拉 允 隆 文 化 書 院

LA UNION CULTURAL INSTITUTE

GOV.LUCERO STREET, SAN FERNANDO CITY, LA UNION

Recreational dance is a social activity in which people of all ages can participate. Recreational
dances come from all over the world and include folk, cultural, and historical dances, and social dances
from the past and present. These types’ dances use a variety of steps, figures, and formations. The
styles, performance, and music are related to the cultural roots, historical eras, and geographic areas
from which the dance originates.

Dance fitness, on the other hand, is a fun way to increase cardiovascular endurance, strength,
and flexibility. Various dance genres support fitness. Dance-related fitness training systems, such as
Zumba Fitness and Cardio dance, have boomed recently. A lot of people enjoy using dance as a fitness
activity.

"Good dancing engages the brain. Great dancing engages the heart." – Len Goodman

Have you ever tried watching a dance routine without understanding what is happening in the
performance? Have you completed a whole dance show and could not even remember a thing or two
about it.

When a certain dance performance has poor choreography, it is difficult for it to be understood
and appreciated. When a dance fails to communicate its intended meaning or if it does not have a
meaning or significance at all, it is hard for the audience to grasp the content of the performance.

How then can a dance become a good dance?

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 It is always a good idea to have a purpose in mind when we are asked to respond to a dance
performance, regardless of whether it is a formal concert, a performance of our peers, or a showing of
a film or video. Below are some good questions to consider before, during, and after attending a dance
performance. They are based on standards, key concepts, and key vocabulary that all students are
expected to understand and/or achieve.

Being aware of your First Impressions allows you to think about your immediate response to
the dance, both as you are experiencing it and immediately afterward. Since the Body is the instrument
of expression in dance, it’s a good idea to understand how dancers prepare for a performance and to
pay attention to the way they use their bodies in a performance. The material that choreographers use
to communicate ideas, thoughts, and feelings is Movement (locomotor and non-locomotor). Finally, it
is helpful to pay close attention to the Elements of Dance (Time, Space, Energy). If the dance is
created for an artistic purpose, the choreographer uses the elements of dance, movement ideas, and
the physical and expressive abilities of the dancers to create a dance that entertains, proves interesting,
or moves (emotionally) the audience members in some way. Most dances, even social dances, have
some Element of Production, such as costuming, setting, props, or lighting. Finally, dance occurs in
a Social, Cultural, and Historical Context. It may be necessary to do some basic research regarding
these contextual elements in order to fully understand and enjoy the performance.

https://www.ket.org/education/resources/responding-to-dance/

Characteristics of a Good Dance

What Makes a Good Dance?

⮚ A good dance displays a significant meaning or conveys a message, at times portraying life
experiences.
⮚ A good dance lifts and transports the audience from their seats during the performance.
⮚ A good dance has a:
1. Beginning ‒ may come in a form of shape, a pose, or an entrance;
2. Middle ‒ consists of a development or the exploration of the main idea; and
3. End/Conclusion ‒ should be clear and may be in the form of a shape, a pose, or
an exit.
⮚ A good dance must have a shape or form for its choreography to be effective.

What Is a Form?
⮚ It 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 the organizing factor of any work or dance composition.
⮚ It should progress through time from the beginning to the end of the choreography.

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What Is a Phrase?
⮚ It is “the smallest unit of form in the whole dance”.
⮚ Commonly, a single phrase consists of eight counts, with which it is easier for building routines
and choreographic combinations.

What Is a Motif?
⮚ It is a single movement or a short phrase of movement that embodies the style and intention of
the dance.
⮚ It is used in a good dance to be able to convey its meaning or intention to the audience since a
dance without meaning makes it harder for the audience to understand; thus, making it
superficial and easy to forget.
⮚ It is used in a good dance in which the movements are repeated, varied, and developed by
manipulating the movement components or elements.

⮚ One good example of a dance with motifs is the Itik-Itik Philippine folk dance. It is easy to identify
the motif of this dance as it simply portrays the movements of an itik (duckling).

Characteristics of a Good Dance

• Unity
The interconnected phases of the dance are coherent and flow smoothly together.

• Continuity and Development

The phrases of the dance are organized progressively, making each movement phrase move
naturally into the next. There is a continuous development of the movement phrase and the
audience is swept along to the end.

• Variety and Contrast

This means making one or several variations that highlight the facet of the motif to provide variety
within the development of a dance and to introduce new material.

• Transition
This is the link between movements, phrases, and sections of the dance to make the progression
of the dance flows smoothly and to keep the unity and continuity of the dance.

• Repetition
It emphasizes movements and phrases that are important to the dance and gives a feeling
of closure to a work.

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 • Climax
It may be a fast and enraged blast of energy and action, or it could fade away to a gentle and a
quiet exit that marks the end of a particular story.
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.

Choreographic Forms in Dance

1. SEQUENTIAL FORMS – these forms contain themes/motifs which progress in a specific order.
a. AB (two-part) Form
✔ It is the simplest of the sequential forms and is similar to a verse and a chorus of a song.
✔ It is a binary form with two contrasting sections consisting of a beginning section (A) followed
by a second section (B).
✔ This form is commonly used in many folk dances and songs.

b. ABA (three-part) Form

✔ It is composed of an introductory theme (A), a contrasting theme (B), and a restatement of
the original theme (A), which is the unifying theme and the center of interest.
✔ Most popular songs use this form where there is chorus (A), a verse (B), and a repetition of
the chorus (A), which is often somewhat elaborated to highlight the idea of the song.

c. Rondo Form (ABACA)

✔ In this form, the unifying theme (A) returns after each contrasting theme and appears after
every contrasting section at least three times, but it can itself be varied.
✔ It can be described as ABACADAEAFA development of movement ideas.

d. Theme and Variations Form

✔ The motif is a series of movements to which variations are added throughout the
development of the entire choreography.
✔ The motif/theme can be a single phrase or several movement phrases placed together in a
sequence.
✔ The order of the movements is kept the same all throughout the variations. It can take the
form of subtle adjustments in dynamics, space, style, mood, and tempo.

2. CONTRAPUNTAL FORMS – Here, several themes are woven together in choreography to form a
complex structure. The main theme is seen against itself or against one or more other themes.

a. Ground Bass
✔ Single theme starts the dance and is repeated all the way through the dance while
other contrasting themes are simultaneously performed with it.
✔ This form is best done in a group working either in contrast to each other or against a
soloist.

b. Round or Canon
It consists of two or more movement phrases or themes in which the main movement
phrases are imitated exactly and completely by the successive movements, but done in a
staggered manner.

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 c. Fugue or Accumulation
a. It is a choreographic form that is constructed by adding on different movement or
dance phrases in every repetition of the main movement theme.
b. The movement phrases or the motif can be developed by reversing, inverting,
augmenting, or diminishing throughout the dance.

d. Suite
a. Every section of the dance (beginning, middle, and end) uses different tempos and
qualities.
b. Commonly, it has a moderate beginning, a slow middle section, and a fast and lively
end section.

3. EPISODIC FORMS
✔ They are not musical forms; instead, they are found in literature.
✔ They tell a story through connected and progressive sections called episodes.
✔ Narrative form is an episodic form that tells a story or conveys an idea and the sequence of
the story determines the structure of the dance.
✔ As in all good soap operas, each section or chapter reveals more of the plot and has its
own interest, variations, and contrast.
✔ Classical ballet often uses these forms.

4. OTHER COMPOSITIONAL FORMS

a. Natural Structures
They mostly come from natural structures such as the seasons, life cycles, and everyday life
experiences all of which present rich materials for organic dance structure.

b. Collage
✔ It consists of “a series of movement phrases that are often unrelated but have been
brought together to create a single dance with a beginning, a middle, and an end”.
✔ The overall form remains a whole even though the content may be illogical.

c. Tableau
In this form, different movement phrases are performed by different dancers
simultaneously in the same space wherein the dancers may execute it at a different
location on the stage and connect transitional movements for each scene to produce
a progression of moving snapshots.

d. Chance
✔ The movement phrases are performed in random order and spatial placing.
✔ Every time the dance is performed, it is done in different order and therefore has a
different appearance.
✔ Originally, the dance phrases were arranged by tossing coins to decide on choices
and the order of performance, hence, coming from the word by chance.

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Evaluating a Good Dance

CATEGORIES OF EVALUATORS’ ROLES

• Choreographers
They will evaluate a part of an ongoing process of developing a personal style which is both
spontaneous and organized.

• Dancers
They will evaluate according to the specific demands that the performance places on them.

• Audiences
They will evaluate according to the particular context of the dance.

STAGES IN ASSESSING A DANCE (DANCE CRITIQUE)

• Description
It involves close observation of all the elements, characteristics, and components of a dance.

• Interpretation
It involves an appreciation of the ideas, content, images, and style contained within the dance.

• Evaluation
It takes into consideration how effectively the features (i.e., elements, characteristics) and the
context of the dance have been utilized in the actual performance of the dancers to portray the
content and the quality of the dance.

GUIDE QUESTIONS IN ANALYZING AND EVALUATING A DANCE PERFORMANCE

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 SAMPLE DANCE ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION

SUMMARY

Dance is an integral part of human existence. Dancing gives many beneficial effects not just
physically but mentally, emotionally, socially, and culturally. Dance consists of several elements such
as space, time, energies, and bodily shapes. It has a beginning, middle, and end, and is composed of
several phrases. It also has a motif or a theme. Dance can be considered good if it has unity, continuity,
variety, clear transitions, repetition, and climax. There are several choreographic forms in dance. They
are sequential, contrapuntal, episodic, and other compositional forms include Ground Bass, Canon,
Fugue, and Suite. Narrative form is an episodic form in dance. Other compositional forms in dance
include natural structures, collage, tableau, and dance by chance. Evaluating dance depend highly on
the role as choreographer, dancer, and audience. There are three stages in assessing dance, namely,
description, interpretation, and evaluation. In order to give dance a good critique, certain guidelines
should be followed.

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