MEANING AND NATURE OF DANCE

Dance-is
bodily expression hi rhythmic
a

movement of an intensified feeling of life; an

expressive body movement usually coordinated
into a pattern and adapted to musical
accompaniment. It is the oldest form of the arts
which mirrored man's age-old need to
communicate his joy or grief by using the most
immediate instrument at his disposal, his body.

Dancing is a way of moving the body in

time to music. Arnold L. Haskell's idea of dancing
is "expressing one's emotions through movement
disciplined by rhythm." Human dancing is as old
as the first. man who
expressed his feelings of joy
or fear by a leap of joy or leap of fear. Its
instrument is the dancer's body .Whether in the
simple leap of a savage or the pirouette of the
ballet dancer, rhythm s flow
through the arts and in all the ways of life. Early
people danced to please their gods.
Dance forms developed over the centuries and reflected the customs
and traditions of societies in
which they have emanated. .Dance
created from man's basic steps are
movements; the walk, run, jump, hop, skip, slide,
turn and sway;
stylized combinations of these movements create a dance leap form
either it is the folk and
ethnic dances, social or ballroom
modern ones such as the dances. ballet and
fox trot or the rock and rol.. Dance is not
individual or
only an
group
cultural reflection in experience,
but also a
which spirit,
character
and artistry of its time is
manifested.
Dcince changes with
the times
depending on how people use
Use and
interpret it. There was a time that the
Lambaaa dance was
immoral dance perceived as an
because of its sexual
sexual

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simulation movements, but it is now a favourite dance for ball room dancing.
Some dance becomes fad, a result of either external coming from a foreign
novie) or internal influence (home-grown innovation).

PURPOSE OF DANCE

1. The dance employs no other instrument but the human body itself, which is
ever available as the most eloquent and responsive of all instruments at his
disposal. Thus the dance is the most personal of all the media of art.

2. The dance is dependent on the human body, its possibilities, limitations and
malformations. The human body has technical attributes. Even when ying

down, sitting. and standing. jumping. and twisting on air, all the while with
support from the spine.
The human body has five axes. First there is the horizontal axis running

body from head to feet. Then there are three more

axes
down the enter of the
he
running vertical and parallei through the body. So when one turns on his axis,
feels high. glorified, and exalted. Thus man can reach exaltation in movement.
Balance can bring man dose to Godliness.

KINDS OF DANCE

1. Communal Dance-
Members of
primitive tribal societies made use of
the dance as a form of magiC, or a
method for in their struggle for
existence against the elements of
nature. Through their dance primitive
peoples sought to transcend the
consciousness of self by achieving
trance-like state in which they can
irive away evil spirits and natural
calamities.
uaFENDB
2. Ritual Dance unlike the primitive
dance, ritual dance is an organized
nature
dance, with a definite design, purpose and meaning used to celebrate
and mythology.
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 3. Folk Dance Ievolved from the regional memories of older motifs in
communal dance. Folk dances reflected a people's "unconscious paganism" in
events such as the celebration of the harvest and in some ordinary events. A
dance." Folk dances were also
mariage event, for example, had its "wedding
Used as charms of rain (rain dance). fertility (fertility dance), good fortune, etc.
Ethnic folk dances do not only provide a sense of solidarity particularly amona
the cultural minorities but also preserve a sense of racial or indigenous identity.

4. Social Dance-This dance has a gay and

lively character. Its nature reflected related
elements of the respective time periods-the
elaborate and colorful designs in clothes.
the spacious floor areas of court and
places, and the elegance of the successive
periods.
Choreography- or "dance composition" fills
the stage with a progressive series of
pictures., Using both the solo and dancers
(corps de ballet). Movement of Dance is
the medium of dance. The elements of
movement of dance are space, time,
duration and force.

A dancer must become familiar with the

interaction of the various components of each of these elements of movement.
Ihis is how the body moves in and through space,
accompanied by exploring
how time factors affect motion or stillness. and how he experiences the
influences ofthe effects of energy ina muscular exertion.

.Space- It is the area that surrounds the dancer; It is the place where one
can have such movements that create and
patterns designs.
. m e dance u filizes time in ways that determine the rhythm, fempo, dnd
duration of movements.
3. Durafion-refers to the length of time
expanded by a movement. It can be
measured and regulated
by drum beat or musical accompaniment.
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 4. Force-if is an energy which is- always present when motion ocCUs.
Dynamics is the force of movement.

ELEMENTS OF DANCE

1. Theme-an important element of dance which refers to the message

conveyed by the dance. What does it want to communicate

2. Designrefers to the plan or organization of movement in time? and space.

It immediately distinguishes one dance from another
their
3. Movement-it is the action or moves of dancers and how they use

bodies to create or organize a pattern.

technically proficient
4. Techniques-it refers to skill in executing movements; a

dancer has complete control over the muscles of his body.

The
movement of the dancers.
5. Music-it motivates and synchronizes the
accompaniment in dance. It
mythm, melody, and harmony are used
as
further captivate the
also senves as a musical background that can

audience.

visual effects of the dance. They

6. Costume and Props-These enhance the and
of the customs, beliefs,
reflective
are elements which are
environment of the people.
organization of
it refers to the forms, arrangements, and
7. Choreography-
movements.
dance steps and
action and
to the setting of background, the place of
8. Scenery-it refers beautiful.
to make the dance m o r e artistic and
other props

FORMS
DEVELOPMENT OF DANCE
tradition of the
dancing is the oldest
Hindu
Classical Indian dance
or
dance is
perhaps 2,000 years ago. The
performed
Cultured world. It has been when
one of mime and gesture, Perhaps
was
like that of Greece which Greece s o m e
India in 327 BC, he introduced from
Alexander the Great invaded Co
the dance of India had spread
land. or possibly,
of the dances of that Siva set the world in
motion
belief says that the god
Greece. Traditional Hindu
86
with a dance. In Southern India/ temple sculptures show the god Nataraja (King
of Dancers). There are four Indian dance types: Kathak (northwest India),
Manipuri (northeast India), Kathakali (southwest India) and Bharata Natya
Natya
(southeast India). Asian countries that show Indian influences in their dances are:
Burma, Thailand. Malaya, Indonesia and Ceylon. Bharata's Natya Sastra (the
science of dancing) is a Sanskrit manuscript of Bharata's secret of the dance.
This makes the Hindus as the only people in the world to have a semi-sacred
book as a textbook of art. Temple dancing girls are called devadasi (winged
nymphs) or asparas (dancing angels). At age 8, the girls start their lessons with a
guru (teacher) who taught them the 4,000 mudras (picture gestures of the
hands) besides the 36 eye movements and glances, nine head, six eyebrow
and 4 neck movements. The dancers Use their whole body to move to the
rhythm of music. Sometimes the dancers just create shapes and patterns with
their bodies. In other dances, they use hand movements and mime to tell stories
of Hindu gods.

The Ballet Is a graceful type of danoce that mime stories to music. It began
in Italy but was developed by the French. The dancers In the ballets at the
French court were males who sang and recited poems. King Louis XIV of France
started the first ballet school in 1661

The head of his ballet school, Beauchamps developed five positions of the
feet and arms that enabled the dancers to keep their balance and stil look
elegant. -Most ballet steps begin or end with one of these positions. The basic
steps and jumps are still used today which is why many of them have French
names. Glisser means to glide and pas de chat means step of the cat. The firs
ballet without words was not performed until 1789.
Conternporary Dance in the Philippines

Ballroomdancing, ethnic and traditional dances, stylized and theatrical

ballet that
forms, and new choreographies Using modern dance and classical
characterized dance today.
expresses traditional a d contemporary themes
88
 The ballroom dancing craze that swept Asia in the early 1990s, focUsed in the
Philippines. Paid instructors called DI (Dance Instructors) are versed in the fango,
rhumba, cha cha, foxtrot, swing and other dances. Since balroom dancing will
be a Competitive event in the Olympics, a Dance Sporta Council of the

Philippines was organized in order to conduct various balroom competitions in

its Dance Congress,

Ihe Rigodon de Honor opens state social functions. The Rigodon is of

French origin. The Filipino Rigodon consists of these basic movements: the
Saludos (greetings), the cadena (chain). cambio de pareja (change partners
and the zeta (a zigzag formation of the dance groups representing a
moving
snake. Various improvisations include the casamiento (wedding). the hatid
escort) and the visita (visit).

Inlocal and regional

Communities, festivals are held
annually where indigenous dances
are presented. Most outstanding
are the Philippine Folk Festival, the
Pang-alay held at the Folks Arts
Center every July since 1979, the
Kaamutan, Sinulog and
Dinagyang festivals. amongg
others. Authentic dances are
presented by sUch groups as the
Barnagay Dance Group
Darangan Cultural Troupe,
Maranao Sining Pananadam, Leyte. Kalipayan Dance Company, Tambuli
Cuitural Dance Troupe
of Ligaya Fernando, Amilbangsa, Kayaw grOUp or n e
Montanosas, and the Ramon Obusan Folkloric
Group.
he Bayanihan Philippine
Dance Company is the designated Philippine
Nalional Folk Dance
Company. It was started in 1957 by LUCrecia Reyes Urtula,
its direcfor and
choreographer. After its success at the Brussels Exposition in 1958,
the Bayanihcan became the
top folkloric dance in the
troupe country.
 Francisca Reyes Aquino pioneered the research and
solk dance and music in the 1920s and is revival of Philippine
recognized as the foremost authority in
th field. A National Artist in Dance, she founded the
Folk Song and Dance froupe. Her eight books on the
University of the Philippines
dance of the Philippinesis
considered by many as fhe bible of Philippine dance which stimulated further
chidies and docunmentation in the field. Leonor Orosa
Goquingco, a former pupil
of Aquino raised foik dance to artistic and creative levels and made use of
Fiipino folklore in Creafing new dances to express the Filipino experience. She is
fcunder and choreographer of the Filipinescas Dance Company. Most dance
groups are affiliated with schools and universities. among them the University of
tre East Dance Troupe. Abroad, there is a Philippine Dance Company in New
York and the Filipinas Dance Company in Hawaii.

Contemporary choreographers are encouraged to create dance pieces

which combine modern dance idiom, ciassicai bailet technique and indigenous
dance
in the classical ballet and modern idioms. Ballet Philippines, Philippine
Ballet Theater and Ballet Manila are the most active in producing classica
ballets, contemporary modern dance with folk themes. They have presented
Western classical works such as La Bayadore, Giselle, Swan Lake and The
Nutcracker Suite.

The Filipinos themselves create the dance trends in the country. in ihe late
19505 and early 1960s, the Boogie Woogie and the Twist were at its heyday

while, the Salsa and the Bossa Nova were in the local weekly TV nights' Dance
Tiime with Chito.
in school or
Dance has evolved as a Physical Education subject; a highlight
to the worid and
lare events; entertainment for tourists; ambassador o goodwill
dance
Oers, and an expression of worship as in the
church-based Kaloob

TUrgy, worship service and religious celebrations.

Adapted from: Sayaw Philippine dances.