The dances expressed themes such as work and conflict. They were, and in some cases are, closely related to a people's religion, ceremonies, spirituality, rituals and celebrations. The study of these dances affords a glimpse into a people and their way of life. It is a way of examining a people's values and beliefs. However, it is not intended that studying a culture's dance should be only an historical investigation.
Dance exists today as valid expressions of a people.
In fact, though altered through time, many of the current dances retain vestiges of the past. Therefore, learning about a culture's dance includes studying the historical and present day aspects of the culture, examining how these dances may reflect the culture and, finally, experiencing the dances. As students actively participate in exploring the culture, they gain new insights into the culture and come to appreciate the significance of the culture's dance in the spirit it was intended. This approach to learning about a culture's dance provides students with varied learning experiences. In this case though, the teacher may wish to use steps of the dance as the basis of the warm-up activities.