PHILTECH INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND TECHNOLOGY INC.

SUBJECT: PHYSICAL EDUCATION 03

LESSON 1: BRIEF HISTORY AND NATURE OF DANCES

TOPICS: Brief History and Nature of Dance

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this session, you will be able to:
 To know the definition of dance.
 To be familiar with the history and nature of dance
 Explains how to optimize the energy systems for safe and improved performance
 Describes the connection of health behaviors (eating habits, sleep and stress management) to
health risk factors and physical activity assessment performance

LET’S START:
What Is Dance?
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.”
-Barbara Mettler
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 Dance
 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.

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  The Greek also used dance to aid education in general 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

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  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 dancing

 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.

Renaissance
 The old restraints were loosened and clerical ideas and purposes no longer dominate all creative expressions
of the human spirit.
 The entertainers now became valuable appendage to the courts of Italy and France.

 In the 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

PHYSICAL

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  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
 Enables joint mobility (hip motion and spine flexibility)
 Helps improve and maintain bone density, thus helping prevent osteoporosis
 Helps recover coordination and neuromuscular skills after injury

MENTAL/EMOTIONAL

o Helps keep the brain sharp

Cultural
 Promote Cultural Values

http://www.academia.edu/37136892/Brief_History_and_Nature_of_Dance

Activity: Let’s try these!

Briefly define the meaning of dance. Discuss its nature and history. (10pts)

Activity 2; Dance Benefits

Watch Bahay Kubo folk dance . Give atleast two benefits of dance based on the following

Physical Benefits

1.___________________________________________________________________________

2.___________________________________________________________________________

Mental Benefits

1.___________________________________________________________________________

2.___________________________________________________________________________

Social Benefits
 1.___________________________________________________________________________

2.___________________________________________________________________________

Cultural Benefits

1.___________________________________________________________________________

2.___________________________________________________________________________

Evaluation: Let’s check your understanding!

_____Dance ____1.An activity which can make many forms and fill many different needs.
____Greek ______2. They used dance to aid education in general as philosophers.
____Physical_____3. Develops Cardiovascular and muscular edurance
Mental/Emotional_4. Helps keep the brain sharp.
_____Social______5. Encourage positive social interaction and interpersonal relationship in a group.

I. Reflection:
SO WHAT? Now that you’ve learned about the history and benefits of dance. Why dance is
important as other subject in education? (5pts)

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PHYSICAL