PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH Volume II

CHAPTER 3:
Dance Appreciation and Composition
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 a form of a shape, a
pose, or an exit.
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.

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.

Characteristics of a Good Dance

• Unity
The interconnected phrases 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 logical progression
of the dance flow 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.
• Climax
It 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.

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 idea.
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
- 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 staggered manner.
b. Fugue or Accumulation
 It is a choreographic form that is constructed by adding on different movement
or dance phrases in every repetition of the main movement theme.
 The movement phrases or the motif can be developed by reversing, inverting,
augmenting, or diminishing throughout the dance.
c. Suite
 Every section of the dance (beginning, middle, and end) use different tempos
and qualities.
 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.

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
a. 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”.
 b. 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
a. The movement phrases are performed in random order and spatial placing.
b. Every time the dance is performed, it is done in different order and therefore
has a different appearance.
c. 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.

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.

CHAPTER 4:
Dance as an Art
What Are Folk Dances?
 Folk dances are the indigenous dances of any specific “folk” or the common people.
 They are traditional, customary, or recreational dance forms of a given country which
have evolved naturally and have been handed down across generations.
 Folk dances are related to everything of importance in our daily lives, such as customs,
rituals, and occupations of a specific group of people.

Major Regional Classifications of Philippine Folk Dances

1. Tribal dances from the Cordilleras
These include non-Christian dances from the Cordilleras.
2. Lowland Christian dances
Influenced by Hispanic and European cultures, these are dances coming from places with Western
influences such as that of the Tagalogs, Ilokanos, Pampangueños, Pangasinense, Bisayans, and Bicolanos.
3. Muslim dances
Influenced by Arabic and Indo-Malayan cultures, these are dances from the people of the Southern
Islands of the Philippines such as in Mindanao and Sulu. These dances are influenced by Arabic and Indo-
Malayan cultures.

Philippine Folk Dances, Regardless of Their Classifications, May Also Be Categorized As…
1. Life-cycle dances
 Dances that serve as ritual as one passes to a different stage in life such as from
birth to childhood to adulthood. (Ex: courtship dances, wedding dances, funeral dances)
2. Festival dances
  Dances that are either religious or secular and are connected of recurring events
of special significance.
3. Occupational dances
 Dances that depict the means of livelihood Filipino people.
4. Ritual and ceremonial dances
 Dances performed as part of the rituals and ceremony of a certain tribe or group
of people.
5. Game dances
 Derivations from local folk games. (laro ng lahi)
6. Joke and trickster dances
 Includes jokes or tricks played by a dancer on another or a group of dancers who
is one of them.
7. Mimetic or drama dances
 Dances that mimic animals, inanimate objects, or other people. The dancers get
into roles.
8. War dances
 Dances that express feud and enmity wherein two male dancers engage in
physical combat.
9. Social amenities dances
 Dances that express social graces, hospitality, and offerings of gifts to friends.

GOOD LUCK!