Fundamentals

of Rhythm
How are you
going to
relate the
heart beat to
Rhythm?
RHYTHM
- is measured motion of flow,
characterized by basically regular
recurrence of elements or features as
beats, sounds or accents.
- is a term which denotes an
aspect of a quality of movement that
is sometimes thought of a dance.
When an individual moves in
response to a particular rhythm or
music we call the movements as
rhythmic movements or rhythms.
ELEMENTS OF RHYTHM
All movements are affected by the elements of rhythm. These elements which
should be learned and understood in relation to dance:
UNDERLYING BEAT - The steady continuous sound that is heard or felt throughout
any rhythmical sequence. This constant steady pulsation is sometimes called pulse beat.
EX. 2/4 = | _ _ | , | _ _ | , | _ _ | , | _ _ |
3/ 4 = | _ _ _ | , | _ _ _ | , | _ _ _ | , | _ _ _ |
MEASURE - Beats are grouped into measures or bars. The first beat is usually
the strongest, and in most music, most of the bars have the same number of
beats.
EX. 2/4, ¾, 4/4 ( Time Signature)
 ELEMENTS OF RHYTHM
RHYTHMIC PATTERN – a series of notes and rests repeats, it forms a rhythmic
pattern. In addition to indicating when notes are played, musical rhythm also stipulates
how long they are played and with what intensity.
TEMPO - we can move slowly, moderately, or fast. This is called tempo and relates to
the speed of our movements.
ACCENT- a movement or shape performed in such a way as to give emphasis. Accents
can be in music or dance. An accent may take place on a particular beat or melodic detail.
An example of an accent might be a louder note or beat in a song, but this is not the only
way to create an accent.
 ELEMENTS OF RHYTHM
PHRASING - refers to the matching of the figures of the dance to the phrases of the
music. Commonly, the phrasing of the dance corresponds to the phrasing of the music.
Country dance music is extraordinarily regular, consisting of eight-bar phrases which can
be further broken down into four-bar units.
INTENSITY - depends on the type of dance you choose. Fast-moving dance styles like
hip hop and salsa are more intense than slower dances like the tango or waltz. All of them
will use your whole body and will challenge your brain as you learn the choreography
and form.
Fundamentals
of Dance
What is Dance?
• involves moving the body rhythmically, often in a
choreographed way and usually to music.
• can express aesthetic ideas and emotions as a form of
performance art presented to an audience.
• People also dance in nonperformance situations to release
energy, express emotion, connect with other people, or just
enjoy the feeling of movement.
• art of dance varies across history and cultures, it exists in all
cultures. In many cultures, both highly trained professionals
and amateurs of all ages dance.
A Brief History of Dance
Origins in antiquity:
The earliest historical records showing the origins of
dance are cave paintings in India dating to about 8000 BCE
Egyptian tomb paintings also depict dance in about 3300
BCE.
These early dances may have been religious in nature,
and by the era of ancient Greece, people were
incorporating dance into celebrations of the wine god
Dionysus (and later the Roman god Bacchus) and into
ritual dances at the ancient Greek Olympic Games.
Inaddition, early people danced for enjoyment, seduction,
and entertainment.
A Brief History of Dance
India and China:
Dance throughout Asia has a rich history. While Hindu
dancing in India has a rich performance history going back
millennia, in the late 1700s, dance was restricted by British
colonists, who considered the dances immoral.
Once India gained its freedom from Great Britain, the
country revived its classical dance traditions.
 Chinese dance dates back at least 3,000 years, with
ceremonial dances and folk dances adapted for performance
at court.
To this day, celebrations still include traditional dances such
as the dragon dance and lion dance.
A Brief History of Dance
European social dances:
Social dancing in most parts of the world grew out of folk dances,
many of which were simple and repetitive. In Europe, the folk
dances of the Middle Ages turned into formal ballroom dancing.
 These dances moved into royal courts beginning in the
Renaissance, becoming popular as dancing masters taught upper
classes the proper steps for court dances.
 As women's clothing allowed more freedom of movement in the
nineteenth century, social dancing became more lively.
 The waltz, in particular, swept around the world as a major dance
craze in the mid-nineteenth century, and social dances began to
focus on two-person dancing in the early twentieth century.
A Brief History of Dance
Influence of ballet:
 Much of the dance created by choreographers and composers and
performed as professional entertainment today has its roots in
ballet, which, in turn, dates back to the Renaissance.
 Ballet
dance became an art in the eighteenth century, when ballet
companies sprang up around the world, telling entire stories through
the emotional movements of the ballet dancers.
 Asshoes and costumes changed, dancers gained greater
expressive freedom, but some ballet dancers found the rules (and
the pointe shoes) of classical ballet restrictive.
 Inthe twentieth century, modern dancers and choreographers such
as George Balanchine and Martha Graham began to deconstruct
ballet to create new forms of performance dance.
A Brief History of Dance
(Philippines)
 Pre-colonial dances are distinctly meant to appease the Gods and to ask favors
from spirits, as a means to celebrate their harvest or hunt. Their dance mimicked
life forms and the stories of their community. Moreover, theses dances were also
ritualistic in nature, dances articulated rites of passages, the community's
collective legends and history.
 Pre-colonial Filipinos already had their own set of music and dances before
Spanish colonist came; dances were performed for different reasons, from
weddings up to religious feasts, even to prepare for or celebrate war. As the
Spanish colonist realized the relevance of these dances for the Natives, dancing
was utilized as a relevant social activity. Some of the first dances they presented
were the rigodon, Virginia, and lanceros; these were dances done for the higher
class and special fiestas. Filipino dance styles like the kumintang, type of song and
dance, and dances like the Pampangois, a dance distinguished for its lion-like
actions and hand clapping, were pushed aside when Spanish colonist had come.
A Brief History of Dance
(Philippines)
 Just like in the Spanish colonization, the Americans, in 1898, had
brought in their own commercial and global culture which had also
influenced the Filipinos. Those with interest in dance were the ones
mainly appealed to by the more Black-influenced customs of dance
and music. With these Filipino dancers who already know the zarzuela
(sarswela), a Spanish form of stage performance with singing and
dancing and musical comedy, they became more interested in the
American vaudeville (bodabil) or “stage show”, which is filled with both
theatrical and circus acts, and more reminiscent of Broadway musicals
SIGNIFICANCE OF DANCE
EDUCATION
Dancing is a part of dynamic cultural expression of all societies, and every individual has
potential ability to dance. The inclusion of dancing in the physical education programs of school simply to
expose everyone, especially the youth to the many benefits of learning dance and to engage students in
artistic experiences through the processes of creation, performance and response.
1. Dancing promotes personality development since people involved in dance improve their:
Grace and rhythm
Posture and biomechanics
Discipline

Dedication, motivation and determination

Self-esteem and confidence
Self-actualization

Values of cooperation, resourcefulness, obedience and respect

SIGNIFICANCE OF DANCE
EDUCATION
2. Dancing improves emotional, mental, social and physical well-being;
3. Dancing provides a happy, fulfilled and satisfying life.
4. Dancing improves reflexes and awareness of one’s own body and the
immediate environment; and
5. Dancing educates oneself and the audience during the performance of a
dance.
SIGNIFICANCE OF DANCE
EDUCATION
Dance education programs include opportunities for the development of:
Critical thinking and analytical skills;
Cooperation and teamwork;
Self-expression and teamwork;
Organization and problem solving;
Cultural literacy; and
Communicating emotions through movement.
OBA 1

ESSAY

Explain the Importance of

Rhythm and Dance.
50 Points