INTRODUCTION
TO DANCE
WHAT IS DANCE?
Dance is the movement of the body in a rhythmic way,
usually to music and within a given space, for the purpose
of expressing an idea or emotion, releasing energy, or
simply taking delight in the movement itself.
HISTORY OF
DANCE
The earliest findings have
pinpointed the origins of ancient
dances in 9000-year-old India or
“ 5300-year-old Egypt. Still, the
records of more common infusion of
dance into modern culture can be
found in Ancient Greece, China, and
India. All these old dances evolved,
eventually morphing into various
Roman and European medieval,
traditional Chinese, Hindi, and other
traditional dances, respectively.
After the arrival of the European Renaissance,
the history of music and dance exploded with
new additions to song and dance. Ease of travel
and immigration to the new world brought these
dances into the mix with many native cultures of
the New World, forging countless new dance
types that are still popular today.
CLASSIFICATION
OF DANCES
Types of Dance
✓ Ballet ✓ Festival Dance
✓ Tap ✓ Ballroom
✓ Folk Dance ✓ Hip-Hop
✓ Contemporary dance
✓ Modern Dance
BALLET
Ballet is a theatrical dance
that features highly
formalized steps and
movements. It uses body
movements, music, and
stage scenery to speak
emotions, a story, an
atmosphere, or a theme.
Tap
A step dance tapped out
audibly by means of shoes with
hard soles or soles and heels to
which taps have been added.
something suggesting a tap
dance. especially an action or
discourse intended to
rationalize or distract.
folk dance
Folk dance, generally, a type of
dance that is a vernacular,
usually recreational,
expression of a past or present
culture. The term folk dance
was accepted until the mid-
20th century. Then this and
other categories of dance were
questioned and their
distinctions became subject to
debate.
Modern Dance
Modern dance is a highly
expressive style of dance
that challenges the
structured dance technique
of classical ballet. The focus
of modern dance is
expression, rather than
following a rigid set of
postures or technical
positions that ballet dancers
are trained in.
Festival Dance
Festival dance is a cultural dance
performed to the strong beats of
percussion instruments by a
community of people who share
the same culture, generally
performed to honor the patron
saint or as a thank-you for the rich
harvest. Festival dance can be
religious or secular in nature.
Ballroom
Ballroom dance is a set of partner
dances, which are enjoyed both
socially and competitively around
the world, mostly because of its
performance and entertainment
aspects. Ballroom dancing is also
widely enjoyed on stage, film, and
television.
Hip hop
Hip-hop dance is a vibrant form of
dance that combines a variety of
freestyle movements to create a
cultural piece of art. Through its
three main styles of popping,
locking, and breaking, hip-hop
dance has evolved into one of the
most popular and influential styles
of dance.
contemPorary
Contemporary dance is a genre of
dance performance that
developed during the mid-
twentieth century and has since
grown to become one of the
dominant genres for formally
trained dancers throughout the
world, with particularly strong
popularity in the U.S. and Europe.
Timeline of Dance
• ~ 600 BC INDIAN CAVE PAINTINGS ARE • 1844 POLKA AND WALTZ BECOME
DRAWN DEPICTING PEOPLE DANCING POPULAR DANCES AROUND THE
WORLD.
• ~800 BC ANCIENT GREEKS USE
DANCE TO GIVE PRAISE TO THE GOD • EARLY 1900’S MODERN DANCES
DIONYSUS DURING FESTIVAL LIKE TANGO, CHARLESTON AND
SWING ARE INVENTED.
• 1300 – 1600 THE EUROPEAN
RENAISSANCE BRINGS MORE • 1990’S BREAKDANCING BECOME
WIDESPREAD AND REGAL VIEW OF MAINSTREAM IN AMERICA,
DANCE TO THE WORLD. LEADING TO A LARGER
EMERGENCE OF HIP-HOP
• 1661 – 1672 KING LOUIS XIV OPENS
DANCING TO THE WORLD.
THE “ ACADEMIE THE ROYALE DE
DANSE” IN PARIS AND ESTABLISHES
A PROFESSIONAL DANCE COMPANY .
Definition of Folk Dance
• Folk dance may be defined as the traditional dance of a given
country which evolved naturally and spontaneously with everyday
activities, e.g. occupations, customs, festivals, rituals, and
innumerable themes common to all people everywhere. Genuine
folk dances are handed down from generation to generation and
are danced by everyday folk for all ages. They are more or less
fixed in their pattern, but may differ in various areas of provinces.
