Learning

Objectives
 to know the definition
of dance
 to be familiar with the
history and nature of
dance
 to understand the
specific benefits of
dance and creative
movement
DANCE
Brief History and Nature of
Dance
 What Is Dance?
According to American dancer, dance educator, author, and
film and video producer Barbara Mettler…

“Dance is an activity which

can take many forms and
fill many different needs. It
can be recreation,
entertainment, education,
therapy, and religion. In its
purest and most basic form,
dance is art, the art of body
movement.”
Unlike athletics or
other daily activities,
dance focuses
primarily on “an
aesthetic or even
entertaining
experience” (Myers,
2005).
Reasons of People for Dancing
 to please the gods
 to please others
 to please themselves
(self-expression)
 to build community
within an ethnic
group (social
interaction)
Brief History
of Dances
People from the prehistoric
era performed ways they
hoped would appease the
forces of nature or give
them new powers of their
own.
It was only during the pre-
Christian era that the real
knowledge of dance came
about within the great
Mediterranean and Middle
Eastern civilizations.
 Dance became full-blown
and was richly recorded
in ancient Egypt as
reflected in their wall
paintings, reliefs, and in
the literary record in
hieroglyphs.
For ancient Greeks, who
thought highly of dance, it
was closely linked with
other kinds of experiences
such as an aid to military
education among the boys
in Athens and Sparta, as
well as a form of
entertainment and display.
 The Greek also used danc
to aid education in genera
as philosophers such as
Plato, Aristotle, and
Socrates strongly
supported this art as an
integration of the body
and soul.
 The ancient Rome
gave less importance
to dancing as the
nation grew wealthy
and powerful.
 It became brutal and
sensationalized as their
entertainers were
slaves and captives
from many
nationalities.
 It was used more often
for gruesome
purposes.
 It eventually became
an integral part of the
corruption in the latter
days of the Roman
Empire, resulting in
the condemnation of
dance by the early
Christians.
After the fall of Rome, the history of
dance transformed following the
development of the Catholic Church,
which was by then the sole custodian
of learning and education as well as
the source of morals. During this time,
theatrical entertainment was
prohibited and dance was performed
only during worships, church services,
and religious ceremonies.
 Although the Church had
condemned dance as
entertainment, some
singers, dancers, poets,
actors, musicians, and
jugglers continued to
wander in village squares
to perform during the Dark
and early Middle Ages
 These performers were
eventually welcomed
in the castles and
chateaus of feudal
lords.
 The common people
also amused
themselves by doing
dances that were social
in character, marking
the beginning of social
Nobility soon
followed the
peasants’ lead in
dancing but in a
more refined and
courtly form as
court dances
emerged as part of
the chivalric way of
life.
 Renaissanc
The old restraints were
loosened and clerical
ideas and purposes no e
longer dominate all
creative expressions of
the human spirit.
The entertainers now
became valuable
appendage to the courts
of Italy and France.
 Inthe 15th and 16th
centuries, new court
dances in Europe
performed by the nobility
came about at about the
same time as the rise of
the art of ballet in Italy
and France. From then on,
several other dance forms
continued to sprout and
spread across several
countries.
After the pinnacle of
ballet prominence,
contemporary dances that
were stylistic variations
of ballet emerged and
evolved in Europe. Other
dance forms also came to
light and have been
widely recognized
worldwide.
Benefits of Dance
and Creative
Movement
PHYSICA
L  Develops
cardiovascular and
muscular endurance
 Improves coordination,
balance, flexibility, and
body composition
 Lowers risk of
cardiovascular diseases
 Lowers body mass
index
 Lowers resting heart rate
 Improves lipid metabolism
 Enablesjoint mobility (hip motion
and spine flexibility)
 Helpsimprove and maintain bone
density, thus helping prevent
osteoporosis
 Helps
recover coordination and
neuromuscular skills after injury
 MENTAL/EMOTIONAL
o Helps keep the brain sharp
o Decreases incidence of
dementia and Alzheimer’s
disease
o Decreases depressive
symptoms
o Increases self-esteem and
improves body image
o Aids in releasing emotional and
physical tension
• Gives sense of SOCIAL
togetherness within a
group
• Encourages positive
social interaction and
interpersonal
relationship in a group
• Contributes to the CULTURAL
individual’s potential
for self-actualization in • Promotes
society cultural values