Dance Steps Research Articles

Students’ Personal Experience vis-à-vis Personal Interest Towards Philippine Traditional Dances with Respect to Dance Steps, Music, Costume, and Dance History for Preservation Endeavors: Does it Matter?

The primary aim of this research is to investigate the immediate influence of students’ personal experiences and their degree of interest in traditional dances of the Philippines in relation to preservation efforts. Respondents for the study are students from a higher education institution in the Philippines. After obtaining data and performing multiple regression analysis, it was observed that overall personal experience has a direct influence to level of interest. Moreover, students’ personal experience has a direct influence to their interest towards dance steps and costumes, except music and dance history. Therefore, offering a wide range of varied and substantial activities students is imperative, commencing from early education through to their tertiary education years, to enhance enthusiasm and involvement in the safeguarding of these intangible cultural heritages. Limitations and recommendations for physical education teachers in the higher education sector, institutional projects and collaborative efforts, and future research directions are also presented.

BRIEF LITERATURE REVIEW ON RUMBA MOVEMENT ANALYSIS

The analysis of sports dance mechanics is a topic of interest among researchers in recent years. Pengping Zhu (2004) studied classical ballet training combined with biodynamics and analyzed its correlation. Xiling Deng (2001) discussed mechanical issues in aerobic gymnastics. Latin dancers have radically different biomechanical demands than standard dancers (McCabe, T. R., Wyon, M., Ambegaonkar, J. P., Redding, E., 2013). In Latin American dances, both men and women follow a similar step pattern and often mirror each other's movements (Laird, W. & Laird, J., 2003). In order to be able to understand the motor content that supports the technical executions specific to sports dance, we need to be guided by the movement analysis models. In this sense Bota A. (2007), citing Rasch and Burke, presents stages of the model of biomechanical analysis of movement. Due to the complexity of dance steps and specific combinations, sports dance is an extremely demanding field, being approached by the performance field, so it requires many hours of training to achieve general and specific physical training.

Physics Concepts Reflected in Ilocano Folk Dances: It’s Implications to Contextualized Physics Teaching

Using the document analysis method, this study analyzed and interpreted the steps, movements, and props used in the Ilocano folk dances to determine the Physics concepts reflected in the dances. Furthermore, the study determined the Ilocano culture demonstrated in the Ilocano folk dances with identified Physics concepts. Implications of the concepts and Ilocano culture identified to Physics teaching were also deduced in the study. This study analyzed eight (8) Ilocano folk dances, namely, Binatbatan, Chotis Dingreña, Dinaklisan, Ilocana a Nasudi, Innalisan, Pandaggo Ilocano, Polka Ilocana and Surtido Banna. It also made use of the results of the study of Cubangbang (2017), which is a list of dance steps and terms of Ilocano folk dances, dance literatures from the books of Francisca Reyes Aquino titled, “Philippine Folk Dances and Philippine Dances and Songs,” and dance presentations from Ilocos Norte Tourism Department, for the analysis. Analyses and interpretations were based on the researcher’s perspective. Results show that the Ilocano folk dances are rich in Physics concepts. Likewise, the Ilocano folk dances reflect Ilocano values such as spirituality, adaptability, social responsibility, nationalism, modesty, and frugality. Moreover, results show that the dances are performed during social gatherings. Further, they depict Ilocano principles such as class-consciousness and chief industries of the different towns of Ilocos Norte like weaving and fishing. Finally, the implications to Physics drawn from the findings include the fact that dances could be used to demonstrate Physics concepts and to develop contextualized and culture-based Physics lessons to enrich Physics teaching.

Women in the Mix: A Critical-Pragmatic Study of the Gender Representation in Nigerian Hip-hop Music

Hip-hop music has become a popular trend in Nigeria, as it enjoys a high level of acceptance among the Nigerian youths. Thus, this study examines the representation of female gender in hip-hop music and the messages the music conveyed about female gender; it also unravels the hidden pragmatic meanings behind the content of the music. Nine (9) data from the lyrics of selected hip-hop music were randomly selected and analysed using Mey's (2001) pragmatic act theory. This paper adopted a qualitative approach which is due to the nature of the data that was analysed and the approach that was used in analysing it. Findings revealed a dominant portrayal of slangy expressions suggesting sexual overtones, female as mere edibles, women as sexual stimulants, seductive dance steps, and indecent dressing in the lyrical contents sampled. The paper also revealed that the implicit practs of exposing, seducing, luring and proposing were used in the data to show the role females play as characters in hip-hop music videos. The paper concludes that the use of vulgar expressions in the description of these female characters portrayed them mainly as sex commodities and sex workers, this questions the dignity of the African woman and the virtues she is expected to project to her fellow female folk, home and abroad.

Effect of Character Dance Steps in Turkish Folk Dances on Some Physical Fitness Levels

This research was conducted in öder to examine the effect of character dance steps determined from Kırşehir region dances, which are applied within the folk dance trainings held regularly for eight weeks, on the physical fitness of the athletes. A total of 20 volunteers were included in the sample group of the study (male; n=10, age;11±08, female; n=10 age 11±08). The sample size of the study was determined by Gpower analysis. The effectiveness of the character dance steps determined from the Kırşehir region dances on the physical levels of the participants was the subject of the research. In the experimental research, some physical fitness tests were applied to the participants. In assessing aerobic fitness; Harvard step test is used to evaluate strength; Hand grip test and leg strength test are used to evaluate agility; T test, in measurements of balance performance; Standing Strong and flamingo balance tests. Jump Test was used to evaluate anaerobic power. All data were analyzed in the IBM-SPSS 25 statistical program. The findings obtained in this study; In the trainings conducted with character dance steps determined from the Kırşehir regional dances, significance was observed in the aerobic capacities, strength variables and agility abilities of male and female Folk Dance performance athletes aged 11-14 who were trained at the secondary education level (p < α=0.05). These results showed that the selected character dance steps studies significantly improved physical fitness in the participants.

Love and Theft in Dance Economies

The emergence of blockchain dance tokens is reshaping the dynamics of race in short-form dance videos within digital economies. While blockchain technologies primarily have been associated with cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, they are changing the arts sector, particularly dance and choreography. This transformation has significant implications for understanding the valorization of Black labor and aesthetics. By examining two distinct choreographic initiatives, we can grasp the profound impact of blockchain cultural production and distribution ecosystems. One example is the work of JaQuel Knight, renowned for choreographing iconic music videos, including Beyoncé’s. Knight's efforts to copyright his dances and empower Black choreographers reflect a shift towards artist ownership of dance steps. Another case study involves the Renegade dance, initially popularized on TikTok. Despite its viral success, choreographer Jalaiah Harmon struggled for recognition. Now, with the advent of dance Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs), artists can monetize their work and bridge the gap between labor and circulation. These innovative legal and financial pathways mark the emergence of crypto-choreographies, enabling Black artists to reimagine and carry out a post-extractive dance world. This transcends conventional debates of dance appreciation versus appropriation, signaling a transformative shift in aesthetic economies and the limits of choreographic copyright law.

WARBA Dance Steps of Ganzourgou: Conflict Prevention and Resolution in Burkina Faso

In the Ganzourgou province, an ancestral ludomotor activity is practiced: the warba, a traditional dance on which the Moaga society has engraved its mechanisms of prevention and resolution of conflicts that often oppose its members. It is a dance that conveys through body gestures, deep messages whose objectives are, among others, the quest for social cohesion. To grasp the different articulations of this traditional dance of prevention and conflict regulation, a stay was made in Ganzourgou where a participatory observation was carried out on the intangible cultural heritage of this people. From the analysis of the results, it appears that the warba dance steps such as the Laadem-lacre or the Kar-valga implemented under the instrumental air during sacred or profane dance ceremonies, convey messages that consolidate social relations. However, the results also show that this reference social practice is under the influence of modern and African-inspired dances, thus leading to its gradual disappearance. To face this influence, research suggests the revitalization of this local knowledge of the Moose people of Ganzourgou, bearer of endogenous values of conflict regulation, and its inclusion in school curricula and in the practice of maintenance sport.

Horeography in operetta performances – Case study: The ball of Prince Orlofsky from Die Fledermaus production by Johann Strauss – The Son, act II

Operetta is a musical and dramatic performance similar to, yet shorter than opera, composed to a dramatic libretto with humorous elements. It is a complex production engaging the viewer in an appealing visual and audible experience marked by a harmonious blend of movement, colour and form. From a choreographic perpective, operetta brings a particular approach in that nearly the entire performance consists of planned dance sequences or ample parts of scenic movement. The research topic is the ball organised by Prince Orlofsky of Die Fledermaus (The Bat) operetta by Johann Strauss – The Son, a part of Act II, staged by Matteo Mazzoni, choreographed by Roxana Colceag and acted out by Victor Bucur. The wide range of sequences of dance steps in an operetta performance is due to the themes of such performances which allow and even impose the existence of choreographic moments, on the one hand, and to the rhythmic, danceable music often inspired from various dances specific to the geographical area where the action takes place, on the other. The performers must accurately execute the dance technical elements. The method used in creating the choreographic moment under research is immitation–based learning. Immitation is the best-known and frequently used dance composition means and consists in the reproduction by the performer, as faithfully as possible, of a dance phrase given by the choreographer. The scenic movement and the planned sequences of dance steps are the valuable fruit of the choreographer's searches and of the performers' endeavours towards achieving a flawless creative behaviour on stage, always starting from the director's perspective. In embodying their character, the performer does not truly rely on the external models they refer to, but on a great amount of spontaneity and creativity.

Features of the Unpublished Katigbawan Festival Dance of Catigbian, Bohol

The Katigbawan Festival in Catigbian, Bohol, is a celebration deeply rooted in the town's cultural heritage. Among its vibrant components is a dance that encapsulates the spirit and identity of the community. Over the years, cultural practices have undergone transformations, and without careful documentation, the essence of these dances may be lost. In an age of globalization, sustaining local cultural practices is critical to retaining a distinct identity. This study aimed to identify and analyze the distinguishing characteristics of Katigbawan Festival Dance; the symbolism it conveys in the costumes and dance equipment/props used; the purpose of creating the dance; the values demonstrated in the Katigbawan Dance Steps; and the preservation initiatives implemented by the LGU.
 This study utilized qualitative descriptive research method with interview guide questions serving as data-gathering methods. The analysis finds that the Katigbawan Festival's basic dance steps are classified as festival dance, with motions arranged within time signatures of 2/2, 3/4, and 4/4. The research also sheds light on the symbiotic link that exists between the dance steps (Katigbi, Tigbaw, and Kabaw) and the matching costumes and props. These elements contain basic qualities such as thankfulness, ingenuity, power, and hard work. The costume represents the Carabao, also capturing the sense of nature which is the cave and the growth of the plant Katigbi. Dance equipment and props are artfully intertwined throughout the performance to represent the richness of natural resources.

Building an Online Learning Model Through a Dance Recognition Video Based on Deep Learning

Jumping motion recognition via video is a significant contribution because it considerably impacts intelligent applications and will be widely adopted in life. This method can be used to train future dancers using innovative technology. Challenging poses will be repeated and improved over time, reducing the strain on the instructor when performing multiple times. Dancers can also be recreated by removing features from their images. To recognize the dancers’ moves, check and correct their poses, and another important aspect is that our model can extract cognitive features for efficient evaluation and classification, and deep learning is currently one of the best ways to do this for short-form video features capabilities. In addition, evaluating the quality of the performance video, the accuracy of each dance step is a complex problem when the eyes of the judges cannot focus 100% on the dance on the stage. Moreover, dance on videos is of great interest to scientists today, as technology is increasingly developing and becoming useful to replace human beings. Based on actual conditions and needs in Vietnam. In this paper, we propose a method to replace manual evaluation, and our approach is used to evaluate dance through short videos. In addition, we conduct dance analysis through short-form videos, thereby applying techniques such as deep learning to assess and collect data from which to draw accurate conclusions. Experiments show that our assessment is relatively accurate when the accuracy and F1-score values are calculated. More than 92.38% accuracy and 91.18% F1-score, respectively. This demonstrates that our method performs well and accurately in dance evaluation analysis.

An investigation of methods to improve the accuracy of classical dance steps based on machine vision recognition technology

Abstract Methods that use motion capture data to analyze human behavior are highly interpretable and offer significant advantages in vision-based dance step analysis. In this study, we propose a fusion feature extraction method that describes the rotational information embedded in the skeleton and combines the advantages of single-skeleton feature extraction and Li group feature extraction methods for recognition. The feasibility and validity of the proposed model are verified by conducting recognition experiments on BVH data of classical dance steps performed by subjects. In the ablation experiments, the average accuracy of the classical dance step recognition model based on fused features for step movement recognition is improved by 3.01% and 1.86% compared with the neural network model and the Lie group network model, respectively. It has been proven that adding rotation information to skeletal features can effectively differentiate 3D motion trajectories in similar dance steps. Furthermore, the dance movement trajectories derived from this model are very clear and can be utilized to direct the correct joint point positions throughout the movement. The recognition accuracy of the fusion feature extraction-based recognition method for all seven classical dance basic foot positions is greater than 90%, which reflects the accuracy of the proposed machine vision model in recognizing classical dance steps.

Reinterpretation of Gender Concept and Its Influence on Preservation of Barong Show Performance in Blora

Barongan Blora is a traditional folk dance in Central Java that has existed since 1830. The passage of time brings up new social conceptions that influence the implementation of Barongan performances, particularly those relating to gender. This research aims to look into the gender roles of Barongan dancers and how they interact with social and cultural components of society. Gender interpretation aims to understand the social construction of men’s and women’s roles in society. These roles include male and female dancers whose motions express diverse traits while maintaining the performance’s significant values. This study employs a qualitative research design with case studies on various Barongan groups in Blora, Indonesia. In May 2023, data was gathered through interviews, observation, and documentation. The results suggest that cat motions dominate the Barongan dance steps, which are supported by strong, energetic, and nimble characters. On the other hand, each character’s movements are tailored to the roles and the dancers who portray them. Male dancers are cast as characters who appear strong and emphasize masculine attributes, such as Barongan, Gembong Amijoyo, Joko Lodro, Untup, and Nayantaka. Meanwhile, female dancers who play male characters, such as Barongan and Jathilan, must be agile, strong, and feminine. Gender distinctions in Barongan performance can be noticed in the movements created. Still, there are no substantial disparities in physical appearance between male and female dancers because both needed a physique corresponding to the characters being played. The Barongan performance also impacts society’s social and cultural features. Regarding social qualities, Barongan embodies the populist traits of the Blora people, which are based on humanist principles. In terms of culture, Barongan Blora has evolved to keep up with changing times, yet it remains and can be appreciated by all levels of society. Due to its uniqueness, Barongan’s preservation is still carried out in line with the times while maintaining cultural values and content in physical and non-physical forms.

Development of Gaynek Ta Cabiga-O Dance: A Way to Strengthen the Panaglaga Culture

"Gaynek ta Cabiga-o" emerges as a creative dance form inspired by the traditional artistry of crafting winnowing baskets, known as "panaglaga ti bigao," deeply embedded in the cultural fabric of the Itneg tribe in Nagsincaoan, Cabugao, Ilocos Sur. This exploratory-sequential approach research blends qualitative insights from interviews and participatory observations with quantitative analysis through validated questionnaires from five participants. Guided by the Communities of Practice (CoP), the study's focal point is to enhance and preserve the Panaglaga Culture by delving into the intricate stages of crafting bigao. This endeavor culminates in the creation of a dance, intricately weaving together traditional movements, such as bamboo cutting (panagpukan) and weaving (panaglaga), into a cultural expression. Key materials integral to panaglaga ti bigao include bamboo, customized knives, lebleb, uway, labtang, kulokol, bamboo strips, and residue. The resulting dance undergoes expert evaluation, receiving a "Very Much Acceptable" rating for dance steps and music. In essence, "Gaynek ta Cabiga-o" not only breathes new life into cultural practices but also serves as a testament to the community's commitment to cultural preservation and creative innovation. Recommendations based on these findings pave the way for further cultural enrichment and community engagement.

A “Tick and Flick” Exercise: Movement and Form in Australian Parliamentary Human Rights Scrutiny

Human rights scrutiny processes in some Australian parliaments require consideration of whether rights-limiting legislation is reasonable, justifiable, and proportionate. The Queensland Human Rights commissioner has raised concerns of this becoming a “perfunctory ‘tick and flick’ exercise” in which decision-makers perform the “dance steps to [rights] derogation”—a concern emulated by others. Taking this notion of “tick and flick” and “dance steps” literally, this article explores movement and form in the composition of parliamentary human rights scrutiny reports. Drawing from Marie Jacob and Anna Macdonald's notion of legal documents as material, somatic, and metaphorical forms, this article analyzes the choreographic and calligraphic forms in these reports. Through exploring the forms themselves alongside interview data about parliamentary human rights scrutiny practices, this article speculates on whether form has bearing on the process of parliamentary human rights scrutiny, and how form shapes the substance of both the reports and human rights themselves.

Don’t Be Afraid to Just Dance!

In my experience, the word dance in physical education has been somewhat of a taboo. Many physical education teachers either choose not to teach dance at all because they do not feel comfortable with it or they struggle to find ways to teach it properly to their students. The teaching dance for understanding (TDfU) model completely changed my perspective not only on how to teach dance but also on how I can connect it to the physical education standards and make it meaningful to students. The TDfU model helped me break down dancing into more than just teaching specific dance steps to students. Using the TDfU model to introduce dance and get students comfortable with it helped lead to more meaningful uses for dance within the curriculum. After using this model, I was able to incorporate dance in different units throughout the entire school year and not just for a couple of weeks.

Mzansi Magic

Mzansi Magic

Cases in Ancestral Origins in Micro Tribes in Nigeria: The Discrimination Against Ndueze and Ewolokpo Families in Abbi, Delta State

The law of the 1999 Constitution which is substantially the same with the repealed 1979 Constitution has made bold attempts, addressing the overarching problem of discrimination on the basis of birth, clan, tribal and ancestral origins. Tribal and ancestral origins in Abbi have captured our attention in this study which adopts the doctrinal method. The study seeks to confront and interrogate the ethnic and ancestral basis and grounds for the fierce discrimination against Umu-Ndueze and Umu-Ewolokpo families of Echala quarters of Abbi in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. The drive of the study is informed by the legal methodologies through which the scrimmages are fought in courts of law without the protagonist ‘bending backwards’ to consider the evidence upon which the cases are built in the light of the brotherhood that had existed amongst the kindred families of Abbi, since time out of human memory, and the currency of the 1999 Constitution of the Federation of Nigeria on such issues. The study also underscores the evidence that the antagonists have brought to bear on the disputes in the courts in defence of the discrimination in the light of the history of Abbi which had been constructed in recent times by Abbi native writers based on traditional history and evidence and colonial intelligence reports and accounts. The study finds that deliberate attempts are being made by power elites to distort the history of Abbi people by the nature of the tendencies of the disputants and the drummers of the dance steps of the disputants have been clearly identified in Military and Civilian elites that gain prominence in the post colonial era in Abbi. Mere occupation of tribal, ancestral and kindred thrones and offices which do not yield much economic or financial transformation of the disputants cannot be said to be behind the crab-fights or kettles of fish. Abbi, in recent times, is not known to have grown its traditional and political leadership because of this tendency of power elites in self-destruction and self-deprecation. It is found that Abbi by nature is now disparate in orientation and self-divisive against the commensality that informed it earliest patriarchs’ endeavours. The discrimination against Umu-Ndueze and Umu-Ewolokpo families is largely caused by this tendency than any endemic ancestral divisions between the parties which founded the community many years ago.

A critical-pragmatic study of the representation of female gender in Nigerian Hip-hop music

Hip-hop music has become a popular trend in Nigeria, as it enjoys a high level of acceptance among the Nigerian youths. Thus, this study examines the representation of female gender in hip hop music and the messages the music conveyed about female gender; it also unravels the hidden pragmatic meanings behind the content of the music. Nine (9) data from the lyrics of selected hip hop music were randomly selected and analysed using Mey's (2001) pragmatic act theory. This paper adopted a qualitative approach which is due of the nature of the data that was analysed and the approach that was used in analysing it. Findings revealed a dominant portrayal of slangy expressions suggesting sexual overtimes, female as mere edibles, women as sexual stimulant, seductive dance steps, and indecent dressing in the lyrical contents sampled. The paper also revealed that the implicit practs of exposing, seducing, luring and proposing were used in the data to show the role females play as characters in hip-hop music videos. The paper concludes that the use of vulgar expressions in the description of these female characters portrayed them mainly as sex commodities and sex workers, this questions the dignity of the African woman and the virtues she is expected to project to her fellow female folk, home and abroad.

English

Dances are part of our socio cultural identities in Nigeria. They are performed for different purposes and at different settings such as home, social gatherings, religious centres, schools, concert halls, dance halls and theatres.  Some dance steps are peculiar to certain ethnic groups within each geo-political zone in Nigeria. These peculiarities of dance steps are seemingly going into oblivion. This paper seeks to find out reasons for the erosive state of these dance steps and reasons for the consequent emergence of modified dance steps. Primary data were collected through oral interview of selected dance groups in Ile-Ife, Ibadan, Ijaw, Calabar, Istekiri and Jos metropolis.  Secondary data were collected by reviewing works of scholars in published books and articles from national and international journals. The findings reveal that the emergence of modified dance steps has now become an accompaniment to popular music as against the conventional concept of music as an accompaniment to dance. These dance steps become more popular than the traditional dances and adapted as homely dances in all the selected geo-political zones in Nigeria. The paper concludes that the emergence of modified dance steps has eroded and sniffed the dance peculiarities of these towns as a result of popular music artiste’s quest for identity and unity of dance steps to their music.   Key words: Appraisal, evolution, dance, accompaniment, popular music.

LabanFormer: Multi-scale graph attention network and transformer with gated recurrent positional encoding for labanotation generation

Labanotation is a widely-used notation system for recording human dance movements. Automatically generating Labanotation scores from motion capture data can save significant manual effort and help the preservation of old folk dances in protecting intangible cultural heritages. Existing Labanotation generation methods have limited ability to capture the flexible limb movements as well as the rich periodic, symmetric, or repeated dance steps. In this paper, we present a novel LabanFormer model including a Multi-Scale Graph Attention network (MS-GAT) and a transformer model with Gated Recurrent Positional Encoding (GRPE) to achieve more effective Labanotation generation. First, the proposed MS-GAT can capture flexible limb movements by learning feature correlations between every two joints and aggregating features of neighboring joints over multiple scales. Second, we propose a new GRPE-based transformer to learn global temporal dependencies in the output feature sequences of MS-GAT. The novel GRPE module can encode position information with learnable parameters while handling various sequence lengths. As such, the periodic, symmetric, or repeated steps in dances can be accurately captured. Finally, the corresponding Laban symbols are generated by the decoder of the GRPE-based transformer. Extensive experiments on two real-world datasets show that the proposed LabanFormer model obtains remarkable performance compared with state-of-the-art approaches on the automatic Labanotation generation task.