thickness of their strings under tension so
they are actually thicker than specified when slack. Ashaway Micropower is actually 0.7mm
but Yonex BG-66 is about 0.72mm.
It is often argued that high string tensions improve control, whereas low string tensions
increase power.[16] The arguments for this generally rely on crude mechanical reasoning,
such as claiming that a lower tension string bed is more bouncy and therefore provides
more power. This is, in fact, incorrect, for a higher string tension can cause the shuttle to
slide off the racquet and hence make it harder to hit a shot accurately. An alternative view
suggests that the optimum tension for power depends on the player: [14] the faster and more
accurately a player can swing their racquet, the higher the tension for maximum power.
Neither view has been subjected to a rigorous mechanical analysis, nor is there clear
evidence in favour of one or the other. The most effective way for a player to find a good
string tension is to experiment.

Badminton Undergrip Flat

Grip
The choice of grip allows a player to increase the thickness of their racquet handle and
choose a comfortable surface to hold. A player may build up the handle with one or several
grips before applying the final layer.
Players may choose between a variety of grip materials. The most common choices
are PU synthetic grips or towelling grips. Grip choice is a matter of personal preference.
Players often find that sweat becomes a problem; in this case, a drying agent may be
applied to the grip or hands, sweatbands may be used, the player may choose another grip
material or change his/her grip more frequently.
There are two main types of grip: replacement grips and overgrips. Replacement grips are
thicker and are often used to increase the size of the handle. Overgrips are thinner (less
than 1 mm), and are often used as the final layer. Many players, however, prefer to use
replacement grips as the final layer. Towelling grips are always replacement grips.
Replacement grips have an adhesive backing, whereas overgrips have only a small patch
of adhesive at the start of the tape and must be applied under tension; overgrips are more
convenient for players who change grips frequently, because they may be removed more
rapidly without damaging the underlying material.
Shuttlecock

A shuttlecock with a plastic skirt

Shuttlecocks with feathers

Main article: Shuttlecock

A shuttlecock (often abbreviated to shuttle; also called a birdie) is a high-drag projectile,

with an open conical shape: the cone is formed from sixteen
overlapping feathers embedded into a rounded cork base. The cork is covered with
thin leather or synthetic material. Synthetic shuttles are often used by recreational players to
reduce their costs as feathered shuttles break easily. These nylon shuttles may be
constructed with either natural cork or synthetic foam base and a plastic skirt.
Badminton rules also provide for testing a shuttlecock for the correct speed:
3.1: To test a shuttlecock, hit a full underhand stroke which makes contact with the
shuttlecock over the back boundary line. The shuttlecock shall be hit at an upward angle
and in a direction parallel to the sidelines.
3.2: A shuttlecock of the correct speed will land not less than 530 mm and not more than
990 mm short of the other back boundary line.
Shoes
Badminton shoes are lightweight with soles of rubber or similar high-grip, non-marking
materials.
Compared to running shoes, badminton shoes have little lateral support. High levels of
lateral support are useful for activities where lateral motion is undesirable and unexpected.
Badminton, however, requires powerful lateral movements. A highly built-up lateral support
will not be able to protect the foot in badminton; instead, it will encourage catastrophic
collapse at the point where the shoe's support fails, and the player's ankles are not ready
for the sudden loading, which can cause sprains. For this reason, players should choose
badminton shoes rather than general trainers or running shoes, because proper badminton
shoes will have a very thin sole, lower a person's centre of gravity, and therefore result in
fewer injuries. Players should also ensure that they learn safe and proper footwork, with the
knee and foot in alignment on all lunges. This is more than just a safety concern: proper
footwork is also critical in order to move effectively around the court.

Technique
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A female player flies high in USA, 2006

Strokes
Badminton offers a wide variety of basic strokes, and players require a high level of skill to
perform all of them effectively. All strokes can be played either forehand or backhand. A
player's forehand side is the same side as their playing hand: for a right-handed player, the
forehand side is their right side and the backhand side is their left side. Forehand strokes
are hit with the front of the hand leading (like hitting with the palm), whereas backhand
strokes are hit with the back of the hand leading (like hitting with the knuckles). Players
frequently play certain strokes on the forehand side with a backhand hitting action, and vice
versa.
In the forecourt and midcourt, most strokes can be played equally effectively on either the
forehand or backhand side; but in the rear court, players will attempt to play as many
strokes as possible on their forehands, often preferring to play a round-the-head forehand
overhead (a forehand "on the backhand side") rather than attempt a backhand overhead.
Playing a backhand overhead has two main disadvantages. First, the player must turn their
back to their opponents, restricting their view of them and the court. Second, backhand
overheads cannot be hit with as much power as forehands: the hitting action is limited by
the shoulder joint, which permits a much greater range of movement for a forehand
overhead than for a backhand. The backhand clear is considered by most players and
coaches to be the most difficult basic stroke in the game, since the precise technique is
needed in order to muster enough power for the shuttlecock to travel the full length of the
court. For the same reason, backhand smashes tend to be weak.
Position of the shuttlecock and receiving player

A player does a forehand service, 2009, Philadelphia

The choice of stroke depends on how near the shuttlecock is to the net, whether it is above
net height, and where an opponent is currently positioned: players have much better
attacking options if they can reach the shuttlecock well above net height, especially if it is
also close to the net. In the forecourt, a high shuttlecock will be met with a net kill, hitting it
steeply downwards and attempting to win the rally immediately. This is why it is best to drop
the shuttlecock just over the net in this situation. In the midcourt, a high shuttlecock will
usually be met with a powerful smash, also hitting downwards and hoping for an outright
winner or a weak reply. Athletic jump smashes, where players jump upwards for a steeper
smash angle, are a common and spectacular element of elite men's doubles play. In the
rearcourt, players strive to hit the shuttlecock while it is still above them, rather than
allowing it to drop lower. This overhead hitting allows them to play smashes, clears (hitting
the shuttlecock high and to the back of the opponents' court), and drop shots (hitting the
shuttlecock softly so that it falls sharply downwards into the opponents' forecourt). If the
shuttlecock has dropped lower, then a smash is impossible and a full-length, high clear is
difficult.
Vertical position of the shuttlecock

A player prepares for a vertical jump smash

When the shuttlecock is well below net height, players have no choice but to hit
upwards. Lifts, where the shuttlecock is hit upwards to the back of the opponents' court, can
be played from all parts of the court. If a player does not lift, his only remaining option is to
push the shuttlecock softly back to the net: in the forecourt, this is called a net shot; in the
midcourt or rear court, it is often called a push or block.
When the shuttlecock is near to net height, players can hit drives, which travel flat and
rapidly over the net into the opponents' rear midcourt and rear court. Pushes may also be
hit flatter, placing the shuttlecock into the front midcourt. Drives and pushes may be played
from the midcourt or forecourt, and are most often used in doubles: they are an attempt to
regain the attack, rather than choosing to lift the shuttlecock and defend against smashes.
After a successful drive or push, the opponents will often be forced to lift the shuttlecock.
Spin
Balls may be spun to alter their bounce (for example, topspin and backspin in tennis) or
trajectory, and players may slice the ball (strike it with an angled racquet face) to produce
such spin. The shuttlecock is not allowed to bounce, but slicing the shuttlecock does have
applications in badminton. (See Basic strokes for an explanation of technical terms.)

 Slicing the shuttlecock from the side may cause it to travel in a different direction
from the direction suggested by the player's racquet or body movement. This is used to
deceive opponents.
 Slicing the shuttlecock from the side may cause it to follow a slightly curved path (as
seen from above), and the deceleration imparted by the spin causes sliced strokes to
slow down more suddenly towards the end of their flight path. This can be used to
create drop shots and smashes that dip more steeply after they pass the net.
 When playing a net shot, slicing underneath the shuttlecock may cause it to turn over
itself (tumble) several times as it passes the net. This is called a spinning net
shot or tumbling net shot. The opponent will be unwilling to address the shuttlecock until
it has corrected its orientation.
Due to the way that its feathers overlap, a shuttlecock also has a slight natural spin about its
axis of rotational symmetry. The spin is in a counter-clockwise direction as seen from above
when dropping a shuttlecock. This natural spin affects certain strokes: a tumbling net shot is
more effective if the slicing action is from right to left, rather than from left to right. [17]

Strategy
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To win in badminton, players need to employ a wide variety of strokes in the right situations.
These range from powerful jumping smashes to delicate tumbling net returns. Often rallies
finish with a smash, but setting up the smash requires subtler strokes. For example, a net
shot can force the opponent to lift the shuttlecock, which gives an opportunity to smash. If
the net shot is tight and tumbling, then the opponent's lift will not reach the back of the court,
which makes the subsequent smash much harder to return.
Deception is also important. Expert players prepare for many different strokes that look
identical and use slicing to deceive their opponents about the speed or direction of the
stroke. If an opponent tries to anticipate the stroke, he may move in the wrong direction and
may be unable to change his body momentum in time to reach the shuttlecock.
Singles
Since one person needs to cover the entire court, singles tactics are based on forcing the
opponent to move as much as possible; this means that singles strokes are normally
directed to the corners of the court. Players exploit the length of the court by combining lifts
and clears with drop shots and net shots. Smashing tends to be less prominent in singles
than in doubles because the smasher has no partner to follow up his effort and is thus
vulnerable to a skillfully placed return. Moreover, frequent smashing can be exhausting in
singles where the conservation of a player's energy is at a premium. However, players with
strong smashes will sometimes use the shot to create openings, and players commonly
smash weak returns to try to end rallies.
In singles, players will often start the rally with a forehand high serve or with a flick serve.
Low serves are also used frequently, either forehand or backhand. Drive serves are rare.
At high levels of play, singles demand extraordinary fitness. Singles is a game of patient
positional manoeuvring, unlike the all-out aggression of doubles. [20]
Doubles
Both pairs will try to gain and maintain the attack, smashing downwards when the
opportunity arises. Whenever possible, a pair will adopt an ideal attacking formation with
one player hitting down from the rear court, and his partner in the midcourt intercepting all
smash returns except the lift. If the rear court attacker plays a drop shot, his partner will
move into the forecourt to threaten the net reply. If a pair cannot hit downwards, they will
use flat strokes in an attempt to gain the attack. If a pair is forced to lift or clear the
shuttlecock, then they must defend: they will adopt a side-by-side position in the rear
midcourt, to cover the full width of their court against the opponents' smashes. In doubles,
players generally smash to the middle ground between two players in order to take
advantage of confusion and clashes.
At high levels of play, the backhand serve has become popular to the extent that forehand
serves have become fairly rare at a high level of play. The straight low serve is used most
frequently, in an attempt to prevent the opponents gaining the attack immediately. Flick
serves are used to prevent the opponent from anticipating the low serve and attacking it
decisively.
At high levels of play, doubles rallies are extremely fast. Men's doubles are the most
aggressive form of badminton, with a high proportion of powerful jump smashes and very
quick reflex exchanges. Because of this, spectator interest is sometimes greater for men's
doubles than for singles.
Mixed doubles

A mixed doubles game – Scottish Schools under 12s tournament, Tranent, May 2002

In mixed doubles, both pairs typically try to maintain an attacking formation with the woman
at the front and the man at the back. This is because the male players are usually
substantially stronger, and can, therefore, produce smashes that are more powerful. As a
result, mixed doubles require greater tactical awareness and subtler positional play. Clever
opponents will try to reverse the ideal position, by forcing the woman towards the back or
the man towards the front. In order to protect against this danger, mixed players must be
careful and systematic in their shot selection. [21]
At high levels of play, the formations will generally be more flexible: the top women players
are capable of playing powerfully from the back-court, and will happily do so if required.
When the opportunity arises, however, the pair will switch back to the standard mixed
attacking position, with the woman in front and men in the back.
Table tennis

Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball
back and forth across a table using small rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by
a net. Except for the initial serve, the rules are generally as follows: players must allow a ball played
toward them to bounce one time on their side of the table, and must return it so that it bounces on
the opposite side at least once. A point is scored when a player fails to return the ball within the
rules. Play is fast and demands quick reactions. Spinning the ball alters its trajectory and limits an
opponent's options, giving the hitter a great advantage.
Table tennis is governed by the worldwide organization International Table Tennis
Federation (ITTF), founded in 1926. ITTF currently includes 226 member associations. [3] The table
tennis official rules are specified in the ITTF handbook. [4] Table tennis has been an Olympic
sport since 1988,[5] with several event categories. From 1988 until 2004, these were men's singles,
women's singles, men's doubles and women's doubles. Since 2008, a team event has been played
instead of the doubles.

Equipment
Ball

Table Tennis Plastic Ball 40+ mm

The international rules specify that the game is played with a sphere having a mass of 2.7
grams (0.095 oz) and a diameter of 40 millimetres (1.57 in).[23] The rules say that the ball
shall bounce up 24–26 cm (9.4–10.2 in) when dropped from a height of 30.5 cm (12.0 in)
onto a standard steel block thereby having a coefficient of restitution of 0.89 to 0.92. Balls
are now made of a polymer instead of celluloid as of 2015, colored white or orange, with
a matte finish. The choice of ball color is made according to the table color and its
surroundings. For example, a white ball is easier to see on a green or blue table than it is on
a grey table. Manufacturers often indicate the quality of the ball with a star rating system,
usually from one to three, three being the highest grade. As this system is not standard
across manufacturers, the only way a ball may be used in official competition is upon ITTF
approval[23] (the ITTF approval can be seen printed on the ball).
The 40 mm ball was introduced after the 2000 Summer Olympics.[19] However, this created
some controversy at the time as the Chinese National Team argued that this was merely to
give non-Chinese players a better chance of winning since the new type of ball has a slower
speed (a 40 mm table tennis ball is slower and spins less than the original 38 mm one, and
at that time, most Chinese players were playing with fast attack and smashes). [citation
needed]
 China won all four Olympic gold medals, three silvers and one bronze in 2000.[24]
Table

Diagram of a table tennis table showing the official dimensions

The table is 2.74 m (9.0 ft) long, 1.525 m (5.0 ft) wide, and 76 cm (2.5 ft) high with any
continuous material so long as the table yields a uniform bounce of about 23 cm (9.1 in)
when a standard ball is dropped onto it from a height of 30 cm (11.8 in), or about 77%.[25]
[26]
 The table or playing surface is uniformly dark coloured and matte, divided into two halves
by a net at 15.25 cm (6.0 in) in height. The ITTF approves only wooden tables or their
derivates. Concrete tables with a steel net or a solid concrete partition are sometimes
available in outside public spaces, such as parks. [27]
Racket/paddle
Main article: Table tennis racket

Players are equipped with a laminated wooden racket covered with rubber on one or two
sides depending on the grip of the player. The ITTF uses the term "racket", [28] though "bat" is
common in Britain, and "paddle" in the U.S. and Canada.
The wooden portion of the racket, often referred to as the "blade", commonly features
anywhere between one and seven plies of wood, though cork, glass fiber, carbon fiber,
aluminum fiber, and Kevlar are sometimes used. According to the ITTF regulations, at least
85% of the blade by thickness shall be of natural wood. [29] Common wood types
include balsa, limba, and cypress or "hinoki", which is popular in Japan. The average size of
the blade is about 17 centimetres (6.7 in) long and 15 centimetres (5.9 in) wide, although
the official restrictions only focus on the flatness and rigidity of the blade itself, these
dimensions are optimal for most play styles.
Table tennis regulations allow different surfaces on each side of the racket. [30] Various types
of surfaces provide various levels of spin or speed, and in some cases they nullify spin. For
example, a player may have a rubber that provides much spin on one side of their racket,
and one that provides no spin on the other. By flipping the racket in play, different types of
returns are possible. To help a player distinguish between the rubber used by his opposing
player, international rules specify that one side must be red while the other side must be
black.[29] The player has the right to inspect their opponent's racket before a match to see
the type of rubber used and what colour it is. Despite high speed play and rapid exchanges,
a player can see clearly what side of the racket was used to hit the ball. Current rules state
that, unless damaged in play, the racket cannot be exchanged for another racket at any
time during a match.[31]

Gameplay

Competitive table tennis

Starting a game
According to ITTF rule 2.13.1, the first service is decided by lot, [32] normally a coin toss.[33] It
is also common for one player (or the umpire/scorer) to hide the ball in one or the other
hand, usually hidden under the table, allowing the other player to guess which hand the ball
is in. The correct or incorrect guess gives the "winner" the option to choose to serve,
receive, or to choose which side of the table to use. (A common but non-sanctioned method
is for the players to play the ball back and forth three times and then play out the point. This
is commonly referred to as "serve to play", "rally to serve", "play for serve", or "volley for
serve".)
Service and return

Service by professional Russian player Alexander Shibaev

In game play, the player serving the ball commences a play. [34] The server first stands with
the ball held on the open palm of the hand not carrying the paddle, called the freehand, and
tosses the ball directly upward without spin, at least 16 cm (6.3 in) high.[35] The server strikes
the ball with the racket on the ball's descent so that it touches first his court and then
touches directly the receiver's court without touching the net assembly. In casual games,
many players do not toss the ball upward; however, this is technically illegal and can give
the serving player an unfair advantage.
The ball must remain behind the endline and above the upper surface of the table, known
as the playing surface, at all times during the service. The server cannot use his/her body or
clothing to obstruct sight of the ball; the opponent and the umpire must have a clear view of
the ball at all times. If the umpire is doubtful of the legality of a service they may first
interrupt play and give a warning to the server. If the serve is a clear failure or is doubted
again by the umpire after the warning, the receiver scores a point.
If the service is "good", then the receiver must make a "good" return by hitting the ball back
before it bounces a second time on receiver's side of the table so that the ball passes the
net and touches the opponent's court, either directly or after touching the net assembly.
[36]
Thereafter, the server and receiver must alternately make a return until the rally is over.
Returning the serve is one of the most difficult parts of the game, as the server's first move
is often the least predictable and thus most advantageous shot due to the numerous spin
and speed choices at his or her disposal.
Let
A Let is a rally of which the result is not scored, and is called in the following circumstances:
[37]

 The ball touches the net in service (service), provided the service is otherwise
correct or the ball is obstructed by the player on the receiving side. Obstruction means a
player touches the ball when it is above or traveling towards the playing surface, not
having touched the player's court since last being struck by the player.
 When the player on the receiving side is not ready and the service is delivered.
 Player's failure to make a service or a return or to comply with the Laws is due to a
disturbance outside the control of the player.
 Play is interrupted by the umpire or assistant umpire.
A let is also called foul service, if the ball hits the server's side of the table, if the ball does
not pass further than the edge and if the ball hits the table edge and hits the net.
Scoring

Table tennis umpire

A point is scored by the player for any of several results of the rally: [38]

 The opponent fails to make a correct service or return.

 After making a service or a return, the ball touches anything other than the net
assembly before being struck by the opponent.
 The ball passes over the player's court or beyond their end line without touching their
court, after being struck by the opponent.
 The opponent obstructs the ball.
 The opponent strikes the ball twice successively. Note that the hand that is holding
the racket counts as part of the racket and that making a good return off one's hand or
fingers is allowed. It is not a fault if the ball accidentally hits one's hand or fingers and
then subsequently hits the racket.
 The opponent strikes the ball with a side of the racket blade whose surface is not
covered with rubber.
 The opponent moves the playing surface or touches the net assembly.
 The opponent's free hand touches the playing surface.
 As a receiver under the expedite system, completing 13 returns in a rally. [39]
 The opponent that has been warned by the umpire commits a second offense in the
same individual match or team match. If the third offence happens, 2 points will be given
to the player.[40] If the individual match or the team match has not ended, any unused
penalty points can be transferred to the next game of that match. [33]
A game shall be won by the player first scoring 11 points unless both players score 10
points, when the game shall be won by the first player subsequently gaining a lead of 2
points. A match shall consist of the best of any odd number of games. [41] In competition play,
matches are typically best of five or seven games.

Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert or theatrical dance, primarily arising out
of Germany and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Modern dance is often considered to have emerged as a rejection of, or rebellion
against, classical ballet. Socioeconomic and cultural factors also contributed to its
development. In the late 19th century, dance artists such as Isadora Duncan, Maud Allan,
and Loie Fuller were pioneering new forms and practices in what is now called aesthetic
or free dance for performance. These dancers disregarded ballet's strict movement
vocabulary, the particular, limited set of movements that were considered proper to ballet,
and stopped wearing corsets and pointed shoes in the search for greater freedom of
movement.
Five examples

 Ballet
 Burlesque
 Slik and Scarf
 Ballroom
 Belly
 Salsa
 Jazz
 hiphop

The modern dance movement began in the early 1900s as a

rebellion against the formality and structure of ballet. Dancers
wanted to move freely and naturally through space, not just vertical
high as was typical of ballet. They wanted to be free of toe shoes
and grasp the floor with bare feet. They wanted to involve the whole
body in their dance, using torso, shoulders, head, arms, hands,
even fingers. They wanted to incorporate the facial expressions that
accompany the feelings and emotions of dance. Most importantly,
they wanted their dance to be not just an intellectual and physical
endeavor, but a creative one as well!

Modern Dance was born; a dance discipline retaining some ballet

technique, expanding upon it and freeing it to encompass the
exciting world of total body involvement and creative expression.
Modern dance may look jazz like, balletic, lyrical or totally different
– creating its style for the mood being explored. The Lion King on
Broadway, for instance, is modern dance.

Creative Movement for 4-6 year-olds is my simplification of Modern

Dance, focusing not so much on set technique but more on the
natural movements and creative intuitions that evolve when
exploring the feelings and emotions of dance.

Simply, Modern Dance is a creation of movements to match a

dancer's feelings and purpose. Any moves are fine as long as you
learn to execute them well and with meaning.

Power moves are moves loosely defined as relying on speed, momentum, and acrobatic
elements for performance. They are prominent in B-boying, often the centerpieces of
routines featuring the other elements (toprock, downrock, and freezes) that make up
breaking. Also, power moves are closer to gymnastics than dancing. B-boys who focus
heavily on power moves and execute them as a main part of their routines are often called
"power heads".[1]

B-boy Powerful Pex and the New York City Breakers credited in 1983 for Bboy style
combining 2 or 3 difficult moves together this includes floats, Headmills aka
Power windmills and incorporated flares suicides into breaking then B-boys cut the phrase
down from powerful moves to power moves in the 90's with poetic rhythm linguistics
Syllable Syllable to make it sound more flashy. Nowadays B-boys are executing more
acrobatics now which are the new power moves of the day it has evolved with the new
generation to a higher level.

Types[edit]
Spins[edit]

A b-boy performing an air chair spin, in 4X slow-motion.

 Back spin: One of the first and most famous spinning power moves, the dancer is
balled up and spinning on his or her back. In some variations, the dancer may choose to
hop while spinning.
 Shoulder spin
 Air chair spin
 The headspin is an athletic move in which a person spins on their head from a
headstand position. These may be done continuously through hand-tapping and proper
balance.
Handstand moves[edit]

 The 1990 is a breakdance move which resembles a rapidly spinning one-handed

handstand. Created Spinner of the Dynamic Rockers referred to as a "Hand
Spin"*2000s are similar to 1990s, but with both hands.
 Airflare is a breakdance move that requires the dancer to revolve hand to hand while
keeping their legs in the air in a V-Formation.
Floats[edit]
Floats were one of the first power moves in the 80's. The body is usually in a fixed position
while the arms move.

 Crickets and variants: Hydro, Jackhammer, Lotus Jackhammer, Super Jackhammer,

Darkhammer, Hopping Turtles/Scratching Turtles, etc.
 UFO, Boomerangs, Inside Boomerangs, Gorillas, Gremlin Spins/Buddha spins
Swipes[edit]
Swipes are one of the most recognizable power moves. The b-boy or b-girl leans back,
whips his or her arms to one side to touch the ground, and his or her legs follow closely
behind, twisting 360 degrees to land on the ground once again.

 A variant is the master swipe, also known as a superman swipe or one-footed swipe

Shadow Swipes is a variation of the swipe that incorporates the chair freeze to start the
swipe. Created by Bboy Kid Shade of Hong Kong, it is one of his signature moves.
Windmills[edit]
The headmill is a windmill variant performed without the use of hands for stability, rotating
with the head and shoulders as the pivot point. As headmills free the hands, there are many
further variations defined by the positioning of the hands.
Major windmill variants:

 Mummies/Coffin
 Nutcrackers
 Eggbeaters
 HandCuffs
 Bellymills/superman
 Confusions
 Barrels/headmills
 Forearms
 Airplane/Highrisers/Highrises
 Munchmills/Babymills
 Tombstone
Flares[edit]
Flares are a widely recognized power move borrowed from gymnastics. Major variants:

 King Flares/Hopping Flare

 Crossed-legged Flare
 Chair Flare
 Double Chair Flare
 Sandwich Flare
 Lotus Flare
 Thread Flare
 One-legged Flare
 Virgin/Double Leg Circles - flares done with closed, straight leg

Hip-hop dance refers to street dance styles primarily performed to hip-hop

music or that have evolved as part of hip-hop culture. It includes a wide range of
styles primarily breaking which was created in the 1970s and made popular
by dance crews in the United States. The television show Soul Train and the
1980s films Breakin', Beat Street, and Wild Style showcased these crews and
dance styles in their early stages; therefore, giving hip-hop mainstream
exposure. The dance industry responded with a commercial, studio-based
 version of hip-hop—sometimes called "new style"—and a hip-hop influenced
style of jazz dance called "jazz-funk". Classically trained dancers developed
these studio styles in order to create choreography from the hip-hop dances that
were performed on the street. Because of this development, hip-hop dance is
practiced in both dance studios and outdoor spaces.

The Many Benefits of Hip Hop

Classes 
In 2014, students from schools in Dothan, Alabama broke the world record for
the largest hip hop dance routine. Nearly 2,000 students gathered at a local civic
centre and broke the previous record of 1,000 performers, which was set in
Japan.

The students spent eight weeks rehearsing the performance, which involved
dancing to a mash-up of different hip hop songs. The dance routine was
choreographed by Patti Rutland Jazz’s outreach program, a program that
offers hip hop classes and other forms of dance lessons to students in Dothan
and the surrounding areas. For a video of the students’ performance, see the
link at the bottom of the page.

Benefits of Hip Hop Dance Classes

The students in Dothan’s record-breaking performance may just inspire your
child to beat their record when you sign them up for hip hop dance lessons in
Maple. Besides offering inspiration, hip hop dancing has a number of aerobic
benefits that are beneficial to your child’s overall health. It’s an excellent form of
exercise that offers multiple health benefits for your child, including the
following:

Anaerobic Benefits

While hip hop dancing can be great cardio, it can also help your child strengthen
their muscles, too. They are working out aerobically every time they make a step
while dancing. By pushing themselves to learn more complex routines and
training their muscles beyond the typical routine they’re used to, it can help
tone their muscles and increase the flexibility and elasticity in their joints. In
order to reap the anaerobic benefits of hip hop dancing, your child should first
learn the basics of the genre and then they can start to push themselves a bit
further each time they practice.

Health Benefits

Physical Health
A major advantage of hip hop dance is that it’s a full body workout. A typical
class of 60 minutes can have your child dripping in sweat, depending on the
intensity. Consistently raising your child’s heart rate will promote cardiovascular
health, and can strengthen the muscles in their arms, legs, and core—they can
even improve their bone and joint health by practising hip hop a few times a
week. The physical benefits of hip hop dance are immense, and the best part
is that your child can take advantage of them while learning cool and fun
techniques.

Mental Health
The health benefits of hip hop aren’t just physical—this genre of dance can help
keep your child’s psyche happy, too. Exercise in general relieves stress, and
music can decrease anxiety and depression. Combining music and dance makes
for a therapeutic, yet fun way for your child to decompress. In addition, they will
increase their muscle memory when dancing, which will help them be more co-
ordinated and in tune their your body during their everyday life.

Social Benefits

Dance classes are usually taught in groups, which means that your child will
have the opportunity to meet new people outside of their regular social circle.
This is an especially important aspect for young children—it’s imperative to help
them foster good social skills from an early age, so that they can carry them
though life. You child can meet people from all walks of life at a dance class,
since there’s no rhyme or reason to who joins.

In addition to being a great socialization opportunity, dance classes also offer a

safe space for children. Kids are under a ton of pressure from parents, peers,
and teachers, and could end up in the wrong place at the wrong time if they’re
not given the right outlets to express their energy. Hip hop classes near you are
a fantastic way to keep kids out of trouble, and keep them healthy.

Cognitive Benefits

Believe it or not, you can actually improve your child’s cognitive skills through
hip hop dance. A new study conducted showed that gaining experience in hip
hop dance could improve certain social and cognitive skills in individuals. One of
the main findings proved that hip hop dance may grant some advantages in
terms of education—specifically, it would improve some underlying activities
that help students succeed in math and science classes, and in social settings.

Cardio Benefits

Hip hop dance gets your child’s heart rate up and increases the flow of oxygen.
And since it requires your child to be continually moving, this is one of the best
forms of dance for aerobic exercise. It’s also an excellent fat-burning exercise. In
addition to aiding in weight loss, hip hop can also lower blood pressure and
relieve stress, as well as give a much-needed energy boost. Coupled with an
improved diet, taking hip hop classes will transform your child’s fitness level.

Strength-Building Benefits

In addition to being a great way to burn calories and improve fitness, registering
your child for hip hop classes in Vaughan can also help to build your child’s
strength. As they learn more and more complex routines, they will build their
muscles in a way that other forms of exercise can’t.

Hip hop dance lessons for children generally start with the basics, but
gradually build in complexity, helping your child to build their muscle strength.
You’ll see your child perform complex dance routines with ease. Quality dance
studies often employ instructors who are dancers themselves, so they know the
importance of taking the time to teach the moves to students at the most basic
level, gradually building up to more complex moves.

Other Benefits

Hip hop classes provide a fast-paced, yet fun environment in which your child
will get exercise and make new friends. Learning to dance is a great way to bring
a shy child out of their shell and build confidence. Who knows? Your child and
their classmates may just be inspired by the students in Alabama and try to
break their record or create a video that will go viral on YouTube.

Having an appreciation for hip hop helps, but even if it isn’t your child’s favourite
kind of music, taking hip hop dance lessons offers a number of benefits for kids
that are important to their overall health. It’s a great way for your child to stay
healthy and have fun.

WhatIsContemporaryDance?
Contemporary dance is a style of expressive dance that combines elements of several
dance genres including modern, jazz, lyrical and classical ballet. Contemporary dancers
strive to connect the mind and the body through fluid dance movements. The term
"contemporary" is somewhat misleading: it describes a genre that developed during the
mid-20th century and is still very popular today.
Overview of Contemporary Dance

Contemporary dance stresses versatility and improvisation, unlike the strict, structured
nature of ballet. Contemporary dancers focus on floorwork, using gravity to pull them
down to the floor. This dance genre is often done in bare feet. Contemporary dance can
be performed to many different styles of music.

Pioneers of contemporary dance include Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, and Merce

Cunningham because they broke the rules of the strict forms of ballet. These
dancer/choreographers all believed that dancers should have freedom of movement,
allowing their bodies to freely express their innermost feelings. It's important to note,
however, that while Graham moved into what is now known as modern dance, and
Duncan's style was uniquely her own, Cunningham is often spoken of as the father of
contemporary dance.
Historic Roots of Contemporary Dance

Modern and contemporary dance has many elements in common; they are, in a way,
branches stemming from the same roots. During the 19th century, theatrical dance
performances were synonymous with ballet. Ballet is a formal technique that developed
from court dance during the Italian Renaissance and became popular as a result of the
support of Catherine de' Medici.
Around the end of the 19th century, several dancers began to break the ballet mold.
Some of these individuals included Francois Delsarte, Loïe Fuller, and Isadora Duncan,
all of whom developed unique styles of movement based on theories of their own. All
focused less on formal techniques, and more on emotional and physical expression.

Between about 1900 and 1950, a new dance form emerged which was dubbed "modern
dance." Unlike ballet or the works of Duncan and her "Isadorables," modern dance is a
formalized dance technique with a specific aesthetic. Developed by such innovators as
Martha Graham, modern dance is built around breathing, movement, contraction, and
release of muscles. 

Alvin Ailey was a student of Martha Graham's. While he maintained a stronger

connection with older techniques, he was the first to introduce African American
aesthetics and ideas into contemporary dance.

During the mid-1940's another student of Graham's, Merce Cunningham, began

exploring his own form of dance. Inspired by the radically unique music of John Cage,
Cunningham developed an abstract form of dance. Cunningham took dance out of the
formal theatrical setting and separated it from the need to express specific stories or
ideas. Cunningham introduced the concept that dance movements could be random,
and that each performance could be unique. Cunningham, because of his complete
break with formal dance techniques, is often referred to as the father of contemporary
dance.

Today's Contemporary Dance

Today's contemporary dance is an eclectic mix of styles, with choreographers drawing

from ballet, modern, and "post-modern" (structureless) forms of dance. While some
contemporary dancers create characters, theatrical events, or stories, others perform
entirely new creations as they improvise in their own unique style.
 Social dancing is partner dancing that is informal, relaxed, and danced for the enjoyment of
the partners - rather than to meet the criteria of a dance school or an audience. Social
dancing is danced for enjoyment, socialization, recreation and health. The test for social
dancing success is how much the dance partners have enjoyed the dance - not how they
have danced in the eyes of others or how "correctly" they have danced. 

Social dancing has no standardized teaching or learning curriculum. Social dance teachers
teach steps and techniques they have come to prefer or what they hunch their students will
prefer. The steps and techniques taught by one instructor can vary considerably from those
taught by someone else. Social dancing is also dynamic. The types of social dances and
styles change with the times. 

Social dancing is different for American ballroom dancing which is sometimes called social
ballroom dancing. Ballroom dancing is meant to be danced in ballrooms, and social dancing
is suited for dancing on small or crowded floors, such as dance floors found in restaurants
and pubs. If ballroom dancers wish to use their dancing skills in social dance environments,
they do need to change and adapt their style and steps. Tips on how to adapt ballroom
dancing skills to social situations can be found under Floor Craft.

Types of Social Dances

Spot or Slot Dances
Spot or slot social dances are dances a couple dance in one spot or slot. Once a couple
establish their dance spot or slot on the dance floor, they do not drift around the dance floor.
Spot or slot dances are best suited for nightclub type dance floors. 

Salsa, Cha-Cha, Rumba, Samba, West Coast and East Coast Swing, Jitterbug, Charleston,
Lindy, Blues, Street Hustle, Nightclub Two Step, Nightclub Freestyle, Tango Nuevo, Neo
Tango, Hip Hop and related dances are examples of spot or slot social dances. 
 The style of social style spot dances is different from ballroom spot dances of the same
name. In the Latin dances for instance, the steps in social dancing are smaller and the arms
are not thrown out in a New Yorker type flourish as someone else dancing close by may get
hit in the face. In general, social spot dances use compact steps and a compact dance hold
where the arms or elbows do not stick out to the side.

Progressive Dances
A progressive dance is a dance that travels around the dance floor in an anti-clockwise
direction. Progressive social dances generally need a somewhat larger floor than those
best suited for spot dancing - a floor size that permits travelling around the dance floor - but
not one as large as a dance hall or ballroom. 

Traditional Argentine Tango, Country Two Step, Social Waltz, and Social Foxtrot are
examples of progressive social dances. The close embrace, small steps and absence of
embellishments in milonguero style Argentine Tango makes it well suited to dance
progressively on smaller floors.

Adapting to the Dance Space

It is not uncommon to see a progressive and spot social dancers sharing the same floor on
the larger social dance floors. In this case, the progressive dancers dance along the edge of
the dance floor while the spot dancers occupy the centre. For instance, Country Two Step
dancers can dance on the edge while Swing dancers can dance in the centre of the floor. 

However, in order to dance a progressive or travelling dance in a small space, it is necessary

for progressive dancing to be customary in that dance place. If spot dancers dominate the
space and dance along the edge, a progressive dancer should not push their way
around the dance floor. In these situations, it is best for everyone to dance a spot dance. A
Waltz, for example can be converted to a spot dance by using steps and patterns based on
the box step. Instead on dancing a progressive Foxtrot, dancers can dance Swing or
Freestyle Nightclub. Tango dancers can dance Tango Nuevo or Neo Tango - Tango that uses
circular spot patterns such as the molinete (circular grapevine around the other partner), the
calecita (the carousel - a walk around the other partner) and short walks, rather than the
progressive caminar (a progressive walk). Samba dancers can dance spot Samba patterns
and not use progressive/travelling patterns. 

The Quickstep, Standard or American Tango and International ballroom style dances in
general, are not suited for small dance floors. When dancing on small floors, dancers trained
in ballroom style dancing must learn to change their style to social style dancing and adapt to
the situation. Dancing ballroom style on small dance floors can be dangerous.
Dance sport denotes competitive ballroom dancing,[1] as contrasted to social or exhibition
dancing. In the case of wheelchair dancesport, at least one of the dancers is in
a wheelchair.
Dancesport events are sanctioned and regulated by dancesport organizations at the
national and international level, such as the World DanceSport Federation.
The name was invented to help competitive ballroom dancing gain Olympic recognition.
[2]
 The physical demand of dancesport has been the subject of scientific research.

WDSF adheres to the wording and defines DanceSport accordingly.

DanceSport is the activity that combines sport and dance, and that allows the
participants to improve physical fitness and mental well-being, to form social
relationships and to obtain results in competition at all levels. Competitive DanceSport in
a wide variety of dance styles and forms is practised within the internationally recognised
and organised competition structure of IDSF.

Everybody is capable of moving to music! Dance transgresses the barriers of age,

gender and culture. Dance is part of the fabric of every society. As millions around the
globe move to the rhythms of their choice, they perform one of the most universal
sporting gestures too.

THE SOCIETAL POINT OF VIEW

Moving to Music The fact that dance is non-verbal communication, an accepted form of
expression and social interaction, make it truly unique among activities involving
movement of the body. Most people have, at one time or another, moved to music,
combining creativity and athleticism to convey their personal message to others.

Dance is widely recognised as a holistic workout, providing for an exercise regime that
satisfies the heart as well as the soul. Going much beyond the physical aspects of toning
muscles as well as improving agility and cardiovascular fitness, dance offers one of the
 most multi-faceted sporting experiences. Dance, practised regularly, is able to combat
obesity in the adolescents as much as it can reduce solitude among the elderly.

Social dancing looks back at a century-old history in most cultures. The recent success
of television programmes like "So You Think You Can Dance" or "Strictly Come Dancing"
has only reinforced the appeal of DanceSport and induced millions more to actively
participate. DanceSport is clearly on the ascent everywhere. The distinguishing features
of dance make it a perfect sport for young and old.

Whether DanceSport is practised to keep active and fit, to train regularly for competence
or for competition, or simply to have fun, everyone should have the chance to dance.

WDSF strives to ensure that the chance to dance is available to everyone, everywhere,
anytime. WDSF is keenly aware that ...

DANCESPORT IS ...

Healthy, for the body as well as the mind;

Inexpensive, therefore of universal appeal,

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byTreva Bedinghaus 

Updated May 23, 2019

You don't need to sit alone at a table during the next wedding
reception you attend or hang out at the buffet table at the next
party. Learn how to dance in five easy steps. Some types of
dance don't require music, but most do, and if you're like most people,
you probably feel the urge to start moving when you hear a familiar
beat.

So prepare by finding a type of music that appeals to you, then pick a

song that makes you feel good. Play that song a few times, listening
closely for the different beats, details, and features of the song. You
may also listen to the lyrics to find inspiration. Now you're ready to
start moving.

01
of 04

Learn How to Dance to a Music Beat

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Learning how to dance begins with finding the beat of the music. The
beat of a song typically determines how fast or how slow you should
move your body while dancing. If your chosen song has a fast beat,
be prepared to move quickly.

To find the beat of a song:

 Listen closely for the strongest, heaviest beats.

 Clap your hands along with the beats to get a feel for the music.
 Try tapping your right foot to the strong beats and your left foot to
the weaker beats.

02
of 04

Learn How to Dance With Your Arms

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When learning how to dance, move your arms. When you think you
can feel the beat, relax your arms and try moving them around in time
to the music.

Here are some ideas:

 Swing your arms naturally with your feet, bending slightly at your
elbows.
 Raise your arms up above your head, then down again by your
sides.
 Don't be afraid to play with nonlinear and flowing movements,
too. Experiment with different expressions and see what feels
like it best fits the music, your own personal style, and the
feelings or message you want to share.
 Don't forget that your arms are connected to your shoulders,
back, and chest. Move other upper body parts along with your
arms. 

Remember: While there may be certain styles and techniques,

ultimately there's no right or wrong way to dance. It's a form of
personal expression.

03
of 04

Learn How to Dance With a Few Steps

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Learning how to dance involves learning how to move. Now that you
have your arms moving, try adding a few steps with your feet:

 Pick up one foot and then the other, sort of like marching in
place.
 Bend your knees in time to the music, taking small steps forward
and backward with both feet.
 Let your feet carry you around the floor in small circles.
 Consider other ways to enlist your lower body, including your
hips. 
 As with your arms, don't limit your movements to front and back.
Explore all planes of motion, including circles and diagonals. 
 04
of 04

Learn How to Dance By Using Your Head

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Dancing includes your head, too. Add a little bit of movement above
the neck. (If you hold your head still and stiff, you will look like a
robot.) 

Softly nod your head to the beat of the music. Don't go crazy with the
nodding. Just move your chin up and down to the beat, somewhat like
gesturing the word "yes." To make the action appear more natural, let
your head nod up and down, as well as from side to side.

Think about your neck as an extension of your spine, and allow it to

naturally respond to the other movements of your upper and lower
body. 

Relax and try to feel the music, without overthinking it. It may help to
close your eyes. It may also help to watch yourself in a mirror to gain
body awareness. 

At this point, your entire body should be moving in time to the music
and you're dancing.