Evolution of Dance Essay Example for Free

Evolution of Dance Essay Thesis: Dance has unquestionably came a long way and it is important that we know what the initial purpose of dance was when it was first introduced, the many benefits that dance offers and how dance is used today in many ways such as recreation and entertainment. Organizational Pattern: Topical I. Introduction A. Attention Getter: â€Å"Dancing is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts. For it is no mere translation or abstraction of life. It is life itself. † This is a quote by British writer and psychologist Henry Havelock Ellis. B. Relevance: Some of you may not realize it but dance plays a large role in your lives. Many of us college students love to party and what’s a party without dancing? When you’re around your friends and the music is loud, you can’t help but to start dancing. C. Credibility: Being a dancer for thirteen years, I’ve always found any and everything about dance fascinating. The art of dance has always been a passion of mine. D. Thesis: Dance has unquestionably came a long way and it is important that we know what the initial purpose of dance was when it was first introduced, the many benefits that dancing offers and how dance is used today in many ways such as recreation and entertainment. E. Preview: With this in mind, I will first inform you on the history of dance and how it began, next, I will give you the many benefits there are that comes with dancing and lastly, I will tell you how dance has changed and how it is used the today. Transition: To begin, I will first inform you on the history of dance and how it began. II. Body A. First, the history and initial purpose of dance will be discussed. 1. Dance first began as ritual in Egypt. According to an article from History World, an online encyclopedia created by a group of historians in 1994 , â€Å"†¦priests and priestesses, accompanied by harps and pipes, perform stately movements which mime significant events in the story of a god, or imitate cosmic patterns such as the rhythm of night and day. † At Egyptian funerals, women would often dance to express grief of the mourners. 2. Dancing in ancient Egypt was an accepted part of life. a. Different festivals such as the Sed-Festival and the Opet-Festival were all accompanied by dancers. Their movements often brought joy to spectators. The movements of the ancient Egyptian dancers, particularly the women, are called by scholars such as J. Gardner Wilkinson in his 1837 essay, and by Eugen Strouhal in his book Life in Ancient Egypt, elegant, graceful, even acrobatic. b. Not only were the movements of the dance elegant, but so were the costumes the dancers wore. Women wore very sheer robes, or simply belt girdles, often made of beads or shells, so that their bodies could move about freely. Men dancers wore tall headdresses made of reeds and kilts around their waists. Today, their appearance would be seen as provocative but the Egyptians did not view the naked body the way that we see it today. Transition: Now that you know a brief history about the initial purpose of dance, I will now tell you about some of the many benefits that dance offers. B. Did you know, according to Love To Know Online, a website created to give reliable answers to women for 25 years, casual social dancing is the equivalent of going for a four-mile walk? And that if you do high-energy salsa dancing, you’ll get an even better workout? 1. Getting an awesome workout and remaining physically fit is only one of the many benefits that dance offers. It is not only a great workout, but it’s also a lot of fun! Today, we have so many choices of how we can dance and stay in shape. Classes offered in and out of home such as Zumba Fitness, Flirty Girl Fitness and newly introduced Hip-Hop Abs are all fun and great ways to have fun and shed pounds at the same time. 2. Dance also encourages a better social life and outlook. Being a part of a dance team or class builds friendships and relationships with people from different cultural settings, which also helps with working with people in various workplaces. 3. Another proven benefit of dance is that dancers are known to be disciplined, focused, and high achievers who tend to be successful students and hard workers. Transition: Now that you know some of the awesome benefits that dance offers, we will now see how dance is used today. C. From games such as Just Dance and The Michael Jackson Experience, dance has come a long way from being rituals that described a certain event to everyday recreation and entertainment. 1. Recreational dance has become more popular in the last decade or so. Working at a dance studio back home, I noticed that many parents are enrolling their children into dance classes, not to pursue a professional career, but to keep their children busy with something fun and positive. In fact, people of all ages are starting to dance just as recreation at local studios and community centers. 2. Dance as entertainment has also escalated over the past decades or so. From T. V. shows such as Soul Train back in the day to So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With the Stars, people all over the world find pleasure and entertainment in watching these shows. Many people even subscribe to various YouTube channels that feature great dancers of all ages and all genres of dance. 3. Today, the music that is being produced from artists and DJ’s such as Skrillex, Benny Benassi and David Guetta has one main focus. Dance. This EDM, electronic dance music, is targeted to people who love to dance. Whether its professionally or just jamming to some good sound at a party, young and even older people love to groove to EDM. [Show clip. ] Transition: Now you can see dance is used today in so many ways. III. Conclusion A. Thesis/Summary: Dance has surely come a long way since ancient Egypt. In ancient Egypt, dance was ritual for them. They danced at every ceremony and festival and it was honorable to the people. On the other hand, dance today has many benefits physically and socially and is used as entertainment and recreation worldwide. Dance has become one of the largest past times that people really enjoy. B. Memorable Close: Dance is an expression from the soul and often done indescribably. So the next time you’re at the gym, or having a good time at a party, dance like no one’s watching. References Gascoigne, B. (2001). History of dance. n. d. , from, www. historyworld. net/wrldhis/plaintextstories. asp? historyid Kim, C. (2003). Fun facts of dance. n. d. , from, www. luv2dance. com/fun-facts-of-dance/ Havelock, E (1923). The dance of life. Massachusetts: Praeger Anonymous (2012, July 12). The explosive growth of EDM. Electronic Dance Music Snob.