NATURE OF

DANCES
Prepared by Myra Monina B. Dela Cruz
NATURE OF DIFFERENT
DANCES
OBJECTIVES
1. Explain the nature of the different dances.
2. Value the importance of the nature of the different dances to
preserve the cultural identity and diversity.
3. Categorize the different dances according to its nature, origin, and
forms.
 COMES FROM AN OLD
GERMAN WORD
"DANSON" WHICH MEANS movement that transcends function

DANCE
TO STRETCH
and becomes communication

an expression of the
an art that uses non-verbal
body, following rhythmic patterns movement in an ordinary way to
and is accompanied by music. create a form, order or
statement
 DANCE
Dance is an expression of the body, following rhythmic patterns and is
accompanied by music. From the primitive man expressing emotions in such
events as birth, death, marriage, war among other things, dance has evolved to
modern forms of social dancing.

Dance differs from athletics or other daily activities because it focuses primarily on "an
aesthetic or even entertaining experience" (Myers, 2005). It provided a variety of functions
throughout history due to its multidimensional. Although there have been immense
comparative differences in period and culture, people still dance mainly for four reasons:

to please the gods to please others;

to please themselves or self-expression; and
to build a community within an ethnic group or social interaction
FORMS OF DANCE
TRADITIONAL
DANCES
DANCES OF INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES THAT SHOW CULTURAL TRAITS
OF PEOPLE IN SPECIFIC TIME AND PLACE. CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
THROUGH DANCE STEPS AND COSTUMES ARE PRESERVED IN TRADITIONAL
DANCE. THESE DANCES ARE HANDED DOWN FROM GENERATION TO
GENERATION, WITH FIXED SETS OR PATTERNS.
 ETHNIC
DANCE
NON-CHRISTIANS (PAGAN & MUSLIM)

FOLK
DANCE
CHRISTIANS AND LOWLAND

GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS
NATURE OF DANCE
 ETHNIC
DANCE ETHNIC DANCE IS
ETHNIC DANCES ARE CLASSIFIED
INTO TWO MAJOR CATEGORIES.
FIRST, THE DANCES OF THE
ANY DANCE FORM WHICH CAN
NON-CHRISTIAN FILIPINOS ARE
BE IDENTIFIED AS ORIGINATING
MADE UP OF THE PAGAN GROUPS
WITH AN ETHNIC CULTURE AND
AND THE MUSLIM GROUPS.
EXPRESSING THE MOVEMENT
SECOND, THERE ARE THE
AESTHETICS OF THAT CULTURE.
DANCES OF THE CHRISTIAN AND
THE LOWLAND FILIPINOS, SOME
DENOTE THE GENERAL BODY OF WHICH ARE COMPRISED OF
OF ALL DANCES OF ETHNIC SAVAGE AND VIGOROUS OR
MINORITIES IN ANY GIVEN LIGHT-HEARTED. OTHER FORMS
NATION HAVE NEITHER MUSIC NOR
MELODIC ACCOMPANIMENT.
SOME EXAMPLES ARE THE
DANCE BASED ON ETHNICITY
DANCES OF THE AETAS AND
AND MAY ONLY BE
THAT OF THE MUSLIMS.
PERFORMED BY MEMBERS OF
THAT ETHNICITY
 A FOLK DANCE IS FOLK DANCES AREA CLASSIFIED
A DANCE DEVELOPED BY PEOPLE ACCORDING TO GEOGRAPHICAL
THAT REFLECT THE LIFE OF THE LOCATIONS AND THE NATURE OF THE
PEOPLE OF A CERTAIN COUNTRY DANCES. ACCORDING TO GEOGRAPHICAL
OR REGION LOCATIONS, FOLK DANCES CAN BE
NATIONAL (DANCES WITH COMMON
A FOLK DANCE IS SOMETHING THAT IS BASIC MOVEMENTS, WITH SLIGHT
CREATED AND PERFORMED BY A GROUP OF VARIATIONS) OR LOCAL/REGIONAL
SAME CULTURAL BACKGROUND OR WAY OF (DANCES THAT ARE UNIQUE TO CERTAIN
LIFE. THEY DO NO NECESSARILY HAVE THE LOCALITIES ONLY). ACCORDING TO THE
SAME ETHNICITY (ALTHOUGH THEY MAY) BUT NATURE OF DANCE, FOLK DANCES CAN BE
SHARE SIMILAR SOCIALIZATION QUALITIES OCCUPATIONAL DANCES, RELIGIOUS OR
CEREMONIAL DANCES; COURTSHIP
DANCES; WEDDING DANCES; FESTIVAL
TRADITIONAL DANCE DANCES; WAR DANCES; COMIC DANCES;
THAT EXPRESSES THE GAME DANCES; AND SOCIAL DANCES.

FOLK
THOUGHTS, IDEAS, AND
FEELINGS OF A GROUP
OF PEOPLE IN
CONNECTION WITH

DANCE
EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES &
EXPERIENCES OF THE
PEOPLE WHO
DEVELOPED
 Salip
THE KALINGA WEDDING RITUAL,

TO BE PARTICULAR, IS A

DANCE WHEREIN A BRIDE IS

OFFERED PROTECTION AND

COMFORT BY THE GROOM. THE

MAN TRIES TO SHOW HIS LOVE

BY IMITATING THE MOVEMENTS

OF A ROOSTER. MEANWHILE,

THE BRIDE'S FRIENDS PREPARE

“BANGAS” (EARTHEN POTS)

THAT CONTAIN FRESH WATER

FROM THE MOUNTAIN SPRING

TO OFFER TO THE GROOM.

 Cariñosa
PHILIPPINE DANCE OF

COLONIAL ERA ORIGIN FROM

THE MARIA CLARA SUITE OF

PHILIPPINE FOLK DANCES,

WHERE THE FAN OR

HANDKERCHIEF PLAYS AN

INSTRUMENTAL ROLE AS IT

PLACES THE COUPLES IN

ROMANCE SCENARIO.
MODERN AND
CONTEMPORARY DANCE
MODERN DANCE IS A DEVELOPMENT THAT IS LESS FORMAL THAN A
CLASSICAL BALLET. IT IS OFTEN CONSIDERED TO HAVE EMERGED AS
A REJECTION OF OR REBELLION AGAINST, CLASSICAL BALLET.

CONTEMPORARY DANCE A STYLE OF EXPRESSIVE DANCE THAT

COMBINES ELEMENTS OF SEVERAL DANCE GENRES INCLUDING
MODERN, JAZZ, LYRICAL, AND CLASSICAL BALLET. IT INCORPORATES
THE STRONG LEGWORK AND BALANCE OF BALLET AND THE TRUNK
MOVEMENTS OF MODERN
DANCE.
CONTEMPORARY DANCE ISN'T ALL THAT CONTEMPORARY

It all began at the start of the 20th century, when American dancer
Isadora Duncan (1878-1927) left the codified school of ballet in favour of
developing a more fluid method of dancing. She cited the ocean as the
spring of inspiration for her personal style of movement, and believed the
solar plexus was the source of all movement - putting full faith in a cluster
Breaking the conventional style
of nerves in the upper middle region of the abdomen and the 120 muscles
of dance, contemporary focuses on
that support the spine. Alongside impulsive changes in rhythm, speed and
direction, contemporary dance combines the strict legwork of ballet with the the freedom of movement. When
torso and floor work of modern dance. There are many styles within the performing, dancers focus on
genre. Today it is closely linked to musicality of rock and roll, hip hop, connecting their mind and body
electro and jazz - though only the latter was around at its inception. through fluid dance moves. This
allows dancers to explore emotions,
and use their natural energy to
portray personal expression in
their dance techniques

Contemporary Dance
 Modern Dance
Modern Dance is a specific style of dance that is free form and stems from the core, or
torso, of the body and uses elements like contact-release, floor work, fall and recovery,
and improvisation. Just like a Picasso is different than a Monet, modern dance is different
than ballet.

Modern dance is codified. There are specific modern dance techniques (i.e. Graham, Limon, Horton, etc.)
that are unique to themselves but have many underlying similarities and themes. The pioneers of modern
dance wanted to break away from traditional ballet and were mostly female (a radical change.) The
modern dance movement was followed by the postmodern dance movement in the 50s and 60s which
aimed to break away from the compositional constraints of modern. It included the use of chance and
improvisation. Contemporary dance is a slightly more vague and broad term. It means different things to
different people. Many dancers in the commercial/competition world refer to their contemporary jazz as
contemporary. However, the concert world sees contemporary differently. It can be used to describe any
dancing that is new, different, or untraditional. It can include elements of many kinds of dance including
non-western dance forms.
BALLROOM DANCE
COMPRISE OF A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT DANCES. THERE ARE TWO
CATEGORIES: IN AMERICAN STYLE, THE CATEGORIES ARE CALLED
SMOOTH AND RHYTHM AND IN INTERNATIONAL STYLE THEY ARE
CALLED STANDARD AND LATIN. FOR THE MOST PART, THE
STANDARD AND SMOOTH CATEGORIES CONTAIN THE SAME
DANCES AND THE LATIN AND RHYTHM CATEGORIES CONTAIN
BASICALLY THE SAME DANCES.
WHAT IS BALLROOM
DANCE?
AS A VARIETY OF SOCIAL DANCES PERFORMED BY COUPLES IN WHICH
THERE IS A CONVENTIONAL PATTERN OF STEPS.
ALSO KNOWN AS SOCIAL DANCE BECAUSE IT ENCOURAGES SOCIAL
INTERACTION BETWEEN DANCE PARTNERS.
THE TERM 'BALLROOM DANCING' IS DERIVED FROM THE WORD BALL,
WHICH IN TURN ORIGINATES FROM THE LATIN WORD BALLARE WHICH
MEANS 'TO DANCE' (A BALLROOM BEING A LARGE ROOM SPECIALLY
DESIGNED FOR SUCH DANCES).
IN TIMES PAST, BALLROOM DANCING WAS SOCIAL DANCING FOR THE
PRIVILEGED, LEAVING FOLK DANCING FOR THE LOWER CLASSES.
 Recreational
Ballroom Dance
 Competitive
Ballroom Dance
CHEER DANCE
AS THE NAME IMPLIES, CHEER DANCE IS A COMBINATION OF
CHEERING AND DANCING. COMPONENTS INCLUDE THE
MANDATORY CHEER AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF GYMNASTIC OR
ACROBATIC MOVES SUCH AS CARTWHEELS AND BACK HAND
SPRINGS. THE PURPOSE OF CHEER DANCE IS USUALLY TO
MOTIVATE SPORTS TEAMS, ENTERTAIN AUDIENCE, OR THE
ACTUAL COMPETITION.
DID YOU KNOW?
CHEER DANCING IS ROOTED IN CHEER LEADING.- CHEER LEADING AS WE ALL
KNOW DEVELOPED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

BUT DID YOU KNOW THAT THE PHILIPPINES HAS HAD DEVELOPED CHEER
DANCING?

CHEER DANCING AT ALL LEVELS HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE OPENING SALVO FOR
INTRAMURALS ON CAMPUSES IN THE PHILIPPINES. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
CHEER LEADING AND CHEER DANCING IS THAT CHEER LEADING HAS ITS
FOUNDATION IN GYMNASTICS. AND AS FOR CHEER DANCE, IT'S FOUNDATION LIES
IN THE CHOREOGRAPHY WHERE BALLET SEEMS TO BE ITS FOUNDATION.
Cheer Dance
Cheerleading
 HIP-HOP/
STREET DANCE
ITS ROOTS TRACED TO NEW YORK, FROM THE AFRICAN AMERICAN AND
LATINO AMERICAN COMMUNITIES. IT IS USUALLY ASSOCIATED WITH RAP
MUSIC, A FORM OF CHANTING OR POETRY DELIVERED AT THE SPEED OF 16-
BAR MEASURES (TIME FRAME).

THE TERM HIP-HOP REFERS TO A COMPLEX CULTURE COMPROMISING FOUR

ELEMENTS: DEEJAYING OR “TURNTABLING”; RAPPING, ALSO KNOWN AS
“MCING” OR “RHYMING”; GRAFITTI PAINTING, ALSO KNOWN AS “GRAF” OR
“WRITING”; AND “B-BOYING,” WHICH ENCOMPASSES HIP-HOP DANCE, STYLE,
AND ATTITUDE, ALONG WITH THE SORT OF VIRILE BODY LANGUAGE THAT
CORNEL WEST DESCRIBED AS “POSTURAL SEMANTICS.” (A FIFTH ELEMENT,
“KNOWLEDGE OF SELF/CONSCIOUSNESS,” IS SOMETIMES ADDED TO THE
LIST OF HIP-HOP ELEMENTS, PARTICULARLY BY SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS HIP-
HOP ARTISTS AND SCHOLARS.
HIP-HOP/STREET DANCE
 FESTIVAL DANCE
SEEN DURING CELEBRATIONS OR FIESTAS. USUALLY, FESTIVAL
DANCES CELEBRATE GOOD HARVEST OR GOOD FORTUNE. AN
EVENT ORDINARILY CELEBRATED BY A COMMUNITY AND CENTRE
ON SOME CHARACTERISTIC ASPECT OF THAT COMMUNITY AND
ITS RELIGION OR CULTURES.
 FESTIVAL DANCE
FESTIVAL DANCES ARE CULTURAL DANCES PERFORMED TO THE
STRONG BEATS OF PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS BY A COMMUNITY
OF PEOPLE SHARING THE SAME CULTURE USUALLY DONE IN
HONOR OF A PATRON SAINT OR AS A THANKSGIVING FOR A
BOUNTIFUL HARVEST.
THE TWO TYPES OF FESTIVAL DANCE IS IN THE FOLLOWING:

RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL-ARE FESTIVALS DEDICATED TO

PATRONS, GODS, SAINTS, AND OTHERS RELATED TO ANY
RELIGION.

SECULAR FESTIVAL-IS OPPOSITE OF RELIGIOUS

FESTIVAL; MAYBE A CELEBRATION OF PEOPLE'S INDUSTRY
AND BOUNTIFUL HARVEST.

FESTIVAL DANCE
FESTIVAL DANCE
Dance comes in different forms. All dance styles are
not alike and they are distinctive. They are considered
an art form and may be showcased in competitions.
Folk dance, ballet, and modern dance are those we
see performed for theatrical and entertainment
purposes, while cheer dance, dancesport, and street
dance are mostly seen in competitions.
REFERENCES
Domingo, J. and Alonte, L. 2018. PE II Beginners’ Dance
Book, Mutya Publishing House, Inc.

Punzalan, M. 2017. Physical Education 2 Rhythmic

Dance and Social Activities, Mindshapers Co., Inc.