QUARTER 4
WEEK 6-8
Physical Activity
Participation: Dances
Dances Around the
World
• Origin and Cultural Context of the
Dance
• Genre and Style-Specific Dance
Techniques
UNLOCKIN
CONTEN
GT
Measure
are units of musical time marked by
bar lines. Each measure contains a
specific number of beats determined
by the time signature.
Dancers count measures to stay
synchronized with the music and
execute choreography accurately.
Clockwise
The direction of movement that
follows the direction of a clock's
hands: from left to right, or
counterclockwise when viewed from
above. This term is used to provide
directions or cues for dancers to
move in a specific direction during
choreography or when navigating
Figures
a specific sequence of movements
or steps performed as part of a
dance routine or pattern. Figures
can vary widely depending on the
style of dance, ranging from simple
steps like a basic box step in
ballroom dancing to more complex
combinations and patterns in styles.
ORIGIN AND CULTURAL
CONTEXT OF THE DANCE
The Red River Valley is a beloved folk
song with intriguing origins and
cultural significance.
let’s explore its fascinating
backstory:
ORIGINS
RED RIVER VALLEY IS GENERALLY
CONSIDERED A COWBOY SONG
THAT REFERS TO the Red River of
the South.
This river runs through the southern
Great Plains, spanning from Texas to
Louisiana, and touching Oklahoma
and Arkansas along the way.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE
TWO SIGNIFICANT RED
RIVER VALLEYS ON THE
AMERICAN continent:
the Red River Valley of
the South and the Red
River Valley of the North.
RED
RIVER
o f t h e
RED
RIVER
of t h e
THE EARLIEST KNOWN WRITTEN
MANUSCRIPT OF THE LYRICS TO
“RED RIVER Valley” was found in
Iowa, bearing the notation of the
year 1879.
THE SONG WAS ALSO
KNOWN IN AT LEAST FIVE
CANADIAN
provinces prior to 1896.
CULTURAL
CONTEXT
THE FAMED CANADIAN FOLKLORIST, EDITH
FOWKE, PROVIDED EVIDENCE THAT
the song was known in Canada and
speculated that it was composed
during the Red River Rebellion of 1870 in
Manitoba.
ACCORDING TO FOWKE, THE SONG HELD
THE FORM OF A STORY ABOUT A MÉTIS
GIRL lamenting the departure of her Anglo
lover, a soldier who came west to
suppress the Red River Rebellion.
THE LYRICS OF “RED RIVER VALLEY”
REFLECT THE CULTURAL CONFLICT
OCCURRING during the nineteenth-century
settlement of the American continent by
Europeans and the related displacement of
the indigenous natives.
THIS SEEMINGLY SIMPLE FOLK SONG HAS A
RICH HISTORY THAT INTERTWINES CULTURAL
clashes, love, and longing. Its melodies echo
across time, connecting different traditions
and regions on both sides of the border.
GENRE AND
STYLE-SPECIFIC
DANCE
TECHNIQUES
RED RIVER VALLEY
FOLK DANCE
THE RED RIVER VALLEY IS AN
AMERICAN FOLK DANCE THAT HAS ITS
ROOTS IN THE
Red River Valley of the North.
This region spans parts of the United
States and Canada.
TRADITIONALLY, THIS DANCE IS
PERFORMED WITH ONE BOY AT THE
CENTER, flanked by two girls in each set of
three.
However, variations exist where one girl is
at the center, accompanied by two boys on
the sides.
THE DANCERS TYPICALLY WEAR
COSTUMES THAT REFLECT THE SPIRIT
OF THE DANCE. For girls, this includes
gay printed or checkered skirts and
white blouses .
THE RED RIVER VALLEY DANCE IS OFTEN
PERFORMED AS A square dance.
Square dancing involves coordinated
movements by four couples arranged in a
square formation.
PARTNER
I n te r a c
ti o n
DANCERS HOLD HANDS OR LINK ARMS,
EMPHASIZING group participation and
interaction.
This physical connection fosters
trust, cooperation, and social bonding.
RHYTHMIC
Pa tte r
ns
THE DANCE FOLLOWS SPECIFIC
RHYTHMIC PATTERNS, steps, and
formations that align with the
music and cultural context.
FOOTWORK
THE FOOTWORK IN THE RED RIVER
VALLEY DANCE MAY INCLUDE
promenades, do-si-do, and other
traditional square dance steps.
THE RED RIVER VALLEY FOLK DANCE
COMBINES CULTURAL HERITAGE, PARTNER
DYNAMICS, and rhythmic movements. It’s
a celebration of community and tradition,
echoing the spirit of the North American
plains.
VALUES
INHERENT IN THE
DANCE
THE RED RIVER VALLEY FOLK DANCE
CARRIES SEVERAL INHERENT VALUES
THAT RESONATE with its cultural context
and the communities that perform it.
Let’s explore these values:
COMMUNIT
Y BONDING
AND
TOGETHERNES
• THE DANCE IS OFTEN PERFORMED IN
GROUPS, EMPHASIZING COLLECTIVE
participation.
• Dancers hold hands or link arms, creating a
sense of unity and connection.
• Through shared movements and rhythms,
participants build bonds and celebrate their
cultural heritage.
PRESERVATIO
N
OF TRADITION
• THE RED RIVER VALLEY DANCE IS A TIME-
HONORED TRADITION PASSED DOWN
through generations.
• By practicing and performing this dance,
communities preserve their
cultural identity and historical roots.
CELEBRATION
OF
LOVE AND
LONGING
• THE DANCE’S ORIGINS ARE INTERTWINED
WITH THEMES OF LOVE AND LONGING.
• Whether through the lyrics of the
accompanying song or the expressive
movements, dancers convey emotions
related to relationships, separation, and
nostalgia.
RESPECT FOR
CULTURAL
IVERSITY:
• THE DANCE REFLECTS THE CULTURAL
DIVERSITY OF THE REGIONS WHERE IT IS
practiced.
• Participants appreciate and honor the
different backgrounds and
histories that converge in the Red River
Valley.
PHYSICAL
FITNESS
AND WELL-
BEING
• DANCING PROMOTES PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY, COORDINATION, AND
cardiovascular health.
• Participants engage in rhythmic
movements, enhancing their overall
well-being.
JOY
AND
CELEBRATION
• THE LIVELY STEPS, MUSIC, AND
COMMUNAL ATMOSPHERE CREATE AN
environment of joy and celebration.
• Whether at social gatherings, festivals, or
community events, the
• Red River Valley dance brings people
together in a spirit of
merriment.
learners’
takeaways
“Complete Me”
Today I learned that……….
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