Dance

START OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR.

We are at the beginning of the school year and, by way of reflection, we would like to write about our central focus, DANCE.

Dance: a short, simple, positive, energetic word. A universal and very general word. From Spain, in the city of Valencia, we begin to think about it: Dance.

If you will allow us, before we begin we would like to offer a brief reflection that we believe is important. Social dancing and dance as an art are not the same thing.

We see that:

• Social dancing – consists of freely expressive movements that arise rhythmically and spontaneously, without being subject to rules.

On the other hand

• Dance – is a structured art that requires training, long periods of practice, hours of rehearsal, study, reading and research. Dance becomes an artistic discipline; it is art and a profession.

We have found some differences between dance as an art and social dancing; we simply wanted to share them with you.

Now, let us begin by talking about the body.

The body uses clear, direct language, which is why it is the most universal language we have. It is also the language through which individuals begin to know, feel, perceive and express themselves.

People have been using this type of non-verbal communication for more than a million years. This type of communication has been studied for some time. The psychologist and researcher Albert Mehrabian* broke down the impact of a message into percentages:

• 7% is verbal
• 38% is vocal (tone, nuances and other characteristics)
• 55% is signals and gestures.

The verbal component is used to communicate information, while the non-verbal component communicates personal states and attitudes. Albert Mehrabian states that in a face-to-face conversation the verbal component is 35% and more than 65% is non-verbal communication.

* Inventor of the 7-38-55 or 55-38-7 Rule (1967)

According to the book “Expresión Corporal y Educación” (Ruano and Sánchez, 2009, p.32) bodily expression has many benefits. This book divides them into three areas:

• Cognitive: self-knowledge, creativity, knowing how to read other people’s gestures, imagination, knowledge of the parts of the body, understanding one’s own limitations and thinking about what one does.
• Personal Balance: self-assurance, confidence, self-esteem, personal well-being, balance, spontaneity, tranquillity, greater authenticity, freedom from inhibition, greater happiness, calm, releasing tension, feeling free to express opinions, autonomy, overcoming embarrassment, learning to appreciate the body, and internal, profound transformations.
• Social Relationships and Inclusion: social affirmation, making oneself known, relating to others, free communication, greater acceptance of others, being part of a group, improving social skills, developing friendship, understanding others, cooperation and creating emotional bonds.

Bodily expression is closely linked to emotional education. It integrates body and mind. Every movement, posture, muscle tone (whether tense or relaxed), facial expression… helps us understand the feelings, thoughts, ideas or fears that a person is experiencing.

So…

What is Dance?

It is an art in which bodily movement is used and felt: a form of expression and communication.

It uses non-verbal language between human beings, with the dancer expressing feelings and emotions through gestures and movements. It is mostly performed to music, whether a song, a musical piece or tones. Over the years, as dance disciplines have evolved, it has even come to be performed in silence.

Dance is also used as a metaphorical literary device, for example when describing the movement of inanimate objects: “The leaves danced in the wind”. Dance also plays a communicative role in animal behaviour patterns, such as “the dance of the bees”, or in certain bird species such as the “magnificent riflebird” (this is known as courtship).

Dance has traditional methods for preparing a dancer, but its methodology has also evolved. It is therefore important to consider the influence of dance on advances in sports science and psychology.

Dance is an artistic discipline, art, a profession, motivation, self-confidence, intensity, passion, concentration, discipline and dedication.

Dance as bodily, universal, physical and emotional language.

Where does Dance come from? How did it emerge? What is its origin?

The first to recognise dance as an art were the Greeks, who dedicated a muse to it in their mythology: Terpsichore. Its practice was linked to the worship of the god Dionysus and, alongside poetry and music, was an indispensable element of Greek tragedy, where catharsis brought the individual into a relationship with the gods.

Since prehistoric times, human beings have needed to communicate through their bodies, with movements expressing feelings and moods. Some cave paintings that have been found depict dancing figures associated with illustrations of rituals.

In Egypt, dances were led by the pharaohs; in Greece, dance rituals were dedicated to the gods of the Greek pantheon, and these dances are recognised today as the origins of contemporary Western theatre; in Rome, dance formed part of processions, festivals and celebrations around 150 BC.

Initially, dance had a ritual component, performed in fertility, hunting, war or various religious ceremonies, where breathing and the heartbeat themselves provided dance with its first cadence.

In 1661, Louis XIV of France authorised the first Royal Academy of Dance.

How do we visualise dance?

It consists of movements, both stationary and travelling, that occur in space and time, performed with part or all of the performer’s body.

Dance comprises several basic, interrelated elements, conveying emotions to the audience and to the dancer. Its elements are:

• Bodily movement
• Rhythm
• Music
• Bodily expression
• Emotional expression
• Physical expression
• Facial expression
• Style
• Space
• Time: dance is ephemeral.

Within dance there is choreography, the art of creating dances. The person who creates choreographies is known as a choreographer. Dance can be performed by varying numbers of dancers, from a solo performer to a couple or groups; the number generally depends on the dance being performed and its purpose, and in more structured cases on the choreographer’s idea.

How many forms of Dance are there?

The definitions that constitute dance depend both on the period in which it originated and on social, cultural, aesthetic, artistic and moral factors, as well as ranging from functional movement to virtuoso techniques.

Every dance, regardless of style, has something in common: it involves flexibility and bodily movement, knowledge and study, training and good physical condition. There are many types of social dancing and dance genres, generally classified into groups or disciplines:

• Urban Dances: These involve a whole form of social identity expressed through ways of understanding life and even dressing, such as Funky, Break Dance and Rock and Roll…
• Popular or Folk Dances: These are based on passing on traditional culture. In our country we are fortunate to have Spanish Dance and Flamenco.
• Classical Dances: These are inherited from ancient times, mainly the classical period of medieval Antiquity and Romanticism, but have undergone changes over time to reach the present day, as with ballet.
• Modern Dances (late 19th century – early 20th century). The evolution of modern dance from the late 1940s onwards led to a preference for the term Contemporary Dance.
• Modern Artistic Dances (1970)
• Neoclassical Dances (A fusion of contemporary and classical dance)
• Theatrical Dances (Concert dance, such as opera)

Dance has qualities that go beyond using and feeling bodily movement, or being a form of expression and communication. It has benefits for physical and mental health.

DANCE AND ITS BENEFITS

Dancing leads us to use our body and senses. It makes us focus on the present moment. As a physical activity, dance provides many physical health benefits, and regular practice promotes better overall health.

Some benefits for Physical Health:

• It helps regulate breathing.
• It strengthens bones and muscles.
• It tones the whole body.
• It improves posture and balance.
• It increases stamina and flexibility.
• It helps keep your brain in shape and improves your memory.
• It improves your ability to carry out several tasks at the same time.

Dance therapy has been recommended for various mental or emotional disorders, including depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, eating disorders, addictions and autism, among others.

Some benefits for Mental Health:

• It helps overcome shyness and improve personal relationships.
• It helps reduce stress and release tension.
• It contributes to improving body perception.
• It promotes sleep and boosts vitality.
• It reduces anxiety and depression.
• It helps express emotions.
• It lifts the spirits and encourages self-confidence.
• It encourages clarity of thought.
• It enables people to recognise and eliminate feelings such as fear, anger, anguish and pain.
• It helps resolve emotional conflicts.

We have said that Dance is an artistic discipline, that it is art. So we ask ourselves:

How does art influence society?

Dance has a sporting character. This art stimulates physical and bodily awareness, explores motor skills and encourages teamwork. It is both a team and an individual sport. In a dance class you work through dancing so that the group forms a whole, but also to improve yourself day by day. In group choreography, even when you are not the main performer, your role is often essential to achieving a good overall result and performing in unison.

It can be said that dance improves the participation and continued involvement of individuals who have difficulty integrating. Its impact is reflected in its connection with the potential for growth, specifically in the notions of friendship, respect and connection that are so important in social relationships.

Since ancient times, dance has been part of human culture. Throughout history, dance has been a means of expression, communication and bringing people together. In today’s society, dance remains a valuable tool for encouraging social bonds and strengthening community cohesion. It has educational value, as it can become a source of cultural knowledge.

Art is participatory, a social movement based on interaction. It is diversity, creativity and part of the education system. The origin of art is linked to that of humanity itself. It was the system our ancestors created to express their circumstances. It conveys beliefs and values. It is one of the essential pillars of a country’s social and economic development.

Art has a great impact on society, as it can generate social and political change. It offers numerous social benefits: it promotes intercultural dialogue, questions social norms, drives the economy and contributes to people’s personal and emotional development. It allows us to feel and perceive life more deeply.

It is also a powerful tool for exploring the reality we live in, inviting us to imagine and build a better future.

Art develops people; its communicative function operates as a universal channel of communication, creating exchange, a source of human expression that transcends cultural and linguistic barriers.

Art influences us and plays a fundamental role in how people think, feel and relate to one another, so its influence on society is more than significant. Artists create works that have succeeded in drawing attention to particular social problems, raising awareness and mobilising people towards change and action. It has the power to bring about social and political change.

Dance is art; dance communicates through the universal non-verbal language shared by human beings. Dance is a factor in intercultural education, encouraging knowledge, acceptance and tolerance of the multicultural reality of today’s society. Through it, we can learn about different cultures and traditions; it is an international discipline that recognises no distinctions of race, sex or age,

We have written about Dance and could continue doing so, but we believe we now have a general idea from which to develop a concept and a line of thought.

We know there are other sporting disciplines that also incorporate dance, such as rhythmic gymnastics, figure skating on ice or roller skates, synchronised swimming, and martial arts kata, which can be associated with a type of dance.

Here we will continue to focus on dance as an artistic discipline, an art and a profession, and on its evolution over time.

Our next reflection, if all goes well, will focus on Dance as an educational and artistic discipline.

See you soon, and thank you for sharing this reading with us.

*Because of permissions, class timetables and travel between the four schools’ different locations, it proved impossible to arrange a photograph with all the students. Even so, we did not want to miss the opportunity to include some welcome photographs for the start of the school year in this post.

* Photos: Marga Alcalá