Republic of the Philippines

Laguna State Polytechnic University

Province of Laguna
ISO 9001:2015 Certified
Level I Institutionally Accredited

LSPU Self-Paced Learning Module (SLM)

Course RHYTHMIC ACTIVITIES
Sem/AY Second Semester/2020-2021
Module No. 1
Lesson Title FUNDAMENTALS OF RHYTHMIC ACTIVITIES
Week
4
Duration
Date April 22 – April 26, 2020
This module seeks to discuss the elements and characteristics of dance to better
Description understand the components of dance performances. Moreover, determining the
of the Lesson benefits of dancing and learning how to appreciate and evaluate a dance composition
and performance will also be covered in this lesson.

Learning Outcomes
Students should be able to meet the following intended learning outcomes:
Intended 1. Demonstrate understanding on the nature and brief history of dance.
Learning 2. Identify the elements and characteristics of a dance.
Outcomes 3. Optimizing one’s health through active participation in different rhythmic
activities.
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
Targets/ 1. State the historical development and great contributors of dance.
Objectives 2. Differentiate the elements and characteristics of dance.
3. Analyzing and evaluating a good quality of performance.

Student Learning Strategies

A. Online Discussion via Google Meet

You will be directed to attend in a one-hour class discussion on the

Nature and Scope of Rhythmic Activities. To have access to the Online
Online Activities Discussion, refer to this link: ____________________.
(Synchronous/
Asynchronous)
The online discussion will happen on _____________ and _____________, 2020,
from _______ to _______.

(For further instructions, refer to your Google Classroom and see the
schedule of activities for this module)

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 B. Learning Guide Questions:

1. What are the elements of dance?

2. What are the characteristics of a good dance?
3. How is the quality of dance evaluated?

Note: The insight that you will post on online discussion forum using Learning Management System
(LMS) will receive additional scores in class participation.

Lecture Guide
INTRODUCTION TO 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 the body movement (Barbara
Mettler, 1980)
“Before man can do anything, he must draw breath, he must move. Movement is
the source and condition of life. To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more
beautiful, more powerful. This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the
taking´- Agnes de Mille (1963)
Dance differs from athletics or other daily activities because it focuses primarily
on “aesthetic or even entertaining experience” It provided variety of functions
throughout history due to its multidimensionality. Although these have been
immense comparative differences in period and culture, people still dance
Offline Activities mainly for four reasons: (a) to please the gods; (b) to please others; (c) to please
(e-Learning/Self- themselves or self-expression; and (d) to build community within an ethnic
Paced) group or social interaction. (Myer, 2005).

BRIEF HISTORY AND NATURE OF DANCE

Dance can be seen among all the people and civilization of the world. Dances
thrived at different periods of history and mostly were a result of intercultural
exchange and contact (Alejandro and Santos-Gana 2002). The origin of dance is
rooted in the prehistoric past. Various artistic, religious, and social forces started
out the incorporation and development of dance.
Dance has been a major form of ritual and social expression within primitive
cultures. It is used as a way of expressing and reinforcing tribal unity and
strength, as an approach for courtship and mating, and as means of worship,
communication, and therapeutic experience. It was said that the first use of
dance was a gesture in order to communicate. People from the prehistoric era
performed ways they hoped would appease the forces of nature or give them
new powers of their own. As Kraus and Gaufman (1981) said, “man danced
originally to supplicate the gods on all important occasions of life”

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 Nevertheless, the dances during prehistoric time have not yet been fully
recorded. It was only during the pre-Christian era that the real knowledge of
dance came about within the great Mediterranean and Middle Eastern
civilization. Dance became full blown and was richly recorded in ancient Egypt.
It was reflected in their wall paintings, reliefs, and in the literary record in
hieroglyphs.
The ancient Greeks also thought highly of dance. For them, it was closely linked
with other kinds of experiences. Dancing was taught as an aid to military
education among the boys in Athens and Sparta. It was not just for religious and
military training but also a form of entertainment and display.
Dance was also commonly used in education. Greek philosophers such as Plato,
Aristotle, and Socrates strongly supported this art as an integration of the body
and soul. Plato immensely gave importance to dance in education as stated in his
elucidation on the Laws. He highlighted the two kinds of dance and music: the
noble (fine and honorable) and the ignoble (imitating what is mean or ugly).
The ancient Rome, on the other hand, gave less importance to dancing. It
stopped valuing such qualities in art as the nation grew wealthy and powerful.
The Romans ceased to create and perform within the arts themselves. Dance
became brutal and sensationalized as their entertainers were slaves and
captivates from many nationalities and it was used more often for gruesome
purposes (Kraus et al., 1981). Dance 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 Christian.
The development of the Catholic Church in Europe following the fall of Rome
transformed the history of dance. During this time, the church was the sole
custodian of learning and education as well as the source of morals. When the
first Christian emperors came, theatrical entertainment was prohibited.
However, dance still existed and was performed within the Church during
religious ceremonies. The Christian father approved the use of dance, provided
that its form and intent were holy and profound. Dances then became part of
worships and church services.
Although the Church had condemned dance as entertainment, some singers,
dancers, poets, actors, musicians, and jugglers continued to wander during the
Dark and early Middle Ages. They performed in village squares and were
eventually welcomed in the castles and chateaus of feudal lords. At the same
time, the common people also amused themselves by doing dances that were
social in character. This marked the beginning of social dancing. The peasants
performed two basic types of dancing: the round dance and the couple dance. In
round dance, dancers hold each other by hand, forming a long chain and move
about in an open or closed circle, or in an extended line. Couple dance, at that
time, was not as popular as round dance as it was considered scandalous when
first seen.

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 Nobility soon followed the peasants’ lead in dancing but in more refined and
courtly form. Court dances emerged as part of the chivalric way of life. Because
of the noblemen’s and women’s nature of clothing and elaborate accessories,
their dance steps were limited to gliding, curtseying, and posing as they were not
able to move freely. The peasants’ dance in contrast, have the large movements
and wide-stepping figures. This is due to their less elaborate costumes allowing
bigger movements. Additionally, the peasant danced on grass or on the beaten
earth of the town while noblemen danced in smooth floor or wood or polished
marble called ballroom.
Dance then was wholly accepted in the courts during the early renaissance as
the gradual increase of the capitalist class produced patrons of learning and art
in Europe. During the renaissance, dance and art in general gained impetus. The
old restrains of the human spirit (Kraus and Gaufman, 1981). The entertainers
now became valuable appendage to the courts of Italy and France and they were
to serve the secular goals of the wealthy and powerful nobles who had emerged
throughout Europe.
A vast dance movement occurred throughout the courts of Europe in the 15th
and 16th centuries. During these times, new court dances performed by the
nobility came about as well 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
(Kraus and Gaufman, 1981).

ELEMENTS OF DANCE
The human body is living in time and space, and it exhibits some efforts. Thus,
all movements occur in time, through space, and with effort (Schrader, 1996).
Since dance entails a lot of movements, it uses the very same elements, space,
time, and energy. These elements are beneficial to anyone interested in
recognizing, analyzing, or creating movement.
SPACE – This is the area performers occupy and where they move. It can be
divided into four different aspects, also as spatial elements.
a. Direction – dance movements can travel in any direction. The performers
can go forward, side, backward, diagonal, circular, and so on. They may
also face any direction while executing a single movement or several
phrases.
b. Size – movements can be varied by doing larger or smaller actions.
c. Level – movements can be done in a high, medium, or low level.
d. Focus – performers may change their focus by looking at different
directions.

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 TIMING – The movements in timing may be executed in varying tempo (speed).
Performers move with tempo of an underlying sound, known as beat or pulse.
The timing can be varied by moving faster or slower than the normal beat. When
a sequence of a movement or group of phrases is done in varying tempos, they
generate rhythmic patterns. The addition of silence or pauses also adds to
rhythmic patterns.
DANCE ENERGIES – The movements here propelled by energy of force. A force
can either initiate or stop an action. Dance uses different energies and a varied
use of minimized the monotony of the movements in a performance. There are
six qualities of dance energies presented below:
a. Sustained – movement are done smoothly, continuously, and with flow
and control. It does not have a clear beginning and ending.
b. Percussive – movements are explosive or sharp in contrast with
sustained movements. They are accented with thrust of energy. They
have a clear beginning and ending.
c. Vibratory – movements consist of trembling or shaking. A faster version
of percussive movements that produces a jittery effect. (Minton, 2007)
d. Swinging – movement trace a curved line or an arc space. The
movements are relaxed and giving in to gravity on the downward part of
the motion, followed by an upward application of energy.
e. Suspended – movements are perched in space or hanging on air. Holding
a raised leg in any direction is an example of a suspended movement.
f. Collapsing – movements are released in tension and gradually or
abruptly giving in to gravity, letting the body descend to the floor. A slow
collapse can be described as melting or oozing action in downward
direction. (Minton, 2007).
BODILY SHAPES – It refers to how the entire body is molded in space or the
configuration of body parts. The body can be rounded, angular, or combination
of two. Other body shapes can be from wide to narrow and from high to low.
They can be symmetrical and asymmetrical.
a. Symmetrical – balanced shape; movements are practically identical or
similar on both sides.
b. Asymmetrical – unbalanced shape; movements of two sides of the body
do not match or completely different from each other.
GROUP SHAPES – In this element, a group of dancers perform movements in
different group shapes. They are arranged in ways that we wide, narrow,
rounded, angular, symmetrical, or asymmetrical and are viewed together as a
total picture or arrangement within a picture frame (Minton 2007).

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 DANCE APPRECIATION AND COMPOSITION
A good dance displays a significant meaning or convey of message. Sometimes,
it also portrays life experiences. Dance may be presented abstractly and
symbolically but still convey emotion and meaning. A good dance lifts and
transports the audience from their seats during the performance.
It has a beginning, middle, and end/conclusion. The beginning of a dance may
come in a form of shape, pose, and entrance. The middle consists of a
development or the exploration of the main idea. The ending/conclusion should
be clear and may be in a form of shape, a pose, or an exit.
All works, whether it is sports, music, or dance, must have a form brought to
their elements by means of orderly arrangement, meaning and purpose
(Lockhart, 19820). There must be a sense of direction. A good dance therefore,
must have a shape or form for its choreography to be effective.
FORM is the instrument by which ideas and elements are arranged or combined
into a logical sequence which results in unity and consistency, and by means of
which the content or idea can be expressed and communicated. It is organizing
factor of any work and dance composition. (Lockhart, 1982).
The form should progress through time from the beginning to the end of the
choreography (Minton, 2007). Each section is composed of several units that are
smoothly connected to each other. These small units are called phrase.
PHRASE combination of one movement with several others. When units are
pieced together, they make up a section in the choreography and the section
together form a whole dance. Therefore, “a phase is the smallest unit of form in
the whole dance” (Blom and Chaplin, 1998). It can be related to a sentence in
writing compositions. Choreographers and dancers use movement phrasing
when working on dances.
Although Minton (1997) suggest that movement phrases should vary in length
and shape, most of the dances these days use equal length phrases. Commonly,
a single phrase consists of eight counts. It is easier for building routines and
choreographic combination with an 8-count phrase.
MOTIF it enables to convey its meaning or intention to the audience. A dance
without meaning makes it harder for the audience to understand; thus making
it superficial and easy to forget. A single movement or a short phrase of
movements that embodies the style and intention of dance is called a motif. A
good dance uses a motif in which the movements are repeated, varied, and
developed by manipulating the movement components or elements.

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 CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD DANCE
All these characteristics are organized to contribute to the development of a
meaningful dance. It is easier to recognize a good dance when all these
characteristics have been applied in the choreography. As the author in dance
company, Sara Cerny Minton (2007) has pointed out “all phrases in a work
should be designed to form the integrated sections of your dance, and all the
sections of the dance should be placed in a sequence that moves towards an
appropriate conclusion. The development of a work should be lead the audience
logically from the beginning through the middle and on the end of the dance”.

 Unity. The interconnected phrases of the dance are coherent and flow
smoothly together. The movements fit together and each plays an
important role that contributes to the entirely of a dance.
 Continuity and Development. The phrases of the dance that are
organized progressively, making each phrase move naturally into the
next. There is a continuous development of the movement phrase and the
audience is swept along to the end. Some dances develop organically in
much the same way a play or novel grows from a process of natural
unfolding of an idea, or sometimes it is built upon a structure ordinarily
associated with poetry. (Lockhart, 1988)
 Variety and Contrast. Making one or several variations that highlight the
facet of the motif. This provides variety within a development of a dance.
It introduces new material, which is noticeably different from anything
so far seen in the dance (Rickett-Young, 1996). Variety and contrast in
movement phrases add excitement and flavor in the dance. Changing the
direction, use of energy, timing of a movement phrase, and avoiding
repeating them in the exact way are ways to add variety to the dance.
Example of contrasting movements are slow to fast, short to long, and
minimal to large movement phrases.
 Transitions. This is the link between movements, phrases, and sections
of the dance. It makes the logical progression of the dance flow smoothly.
Also, it is vital because it keeps the unity and continuity of the dance.
Transitions may vary from length and complexity. They may be long or
short, gradually or abrupt. They may also be simple or involving an entire
phrase of movement.
 Repetition. It emphasizes movements and phrases that are important to
the dance and gives a feeling of closure to a work (Minton, 2007). Some
phrases need to be repeated in choreography so that the audience can see
those movements again and identify its significance. Usually, when a
certain phrase or a section of choreography is repeated, it is the main
message of the dance. This function to make clearer the meaning or
intention of the dance (Rickett Young, 1996). Also, if the audience gets

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 familiar with the movement, it gives them a feeling of comfort. (Schrader,
2005).
 Climax. This is where the apex of energy in the dance is reached
(Schrader, 1996). It is similar to a climax in a story where a series of
events culminates. The climax may be a fast and enraged blast of energy
and action, or it could fade away to a gentle and quiet exit that marks the
end of a particular story. (Rickett-Young, 1996). The music will often
assist both the choreographer and the audience when determining this
point of development.

Engaging Activities

A. REPRESENTATION AND ADDING VARIATION TO A THEME

Create a six variation of yourself identity /characteristics.

Adapted from Experiencing Dance: From Student to Dance Artist by H. Scheff, M. Sprague, and S.
McGreevy-Nichols, 2005, Champaign IL: Human Kinetics

B. OBSERVING A PIECE OF CHOREOGRAPHY

1. Watch the video from the National Commission for Culture and Arts
entitled Unity Dance (Sayaw ny Maan Chua)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyqD8_bosOI and assess if the
video has a sense of unity and continuity. Justify your assessment by
pointing out specific technique employed by the choreographer in order
to achieve unity and continuity.
2. Using the same video, assess if it contains enough variety and describe
the actions that provided variety in the choreography.
3. Notice how the choreographer connects the separate sections of the
dance. Do one phrases lead appropriately into the next? Do the
movement fit and bring a sense of wholeness?
4. At what point did the choreography reach its climax?

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 Performance Tasks
FINDING A MOTIF

Watch a video of the Tinikling dance from the internet or from any media source. Observe and identify
the motif by describing the movements used. Write your observation in a journal between 15-20
sentences.

Understanding Directed Assess

Rubric for Engagement Activity and Performance Task

a. Content/Relevance : 60%
b. Organization : 25%
c. Originality : 15%
Total 100 %

Learning Resources
Doris D. Tulio. (2008). Basic Physical Education for College Worktext P.E 2. Mandaluyong City: National
Bookstore.

Hazel P. Copiaco, Vivian R. Lague, Alvenia P. Palu-ay, Agripino F. Darilag, Lordinio A. Vergara. Sheryl B.
Ng, Zenaida M. De Leon. (2003). Our World of MAPEH. Quezon City: Vival Publishing House Inc.

Virginia C. Tolentino, Charito E. Señeres, Angelina A. Mojica, Angelita M. Sedigo, (2008). Honing Your
Skills Through MAPEH – Second Year, Dalandan, Valenzuela City; Jo-es Publishing House Inc.

Vilma V. Perez, Lilian N. Luna, Crisanto E. Tomas. Based on Basic Education Curriculum MAPEH Music.
Arts, Physical Education, and Health.

Coronado R. Aparato, Zyra Ruth Talaroc-Brebante, Lualhati Fernando-Callo, Peter Fermin Dajime
(2017). Physical Educational and Health Volume II, Manila Philippines: Rex Book Store, Inc.

Marcelita L. Apolonia, Mia Elaine P. Collao, Pauline A. Gabayan, Gilda Ma. Paz R. Kamus, Jerome A. Porto
(2017). Dance for Life Health Optimizing Physical Education for Senior High School. C & E Publishing
Inc.

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Intellectual Property

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The unauthorized reproduction, use, and dissemination of this module, without joint consent of

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LSPU SELF-PACED LEARNING MODULE: PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH 2