Originating from the Lindy Hop dance, Acrobatic Rock'n'Roll is an athletic and competitive form of choreographed dance. It is very fast and physically demanding and is danced by groups of four to eight couples. This dance focuses on show dance and pure competition and emphasizes high kicks, hops, bouncing movements, and complicated aerials. It was mainly danced in Europe during the 1950 but is mostly danced with pop music and contemporary rock-roll nowadays.
Combining acrobat elements with classical dance techniques, Acro dance is characterized by its unique choreography which blends acrobatics and dance. Transitions from dance to acrobatics must be smooth and graceful and the percentage of dance should be higher than that of the acrobatics involved. It is popular among amateur dance competitions, in contemporary circus productions such as those performed by Cirque de Soleil, and in professional dance theaters. It is a physically demanding and challenging dance style and dancers must be well trained in both acrobatic skills and dance.
Affanchi is a type of dance involving a series of French –styled figures and African-styled improvisation. It is danced to woodwind and stringed instruments and not to the drums. This dance was revived during the 1950s by the La Troupe Folklorique Nationale, meaning National Dance Troupe and then incorporated movements and rhythms related to hip hop. In Haiti, this dance is still performed during voodoo services and country festivals.
Dating back from the Baroque and Renaissance era, Allemande is one of the most popular instrumental dance styles performed with baroque music during the 17th to 18th century. Couples who perform this dance hold one forearm and turn around each other to the right or to the left. To put it simply, it is a court dance with couples dancing with their arms interlaced. This dance does not involve fancy footwork but is mostly about passing the hands over partners’ heads in an elegant manner.
Originally performed by men from the Shammar tribe of the central Nejd region before they march to war, Ardah is a folkloric dance from Saudi Arabia that is mostly performed nowadays in weddings, celebrations, and national and cultural events like the Jenadriyah festival. Ardah is performed with two rows of men opposite each other, each carrying a sword or cane. It is danced with the accompaniment of drums and spoken poetry.
Performed by male dancers around a burning bonfire, Arkan is a dance style that features men dancing with their right foot stepping to the side while their left foot crosses behind. The right foot steps to the side again and the left foot hops in front of the dance whose knee is in a bending position. The men dancing should have their arms upon one another’s shoulders. This dance is also performed by Ukrainan professional dancers and they incorporate many variations to this root step. Romania has their personal version of this dance style, called Arcan.
Originally danced by Pashtuns during weddings and war times, Attan is now the national dance of Afghanistan. It is usually performed by 50 to 100 dancers wearing red scarves in the air while musicians play the drums and the pipes in slow to fast tempo. Dancers form a circle and clap their hands during a specific beat. As the beat progresses from slow to gradually speedy, the number of claps increases and the movement of dancers become faster. They extend their arms into the air and they stretch and extend their legs, too as a common Attan routine.
Azonto originated from Kpanlogo, a traditional dance associated with coastal towns in Ghana. This dance style is often performed to Azonto music but can also be danced using other genres of music. Azonto involves a set of hand movements which mimic the activities of Ghanaian people like washing, driving, swimming, praying, and ironing the clothes. It is characterized by knee bending and hip movements. It usually begins with one or two simple step movements and now includes more complex and bordering to acrobatic movement.
Baagh Naach, also known as Tiger Dance is a dance style where the male dancer paints himself with black and yellow stripes then add finishes so that he will resemble a tiger. Additionally he attaches a tail at his rear. In this dance style, the male dancers move from one house in the community to another so they can collect the people who can be spectators at their performance. They dance at the beat of the drums and the bells. While dancing, the dancers produce hissing sounds and they make acrobatic movements. The dance steps are spontaneous and lively so as to imitate the fierce animal. This dance is considered a folk dance in Orissa in India and is performed during the Hindu month of Chaitra, special celebrations, and notable festivals.
Bagurumba, also referred to as the Assamese is a folk dance of the Bodo tribe Assam from Northeast India and is performed by the Bodos during their Bwisagu festival. The dance is sometimes called the "butterfly dance" as its movements resemble the actions of butterflies. Bagurumba dance's other name is Bardwisikhla dance. It is danced with the accompaniment of musical instruments like serja (a bowed instrument), sifung (flute), tharkha (a piece of split bamboo), kham or madal (a long drum made of wood and goatskin).
Originally called Pure-Bal, Balboa is a dance which originated from Southern California from 1920s to 1930s. Since then, the definition of this dance has evolved greatly. It is characterized by smooth and tight footwork paired with a lot of shuffling. The position of dancers is called chest to chest”, close dancing position. It has an 8-count basic and is danced with music featuring fast and lively tempos (around 300 beats per minute). However, it is said that a good Balboa dancer can showcase Balboa at any tempo. When danced to the tune of slow music (100 beats and below per minute), Balboa dancers can add a variety of intricate footwork.
Originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, ballet is a dance style which is world renowned up to this day. It is considered as one of the fundamental dance styles which shaped other dance genres. Ballet is a difficult dance to master and requires years of training to before you can call yourself a ballet pro. Ballet may also refer to a ballet dance work, which consists of choreography and music specifically designed for a ballet production. A perfect example is The Nutcracker, a two-act ballet originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. The music score was by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Ballet dance works are only performed by professional ballet dancers. Most classical ballet works are performed with classical music as the accompaniment.
One of the renowned folk island dance style is Ballos, from the Latin word "ballo" which means to dance and to jump. It is referred to as a couple's dance where all the elements of courtship like attraction, flirtation, display of masculine prowess and feminine virtue, pursuit, and rejection followed by eventual capture and surrender are showcased. This dance was developed for Greek men of old are not able to approach women easily, so they created this dance as a way to "flirt" with women.
Ballu tundu is a dance style that was described as early as 1805 by Mameli and 1825 by La Marmora. It’s the traditional folk dance of Sardinia and is generally danced in a closed or open circle. In Sardinia, it is danced in a lively and animated way, incorporating agile movements and leaps, with the accompaniment of a choir of three or more singers who are in the center of the circle. The Introduction of Ballu tundu is in 2/4 time but the dance itself is done in 6/8. If the dancers of Ballu tundu are married or engaged couples, they can hold hands palm to palm with fingers entwined, but the male dancer can only do this with his wife, not to any other woman dancer or another man’s wife. If in case a stranger dancing is going to enter the circle, the stranger should enter it from the woman’s right and not between the husband and wife.
Referred to as the “Persian belly dance”, Bandari dance is a type of chain dance that often involves multiple people dancing. It is usually performed at parties where dancers travel around in a circle and at times, they step into the center of the circle to dance solo when encouraged by other dancers. This dance is a combination of rhythmic movements in varying directions depending on the beat of the background song. Its distinct feature is the unique way performers wave their hands resembling that of a group of fishermen at the sea.
A folk dance of Sherdukpens in Arunachal Pradesh in India, Bardo Chham is a dance which tells the stories of the good and the evil of mankind. The Sherdukpen dancers wear a mask representing different animals and the dance shows acts of animals fighting the evil forces of nature.
Involving traditional and folk music, a barn dance as its name suggests, is performed in a barn originally. Over time, it started getting performed inside buildings. A barn dance can be a Ceilidh, a traditional Irish or Scottish type of dance and features Contra dancing, square dancing, dancing to country, English Country dance, Western music, or any other kind of dancing, often with a live band and a caller. They danced to tunes with 4/4 rhythms during the 1950s in Ireland.
Baroque dance is dance of the Baroque era (roughly 1600 to 1750), closely linked with Baroque music, theater, and opera. The style of dance is commonly known to modern scholars as the French noble style or belle danse (French, meaning "beautiful dance"), however it is often referred to casually as baroque dance in spite of the existence of other theatrical and social dance styles during the baroque era. In Playford’s The Dancing Master (a dancing manual containing the instructions and music for English Country Dances), Playford gives floor patterns of the baroque dance but did not indicate the steps. On the other hand, the writings of French dancing masters Feuiller and Lorin indicated that the baroque dance has far more complicated steps which were used at some point in the dance.
Barynya is a fast Russian folk dance which uses an alternation of frenetic dancing and chastuskas featuring humoristic or lewd content. It does not have any special choreography and is mainly comprised of movements like fancy stomping and traditional Russian squat work like knee bending.
There are about 400 distinct Basque folk dances, each portraying their own story and significance and all revolving around the Basques love of dancing. The most ancient ritual dances of the basque dance were performed only for particular events by male dancers initially. Most dances include the use of sticks and swords which dancers use to strike each other as they progress in the movements of the dance. On the other hand, the more recent social dances feature celebratory dances without any sacred function. Dances vary among others but features rituals, entertainment, sacred values, and even profanity. Some are danced in open group dances while the others are danced in closed group dances. The skills of dancers are judged depending on how high they can jump and kick and their gracefulness in dancing is also looked into.
A popular court dance during the 15th and 16th centuries, Basse dance is about a nature of dance where partners move quietly and gracefully in a slow walking or gliding motion without their feet leaving the floor. There is also livelier Basse dance where dancers jumps or leaps with both feet.
The four primary elements that corm b-boyin are toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes. Toprock refers to any string of steps performed in a standing position and can vary depending on the dancer’s expression or mood. Dancers are allowed freedom in movements as long as they’re able to maintain cleanliness, form, and the b-boy attitude. On the other hand downrock, which is also called footwork or floorwork, describes any movement on the floor with the hands supporting the dancer as well as the feet. It includes 6-step and variants of 3-step. Power moves are acrobatic moves which require speed, endurance, strength, momentum, and control to be executed flawlessly. Some examples are the swipe, windmill, back spin, and the head spin. Lastly, freezes are stylish poses requiring the breaker to suspend himself or herself off the ground using body strength in poses suck as the pike. Freezes are most commonly used to emphasize strong beats in the music and to display physical strength.
Very similar to rumba, the benguine dance is a popular dance style in Guadeloupe and Martinique during the 1930s. It features a combination of Latin folk dance and French ballroom dance. It is also described as a spirited but slow dance which incorporates close dance matched with a roll of the hips.
Belly dance features percussive movements or staccato movements involving the hips, including hip drops, vertical hip rocks, outward hip hits, hip lifts, and hip twists. It also includes fluid movements in which the body is in a continuous motion requiring a great deal of abdominal muscle control. Typical movements under this are horizontal and vertical figures of 8 or infinity loops with the hips, horizontal or tilting hip circles, and undulations of the hips and abdomen. Lastly, it includes varying shimmies like relaxed, up and down hip shimmies, straight-legged shimmies, fast, tiny hip vibrations, twisting hip shimmies, bouncing shimmies, and relaxed shoulder or ribcage shimmies. It also features shivers and vibrations.
Also called as several names including, bergamask, bergomask, bergamesca, or bergamasca, Bergamask dance is a clumsy rustic dance from the natives of Bergamo and is associated with clowns or buffoonery.
Bhangra dance is described by Pakistan locals as Ahmed-ish, meaning the flamboyantly happy dance. Dancers move with passion and relaxed muscles and uses lots of energy in dance moves involving raising the arms above the shoulders and mimic actions related to harvesting. The accompanying songs are small couplets written in the Punjabi language.
The three divisions of Bharathanatyam dance are Nirutham, Niruthiyam, and Natyam. Nirutham is a pure dance without any emotions and expressions or sahityam. On the other hand, Niruthiyam has emotions, expressions and a meaning shown by the hastas. Natyam is when a Nirutham and Niruthiyam are combined together with music in the background.
Originating from the ”Big Apple Night Club” located in Palmetto state in Columbia, South Carolina in 1936, Big Apple had its roots in the Square Dance, Ring Shout, and Swing Dance. Big Apple is popular among the students of University of South Carolina and they danced the Big Apple all the way to the Pavilion in Myrtle Beach New York. Big Apple is a circle dance with a single dancer or partners performing in the middle and the rest of the dancers circling them while dancing. The very first version of this dance was choreographed by Frankie Manning.
A folk dance from the Indian state of Assam, Bihu dance is a joyous dance performed by both young men and women, and is characterized by brisk dance steps and rapid hand movement. Dancers wear traditionally colorful Assamese clothing. The dance is performed with traditional Bihu music as the accompaniment. Before entering the dancing area, the drummers play a short and brisk rhythm. The male dancers then enter the area and perform accompanied by singing, in which everyone, including the audience participates. The performance itself I long and features rapid changes in rhythm, mood, movements, pace and improvisation. Dancers and musicians are given short opportunities to show their virtuosity.
Black Bottom refers to a popular solo or couple dance which rose to popularity during the 1920s. It originated in New Orleans and its rhythm is based on the Charleston. It includes the following movements: hop down front then doodle (meaning slide) back, mooch to your left then mooch to the right, hands on your hips and do the mess around, break a leg until you're near the ground
Characterized by emotive, intimate, personal, and expressive, Blues is a type of dance that revolves around varying human emotions. It is mostly danced with slow music, including but is not limited to blues and jazz.
Bollywood dance were traditionally displayed in Ancient Sanskrit drama. Dancers portray strong gestures and mimes. They incorporate a combination of folk Indian traditional dance traditions and Middle Eastern techniques. They are considered as group dances and are now used as dance style for joyful exercise sessions. The choreography of Bollywood dances takes inspiration from classic dances like kathak, disco, and from earlier filmi dances.
Bomba is a mixture of the Island, Spanish, African, and Taino cultures and is said to refer to the encounter and creative relationships of dances, percussionists, and singers. The dancer produces a series of gestures to which the drummer provides a beat that will complement the dancer’s movements. Simply put, the drummer follows the dancer. Bomba dancers must be physically fit and the dance only stops when either the dancer or drummer stops.
Bon Odori, meaning Bon is a dance style performed during Obon. It’s originally a Nenbutsu folk dance to welcome the spirits of the dead and the celebration style varies in many aspects depending on the region. Each region has a local dance accompanied by a different music. The typical Bon Odori dance involves dancing lined up in a circle around a high wooden scaffold. Some dances proceed clockwise and some are counter-clockwise. Some dances reverse during the routine. Some others involve the use of fans, small towels with colorful designs called tenugui, and small wooden clappers called “kachi-kachi”. The music played during the Obon dance can be Obon music or some other varieties like kids’ tunes and modern enka hits.
Also called bugalu, Boogaloo is a dance style which originated in New York City among teenage Cubans and Puerto Ricans. It’s a fusion of popular African-American R&B, soul, mambo, and son montuno (Cuban music and dance popular during the 1930s). Latin boogaloo is popular until today in Cali Colombia along with salsa and pachanga. The Caleños dance to the boogaloo from 33 to 45 RPM.
Depending on which country we are talking about, Boogie-woogie’s description varies. If you are in the United States, this dance is often used as a term for vernacular jazz steps. If you are in the Europe, Boogie-woogie refers to a six-count dance style which is a progression of the Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, and Rock’n’Roll. It is mainly danced to 40’s music like Jive, Rockabilly, Boogie-woogie, Rhythm’n’Blues, and Rock’n’Roll. Boogie-woogie is also about improvisation and free styling.
Popular during the 1950s, the Bop dance is an urban dance that originated in Chicago. Also known as steppin’ or Chicago-Style-Stepping, its birth and unique rhythm was born in the 1970s when Disco and New York Hustle was burning the social dance floor and seen in movies and televisions across the United States. Steppin’ has a 6 count basic pattern which is equal to 1 ½ measures of music in 4/4. The tempo ranges from 70 to 100 BPM. The leader’s footwork starts on their left and ends on their right while the follower dances the opposite way. This dance style is a derivative of Jitterbug.
Also called dance of the horses, Borrowdale is a Zimbabwean dance named after the horse-racing track located in the suburb of Borrowdale in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare. This dance features fancy footwork and galloping body movements to mimic the style of a racing horse. It was popularized by members of the group called Khiama Boyz.
Considered as a fad dance, Bossa nova dance corresponds to the bossa nova music. It was introduced in the year 1960 and was danced on soft knees that allowed for sideway sways combined with hip motions. Bossa nova can be danced solo or in pairs. Its defining characteristic is the inclusion of ten various simple steps. A variant of the basic 8-beat pattern includes the following movements: step forward, tap, step back, step together, repeat from the opposite foot. The dance also includes embellishments like placing one arm onto one’s own belly then waving the other arm at waist level in the direction of the sway, possibly with finger click.
Considered a slow version of American waltz, Boston is a dance style that incorporates a series of various step dances and is completed in one measure with the weight kept on the same foot through two successive e beats. This dance style has more than 15 variations.
Bourrée is a dance style which originated in France. After the Academie de Dance was established by Louis XIV in 1661, the French court adapted the bourrée for the purpose of concert dance, meaning it’s a dance performed for an audience usually in a theatrical setting.
A French dance from the early 16th century, Branle is danced by couples in either a circle or in a line. It was originally a French round dance performed to the dancers’ singing but like other folk dances, it was later on adopted into aristocratic use. According to Arbeau, the author of Orchesography, every ball began with the same four branles: the double, the single, the gay, and the Burgundian branle. The double branle had a simple form involving two phrases of two bars each. He also identified some branles as adapted to ballet and mime.
Popularly known as Maxixe, Brazilian tango is a dance that originated from Rio de Janeiro in 1868, which is about the same time that tango was being developed in countries like Uruguay and Argentina. It developed from Afro-Brazilian dances and from European dances. It is one of the contributors to the samba dance style. The dance is said to be very easy to learn and it incorporates a revival of the Two-step and several other tango steps. The dancers’ heel rests on the floor with their foot pointing upward. Their bodies assume a bent-over posture.
A popular swing dance from the Texas Tommy and Charleston in Harlem’s African-American communities during 1919 to 1927, Breakaway is a dance style that begins with a closed position and the leader would occasionally swing the follower into an open position. It is danced to jazz where dancers can improvise fancy moves every time they are in open position. Other variations of breakaway include both dancers breaking away completely from each other so they can dance on their own.
Also known as breaking or B-boying, breakdancing is a street dance style which originated from the former members of the Black Spades, the Young Spades, and the Baby Spades during the 1970s. It is typically danced to funk music, hip-hop, and breakbeats although in the present modern times, it can be danced to other varieties of music along with certain ranges of tempo and beat patterns.
Common and popular in Sweden, Bugg is a pretty simple dance consisting of four easy walking steps. You can dance it in a variety of pace, usually from 120 to 180 BPM. This type of dance also involves improvisation and pairs dancing to this usually have the woman follow the steps taken by the man. It closely resembles another dance type, the Modern Jive and it belongs to the family of Swing Dance. Even though it includes improvisation, dancers are not allowed to include acrobatic moves when dancing Bugg.
A folk dance in Cyprus and Crete, Bulgarian Sousta is a dance style also called Sousta and is danced in the Balkans. It is danced with the lyre, violin, and mandolin as the accompaniment. It originated from the ancient pyrrhichios, a martial dance of Crete and is performed by men and women dancing opposite each other. It features the idea of eroticism.
Also known as juking, freak dancing, or freaking, bump and grind is a type of close partner dance where two or more dancers rub or bump their bodies against each other. This dance features the woman dancer bumping her buttocks against a male dancer’s crotch. It gained popularity as a hip hop dance in night clubs and even in schools and there have been cases in which this type of dance was banned due to its explicit nature.
Also called a party or dance party dance, bunny hop is a social mixer dance which was created at Balboa High School in San Francisco in 1952. Bunny Hop is a variation of the conga line (a novelty dance derived from the Cuban carnival dance). Dancers stand in a line or forming a circle, holding onto the hips of the person who’s in front of them. They tap the floor two times with their right foot, then with their left foot, then they hop forwards, backwards, and finally three hops forward to finish the sequence, which continues throughout the tune. The first person in the line or the open circle leads the group around the floor.
Butoh is a Japanese dance from that features playful and grotesque imagery including taboo topics and extreme or absurd environments. Traditionally, dancers wear white body makeup while performing this dance which incorporates varying techniques and movements. At the present time, butoh’s status is still vague. It is accepted as a type of performance art in other parts of the world and is still fairly unpopular in Japan.
A traditional Japanese performing art, Buyo or Nippon buyo is a dance style that mixes pantomime and dance and is performed independently by specialists for entertainment purposes.
Also called Cajun One Step, Cajun Jig is one of the simplest forms of Cajun dance which has one basic step only. Dancers start marching one-two, one-two, left-right, left-right: in place, sideways, forward, backward. Secondly, the dancers’ one foot step on one of their toes and then they march away limping. Dancers can choose freely regarding which foot limps and can switch during the dance. When dancers step on one toe, they push a little bit up on the first count and their foot drops flat on count two.
Cajun Jig is danced to either slow or fast Cajun music played under 2/4 or 4/4 timing associated with the two-step.
Cajun Jitterbug is a Cajun dance style with two variations. The main style is a classic two-step form of a six-count East Coast Swing while the other is considered a cowboy-style of Jitterbug or swing dance. The second style is also referred to as the Lake Charles Slide, the Cowboy Jitterbug, and the Whiskey River Jitterbug.
Some Cajun dance moves are started from either an open-handed position or the cross-handed position. In the open-handed position, dancers face their partner and join right hand to left below waist level. The cross-handed position is similar except for the position of hands. Hands should be crossed, with right hands joining on top and left hands below them.
Cajun Two Step is another style of Cajun dancing, also with two variations, and is considered the most traditional. It is very similar to the country western two-step except that it doesn't have as many fancy turns and spins as their country western cousin.
Cajun waltz is danced progressively around the floor, and is characterized by the subtle swaying of the hips and step very close to ordinary walking. It is danced entirely in the closed position.
Cakewalk is a couple dance which rose to popularity during 1900. It originated among Black American slaves who, in the presence of their masters, use the dance as a subtle satire of White American ballroom daces. Couples formed a square with the men inside the square, stepping into a lively tune while strutting. The couples will then be eliminated one by one by judges on the basis of women’s gracefulness, men’s elegance, and the couple’s overall inventiveness. The pair who will be left will be awarded by the judges with a cake with decorations.
Căluş is a male group dance where dancers wear white trousers and white tunics matched with brightly colored ribbons streaming from their hats. There are bells attached to the dancers’ ankles. Dancers use ornate sticks held upright during the dance. They also point it occasionally on the ground. The dance is a highly acrobatic dance and features high jumps and emphasizes extension.
Originated from Trinidad and Tobago, Calypso dance was previously referred to as the Bamboula or Chica of the 1880s but is now referred to as Jump Dancing. Later on, the ballroom version was tailored after the Rumba Box Step (with slow music) and the Samba with a bit of Bolero also. This version became popular in the 1950s.
Calypso dance is all about storytelling including sad and happy stories and even sociocultural issues. It is also used at times in carnival productions.
Also known as Canario in Italy and Canarie in France, the Canary dance was a Renaissance dance which was popular all over Europe during the 16th and 17th century. It was cited in dance manuals in both countries as well as in Spain and England. IT was even mentioned in Shakespeare plays.
Canaries dance is choreographed as an energetic dance which featured jumps, stamping of the feet and violent movement danced to music with syncopated rhythms.
Sometimes unhyphenated and called cancan, Can-can is a high-energy and physically demanding dance performed in music halls by female dancers who wear costumes with petticoats, black stockings, and long skirts. It features lifting and manipulation of the skirts, high kicks and suggestive provocative body movements. There is a male version of the dance which features split jumps, cartwheels, back flips, and high kicks.
The Candombe dance style is thought to be the most ancient influence of Tango. It is a folk dance performed at Carnival mainly by people from Uruguay who have African ancestry. It is also practiced in Argentina and Brazil.
Capoeira is a form of Brazilian martial art infused with dance, acrobatics, and music. Capoeira is sometimes referred to as a dance, as a martial art, and as a game. Its defining characteristics are its musicality and the dancers who seem to attack one another during the performance but still keeping their movements in line with the rhythm of the music. Nowadays, capoeira is widely practiced around the world in different dance contexts.
A traditional Andean dance from Bolivia, the Caporales was a dance created and presented to the public during 1969 and has a prominent religious aspect. People dance this for the Virgin of Socavón or the Virgin of Candelaria for around three years in exchange for getting one wish come true. This dance is a folklore dance popular in Argentina, Chile, and Peru and is often seen performed during festivities.
Capreco is a traditional dance from Angola which originated from the 1980s.
A traditional and cultural dance from Haiti, Carabinier originated bacl to the time of Haitian Revolution. It derived some of its movements from a section of kontradans and is said to have evolved into the meringue or mereng, also called creole dance.
A dance of Hispanic origin, Cariñosa is translated as the loving or affectionate one. Danced by Filipinos, it is considered as one of the folk dances of the Philippines which revealed the influence of the Spanish culture in the country. Dancers wear a native dress of the Tagalog regions, camisa meaning a white sleeve for men, matched with Barong Tagalog and colored pants. Women holds a fan or a handkerchief all throughoutt the performance and dancers portray a couple in a romantic scenario while dancing.
The Carioca is a ballroom dance patterned after another Brazilian dance called Machichi. It features Rumba movements and Fox-trot variations together with Samba.
Also called Carole, the Carol is a medieval dance which was both a court dance and a country dance. It is one of the earliest Saxon Medieval dance, performed in a circle, in a chain, or as a processional.
Also referred to as the Florida Beach Pop and New Orleans Jamaica, Carolina Shag is danced to fast music. Early Shaggers were called “Jitterbugs”. When the early 50s came, the Shag was danced using Rhythm’n’Blues music. Nowadays, it is also danced to Blues and Beach music and includes intricate footwork.
The Castle Walk, as its name suggests, is a dance style done in the form of walking which could go the entire length of a hall or ballroom and consists of walking in a circle, square, zigzag, figure eight, and serpentine line of dance. It was made famous by Vernon and Irence Castle and became popular through its introduction into the Tango.
The "Cat Daddy" dance was originated by The Rej3ctz group member Reject Sam before the group linked it to the song. The song came from a 2010 mixtape entitled TheFUNKtion vs theKICKback which is sometimes just referred to as The FUNKtion. In late 2010 and 2011, Chris Brown popularized the Cat Daddy dance after performing it in the official video. On October 6, 2010, Brown performed the Cat Daddy on 106 & Park for their 10-year anniversary show. Then, the Rej3ctz released a video of the song, featuring Brown dancing, that was produced at Venice Beach on or before August 2010.
A derivative of Jive, Ceroc is danced to almost any kind of music and is a partner dance which includes very minimal footwork making it a type of dance that’s easy to learn, even for beginners. Mostly used as an introduction to dance, Ceroc includes hand holds and is traditionally a dance with a man as the lead.
While Ceroc can be danced to a wide variety of tempos, choreographers say that it is best suited to tempos ranging from 100 to 150 beats per minute. Ceroc is a popular dance in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
Chaabi music is frequently found in weddings and this dance style is often associated with special occasions and festivals. The use of popular language and the creation of new rhythms have made this style an essential complement to the dance.
The Chacarera is a dance and music which originated in Santiago del Estero, Argentina. It’s a dance form played by contemporary musicians as soloists or in small ensembles of voice, guitar, violin and bombo drum. The Chacarera a product of a romanticized construction of national identity projected by urban cultural institutions and disseminated through the mass media.
The Chaconne is a highly sensual, wild, and exotic dance with massive hip movements and flirtations and is sometimes performed to music with indecent lyrics. Women use castanets while men carry tambourines. Costume gowns consisted of white overdresses with gold trimmings on the sleeves, neck, and puffs. Dancers also wear gold girdles in their hips.
Chamame is a folk music from the Argentine Northeast, Mesopotamia and the south of Brazil. The original Chamame was born in Yapey Corrientes, the center of musical culture in the country. 84. Charleston
Named from the city of Charleston in South Carolina, Charleston can be danced with or without a partner. It originated from the 1920s and was heavily popular to the public from 1926 to 1927. Today, Charleston is a substantial part of the Lindy Hop dance culture and it allows for a wide range of improvisations and variations. Whether you are dancing it alone, with a partner, or within a group, its basic steps resemble walking in place. The arms swing forward first then backwards, with the right arm coming forward as the left leg moves forward. The same routine is followed by the left arm and the right leg. Dancers’ toes should not be pointed and their feet should form a right angle with the leg at the ankle. Charleston is a flamboyant, fun, and energetic dance with steps incorporated into Lindy Hop.
Also called the Hasapiko meaning the butcher's dance is a Greek folk dance from Constantinople. It originated in the middle Ages as a battle mime with swords performed by the Greek butchers’ guild, which adopted it from the military of Byzantine era. The slow version of the dance is called hasapiko vary or hasapikos meaning heavy and generally employs a 4/4 meter. The fast version of the dance uses a 2/4 meter. The dance is called various names like grigoro hasapiko, makellarios horos, hasaposerviko, with the latter a reference to Serbian and other Balkan influences on this version of the dance. Hasapiko served as one of the bases for the Sirtaki.
Cheerleading originated in the United States, and remains predominantly American. Cheerleading is a dance from that ranges from yelling to intense physical activity for sports team motivation, audience entertainment, or competitions based upon organized routines. The routines usually range anywhere from one to three minutes, which may contain many components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and various stunts in order to direct spectators of events to cheer for sports teams at games or to participate in cheerleading competitions. The yellers, dancers and athletes involved in cheerleading are called cheerleaders. 87. Chhau
The Chhau dance is a genre of Indian tribal martial dance which is popular in the Indian states of Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. It is mainly performed during regional festivals, especially the spring festival of Chaitra Parva which lasts for thirteen days where the whole community participates. The Chhau blends within it forms of both dance and martial practices employing mock combat techniques and movements based on the chores of village housewives. The dance is performed by male dancers from families of traditional artists or from local communities and is performed at night in an open space, called akhada or asar, to traditional and folk music, played on the reed pipes mohuri and shehnai. A variety of drums accompany the music ensemble including the dhol (a cylindrical drum), dhumsa (a large kettle drum) and kharka or chad-chadi. The themes for these dances include local legends, folklore and episodes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata and other abstract themes.
The Chicken Dance, also known as the Birdie Song, is an oom-pah song and its associated fad dance is now a contemporary dance throughout the Western world. The "Chicken Dance" song is accompanied by a dance requiring a group of people, and it goes as follows. At the start of the music, shape a chicken beak with your hands. Open and close them four times, during the first four beats of the music. Make chicken wings with your arms. Flap your wings four times, during the next four beats of the music. Make a chicken's tail feathers with your arms and hands. Wiggle downwards during the next four beats of the music. Clap four times during the next four beats of the music while rising to your feet. Repeat this process four times. At the bridge, hold your arms straight, in imitation of an airplane. All dancers spin around the room in "flight" until the bridge ends. Alternately, at the bridge, dancers can link arms with the nearest person, turn right eight steps, switch arms and turn left eight steps, then repeat until the bridge end. (Alternatively, dancers assume close position with partner and polka until bridge ends. The dance repeats, progressively getting faster and faster, until the music stops.
Chicken Noodle Soup is a dance associated to a song by producer Da Drizzle from DJ Webstar's album Webstar Presents: Caught in the Web, released 2006. Rappers Young B. and The Voice of Harlem were featured in this song. The basic dance features exaggerated shuffling, arm swinging, and a pantomime of the song's lyrics.
Chinese Tango is a form of tango danced in China since 2008 when the Tango Chino Club opened in Beijing. Chinese Tango can be a reserved dance or a hot and bold dance that flames with passion and is danced with a partner.
Also called chustkowy and powolny, the Chodzony is a slow scarf dance ferived from nobility. It was often danced in traditional wedding ceremonies in Poland, in the Lowicz region.
The Chula is a dance and music genre which originated in Portugal during the 18th century. The traditional Chula dance of the Portuguese people is a folkdance which has a tempo and rhythm marked by a bass drum, a triangle and cymbals, and is native to the Upper Douro. It is also performed with the accompaniment of violins, violas, accordions and percussion.
The Chula then developed in Bahia, Brazil. It was danced as a challenge and was practiced only by men. A four-foot wooden stick called a spear is placed on the floor. At the sound of bagpipes, Gaucho dancers perform different tapping steps back and forth across the spear. After each sequence is performed, another dancer must repeat it and add complexity. Today this dance is generally performed at cultural events such as festivals and rodeos.
Also referred to as the galliard, the Cinquepace was a Renaissance dance form popular in Europe in the 16th century. It was mentioned in dance manuals in countries like England, France, Spain, Italy, and Germany.
As a dance, the cinquepace did not include improvisation. The dancers combine patterns of steps which occupy one or more measures of music. In one measure, cinquepace dance typically has five steps. In France, the basic step is called cinq pas and in Italy, it’s called cinque passi. The English call it sinkapace. These steps are: right, left, right, left, cadence.The cinquepace is an athletic dance characterized by leaps, jumps, hops, and other similar figures.
In Circassian music, there are several dances that are peformed differently. The first one is Kafa , a piece with 4:4 time signature, and usually this piece demonstrates the relationship between the Challa (male) and the Pshasha (female), which is built out of love, cooperation and strength. The second one is Wuig, a piece with 8:4 time signature and usually played before Challas go to war. Nowadays it is played at the end of the Djagu and it follows this rhythm each eight time intervals a new musical phrase is introduced.This piece may be repeated several times since more than ten different Wuigs are available. The third one is Tleperush, a dance which originated from the Black Sea coastal area. This dance is faster than Kafa and Widj but different in style and follows this rhythm (1&2..3&4). Other dances are Zefauk, Shishan, Tiepachas, Zighalat, Hakulash, Yislamey, Qamachas, Oshaa ches, and Apsni Apsua.
Also known as circle dancing, circle dance is a dance style done in open or closed circle accompanied by rhythmic instruments and singing. It is an ancient tradition performed during rituals and special occasions. Circle dancers are in physical contact with each other and the connection is made hand-to-hand, finger-to-finger, or hand-to-shoulders. Anyone can join in without the need to have partners. Dancers just have to follow the leader around the dance floor while holding the hand of the dancers standing right beside them. The performance can be energetic or gentle.
Clogging is a folk dance where dancers’ footwear is used musically by striking the heel, the toe, or both against the floor or each other to create audible percussive rhythms. The dance style has recently fused with others including African-American rhythms and the Peruvian dance "zapateo" (which may in itself be a derivate of very early European clog dances), resulting in the birth of newer street dances, such as tap, locking, jump, hakken, stomping, Gangsta Walking, and the Candy Walk dance. This dance has been called flatfooting, foot-stomping, buck dancing, clog dancing, and jigging in later periods.
Clowning is a type of dance invented by American dancer name Thomas Johnson, also known as Tommy the Clown in 1992 to create a concept of hip-hop clowns. It later evolved in another dance form called krumping.
Čoček is a dance form from the Balkans during the 19th century which was usually performed in village weddings and banquets. It is popular among the Muslim Rom and Albanian populations of Kosovo. When it came to the United States, it was performed as a Muslim woman’s dance with a 9/8 signature and danced to many types of melodies.
The Collegiate shag is a partner dance done primarily to uptempo swing and pre-swing jazz music (185-200+ beats per minute). It belongs to the swing family of American vernacular dances which arose in the 1920s and 1930s. The dance originated in the Carolinas in the late 1920s later spreading across the United States during the 1930s. The shag is still danced today by swing dance enthusiasts worldwide.
The Compas of Compa is a modern meringue dance style which accompanied konpa direk in the1950s. As a meringue and a ballroom dance, the compas is danced in pair. Sometimes partners dance holding each other tightly and romantically, in this case often most of the moves are made at the hips.
Also called the Conga line, the Conga is a novelty dance which was derived from the Cuban carnival dance of the same name and became popular in the United States during the 1930s and 1950s. The conga dance is more of a march characterized by its distinctive conga drum rhythm. The dancers form a long, processing line, which would usually turn into a circle. It has three shuffle steps on the beat, followed by a kick that is slightly ahead of the fourth beat.
Contact improvisation is a dance technique practiced as a social dance form and as a concert. It is an improvised dance form practiced by two or more people who attempt to keep a physical point of contact between their bodies while moving freely without music. The dancing may be slow or fast and often involves rolling and weight-sharing; it is practiced barefoot with loose fitting clothing. The central characteristic of Contact Improvisation is a focus on bodily awareness and physical reflexes rather than consciously controlled movements
Contemporary dance is a dance performance genre that developed during the mid twentieth century and has since grown to become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers throughout the world, with particularly strong popularity in the U.S. and Europe. Although originally informed by and borrowing from classical, modern, and jazz styles, it has since come to incorporate elements from many styles of dance. Due to its technical similarities, it is often perceived to be closely related to modern dance, ballet and other classical concert dance styles. In terms of the focus of its technique, contemporary dance tends to combine the strong and controlled legwork of ballet with modern dance's stress on the torso, and also employs contract-release, floor work, fall and recovery, and improvisation characteristic of modern dance. Dance techniques and movement philosophies employed in contemporary dance may include Contemporary ballet, Dance improvisation, Modern dance styles from United States such as Graham the technique, Humphrey-Weidman technique and Horton technique, modern dance of Europe Bartenieff Fundamentals, and the dance technique of Isadora Duncan.
Contra dance is a folk dance similar to a square dance except that instead of a square formation, it is danced in lines of couples, with every other couple facing up or down the hall. Throughout the course of a dance, couples progress up and down these lines, dancing with each other couple in the line. The dance is led by a caller who teaches the sequence of figures in the dance before the music starts. Callers describe the series of steps called "figures", and in a single dance, a caller may include anywhere from 6–12 figures which are repeated as couples progress up and down the lines. Each figure takes 64 beats, after which the pattern is repeated.
The Cordax was a provocative, licentious, and often obscene mask dance of ancient Greek comedy. The nature of this dance was described in the satires of Juvenal, who said "the girls encouraged by applause sink to the ground with tremulous buttocks”. It incorporated the clicking of castanets and finger cymbals in the earlier Greek form.
Also called Hopak and Gopak, the Cossack dance is a Ukrainian dance performed often as a solitary concert dance by both amateur and professional Ukrainian dance ensembles. The modern day Cossack dance features improvisation. Much of the seemingly improvised parts involve solo dancers, usually male, performing visually and technically amazing acrobatic feats. These include jumps and spins, and are usually the highlight of the performance. The rest of the dance includes many movements performed in unison, especially by the female dancers. Male dancers are expected to squat repeatedly.
The cotillion is a social dance which was popular in Europe and United States during the 18th century. Originally, four couples would stand in a square formation. The cotillion was a courtly version of an English country dance, the forerunner of the quadrille and, in the United States, the square dance. It was for some fifty years regarded as an ideal finale to a ball but was eclipsed in the early 19th century by the quadrille. It became so elaborate that it was sometimes presented as a concert dance performed by trained and rehearsed dancers. The later "German" cotillion included more couples as well as plays and games.
The country dance is any of a large number of social dances of the British Isles in which couples dance together in a figure or "set", each dancer dancing to his or her partner and each couple dancing to the other couples in the set. A set consists most commonly of two or three couples, sometimes four and rarely five or six. Often dancers follow a "caller" who names each change in the figures.
Also called Country and Western dance, country/western dance was typically danced to country-western music and is considered an informal dance. Because of cowboy boots, country western dance is more likely to feature a flat-footed glide with some heel and toe touches rather than a lot of "toe type" dancing. In addition to a quiet upper body, there is very little hip movement. Pumping of the hands, bouncing, and waddling are not encouraged.
Often called the “Texas two-step or simply two-step, country/western two-step was usually danced with country music. It is a partner dance, consisting of a "leader" and a "follower." The leader determines the movements and patterns of the pair as they move around the dance floor. It is a progressive dance that proceeds counterclockwise around the floor. The partners generally begin in closed position with the leader facing the line of dance. The follower stands facing the leader. In a traditional "frame" the leader places their right hand over the partner's left shoulder. In the more contemporary styling, closed position is formed by placing the right hand under the follower's left arm, on their back. In either case the leader holds the follower's right hand in their left hand at about shoulder height.
The courante, corrente, coranto and corant are some of the names given to a family of triple meter dances from the late Renaissance and the Baroque era. In a Baroque dance suite an Italian or French courante is typically paired with a preceding allemande, making it the second movement of the suite or the third if there is a prelude.
Courante literally means "running", and in the later Renaissance the courante was danced with fast running and jumping steps, as described by Thoinot Arbeau. But the courante commonly used in the baroque period was described by Johann Mattheson in Der vollkommene Capellmeister (Hamburg, 1739) as "chiefly characterized by the passion or mood of sweet expectation.
Also called historical dance, court dance is a term covering a wide variety of Western European-based dance types from the past as they are danced in the present. Historical dances are danced as performance, for pleasure at themed balls or dance clubs, as historical reenactment, or for musicological or historical research purposes.
Cretan Sousta is a folk dance in Cyprus and Crete and is danced primarily in Greece by the Balkans. There are elements of eroticism and courtship acted in the dance and it is usually performed by pairs of women and men dancing opposite each other with complex dance patterns.
Cretan Syrtos is an ancient chain dance of Greece. The dancers in the chain maintain a simple fundamental step, but the leader improvises, often breaking away from the line. The kalamatianos, a form of the syrtos and a profoundly popular national dance, is frequently danced to the ballad of Zálongo. The metre of the kalamatianos is 7/4 (3 + 2 + 2); the syrtos metre is usually 2/4. Both the leader and other dancers may improvise in the kalamatianos, the leader leaping and flourishing his handkerchief and, when he chooses, passing it to a new leader.
Cross-step waltz is a social ballroom dance performed in closed position to slower tempo waltz music (around 110 to 120 BPM) and is characterized by a primary cross step where the lead crosses the right foot over the left and the followers crosses the left foot over the right, on the first count of the musical measure. Cross-step waltz can travel and rotate like traditional waltzes, while the dynamic of the cross-step facilitates a wide range of traveling variations.
Csárdás, often seen with the archaic spelling Czárdás, is a traditional Hungarian folk dance, which originated in Hungary and was popularized by Romani music (Cigány) bandsin Hungary and neigoring countries.
The csárdás is characterized by a variation in tempo: it starts out slowly and ends in a very fast tempo There are other tempo variations, called ritka csárdás, sűrű csárdás, and szökős csárdás. The music is in 2/4 or 4/4 time. The dancers are both male and female, with the women dressed in traditional wide skirts, usually colored red, which form a distinctive shape when they whirl.
The cuarteto dance was born in Cordoba, Argentina and is almost always upbeat and danced with a rhythm similar to that of the modern Dominican meringue.
Guaguancó, a form of Cuban rumba is a couple dance of sexual competition between the male and female. The male periodically attempts to “catch” his partner with a single thrust of his pelvis. This erotic movement is called the vacunao (‘vaccination’ or more specifically ‘injection’), a gesture derived from yuka and makuta, symbolizing sexual penetration. The vacunao can also be expressed with a sudden gesture made by the hand or foot. The quinto often accents the vacunao, usually as the resolution to a phrase spanning more than one cycle of clave. Holding onto the ends of her skirt while seductively moving her upper and lower body in contrary motion, the female “opens” and “closes” her skirt in rhythmic cadence with the music. The male attempts to distract the female with fancy (often counter-metric) steps, accented by the quinto, until he is in position to “inject” her. The female reacts by quickly turning away, bringing the ends of her skirts together, or covering her groin area with her hand (botao). Most of the time, the male dancer does not succeed in “catching” their partner. The dance is performed with good-natured humor.
The Cueca is a family associated dances from Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. The clothing worn during the cueca dance is very traditional Chilean clothes. Dancers wore black costumes or dresses. The male dancers wore the huaso's hat, shirts, flannel poncho, riding pants and boots, short jacket, riding boots, and spurs. Women wore flowered dresses. Cueca dancing resembles a rooster-chicken relationship. The man approaches the woman and offers his arm, then the women accompanies him and they walk around the room. They then face each other and hold their handkerchief in the air, and begin to dance. They never touch, but still maintain contact through facial expressions and movements. The white handkerchief must be waved during the performance.
Cumbia began as a courtship dance practiced among the African population, which was later mixed with Amerindian steps and European and African instruments and musical characteristics. Cumbia is very popular in the Andean region and the Southern Cone, and is more popular than the salsa in many parts of these regions.
Cumbia villera is a subgenre of cumbia music originated in the slums of Argentina and popularized all over Latin America and the Latin communities abroad. Cumbia Villera began as a courtship dance practiced among the African population, which was later mixed with Amerindian steps and European and African instruments and musical characteristics. Cumbia is very popular in the Andean region and the Southern Cone, and is for example more popular than the salsa in many parts of these regions.
Cupid Shuffle is a song by Cupid from his 2007 studio album Time for a Change. It has spawned a popular line dance and has drawn a lot of comparison to DJ Casper's "Cha Cha Slide." The song was first featured in Acclaim's online music video game Dance! Online. A rap remix version featuring Unk and Fabo was released to rhythm radio in August, and a Hurley remix was released to underground club in October, with a Solitair remix released to rhythm club, as well.
Dabke is a dance performed in the several countries like Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Iraq. It’s a form of circle dance and line dancing and is traditionally performed during weddings and other joyous celebrations. The line forms from right to left. The leader of the dabke heads the line, alternating between facing the audience and the other dancers. There are many variations of the dabke dance style but all are danced with a theme that’s focused in expressing love.
A popular folkdance in Western Odisha, Dalkhai is a form of dance style with the theme that revolves around Radha and Krishna, Ramayana, and Mahabharata. It is performed in various Indian festivals including but not limited to Bhaijiuntia, Phagun Puni, and Nuakhai and is mostly danced by young women.
The Dances of Universal Peace (DUP), which originated in North America, is a dance style and a spiritual practice that is characterized by employing both singing and dancing to varying sacred phrases of different religions in the world. This dance style combines chants with dancing, whirling, and singing from different faiths. The intention behind this is to raise consciousness and promote peace between different religions in the world. Five to 500 dancers stand in a circle around a leader and several musicians, with acoustic instruments in the center. All dances are participatory and spectatorship is somewhat discouraged because joy is the goal, not technical performance of specified dance steps or forms. Dances are facilitated by a dance leader often playing a drum, guitar, flute or other stringed instrument. For lyrics, dances borrow inspirational poetry, quotes and chants which are sung as the dance is performed.
Also called Danda Jatra, Danda nata is one of the important dance festivals of South Odisha, particularly in the Ganjam District. The danda nata festival is being held in the month of Chaitra of every year.
It is a dance form considered as a ritualistic festival where male participants called “Bhoktas” begin with traditional worship and fasting. Danda nata consists of a series of dances which are performed one after another by the Bhoktas.
Also called Raas or Dandiya Raas, Dandia is the traditional folk dance of Gujarat in India. Along with Garba, it is the featured dance of Navratri evenings in Western India. During Navratri festival, in most of the cities of Gujarat and in Mumbai, people gather and perform Garba dance where men and women dance in two circles while holding sticks in their hands. Dandia is also performed at social gatherings and on stage, featuring very complex movements with intricate steps and music.
The Danza de las tijeras, translated as Scissors dance in English, originated from the south of the Andes, in Peru. The dance consists of two or more dancers, followed by their respective orchestras of a violin and a harp. The dancers dance in turns, doing explicit moves and challenging steps, such as dancing with just one foot. The places where this dance is most popular are Huancavelica, Ayacucho, Huancayo, Apurimac, and Lima.
Also called Dappanguthu or simply koothu, Daapan koothu is a folk dance performed Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in India. It is an informal dance that has no structure and dancers do not learn this dance style in formal classes. It’s a dance that requires definite facial expressions from the dancers. Examples include folding the tongue over and holding it in a certain position with the front teeth. Spectators also clap loudly and whistle as the dancers perform. They also set off firecrackers called “Pattaasu” on the ground during the performance.
Also called Danza de los Diablos and translated as Dance of the Devils in English, Diablada is a dance form characterized by the mask and devil suit worn by the performers. This dance is a mixture of religious and theatrical presentations brought from Spain and Andean religious ceremonies.
The dance is an important part of the cultural traditions of the cities of Oruro in Bolivia, Puno in Peru, and La Tirana in Chile.
In Diablada’s original form, it is performed to accompany a band of Sikuris, a group of musicians playing the Siku. In the present time, it is performed with the accompaniment of a band or orchestra. At the start of the performance, Lucifer and Satan with other several devil women are seen on stage. They then personify the seven deadly sins then a troop of other devils come out and join them on the stage. They are all lead by Saint Michael with a blouse, short skirt, sword, and shield. During the dance, angels and demons move around and form varying shapes including crosses and circles. The battle is ended when Saint Michael appears defeating the Devil.
Also called Halay or Yalli, coming from the Kurdish words “Hilayi” or “Halayi” meaning to stand, jump, and dance, is a popular dance in the Middle East traditionally played during weddings. Dilan dancers form a circle or a line, while holding each other with the little finger , shoulder to shoulder or hand to hand with the last and first player holding a piece of cloth. It is the national dance in Azerbaijan and Turkey.
The initial form of which dates back to so many centuries long when it was held around a ceremony bonfire, having the meaning of hot, light and meal. The word “yal” in Azerbaijani means row, line of chain. The Yalli dancers stand in one line or two rows and sometimes in some rows.
Disco is a form of dance containing elements of funk, soul, pop, and salsa which was most popular in the mid to late 1970s. During the early years, dancers in discos danced in a "hang loose" style. Popular dances included "Bump", "Penguin", "Boogaloo", "Watergate" and the "Robot". By October 1975 The Hustle reigned. It was highly stylized, sophisticated and overtly sexual. Variations included the Brooklyn Hustle, New York Hustle, and Latin Hustle.
The disco sound has soaring vocals over a steady "four-on-the-floor" beat, an eighth note (quaver) or 16th note (semi-quaver) hi-hat pattern with an open hi-hat on the off-beat, and a prominent, syncopated electric bass line. In most disco tracks, strings, horns, electric pianos, and electric guitars create a lush background sound. Orchestral instruments such as the flute are often used for solo melodies, and lead guitar is less frequently used in disco than in rock. Many disco songs use electronic synthesizers.
Also called Kalymnos, Dodecanese Sousta is a dance form which originated from Dodecanese Islands in the Southeastern Aegean Sea in Greece. The dance name means “spring” describing hoppy steps. The rhythm is an even 2/4 (one-two, one-two) with each island having its own version of the dance.
Doublebugg is a competitive dance within the BRR (Bugg and Rock’nRoll dances) family administered by the Swedish Dancesport Federation. It is mostly performed on dance competitions but it is sometimes danced in social gatherings. Doublebugg is danced by three persons, usually a gentleman and two women although variations in pairing can occur. Dancers form different patterns like lines, circles, and triangles where various footwork are displayed. It is mainly danced to modern pop and rock’n’roll music.
Originated in Dallas, Texas, the Dougie is a hip-hop dance generally performed by moving one's body in a shimmy style and passing a hand through or near the hair on one's own head. Since its creation, the Dougie has evolved into a much more advanced dance, including a bent-knee and a side-to-side swagger.
Dragon dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture. Like the lion dance, it is often performed during festivals like the Chinese New Year by a team of dancers who manipulate a long flexible figure of a dragon using poles positioned at regular intervals along the length of the dragon. The dancers mimic the movements of the Chinese dragon spirit. The dance is performed for a long period of time as it is believed that Chinese dragons are a symbol of luck to people and the longer they dance the more luck they bring to the community.
The Dream Waltz dance script was composed by Robert Stewart in 1967. It is a 16 bar dance in the usual ¾ waltz time and should be danced with the usual 1-2-3, 1-2-3 rhythm to music at a tempo of 32 BPM. The dance is started with partners in a normal ballroom hold with the man facing and the laddy backing diagonal to centre down line of dance. The man lowers and bends his legs slightly and uses heel leads to step forward. Backward steps are drawn with his toe and whenever he brings his feet together, both man and lady should rise up onto their toes.
Drobushki is a folk dance from Russia which if often danced by men to address high-class women.
Duranguense originated from the Northwestern state of Durango in Mexico. The dance is characterized by quick steps and a more exaggerated push off of the ground. There is side-to-side action during each foot’s push off of the ground. It is danced to very fast, loud, and energetic Duranguense music.
Dutty Wine is a dance which involves a rotating movement of the neck. The dancers also move their legs like a bird, while simultaneously rotating their wrists, neck, and posterior. Sometimes more advanced dancers will include the splits in their Dutty Wine performance.
The dance is not done by ordinary people in Jamaica, only by women who are known dancers or Dancehall Queens. The dance experienced a surge of popularity around the world, especially in Jamaican communities in parts of the United Kingdom and North America. Some even have gone so far as to label it as "the dance craze" of 2006.
East Coast Swing (ECS) belongs to the swing dances group and is a form of social partner dance. It is danced under fast swing music, including rock and roll and boogie-woogie. It has a 6 count basic step. This is in contrast to the meter of most swing music, which has a 4 count basic rhythm. In practice, however, the 6-count moves of the east coast swing are often combined with 8-count moves from the Lindy hop, Charleston, and Balboa. Depending on the region and instructor, the basic step of single-step East Coast Swing is either "rock step, step, step" or "step, step, rock step". In both cases, the rock step always starts on the downbeat.
Eisa is a form of folk dance which originated from the Okinawa Islands of Japan. In origin, it is a Bon dance performed by young people of each community during the Bon festival with the purpose of honoring the spirits of their ancestors. It underwent drastic changes in the 20th century and is today seen as a vital part of Okinawan culture.
The modern eisa dance is performed by 20 to 30 young men and women, mainly in doubled lines or circles to the accompaniment of singing, chanting, and drumming by the dancers as well as by folk songs played on the sanshin. The dancers also play small hand gongs and yotsutake castanets and they wear various costumes according to local tradition and gender of the dancer. The costumes they wear for the performance include brightly colored modern which feature a colorful knotted turban. They also wear special vests, leggings, and shoes.
The Electric Slide, also known as simply Electric, is a four wall line dance set to Marcia Griffiths' song "Electric Boogie", McFadden & Whitehead's song "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now" and Cameo's song "Candy". Choreographer Ric Silver claims to have created the dance in 1976 at a New York Dance Club called VAMPS.
The original Electric Slide was performed with claps and grapevine steps, but some versions of the dance do not include them. Other variations of the dance include the chasse or triple step and touching the floor while others involve dancing in lines facing one another and then crossing over and facing a new line of people.
Also called Tecktonik and Milky Way, Electro dance is a form of street dance typically performed to electro house music during its discovery during the year 2000 in Paris, France. It is based on a blend of different dance styles such as industrial dance, moroccan chaabi, disco, vogue, waacking, hip-hop and freehand glowsticking. Fast-paced techno and electro house music imported from Northern Europe is the usual choice for Tecktonik dancing.
Electro dance is all about arm movement, taking basic elements from glowsticking such as the concept of Freehand, the Figure 8, and the idea of the Leading Hand, while staying in a disco taste by amplifying points and poses as a main aspect to this style. Down below electro dancers tend to use their hips, knees and feet to gently shuffle across the floor in beat to the music, quite often in a random and jerky fashion. They also tend to include elements of toprock, b-boy-like footwork, lending to the hip hop-like influences in a lot of the electro house music.
Elizabeth Waltz is a dance style performed in a slower tempo than the ballroom position free waltz. Dancers should hold each other close and men should start with the left foot, women on their right. Women should not move so much and if ever traveling like the man, it must be done with the left foot. If doing two steps, the steps must be done in a straight line with the men going forward and the women going backwards. Men should remember to give a firm hold on the back of their partner using their right hand.
English Country Dance was featured on TV shows like Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. It is dance to hauntingly beautiful music with pulsating beat. Most of the movements are based simply on a walking or skipping step. Dancers move in a number of specific "figures", sometimes holding hands, sometimes by themselves. Each dance is prompted by a caller, so that each figure and movement is called in time to the music.
Folk dances are dances developed by groups of people that reflect the traditional life of the people of a certain country or region. They are usually performed at folk dance gatherings or social functions by people with little or no professional training, often to traditional music. They are not designed for performances in the public though they may later be arranged and set for stage performances.
Etighi is one of the new-school dances brought from the Calabr/Akwa Ibom part of Nigeria. It involves the hips being carried up and alternated in left and right direction. It also can be mixed with azonto. It’s popular in songs like “Kukere” by Iyanya.
The fan dance is a dance performed with one or more fans held by the dancers. It has been adapted in various countries including Korea. The Korean fan dance evolved from Joseon Dynasty court dances. There is also a variation of fan dance in the Yu’pik culture in western Alaska. In the western countries, a fan dance may be an erotic dance performance, usually danced by a woman. The performer is usually nude and covered only with ostrich feathers while performing.
Fandango is a lively couple dance from Spain, usually in triple meter and traditionally accompanied by guitars and castanets or hand-clapping. This dance style can be both sung and danced and has two popular variations in Spain, Portugal, and Mexico.
Popular in Provence in France, the parándole is an open-chain community dance with similarities to the jig, tarantela, and gavotte. The dance movements were first discussed in 1932 by English folklorist Violet Alford. The dancers hold hands and skip at every beat, strong beats on one foot, alternating left and right, with the other foot in the air, and weak beats with both feet together. Musically, the dance is in 6/8 time, with a moderate to fast tempo, and played by a flute and drum.
Faroese dance is the national chain dance of the Faor islands, danced to the Faroese ballads. It is considered a mediaeval ring dance with a pagan origin. The dance is performed traditionally in a circle, but when a lot of people take part in the dance they usually let it swing around in various wobbles within the circle. It is important to observe the rules which include making sure that your right should overlap the left hand of the one next to you while moving the your feet two paces to a side and one pace back. The side is chose by the skiparin, captain. The skiparin is the one who sings and must know all the verses, while the people who are dancing with him in the circle join in at the chorus.
Farruca is a form of flamenco music and dance which is traditionally performed by men. Although there are female flamenco dancers who exclusively danced farruca too, these female dancers originally danced the farruca wearing male clothing. The dance features fast turns, quick intense footwork, held lifts and falls, dramatic poses and bursts of filigrana (often with a flat hand). It is also danced with a cape.
Finnish tango has characteristics that vary from both competitive and Latin American tango versions. There is also a close contact in the pelvis, upper thighs, and the upper body. Finnish tango is often taught with a SSQQ (slow, slow, quick, quick) basic step sequence, with QQS or SQQ used for the beguine or habanera parts so often found in Finnish tango pieces, although a skilled dancer might use slows and quicks just as he wishes to match either the melody or the rhythm. Dips and rotations are frequent. There are no kicks or aerials in Finnish tango. Typically feet stay close to the floor, except in dips the follower might slightly raise the left leg.
Compared to Argentine tango, Finnish tango is more related to (slow) foxtrot, but the feel is different because the weight shift happens close to the end of the beat and the pushing foot will accelerate only to pause next to the grounded one before it moves forward to a long step that is made even longer by pushing off the other leg in the end. Finnish tango requires a lot of space.
The name five-step waltz can refer to any waltz that is danced in 5/4 time. It’s one of the 25 different waltzes and hundreds variations. It was first introduced in 1849 and consisted of the basic mazurka with a leap and hop. The turn was made at the leap; hop (fourth and fifth motions), two bars are required for one revolution. When making the last hop (fifth motion of each bar), the disengaged foot was to be brought to the first position, so that the heels would touch simultaneously with the hop.
Flamenco is music and dance native to the southern Spanish of Andalusia, Extramadura, and Murcia. Flamenco, as a dance, is called and often referred to as El baile flamenco and is known for its emotional intensity, proud carriage, expressive use of the arms, and rhythmic stamping of the feet as in tap dance.
Folk dance refers to dance styles which are to a significant degree bound by tradition and originated in the times when the distinction existed between the dances of « common folk » and the dances of the « high society. A number of modern ballroom dances originated from folk ones.
The terms "ethnic" and "traditional" are used when it is required to emphasize the cultural roots of the dance. In this sense, nearly all folk dances are ethnic ones. If some dances, such as polka, cross ethnic boundaries and even cross the boundary between "folk" and "ballroom dance", ethnic differences are often considerable enough to mention, e.g., Czech polka vs. German polka.
Not all ethnic dances are folk dances; for example, ritual dances or dances of ritual origin are not considered to be folk dances. Ritual dances are usually called "Religious dances" because of their purpose.
Formation dance is a style of ballroom dancing danced b y couples in a formation team. The choreography of this dance may be based on a particular dance or a medley of dances. The choreography of a formation team includes both choreography of a dancesport routine of an individual couple and the overall pattern of movements of the couples on the floor. All couples are expected to follow the beat of the music and movements should be executed simultaneously. Teams are marked on their synchronicity.
Forró is a genre of Brazilian music that also encompasses various dance styles. The dance known as college forró is the most common style between the middle-class students of colleges and universities in the Southeast, having influences of other dances like salsa and samba-rock. In later years, forró achieved popularity throughout Brazil, in the form of a slower genre known as xote that has been influenced by pop-rock music to become more acceptable by Brazilian youth of Southeast, South and Central regions.
Developed in the 1910s, the foxtrot reached its height of popularity in the 1930s and is still practiced today. It is a smooth and progressive dance characterized by long and continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is danced to big band music and is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is in a 4/4 time signature. The basic figures include the three-step, feather step, natural turn, reverse turn, closed impetus, and feather finish. Standard figures would include the natural and basic weave, closed and open telemark, hover feather, hover telemark, hover cross, open impetus, and reverse wave.
Freak dancing is a form of grinding, a highly suggestive sexual dance that which gained popularity as a hip hop dance in night clubs and eventually moved on to high school and middle school in the United States and Canada. There have been cases when administrators have attempted to ban this dance style due to its sexual nature since the dancers who freak dance rub their bodies against each other.
Freestyle dance is also calle dance improvisation where dancers spontaneously create their own movement. It is unstructured and there are no rules and specific choreography to adhere to.
Also known as passo, Frevo dance was developed by transforming the capoeira movements into the quasi-acrobatical movements of the dance. The dancers, called passistas, worked hard in order to develop a new movement which required much rehearsal, strength, endurance and flexibility and the fight between the groups moved from the physical to the aesthetical field. Frevo dance movements include jumps, coordinated fast leg movements, leg flexions, and tumbling. The clothes of the passistas also developed from regular clothing to a skimpy attire that is more appropriate for the movements. They are also very colorful, so they can be more visible in the crowd.
Sometimes referred to as the Surf, Big Bea, and the Thunderbird, the frug was a dance craze from the mid-1960s which included vigorous dance to pop music. It evolved from another dance called the Chicken. It is a widely energetic dance comprised of three movements: the Aloof, the heavyweight, and the big finish which features unusual poses, gestures, and arm movements.
The galliard was a form of dance from the Renaissance era and was popular in Europe during the 16th century. It was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I of England even if it was a relatively vigorous dance. One special step used during a galliard is lavolta, a step which involves an intimate, close hold between a couple, with the woman being lifted into the air and the couple turning 270 degrees, within one six-beat measure. Another special step used during a galliard is the tassel kick (Salti del Fiocco). The easier steps involve single spins of 180 or 360 degrees; later, more difficult steps involve multiple sequential spins and spins of up to at least 540 degrees. During the spin, the dancer kicks out to touch a tassel suspended between knee and waist height.
Also known as the galoppade, gallop is a lively country dancers introduced in the late 1820s to the Parisian society by the duch*esse de Berry and was popular in Berlin, Vienna, and London. The galop was particularly popular as the final dance of the evening. It remains a signal that the dancing at a hunt ball or wedding reception has ended.
Gangnam style is the 18th K=pop single by Korean artist Psy. It’s a song with a catchy tune and went popular also because of its signature dance moves. The basic step in Gangnam Style is an animal-inspired movement called horse trot, which involves pretending to ride a horse, holding the reins and spinning a lasso, and moving into a legs-shuffling side gallop.
Also called Gankino horo, Gankino is a Bulgarian folk dance written in 11 (undecuple) = 2+2+3+2+2 time (typically 11/16 or 11/8) similar to kopanitsa or krivo horo. The basic gankino horo is a three-measure dance using the step structure also common in the dances: Dunavsko (Danubian Pravo), Povarnoto and Eleno Mome. The three measures comprise a seven-step grapevine, starting right foot to the right, L cross in front - two measures. The third measure is a three-step grapevine to the left: left steps left, R cross in back. L to the L.
Originated in the state of Gujarat India, garba is a danced traditionally performed around a centrally lit lamp or a picture of the statue of the Goddess Shakti during the nine-day Hindu festival called Navratri. Modern garba is also heavily influenced by Ḍānḍīyā Raas, a dance traditionally performed by men. The merger of these two dances has formed the high-energy dance that is seen today.
Garba is also popular in the United States where more than 20 universities have Raas/Garba competitions on a huge scale every year with professional choreography. It is also very widespread in the United Kingdom where there are a number of Gujarati communities who hold their own garba nights and widely popular among the Gujarati community even in Canada, where the largest Navratri festival in the western world is held annually in Toronto.
Also referred to as Gauriya Nritya, Gaudiya Nritya is a classical dance which originated from Gauda, Bengal in India. The dance is a unique combination of history, literature, poetry, drama, music, and rhythm. Gaudiya Nritya has elements of Chhau (heroic dance),Nachni (aspects of Shringara Rasa), Kushan (depicting stories of Lav and Kush from the Ramayana), and Kirtan (devotional aspect).
Also called the gavot or gavotte, gavotte is a French dance performed in courts which previously featured kissing but the act was replaced by presentation of flowers instead. It was popular during the 1700s and 1800s with a Baroque origin and danced in moderately quick duple meter.
This dance style is a folk dance of Kalahandi district of the Indian state Orissa. Although the dressing style in the dance appears to be of tribal origin, the hand movements and steps resemble the classical dance forms. Ghumara is a group dance that is performed in many formations. There is Circular Ghumara Dance where the performers form a circle, there can be other shapes to the formation such as semi-circular, triangular, square or rectangular. The dance can depict many events such as sheep fighting dance or hen fighting dance. The Go Spada or Go Chanda dance has the beat of cows’ feet as they return back from the pastures. The Cross dance and Square dance forms of Ghumara Sanchar are very popular.
Giddha is a popular folk dance of women in Punjab region of India and Pakistan. The dance is often considered derived from the ancient dance known as the ring dance and is just as energetic as Bhangra; at the same time it manages to creatively display feminine grace, elegance, and elasticity. It is a very colorful dance form which is now copied in all regions of the country. Women perform this dance mainly at festive or social occasions.
The gigue dance style is a lively form of Baroque dance which originated from the British jig. It was later imported into France duting the 17th century and usually appeared at the end of a suite. It was a danced performed by noble people on social occasions. A gigue, like other Baroque dances, consists of two sections. In Bach's gigues, each section often begins as a fugue, in which the theme used in the first section is inverted in the second section, as for example in the gigue from Bach's third English Suite.
The golpe is one of the three basic dance steps used in Flamenco dance. From the flamingo position, dancers drop their foot flat to the ground making the sound of a distinctive stomp. There is no shuffling in Flamenco, so dancers practice to keep the foot still and the sound clean. They also try marching, but instead of goose-stepping, they draw back in the flamingo.
Gotipua is another traditional dance form from the state of Odisha in India. It is a precursor of the Odissi classical dance. It’s been performed in Orissa for centuries by young boys who wear costumes of women and perform acrobatic movements to praise the gods Jagannath and Krishna.
To transform into graceful feminine dancers, the boys who are going to dance Gotipua do not cut their hair. Instead they style it in a knot and weave garlands of flowers into it. They put on a mix of white and red powder on their faces as makeup. Kajal (black eyeliner) is broadly applied around the eyes to give them an elongated look. The bindi usually round, is applied to the forehead, surrounded with a pattern made from sandalwood. They also wear specially designed beaded jewelry such as necklaces, bracelets, armbands and ear ornaments. Ankle bells are worn, to accentuate the beats tapped out by the feet.
Grinding is a dance form which features explicit moves where dancers rub or bump their bodies against one another, mainly using each other’s hips or buttocks. Its predecessor is “The Bump”, a sexually charged high-contact social dance which rose to popularity during the 1970s.
A dance style formed during the early 2000s in San Francisco, the Grizzly Bear dance was considered rough and clumsy where dancers yell “It’s a Bear!”. It features movements which mimic that of a bear, with side to side moving or dancing. The Grizzly Bear dance was featured on Broadway, in vaudeville, and at cabaret performances.
Guapacha is a modern Afro-Cuban partner dance that is a fusion of cha-cha-cha and hip-hop, promoted in 2006 by Strictly Dance Fever TV program. Guapacha timing is an alternative rhythm of various basic cha-cha steps that are normally counted "<1>, 2, 3, cha-cha-1" whereas "cha-cha-1" is counted musically "4-&-1". In Guapacha, the step that normally occurs on count "2" is delayed an extra half-beat, to the "&" of 2, making the new count "<1>, <hold>-&-3, 4-&-1".
Guedra is a ritualistic dance form from the Tuerag Burbers. It is performed by a woman on her knees. If she stands up at any point during the performance, it's called T'bal. Everybody can participate in this dance of blessing. It is mostly done by women, but sometimes men and children also participate. Guedra is performed to create positive energy, peace and spiritual, not carnal, love. The rhythmical chanting and clapping of dancers’ fingers all have their origin in ancient symbolism in the rhythm of the heartbeat.
Also known traditionally as the Isicathulo, gumboot dance is an African dance performed by dancers wearing wellington boots. They are more popular known in South Africa as simply gumboots. The boots that dancer wear are embellished with bells, so that they create a sound whenever the dancer stamp their feet on the ground. The dance has become known worldwide and many of its steps and routines are parodies of the officers and guards who controlled the mines and barracks of South African gold miners.
Haka is a dance style that is also referred to as a war cry. It originated from the Maori people of New Zealand and was originally performed by warriors before a battle, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment. Haka is also performed for other reasons like welcoming distinguished guests, special occasions and funerals. Most haka dance forms are performed by men, with the female role, if any, limited to providing support by singing in the background. There are however some haka which are performed predominantly by women – one of the most well-known being the Ngāti Porou haka "Ka Panapana".
Haaken is a form of rave dance which is very similar to earlier European folk dance and is thought to be a sub form of zapateo with less airborne moves. It is referred to as gabber in Australia and is usually performed to hardstyle genre music by most people in Australia. The dance consists of small steps that quickly follow to each other to the rhythm of the bass drum. The lower body (down from the pelvis) is the most important part, though it is not unusual to move the arms and torso, too.
Also called Yalli and Dilan, Halay is a dance in Middle East traditionally performed during weddings. It is the most striking folk dance performed to a large extent in the Eastern, South Eastern and Central Anatolia. The rhythmic elements of halay dances are very rich and are mostly performed with drum-zurna combination as well as with kaval (shepherd's pipe), sipsi (reed), cigirtma (fife) or baglama (an instrument with three double strings played with a plectrum) or performed when folk songs are sung but all these were replaced by electronic instruments over the years.
Halparke features rhythmic and elegant movements which all originated from historical record, geographical location, the Kurdish way of living, beliefs, work and struggle, war and quarrel. In every dance, a dancer, called “Serchopí” falls or comes to the head of the circle holding a colorful or symbolic object in his/her right hand. It is a tradition that no one takes his/her place until he/she leads the dancers group in at least one circle. The rest of dancers are called Gawaní. Sometimes Gawaní is also primarily called to the last dancer of the circle. This line of dancers differs from many ages. You can have 3 years old and 83 year olds in the same line at a party. Other variations of this dance are Dilan, Sepe, and Chapi.
A traditional dance which originated in Sweden in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Hambo is a couple dance in ¾ time, danced to music played with a strong accent on the first beat and a tempo that varies from moderate to fast (100 to 120 beats per minute). It is a dance with a fixed pattern and tunes almost always have a corresponding eight measure structure.
The common modern variant of Hambo has a pattern of steps, repeated for each eight bars of music. The first two 3-beat measures are the dalsteg. On measure one, the couple holds inside hands (man's right, woman's left), step forward on their outside feet (man's left, woman's right), swing their inside foot slightly forward and out, and create a slight lift by raising the heel of the stationary outside foot. The second measure is a repeat but with opposite feet and the diagonal swing forward and inward. The third is a transition with both taking three steps forward (man left, right, left; woman right, left, right). The next four measures are hambo turns as described above while the eighth and final measure has three steps forward (man right, left, right; woman left, right, left), leaving outside feet ready to start the pattern over.
The Hand Jive is a dance particularly associated with music of the 1950s, rhythm and blues in particular. It involves a complicated pattern of hand moves and claps of various parts of the body, following and imitating the percussion instruments. It resembles a highly elaborate version of pat-a-cake. Hand moves include thigh slapping, cross-wrist slapping, fist pounding, hand clapping, and hitchhike moves.
Also called moshing or slamdancing, is a dance style where participants slam into each other. It is usually associated with “aggressive” music genres, such as hardcore punk and numerous subtypes of heavy metal. It is primarily done to live music but can be done during recorded music, too but this rarely occurs. Hardcore dancing can be done alone or in a group in the mosh pit. Variations on the traditional mosh include "pogoing", "circle pits" and the more extreme "wall of death", and are typically done in an area in the center of the crowd, generally closer to the stage.
Originally called albee, Harlem shake is a dance introduced in 1981 by a resident in Harlem New York, named Al B. The dance was first called albee after the creator’s name but later became known as the Harlem shake as its prominence grew beyond his neighborhood. The dance became mainstream in 2001 when G. Dep featured the Harlem shake in his music video "Let's Get It". The Harlem shake dance originated during the 1980s in Harlem and was based on an Ethiopan dance form called Eskista.
Meaning the butcher’s dance, Hasapiko is a Greek folk dance from Constantinople characterized by dancers performing in a happy, joyful, high-spirited, and carefree nature. The dance is mostly known outside of Greece because it was performed during the Syrtaki in the film Alexis Zorbas (titled Zorba the Greek in America). The Hasapikos is sometimes referred to as Hasaposervikos, which basic step is based on that of the fast Hasapikos. Other dances that have a similar dance motif are the Arkan of the Ukraine, Hora of Israel, the Debki of the Arab countries, the Kasapsko Horo of Bulgaria, the Kasapsko Kolo of Serbia, the Lesnoto of Macedonia, and the Soorch Bar of Armenia.
Headbanging is violently shaking one's head in time with music, normally to whip long hair back and forth. Headbanging is sometimes used by musicians on stage, and is most common in the rock, punk and heavy metal music genres.
The Hesitation Waltz is a variation of the Boston waltz (a two-step count forward and back waltz) around 1880s. The Hesitation Waltz’ name originated from the "Pause or Hesitation" in music. Although the Hesitation originally only had ten variations it did not last long because the dance became too difficult to do as it originally had many backbreaking and leg breaking contortions added to it. Many instructors were creating too many figures (by public demand) and eventually they became too difficult for the average dancer to do. The Hobble Skirt was the dress of choice for the ladies to dance the Hesitation. The Hesitation waltz is usually performed to fast music and includes the usual waltz steps. The major difference is that dancers will pause on certain beats instead of dancing through them. Both novice dancers and experienced performers alike will enjoy performing this upbeat and challenging style of dance.
Highland dance or Highland dancing is a competitive and technical dance style performed solo and developed in the Scottish Highlands during the 1900s and 2000s. Highland dancers wear specialized shoes called ghillies and they perform this dance style often to the accompaniment of Highland bagpipe music. This dance form requires dancers to have technique, stamina and strength and involves not only a combination of steps but also some integral upper body, arm, and hand movements. It is recognized as a sport by the Sport Council of Scotland. Highland dancing is seen at nearly every modern-day Highland games event nowadays.
Hip-hop dance refers to street dance styles primarily performed to hip-hop music. It includes a wide range of styles with breaking, locking, and popping as the primary styles incorporated in every hip hop dance. These styles were created in the 1970s and made popular by dance crews in the United States. Hip-hop dance is practiced in both dance studios and outdoor spaces.
Also called early dance, historical dance is dance style performed for pleasure at themed balls or dance clubs, as historical reenactment, or for musicological or historical purposes. It is divided into several categories including Medieval dance, Renaissance dance, Baroque dance, dance styles during the English Regency like English Country Dance, Regency dance, Polonaise, Quadrille and Scotch Reel, dance styles in the mid-19th century such as pola, schottische, two-step, and waltz, dance styles in the late 19th century to 1910 like cakewalk, Krakowiak, mazurka, racket, redowa, dance forms in the Ragtime era including the foxtror, maxixe, one-step, tango, dance forms in the 1920s including Black Bottom, Charleston, and shag, and lastly, dance forms in the 1930s and 1940s including the Big Apple, swing, tap and jitterbug.
Hitch hike was a dance craze during the 1960s which rose to popularity because of Marvin Gaye’s 1963 hit with the same name. The dance is extremely easy to learn and follow. It is based on the hitchhiking gesture where dancers wave their stuck-out thumb. The classical Motown pattern is three times right thumb to the right over the shoulder, clap hands, three times left thumb to the left over the shoulder, clap hands. All this is accompanied by the shimmy body ripples popular at these times. The style of the move depends on the dance and may be accompanied with steps back or sideways or hip movements.
The hokey pokey is a participation dance with a distinctive accompanying tune and lyric structure. It is well known in English-speaking countries. It originates in a British folk dance, with variants attested as early as 1826. The song and accompanying dance peaked in popularity as a music hall song and novelty dance in the mid-1940s in Britain and Ireland.
Hootchy-Kootchy, also called Cooch dance and Hoochie coochie is a pseudo-Turkish, sensual and exaggerated form of belly dancing performed only by women wearing short skirts, bare midriffs and tight breast bands, in burlesque theaters and carnival sideshows. This dance is said to have originated in Philadelphia Centennial Fair from May to November 1876. It became wildly popular during and after the Chicago World's Fair in 1893.
Also called Gopak or Cossack dance, Hopak is a dance from Ukraine which is performed often as a solitary concert dance by either amateurs or professional Ukrainian dancers. It is referred to as the National Dance of Ukraine and has also been incorporated into larger artistic opuses such as operas and ballets.
The modern-day Hopak is a choreographed dance made to appear full of improvisation. Much of the seemingly improvised parts involve solo dancers, usually male, performing visually and technically amazing acrobatic feats. These include jumps and spins, and are usually the highlight of the performance. The rest of the dance includes many movements performed in unison, especially by the female dancers. Male dancers are expected to squat repeatedly.
Also known as horo and oro, Hora is a circle dance which originated in the Balkans and also performed in other countries such as Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Turkey. Dancers hold each other’s hands and the circle spins counterclockwise as each participant follows a sequence of three steps forward and one step backward. The dance is usually performed to the accompaniment of musical instruments and is usually danced in weddings, festivals, and other types of social entertainment.
The hornpipe refers to any of the dance forms performed in Britain, Ireland, and elsewhere during the 17th century until the present day. Movements were those familiar to sailors of that time: "looking out to sea" with the right hand to the forehead, then the left, lurching as in heavy weather, and giving the occasional rhythmic tug to their breeches both fore and aft.
Horon refers to a group of circle dances from the Black Sea region of Turkey. The dances are called horoi which meaning is literally dance in both Ancient and modern Greek language, are circular in nature and are characterized by distinct short steps.
House dance is a type of social dance which is performed to house music and features footwork, jacking, and lofting. It includes improvisation and also features fas and complex foot-oriented steps combined with fluid movements in the torso, including floor work.
In house dancing, there is an emphasis on the subtle rhythms and riffs of the music, and the footwork follows them closely. This is one of the main features that distinguishes house dancing from dancing that was done to disco before house emerged and current dancing that is done to electronic dance music as part of the rave culture.
Huayno is a popular dance which originated from Serrania in Peru. It is also performed in Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, and Ecuador by ethnic groups. The dance begins with the male dancer offering his right arm to the female dancer, as an invitation for her to join him in dancing. The other way that male dancers invite the women is by putting their handkerchiefs on the shoulder of female dancers. Next, the partners walk along an enclosure and then they start dancing. The dance routines include agile and vigorous stamping of the feet during which the man follows the woman, opposite to front, touching her with his shoulders after having turned around, and only occasionally he touches his right arm to the left hand of his partner while both swing to the rhythm of the music.
Hula is a dance accompanied with a chant or song and was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians, the first settlers in the islands. The hula is a dance style which portrays the words of the oli (chant) or mele (song) in a visual form. There are many sub-styles with the main two categories being Hula Auana and Hula Kahiko. There are also two main positions of a hula dance - either sitting (noho dance) or standing (luna dance). Some dances utilize both forms. Hula dancing is a complex art form, and there are many hand motions used to represent the words in a song or chant. For example, hand movements can signify aspects of nature, such as the swaying of a tree in the breeze or a wave in the ocean, or a feeling or emotion, such as fondness or yearning. Foot and hip movements often pull from a basic library of steps including the kaholo, ka'o, kawelu, hela, 'uwehe, and 'ami.
The Hully Gully is a type of lie dance that is unstructured and originated from the 1960s. The modern Hully Gully features a series of steps that are called out by the MC. Each step was relatively simple and easy to execute. What’s challenging to the dancers is the difficulty to keep up with the speed of each step.
Humppa is a social dance related to one-step and originated in Finland in 1913. In dancing the humppa, both dancers take a step on each first beat (on "hump") and progress to the direction of dance. This is danced making turns in closed position or making figures by changing various open positions. The second Humppa form is related to two-step, which came to Finland in 1910. This Humppa has some rhythm and movement from samba and waltz. A third form of dance, Nilkku, is based on a slow, slow, quick, quick rhythm. The first quick step hardly takes any weight and gives the dance an appearance of limping.
Ice dancing is a dance form of figure skating with influence from ballroom dancing. The dancers compete as a couple or partners consisting of a male and a female ice dancer. The couples or partners must perform spins as a team in a dance hold. Throws and jumps are not allowed. The dance partners are not supposed to separate by more than two arm lengths. Originally, partners are to be in a dance hold the entire performance, though modern ice dancing has lifted this restriction already.
Ikariotikos is a traditional dance which originated from Ikaria, a Greek island in the North Eastern Aegean Sea. Some specialists of dance styles say that the traditional Ikariotikos was slow and that its quick version should be referred to as Ballos. It is also called Kariotikos by the local Greeks.
Ikariotikos is first danced with the dancer’s arms in the basket weave hold then as the dance speeds up it is danced by the hand hold on the shoulders. There are three parts to the dance. In the first part dancers have slow moving walking steps (similar to a Sta Tria), while during the second part, dancers move into a dance similar in steps to the Issios of Kalymnos. Lastly in the third part, dancers move into the quick steps with the mobility of both legs and body.
Improvisational Tribal Style (ITS), belly dance, or ITS, is a combination-based form of Improvisational Tribal Fusion dance. The leader of the dance initiates the cue movement, then a short, choreographed combination, or Combo, is performed. These combos can be done in any order, and none of the dancers know ahead of time what moves the leader will cue next. ITS can be danced as a solo or as a group. This term which is also the name of this dance form was first coined in 2006 by Amy Sigil of UNMATA to describe her Improv vocabulary, as it evolved away from American Tribal Style (ATS). Similar styles of ITS include American Tribal Style, Synchronized Group Improv, Tribal Group Improv, American Improv Tribal, and Group Improv Tribal. Although this style of modern fusion world dance is rooted in the United States, Improvisational Tribal Style has grown internationally and can be found in different countries like Australia, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Buenos Aires, Colombia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. 211. Inagta dance
The Inagta dance is a native folk dance from the municipality of Siaton in Negros Occidental. This dance is a simple follow-the-leader sequence that is characterized by imitation of the movements of animals, such as the monkey, frog, crow, and snake. While dancing, performers sing songs that depict their lives and recite verses. The Inagta dance is performed during the Inagta Festival which is celebrated every 5th day of December.
Intercessory Dance is a dance form where dancers use the Davidic circle form of dancing as the foundation of the dance expression. This form of dance provides an avenue of worshipping the Creator while also providing an opportunity for the dancers’ individual expression. The dances vary from simple, repetitive steps to more complex steps. They are meant to be danced as a group without any emphasis on any dancer.
International folk dance style is composed of selected folk dances from multiple ethnic groups performed by the same dancers, for recreation purposes and for performance purposes. The dance styles are typically considered the products of national or cultural traditions rather than part of an international tradition. International folk dancers do not need to be a member of any particular ethnic group.
The dancers perform in a dramatic, flamboyant, or athletic way, and they often tend to dance with stylized techniques and exaggerated movements. Dance styles for performances are usually selected and choreographed for presentations held on stage. Dancers of the international folk dance, whether for recreation or performance, are concerned with the preservation of a dance for its cultural value.
Interpretive dance describes a family of modern dance styles from around 1900s. Interpretive dance used classical concert music and is danced with the purpose of translating human emotions, conditions, situations, or fantasies into movement and dramatic expression. It often includes variety of movements of the arms, turns, and drops to the floor. Dancers wear costumes, spandex body suits, ribbons, and other grandiose outfits.
Irish dancing or Irish dance is a group of traditional dance forms originating in Ireland and is divided into social dances and performance dances. Irish social dancing can be divided further into céilí and set dancing. Irish set dances are quadrilles, danced by four couples arranged in a square, while céilí dances are danced by varied formations (céilí) of two to sixteen people. In addition to their formation, there are significant stylistic differences between these two forms of social dance. Irish social dance is a living tradition and variations in particular dances are found across the Irish dancing community; in some places, dances are deliberately modified and new dances are choreographed.
Sean nós literally means “old style, and this beautiful and gentle dance style is danced byindividualstotheir own steps and their own rhythm, most often by male dancers. Sean nós dancing is generally found in the more remote and isolated parts of Ireland, some of which are areas where the spoken language is Gaelige (Irish) and is traditionally performed in intimate settings of a small group of people and one or two musicians. Its steps have also influenced many other dance styles styles such as tap dancing, clogging, flatfooting, buck dancing, and Cape Breton step dancing, which would be the closest to Irish sean nós.
Irish step dancing, popularized in 1994 by the world-famous show Riverdance, is notable for its rapid leg and foot movements, body and arms being kept largely stationary. Irish stepdance is a style of performance dance with its roots in traditional Irish dance. It is generally characterized by a stiff upper body and the quick and precise movements of the feet. It can be performed solo or by groups. The solo stepdance is generally characterised by a controlled and rigid upper body, straight arms and back, and quick, precise movements of feet and legs. The solo dances can either be in "soft shoes" or "hard shoes". Soft shoes are often called ghilliesor pumps. They are constructed of very soft kid leather - similar to ballet shoes in texture. Their laces crisscross across the top of the feet and are tied up either around the ankle or under the arch of the foot. Hard shoes are often called heavy shoes or jig shoes. They are used to create the beautiful rhythmical percussions. They are made of black leather with fiberglass heels and taps on the tips of the shoes with a leather strap across the top of the foot. Irish stepdance is performed in most places with large Irish populations, though many stepdancers are not of Irish ancestry. Aside from public dance performances, there are also stepdance competitions all over the world.
Israeli folk dancing is a form of dance usually performed to songs in Hebrew, or to other songs which have been popular in Israel. There are different dance styles choreographed to each song. Israeli dances include circle, partner, line, and individual dances.
The two main types of Japanese dance are the Odori, originating from the Edo period, and the Mai, originating from western Japan. Odori grew out of Kabuki drama and is more oriented toward male sentiments. Mai is traditionally performed in Japanese rooms instead of on a stage. It was influenced by Noh drama. A variation of the Mai style of Japanese dance is the Kyomai or Kyoto-style dance. Kyomai developed in the 17th century during the Tokugawa cultural period. It was heavily influenced by the elegance and sophistication of the manners often associated with the Imperial Court in Kyoto. Other types of Japanese dance include Kabuki, Noh Mai, Bon Odori, and Nihon Buyo.
Despite its rather innocent steps by today’s standards, early 19th century Spanish authorities found the moves too sexually suggestive and highly explicit. They banned the Jarabe tapatio dance, inspiring popular appreciation for the Jarabe Tapatío in Mexico, as the ban added an element of rebellious expression to it and provided an opportunity for dancers eager to make a statement on social freedom and political independence. There are other varieties of the jarabe including jarabe de Jalisco, jarabe de atole, and jarebe Moreliano, but the jarabe Tapatío version is the most famous.
The dance celebrates romantic courtship. It is usually performed by a man and a woman, where the man appears to invite his partner into an intimate affection. At first, the female dancer rejects her partner’s advances, but then warms up to his persistence as the two danced on, only to reject the male dancer again when her positive signals inspire excessive giddiness in her suitor (male dancer). During the dance, the male dancer’s sombrero is placed on the ground, and after lively hopping, sliding and kicking around the sombrero, the woman bends to pick up the hat, at which point the man kicks his leg over her head. Timing and careful choreography are of utmost importance in this dance. The performance closes when she holds the hat up and both dancers’ faces disappear behind it, leaving the audiences to assume that the two are kissing behind the sombrero.
Jazz has become one of the most popular dance styles in recent years, mainly due to its popularity on television shows, movies, music videos, and commercials. Jazz dancing is a form of dance that showcases a dancer's individual style and originality. Every jazz dancer interprets and executes moves and steps in their own way. This type of dancing is consists of unique moves, fancy footwork, big leaps, and quick turns. Jazz steps also include basic turns including chaines, piques, pirouettes, jazz turns, and some ballet turns. Leaps include grande jetes, turning jumps, and tour jetes. Signature to jazz dancing is the "jazz walk." Jazz walks can be performed in varying styles. Another popular jazz move is the "contraction." A contraction is accomplished by contracting the torso, with the back curved outward and the pelvis pulled forward.
Jenkka is a fast Finnish partner dance which originated from Finnish folk dance. It is danced to the music in 2/4 or 4/4 time signature of about 140 BPM. Men and women perform similar steps. The initial dance position is the male dancer standing on the left of the female dancer and they are both facing in the direction of the line of dance, with their inner arms on each other's waists. The dancers go forward in a run similar to Polka: "left-right-left-hop (on the left foot)", "right-left-right-hop". After that they join the free arms assuming the face-to-face closed dance position and then they proceed with the chain of pivot turns stepping "left-right-left-right" or "left-hop-right-hop".
Jerkin' or Jerk is a street dance from Los Angeles. Since 2009, jerkin' has gained fans along the West Coast and, as of 2009, was gaining popularity on the East Coast. The dance itself consists of moving your legs in and out called the "jerk", and doing other moves such as the "reject", "dip", and "pindrop".
Jig was popular in Scotland and northern England in the 16th and 17th centuries and in Ireland since the 18th century. It is an improvised dance performed with rapid footwork and a rigid torso. In England, jigs were sometimes danced across crossed flails and clay pipes; they were occasionally danced by performers wearing clogs and were akin to the modern clog dances of northern England. At the court of Elizabeth I, the northern jigs became fashionable in the 16th century, and the name was also loosely applied to other dances of folk origin. In the 16th and 17th centuries, jigs appeared as stage dances and as stylized keyboard compositions by such composers as William Byrd, John Bull, and Giles Farnaby. The jig soon spreads to France and, in modified form as the gigue, became fashionable at the court of Louis XIV. Irish jigs are performed by one or more soloists or by couples dancing. The music is in 6/8 time. The hop, or slip, jig is a similar step dance (solo dance) in 9/8 time. When set dances, or figure dances for several couples, are danced to music in jig time, they are also called jigs. The few English Morris dances for solo dancers are also called jigs. Related to the jig is the Italian giga, a lively couple dance still popular in the folk tradition.
The Jitterbug Stroll is a swing line dance choreographed in 1992 by Ryan Francois who was a Lindy Hop dancer and teacher. It is usually danced to swing music with 12 bar blues structure such as Woody Herman's "Woodchopper's Ball" or Steven Mitchell's "The Jitterbug Stroll", a modern song created for this choreography.
The step list for the Jitterbug Stroll is as follows:
The dance is organized in groups of 6 bars of 8 beats each. Each group of 6 bars faces a different direction on the dance floor - meaning the dancer turns 90 degrees every 6 bars. Every group of 6 bars is organized in the following way: 3 bars of a signature step, 1 bar of stroll around/pivot turn, 1 bar of signature step and 1 bar of a break step that helps the dancer turn 90 degrees. The signature step is different for every group of 6 bars.
Jive is one of the five International Latin dances. A lively and uninhibited variation of Jitterbug, many of its basic patterns are similar to those of East Coast Swing. The basic look and feel of Jive is lots of energy, with the legs portraying a pumping action, knee lifting, and rocking of the hips. Jive also has kicks and flicks, even twirling of the female dancer. Although Jive dancers may appear to be moving their feet haphazardly in every direction, the feet are actually well-controlled under the body with the knees closed together. Both the East Coast Swing and basic Jive consist of two triple steps and a rock step. The Jive differs in that the count begins with the rock step, which is counted "1,2." The two triple steps are counted "3 and 4" and "5 and 6."
The joged dance is a social society dance performed when there is a party to celebrate and a successful harvest of the farmers. The dance is typically accompanied by a gamelan ensemble of bamboo instruments called a gamelan joged bumbung. Balinese Joged dance is not a religious dance. It is a social dance for entertainment purposes only. During a Joged performance, a single or several female dancers will perform and invite male audience to dance with them. The dance often involves erotic movements and teasing, ranging from humorous to seductive interactions between the dancers with their male counterpart.
The John Wall Dance is a dance performed by flexing the arms and twisting the wrist. John Wall was first performed during the introduction at Big Blue Madness at the University of Kentucky in October 2009. John Wall says that his idea for the dance came from the music video of the song "Do the Shizz" made by the Louisville rapper Kenzo. LaShawn "Sugar Shizz" Talbert, who inspired the dance, performed "The Shizz" in the music video. The John Wall Dance has subsequently integrated itself into popular culture.
Jota is a courtship dance tradition in northern Spain, particularly Aragon. It is also a genre of folk song that precedes and accompanies the dance or is sung only. The dancing couple hold their arms high and click castanetsas lively, bouncing steps to guitar music and singing. The singing consists of coplas, improvised verses of satire, love, or piety. The verse form varies but is frequently a four- or seven-line stanza of eight-syllable lines. The music is in 3/4 or 3/6 time.
Also called Povela e Yova, Jove Malaj Mome is a fast Bulgarian folk dance. It is done to a 7/16 + 11/16 = 18/16 compound meter with alternating (sub-)bars of 7+11, in their turn divided into common chetvorno and kopanitsa rhythms. Some dancers count it as 3-2-2, 2-2-3-2-2 or SQQ-QQSQQ, S meaning slow and Q meaning quick. It originated from the traditional dance Jove from the Sopluk region of Bulgaria.
Yove male mome is a complicated line dance performed in a curved line or open circle, with each dancer holding their neighbors by the belt. Dancers may also hold hands if belts are not available. One common version has 5 patterns of 4 bars each.
Jumpstyle is a type of dance style developed in Belgium from a type of kicking martial arts. It is now practiced primarily in Europe mainly the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France. Jumpstyle, or simply "jump" as it is often referred to, is danced to fast-paced dance music with a tempo around 140 and 150 Beats per Minute (BPM) to be executed fluidly. Jumpstyle is composed of two basic steps the basis, and tricks. Tricks are complicated and vary depending on the individual dancer.
The Kalamatianós is one of the best known dances of Greece. It is a popular Greek folkdance throughout Greece, Cyprus and other countries of the world. It is often performed at many kinds of social gatherings worldwide. As is the case with most Greek folk dances, it is danced in circle with a counterclockwise rotation, with the dancers holding the hands of each other. It is a joyous and festive dance; its musical beat is 7/8, subdivided into of three parts of 3+2+2 beats, corresponding to 3 steps per bar. There are 12 steps in the dance corresponding to 4 bars of music. These steps include 10 steps counterclockwise ("forward") followed by 2 steps clockwise ("backwards"). Depending on the occasion and the dancers' skills, certain steps may be taken as jumps or squats. The lead dancer usually holds the second dancer by a handkerchief, this allowing him or her to perform more elaborate steps and acrobatics. The steps of the Kalamatianós are the same as those of the Syrtos, but the latter is slower.
Kalymnikos is a dance from the Greek island of Kalymnos in the Aegean Sea. It is another traditional folk dance of Greeks dance in varying forms but often seen in festivals traditionally and performances on stage nowadays.
Kamarinskaya is a Russian traditional folk dance, which is mostly known today as the Russian composer Mikhail Glinka's composition of the same name. Glinka's Kamarinskaya, written in 1848, was the first orchestral work based entirely on Russian folk song and uses the compositional principles of the genre to dictate the form of the music.
Kapoutzidon Syrtos is another folk dance from the islands of Greece known for their ritualistic and festive movements. Women mostly perform this dance style.
Karsilamas is a folk dance spread all over Northwest Turkey and carried to Greece by Greek immigrants. The term "karşılama" means encounter and welcoming greeting. The dance is popular on Northwestern areas of Turkey and is mostly performed especially on wedding parties and festivals.
Karsilamas is a couple dance that is still danced in what was the Ottoman Empire, from Persia toSerbia, and in the Macedonia and Thrace regions of Northern Greece. Figures of the dance may vary from region to region but the main theme is two dancers facing each other and their movements are depending on the music they’re dancing to. Traditionally people dance without any figure on their minds, just figures they have seen from their elders. The meter is 9/8, and the basic move is danced in four small steps with durations 2,2,2,3 respectively. The style and mood may be bouncy, smooth, or lively depending on the region.
Also called Kastrino Pidikhto, this dance originated from central Crete danced to varying movements by Cretans and other locals in the neighboring areas. It is danced to a 2/4 rhythm.
Kathak is a classical dance form of northern India. The word “kathak” means to tell a story. It was derived from the dance dramas of ancient India. When the patronage shifted from the temples to the royal court, there was a change in the overall emphasis. The emphasis shifted from the telling of religious stories to entertainment. Today, the story-telling aspect has been downgraded and the dance is primarily an abstract exploration of rhythm and movement.
Kathakali is the classical dance form of Kerala. The word Kathakali literally means "Story-Play". Kathakali is known for its heavy, elaborate makeup and costumes. Kathakali dance style presents themes derived from the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and other Hindu epics, mythologies and legends. The dance aspect of Kathakali consists of pure dance (nritya) as well as mime (abhinaya). Initially Kathakali was thought to be the sole domain of male dancers but now female dancers also perform the dance. Like all other dance forms, Kathakali has also developed over the time. In Kathakali emphasis is given more on aharya abhinaya, the use of costumes, ornaments, and facial make-up. It is interesting to note that Kathakali is the only Indian dance form in which the entire body, both skeleton and muscles, down to even the smallest facial muscle are used to portray emotion. When Kathakali dance is being performed, the text of the drama or the story is sung for the dancer and is the baseline for his/her interpretation.
Also called Kozachok, Kazachok is a folk dance from Ukraine. It is characterized by a fast, linear, couple-dance in 2/4, typically danced in a constantly increasing tempo and of an improvisatory character in a major key. The woman leads and the man follows, imitating her figure. She signals movement changes by hand clapping. Other variations of the kozachok also include the Kuban-kazachok (from the Kuban district) and the Ter-kazachok (from the northern Caucasus).
The Keisabadi dance form originated from the Sambalpur district of the Indian state of Orissa. The keisabadi dance style is an ancient art form of the district which is highly promoted by the district of Bargarh also and is performed only by the men of the tribe. The songs on which they are danced to are those of the local Kosli language. After each stanza of the song, the male dancers shout ‘Haido’ in excitement. The theme of the songs and the dance display are based on the traditional love story of Lord Krishna and his consort Radha. The dancers hold a two feet long stick and they make several transformations while striking their sticks to the ground, in sync with the traditional song in the background. The leader of the group starts the song and the other men follow his lead into the song and the dance.
Kerala Natanam is a new style of dance that is now recognised as a distinct art form which evolved from Kathakali, a form of Indian dance-drama. Kerala Nadanam can be performed in three ways: Ekamga Nadanam (solo), Samgha Nadanam (group), and Nataka Nadanam (dance drama enacting a story). Male–female pair dancing is a distinct style in Kerala Nadanam. Kerala Natanam has also been extended to five or six hours of performance called Indian ballets.
The Indian dancer Guru Gopinath, a well-trained Kathakali artist and his wife Thankamani Gopinath, who was the first student of Mohiniyattam in Kerala Kalamandalam developed a unique structure for teaching and performing classical dance forms of India whose origins are from Kathakali. Solo, duets, dance dramas, and traditional folk dances were the material they chose.
Also called Hasapiko, the Khasapiko is a dance style which originated in Constantinople during the middle ages. It was performed by the Greek butchers guild. There are many variations of Hasapiko, but all have the same characteristic start, the Hasapiko triangle step. The slow version of the dance is called hasapiko or hasapikos meaning "heavy" and generally employs a 4/4 meter. The fast version of the dance uses a 2/4 meter. Other names which this dance style is called are grigoro hasapiko, makellarios horos, and hasaposerviko, with the latter being a reference to Serbian and other Balkan influences on this version of the dance.
Khattak dance is a swift martial dance usually performed by tribesmen from the Khattak tribe of Pashtuns in Pakistan while carrying a sword and a handkerchief. It was also performed by Khattak warriors before going to wars in the time of Malik Shahbaz Khan Khattak and Khushal Khan Khattak. It was used as a war-preparation exercise. The Khattak dance has a lot of forms: Shahdola, Bangra, Balballah, Qamar Balbala, chatrali, braghda'ona, tamseeli dana, charri dana, and individual performance.
Khon dance, the traditional Thai masked dance drama, is based on the classic Hindu Ramayana epic stories. It is a traditional Thai dance drama where performers wear elaborate costumes and masks. It is one of the six traditional Thai dance forms.
The dance consists of four sets of characters, male, female, monkeys and demons. Modern khon contains many elements from the lakhon nai and nowadays, include female performers for female characters which were traditionally performed by men. While the ogre and monkey characters still wear masks, most of the human characters do not wear masks during the performance anymore.
Khorovod is a Slavic art form which is combination of a circle dance similar to the Chorea of ancient Greece.
Kizomba is both a dance and a style of music, which developed in Angola in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The dance derives strongly from zouk, which is a Caribbean Carnivalesque quick rhythm originating in the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Zouk drifted to Angola, where it mixed with traditional Angolan music and semba, the Angolan origin of Brazilian samba, resulting in kizomba. The word zouk means party or festival. As in so many sensually driven dances, the man’s leg spends much of the dance firmly lodged between the woman’s thighs when dancing kizomba.
Also called Kleistos horos, the Kleistos is a circle dance from Thessaly. The dance is performed in a circle with the men leading and the women following in the circle. It is usually exhibited to songs like "San allo de me marane!" The dance has two parts, slow and fast, with the handholds being different for each part. Steryios Vlahoyiannis from the Dora Stratou collection sings some great versions of the Kliestos dance.
Modern Klezmer dance or Yiddish dance (the terms are interchangeable) comes from the celebration dances, particularly associated with weddings, of the Jews of the Pale of Settlement. Klezmer dance is associated with Klezmer music and Yiddish songs which are all aspects of a Jewish secular culture which is nonetheless deeply rooted in the religious vocal tradition, music and dancing.
A sher or sherele is a dance and musical form in Eastern European Jewish folk music, notably Klezmer music. The sher is a set dance in 4/4 march-like tempo. The set is made up of four couples in a square formation, similar to a quadrille or square dance formation. There are many figures used, such as couples advancing, retiring, changing places, couples visiting, circling, threading the needle, etc. The "sher" figure involves two opposite men advancing towards each other and then crossing past each other turning as the pass. "Sher" means "scissors" (and "sherele" is "small scissors") in Yiddish, and the name of the dance may come from the sher figure that is thought to imitate the cutting action of scissors.
Koftos is a lively Greek dance typical of the areas of Thessaly, Epirus, and central Greece. "Koftos" in Greek means to cut and the name of the dance comes from the periodic interruptions in the music and tune. When the music stops, the dancers yell "Hey", and they also put their arms up or down or they clap. This sta dio (two-measure) style of dance is a faster syrtos (Syrtos, Sirto, Sirtos), that can also be danced going backwards and forwards solo or with partners.
Kolbastı is a popular Turkish dance which was created in the 1930s in the seaport of Trabzon on the Black Sea coast of north-eastern Turkey. The word kolbastı means caught red-handed by the police. According to legend, the name comes from nightly police patrols of the city to round up drunks, who made up a song with the lyrics: 'They came, they caught us, they beat us' (“Geldiler, bastılar, vurdular” in Turkish language). Nowadays, this dance is mostly used for weddings or by youngsters who like to show off and attract girls.
Kolo or Oro is a collective folk dance common in various South Slavic regions, named after the circle formed by its dancers.
It is danced primarily by the people of Bosnia and Herzagovina, Bulgaria, Coratia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Bela krajina region of Slovenia. It is performed among groups of people (usually several dozen, at the very least three dozen) holding each other with their hands around each other's waists (ideally in a circle, hence the name). There is almost no movement above the waist. Each region has at least one unique kolo. The dance is accompanied by instrumental two-beat music (bearing the same name), performed most often to the accompaniment of an accordion, but also with other instruments like frula (traditional kind of arecorder), tamburica, or šargija. The kolo is normally performed at social, cultural, and religious ceremonies. It may be performed in a closed circle, a single chain, or in two parallel lines. Both men and women dance together, however some dances require only men to dance and some dances are only for women.
The kolomyjka is a Hutsul music genre that combines a fast paced folk dance and goofy-rhymed verses. It also refers to a type of performance dance developed by the Ukrainian diaspora in North America. It originated in the eastern Galician town of Kolomyia (Hutsulshchyna). It was historically popular among the Poles and Ukrainians, and is also known in northeastern Slovenia (as the kalamajka). Kolomyjkas are still danced in Ukraine, as a tradition on certain holidays, during festivities, or simply for fun. In Ukraine's rural west, they are popular dances for weddings.
Kontradans or the French-Haitian Contre danse is the creolized dance music that formed in the 18th century in the French colony of Saint-Domingue in Haiti. It evolved from the English contra dance, which eventually spread throughout the Caribbean, Louisiana, Europe, and the rest of the New World.
Kopanitsa, also called Ganikino in some regions is the name for a family of lively folk dances from western Bulgaria written in 11/8 meter. Some dancers count the steps in terms of "quick" and "slow" beats, the pattern being quick-quick-slow-quick-quick (counted as 2-2-3-2-2). The name comes from the verb kopam, which means "to dig" or "to hoe", so the name is sometimes translated as "little digging dance".
Kopanitsas and gankinos are line dances done with dancers in a curved line facing in, either holding hands with arms down or (in kopanitsas), holding the belts of the neighboring dancers. Dancers repeat one pattern until the leader on the right end of the line calls another pattern.
Kotsari or Kotchari is a folk dance in the form of a circle dance which is danced today by Armenians, Assyrians, Azerbaijanis, Kurds, Pontic Greeks, and Turks. Each region in the Armenian Highlands had its own Kochari, with its unique movements and steps.
Kozachok or kazachok is a folk dance from Ukraine. It is a fast, linear, couple-dance in 2/4, typically in a constantly increasing tempo and of an improvisatory character in a major key. The woman leads and the man follows, imitating her figures- The woman claps to signal new movements to the man who follows her.
The kozachok, from Kozak ("Cossack"), can be traced back to the Vertep, the late 16th and 17th century Ukrainian itinerant puppet theatre. Vertep plays consisted of two parts, the first dramatizing the birth of Christ and the second with a secular plot. In Ukraine it was often a joyful celebration centered on the Cossacks from the Zaporizhian region, who sang, played the bandura, and danced. This dance became known as the Vertepny Kozachok, literally meaning "A Cossack Puppet from Vertep" and displayed all the characteristics of the fiery Kozak temperament.
In the 19th century the dance has changed, it was then performed as a circle-dance and since the end of the 1960s, it has been revived in many countries. There are arrangements of it in the works of Alexander Serov, Tchaikovsky, and other Russian composers. Among works for symphony orchestra, notable are Alexander Dargomyzhsky's Malorossiysky kazachok, R. Simovych's Third Symphony, and the Dance Suite by A. Kolomiyetz.
The Krakowiak is a fast, syncopated Polish dance in duple time from the region of Kraków and Little Poland. It is danced by performers imitating the movements of a horse. Horses were greatly valued in Krakow for their use in the millitary force and civilian necessities. The krakowiak became a popular ballroom dance in Vienna ("Krakauer") and Paris ("Cracovienne").
In terms of krakowiak’s choreography, it is set for several couples, among whom the leading male dancer sings and calls the steps. According to the description in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, the krakowiak is directed by the leading man from the first pair. As they approach the band, "the man, tapping his heels or dancing a few steps, sings a melody from an established repertory with newly improvised words addressed to his partner”. The band follows the melody, and the couples move off in file and form a circle (with the leading couple back at the band). Thereafter verses are sung and played in alternation, the couples circulating during the played verses.
Krishnanattam or Krishnattam is a temple art in the province of Kerala in India. It is a dance drama which presents the story of Krishna in a series of eight plays and was created by Manaveda (1585–1658 AD), the then Zamorin Raja of Calicut in northern Kerala. The eight plays are Avataram, Kaliyamardanam, Rasakrida, Kamsavadham, Swayamvaram, Banayuddham, Vividavadham, and Swargarohanam.
Krumping is a street dance popularized in the United States. It is characterized by free, expressive, exaggerated, and highly energetic movements. The black youths who started krumping saw the dance as a way for them to escape gang life and to release anger, aggression, and frustration positively, in a non-violent way.
There are four primary moves in krumpings. They are the jabs, arm swings, chest pops, and stomps. Krumping is rarely choreographed as it is almost entirely improvisational and is danced most frequently in battles or sessions rather than on a stage. Krumping is different stylistically from other hip-hop dance styles such as b-boying and turfing as it is very aggressive and is danced upright to upbeat and fast-paced music as compared to b-boying which is classified as more acrobatic and is danced on the floor to break beats. The Oakland dance style turfing is a fusion of popping and miming that incorporates storytelling and illusion. Krumping is less precise than turfing and more freestyle. Thematically, all these dance styles share common ground including their street origins, their freestyle nature, and the use of battling. These commonalities bring them together under the umbrella of hip-hop dance.
Kuchipudi is a Classical Indian dance from Andhra Pradesh in India. The performance of the kuchipudi usually begins with some stage rites, after which each of the characters come on the stage and introduces herself with a dharavu (a small composition of both song and dance) to introduce the identity and set the mood of the character in the drama. The drama then begins. The dance is accompanied by songs which are typically considered as Carnatic music. The songs in Kuchipudi are mimed and interpreted with the dancers’ alluring expressions, swift looks, and fleeting emotions evoking the rasa.
The Kujawiak is a Polish folk dance from the region of Kujawy in central Poland. It is one of the five national dances of Poland, the others being the krakowiak, mazurka, oberek, and polonaise.
The music is in triple meter and fairly slow. The dance usually involves couples walking gracefully in a quarter-note rhythm, on slightly bended knees, with relaxed turns, and gently swaying. Women's Kujawiak dances are also performed.
Kurdish dance is a group of traditional hand-holding dances similar to those from the Balkans and Eastern European countries. It is a form of a circle dance, with a single or a couple of figure dancers forming the dancing circle. According to the Encyclopedia of Islam, Kurds sing and dance in all of their festivals, birthdays, New Years, marriage ceremonies and other occasions.
In every dance, one dancer falls or comes to the head of the circle which is called “Serchopi”, holding a colorful or symbolic object in his/her right hand. It is a tradition that no one takes his/her place until he/she leads the dancers group at least one circle. The rest of dancers are called Gawaní. Sometimes Gawaní is also primarily called to the last dancer of the circle. This line of dancers differs from many ages. A 3 year old or an 83 year old dancer can dance and be in the same line at a party.
This folk dance originated in ancient times. The kushtpedi dance begins with melodic tunes from first chords of the national songs. Watchers accompany the dancers’ movements with dimensional and rhythmic clapping of hands. At the end of each quatrain they shout the traditional "hey, ha," "uh-hu", "Kushtia, Kushtia," as if egging each other. During the performance, the dancers’ hands must not touch. In some cases, the center of the dancers form a kind of "core" setting the tone for the rest of the ordinary men and women in the audience.
La Cucaracha, meaning the co*ckroach in Spanish, is a traditional Spanish folk corrido or song which became popular in Mexico during the Mexican Revolution.
The music for this dance style is divided into two parts with the counting of one, two, and three to a measure. The dancers are arranged informally at the stage and the male dancer clasps his hands around his back. The female dancer holds her skirt gracefully at each side. Other participants may be arranged in other positions or desired formations. The partners should be standing side by side with the women on the right side and men on the left side.
Lambada is a dance from Para, Brazil which rose to popularity during the 1980s. It has adopted aspects of varying dance styles such as the forro, salsa, maxixe, merengue, and the carimbo.
Lambada is generally a partner dance. The dancers dance with arched legs, with the steps being from side to side, turning or even swaying, with a pronounced movement of the hips. At the time when the dance became popular, short skirts for women were in fashion and men wore long trousers during the performance.
The "Lambeth Walk" is a song from the 1937 musical Me and My Girl (with book and lyrics by Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose and music by Noel Gay). The song takes its name from a local street Lambeth Walk once notable for its street market and working class culture in Lambeth, a region in London.
The Lambeth Walk dance took inspiration from this musical and is danced in groups, solo, or as a couple dance. Dancers’ movements include swaggering, strutting, and knee-slapping. Dancers will occasionally shout "Oi" or “Oy” while their arms are raised and while they are snapping their fingers.
The Ländler is a folk dance in 3/4 time which was popular in Austria, south Germany, Switzerland, and Slovenia by the end of the 18th century. It is a couple dance, usually danced in an open position, and features movement like stamping, hopping, clapping, and arm-tying. It can be a fast or slow dance.
Also more popularly known as contact dance, lap dance is a type of erotic dance performance offered in strip clubs. The dancer, usually a female, typically has body contact with a seated patron. During a lap dance performance, the dancer may be nude, topless, or scantily dressed, depending on the laws of the jurisdiction and the club's policies.
With full-contact lap dances, the stripper may engage in non-penetrative sexual contact with the patron, such as "grinding" her body against the patron. Other terms include couch dance if the customer is seated on the couch during the performance. It is called a bed dance if the patron is lying down a bed.
Latin dance is a general label, and a term in partner dance competition jargon. It refers to types of most ballroom dance and folk dance that with its roots from Latin America.
The category of Latin dances in the international dancesport competitions consists of the cha-cha-cha, rumba, samba, paso doble, and also the jive of United States origin. Some social latin dances include salsa, mambo, merengue, tumba, bachata, bomba, plena, and the Argentine tango. Most latin dances can be very slow, romantic, and sexy. Another name of latin dances is Afro-Cuban dance.
Latin hustle was originally a form of line dance. It was then performed to a couple dance. The couple dance form of hustle is referred to as "New York Hustle" but frequently called by other names like "la hustle" or "latin hustle". This couple dance is very similar to the "Detroit hustle". It has some resemblance to, and steps in common with, swing and salsa dancing.
Most latin dances are danced with either 4/4 or 3/4 music with counting to match, with either a triple or duple base depending on the dance. The New York hustle is danced to 4/4 music but counted as a six beat pattern. “1 2 &a3 4 5 &a6” this is "L R lr L R lr" in the leader's pattern and natural opposite for the follower's pattern.
Originating from the state of Maharashtra, the word Lavanya means beauty. This dance form is performed to put the various social aspects of Maharashtra in an entertaining form. The lavani Dance form is a combination of traditional songs and dances. It was performed to boost the morale of war soldiers during the 18th century. The performers of this dance are attractive and beautiful women wearing saris. They dance in rhythm to a catching tune and teasing lyrics.
Also called volta, lavolta is an anglicised name for a Renaissance dance for couples from the later Rennaisance. This dance was associated with the galliard and was performed to the same kind of music. Its main figure consisted of a turn and lift in a closed position, which could be done either to the right or to the left. During the performance of the volta, the male dancer faces his partner and holds her very close. The leader of the dance turns his partner around several times and then helps her take a leap into the air. This dance style is taken in two single steps and a double step with a hop on the 5th. Volta is performed in 3/4 time.
The lerikos is a traditional Greek circle dance where participants hold hands at the shoulder level and dance in a counterclockwise direction.
LeRoc is a form of Modern Jive, a dance style that was derived in the 1980s, from dances including Swing, Lindy Hop, and Rock and Roll. The main difference of LeRoc to all these dance performs is the simplified footwork.
Letkajenkka, also known as Letkajenka in English and many other languages, is a Finnish dance. The steps of Letkajenkka are like that of the Bunny Hop, a novelty dance from the 1950s. The Bunny Hop starts with a right foot lead while the Letkajenkka transformed into a dance based on the same step, but starting with a left leg lead. In Finland the dancers place their hands on the previous dancers’ shoulders, but Letkajenkka can also be danced by holding the other person's waist.
Leventikos also known as Litós, Kucano, Nešo, and Bufskoto Oro, is a dance of western Macedonia, mainly performed by Macedonians and Greeks in the town of Florina, Greece and in the Resen and Bitola regions in the neighboring Republic of Macedonia. The meter varies: one is 12 = 3+2+2+3+2 time with the metric 3s divided into quadruplets, but because of the speed, the metric accents may sound more like 3+4+3+2; another one is 16 = 4+2+3+4+3, where metric 4s have sub-beats 2+2. The third (second short) beat may be lengthened relative its written value in both variations, but less so at higher speeds, and the last beat (third short beat) may be shortened, a common Balkan treatment of meters.
Lezginka or Lezghinka is a national dance of the many peoples in the Caucasus region. Lezginka can be a solo, couple, or group dance. Men and women dancers are dressed in traditional costumes with men wearing a sword adorned on their side and women in long, flowing dresses. The man, imitating an eagle, dances in quick and concise steps and leaps up quickly. The woman dances quietly, taking light, small steps, giving the appearance of her floating around the floor. When the dance is performed in pairs, the couples do not touch at all.
There are two types of Lezginka and each type vary from one people to another. The fast version of this dance is the only dance common to all people of the Caucasus, but each nationality dances it differently. The two types are: Mountain dance or Highlander dance and Lyrical dance.
Limbo is a novelty or eccentric but popular dance contest which originated on the island of Trinidad. The dance originated as an event that took place at wakes in Trinidad and Tobago.
A horizontal bar, known as the limbo bar, is placed atop two vertical bars. All contestants must attempt to go under the bar with their backs facing the floor. Whoever knocks the bar off or falls is eliminated from the contest. After everyone has completed their turns, the bar is lowered slightly and the contest continues. The contest ends when only one person has successfully "limbo" under the bar.
The Lindy hop is an American dance which evolved in Harlem, New York City, in the 1920s and 1930s and later evolved with the jazz music of that time. It was very popular during the Swing era of the late 1930s and early 1940s. Lindy hop was a fusion of many dances that preceded it or were popular during its development but is mainly based on jazz, tap, breakaway, and Charleston. It was often described as a jazz dance and is a member of the swing dance family.
In its development, the Lindy hop combined elements of both partnered and solo dancing by using the movements and improvisation of black dances along with the formal eight-count structure of European partner dances. This is most clearly illustrated in the Lindy's basic step, the swingout. In this step's open position, each dancer is generally connected hand-to-hand. In its closed position, men and women are connected as though in an embrace.
Lindy hop today is danced as a social dance, as a competitive dance, as a performance dance, and in classes, workshops, and camps. In each dance form, partners may dance alone or together, with improvisation a central part of social dancing, performance, and competition pieces.
A line dance is a choreographed dance with a repeated sequence of steps in which a group of people dance in one or more lines or rows are faced with either each other or in the same direction,. The dancers execute the steps at the same time. Unlike in circle dancing, line dancers are not in physical contact with each other.
Line dancing is practiced and learned in country-western dance bars, social clubs, dance clubs, and ballroom sessions. It is sometimes combined on dance programs with other forms of country-western dance, such as two-step, western promenade dances, and as well as western-style variants of the waltz, polka, and swing. Line dances have accompanied many popular music styles since the early 1970s including pop, swing, rock and roll, disco, Latin (salsa suelta), rhythm and blues and jazz.
Lion dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a lion's movements while dressed up in a lion costume. The lion dance is usually performed during the Chinese New Year and other Chinese traditional, cultural, and religious festivals. It may also be performed at important occasions such as business opening events, special celebrations, or wedding ceremonies (especially when the celebrator is a Chinese national).
The Chinese lion dance is often mistakenly referred to as dragon dance. An easy way to tell the difference is that a lion is normally operated by two dancers, while a dragon needs many people. Also, in a lion dance, the performers' faces are only seen occasionally, since they are inside the lion. In a dragon dance, the performers' faces can be easily seen since the dragon is held on poles. Chinese lion dance fundamental movements can be found in most Chinese martial arts. Variants of the lion dance include Chinese Northern lion dance, Chinese Southern lion dance, Vietnamese lion dance, Indonesian lion dance, and Korean lion dance. The Chinese Lion Dance is performed accompanied by the music of beating of drums, cymbals, and gongs playing unique beats.
Liscio is a folk dance originating from the northern Italian region of Romagna at the end of the 19th century. It later became popular and was adapted by the rest of the surrounding countries.
Locking (originally Campbellocking) is a style of funk dance, which is also associated with hip-hop. The name is based on the concept of locking movements, which means freezing from a fast movement and "locking" in a certain position, holding that position for a short period of time, and then continuing in the same movement with the same speed as before. It relies on fast and distinct arm and hand movements combined with more relaxed hips and legs. The movements are generally large and exaggerated, and often very rhythmic and tightly synced with the music. Locking also includes a number of acrobatics and physically demanding moves, such as landing on one's knees and the split. Locking may be done solo or in unison with two or more dancers doing steps or handshakes together.
The Long Sword dance is a hilt-and-point sword dance which originated mainly in Yorkshire, England. It is related to the rapper sword dance of Northumbria, but instead of using flexible spring steel, it uses rigid metal or wooden swords.
Long Sword dances vary in the way they are performed, with some being slow and militaristic, such as the Grenoside or performed with pace and speed like Handsworth dances from Sheffield. Others have different features including variations of numbers of dancers and distinctive movements.
The loure, also known as the gigue lente or slow gigue, is a slow French Baroque dance, which originated in Normandy and named after the sound of the instrument of the same name (a type of musette).
The loure is a dance of slow or moderate tempo, sometimes in simple triple meter, more often in compound duple meter. The weight is on the first beat, which is further emphasized by the preceding anacrusis that begins the traditional loure.
Lyrical dance is a style of dance created from the fusion of ballet with jazz and contemporary dance techniques and is a "cousin" to those styles. Lyrical dancing is performed to music with lyrics to inspire movements to express strong emotions. Because lyrical dancing focuses on the expression of strong emotion, the style concentrates more on individual approach and expressiveness than the precision of the dancer's movements.
"Macarena" is a Spanish dance song by Los del Río which tells about a woman of the same name.
Macarena is performed by highly energetic dancers and the steps are very easy to follow. The dancer put her right arm straight in front of her with her palm down on count 1. On count 2, she brings her left arm straight out in front of her, also with her palm down. On 3, she flips her right hand over and her left hand next on count 4. On 5, she touches her left shoulder with her right hand and do the reverse on count 6. She slides her right hand underneath her left arm and touches the right side of her head on 7. She slides her right hand afterwards and on count 8, she touches the left side of her head with her left hand.
On count 1 again, she puts her right hand on her left hip followed by her left hand on her right hip on 2. On 3, she places her right hand on the right side of her booty. On 4, she does the same with her left (on her left side). She rolls her hips three times, to the right, to the left and to the right on counts 5, 6, and 7. Lastly, on count 8, she jumps a quarter-turn to the left and claps her hands.
Dances in Macedonia vary. Most are solid and are performed using heavy steps, whilst others are fast and agile. Most dances begin slow and increase in speed.
The Madison is a novelty dance that was popular in the late 1950s to mid-1960s. The Madison was created and first danced in Columbus, Ohio, in 1957. It is a line dance that features a regular back-and-forth pattern with movements including step left forward, place right foot beside left (no weight) then clap, step back on right, move left foot back and across the right, move left foot to the left, and move left foot back and across the right.
Other called steps include the Double Cross, the Cleveland Box, The Basketball (with Wilt Chamberlain), the Big "M", the "T" Time, the Jackie Gleason, the Birdland, and The Rifleman.
Also known as Magbabao, the Maglalatik is an indigenous dance from the Philippines. Coconut shell halves are secured onto the dancers' hands and 4 or 6 more are hung on their vests. This dance is performed exclusively by male dancers and is performed by hitting one coconut shell with the other - sometimes the ones on the hands, sometimes, the ones on the body, and sometimes the shells worn by another performer, all in time to a fast drumbeat. By-product, 2012 Good Friday burned "latik" with the coconut healing oil as main product.
The name of the dance originated from the Filipino word "Latik", meaning "fried coconut milk curd", a coconut product that is used in Filipino cuisines.
The malagueña is a dance performed in the Philippines but originated in Spain. The Philippines has about 4 versions of this dance, the Malagueña de San Pablo from San Pablo, Laguna, Malagueña de Catanauan from Catanauan, Malagueña de Pila, and Pandanggo Malagueña. This dance style features elbow flapping and the use of castanets. All versions portray courtship and romance.
Also called Irakliotiko, Malevyziotiko Pidikhto is a dance which originated from Central Crete. There are various variations in different regions of Crete but most are danced to a fast and frantic rhythm. The dancers cut into the circle at a rightward angle with eight large steps and then come straight back out with eight smaller steps, the same pattern in reverse.
Mambo, a Latin dance of Cuba was invented during the 1930s by the native Cuban musician and composer Arsenio Rodríguez. This dance style was later developed in Havana by Cachao and made popular by Dámaso Pérez Prado and Benny Moré years after.
The Mambo dance that was invented by Perez Prado and was popular in the 1940s and 50s in Cuba, Mexico City, and New York is completely different from the modern dance that New Yorkers now call 'Mambo' and which is also known as Salsa "on 2". The original mambo dance contains no breaking steps or basic steps at all. The modern dance from New York’s is danced to mambo music, but more often to salsa dura (old-school salsa). It is termed "mambo on 2" because the break, or direction change, in the basic step occurs on count 2.
Maneo is a traditional folk dance from Galicia. It’s other name is Maneo de Cambre.
Manila Swing is a Filipino variation of the hustle. Americans usually refer to the Manila Swing as the Four-Count Hustle, as opposed to the more common and more difficult Three-Count or Disco Hustle.
Manipuri dance is one of the major Indian classical dance forms. It originated from Manipur, a state in north-eastern India. It is a purely religious dance which is performed with the purpose of encountering supernatural of spiritual experiences. It is danced in religious festivals of the region.
The traditional Manipuri dance style features delicate, lyrical, and graceful movements. Dancers aim to make rounded movements and avoid any sharp edges or straight lines during the performance. The movements of the feet are viewed as part of a composite movement of the whole body. The dancers put their feet down, even during vigorous steps, with the balls of the feet touching the ground first. The dancers’ feet are neither put down nor lifted up at the precise rhythmic points of the music but rather slightly earlier or later to express the same rhythmic points most effectively.
The Manipuri dance is danced to musical accompaniment of the Pung, a small percussion instrument and Pena, a wind instrument like the flute. There are singers and drummers in the background.
Mapalé is a Colombian dance which originated from the Afro Colombian culture of the Pacific and Caribbean Regions of Colombia. This dance features an erotic courtship between a male and female couple characterized by their frenetic acts towards each other. The couple dances to a fast rhythm of cumbia music mimicking the movements of the Mapale fish when they are out of water.
Marimba dances are performed by Afro Ecuadorians as the ultimate expression of their freedom. The dance incorporates themes relatable to all Africans throughout the Diaspora, such as slavery, resistance, and resilience. They are performed during festivals. Marimba is also a musical instrument, which consists of wooden bars and metal mallets. It closely resembles the xylophone and was derived from the West African balafon. Marimda dance, or curulao is danced to marimba music.
Marinera is a coastal dance of Peru. It is a couple's dance where dancers use handkerchiefs as props. The dance is an elegant and stylized reenactment of a courtship, and it shows a blend of the different cultures of Peru. Traditional accompaniment for the dance is provided through the use of cajón, clarinets, guitars, drums, and bugles. The dance has gained a lot of attention and is considered as one of the most popular traditional dances of Peru.
Also known as the Matachina dance, or "Danza de Matachines" (Spanish), Matachin is explained by oral tradition amongst most Indian Tribes as "The Dance of the Moors and Christians" and is the first masked dance introduced by the Spaniards.
The dance was adopted by the people, and today many forms of this dance still exist, though the dance steps vary amongst tribes. The dancers who perform the ritual dancers are referred to as Matachines. The matachines aim to portray the good and the evil in the dance performance, with the good prevailing.
Also known as the Brazilian tango, the maxixe is a dance form which originated from Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in 1868, which was the same time that tango was being developed in adjacent countries like Uruguay and Argentina. The maxixe is a dance form which developed from Afro-Brazilian dances (mainly the lundu) and from European dances (mainly the polka) and is danced to a rapid 2/4 time. The maxixe is just one of the dance forms which contributed to samba dance forms like samba de gafieira and the lambada.
A maypole is a tall wooden pole erected as a part of various European folk festivals, around which a maypole dance often takes place.
The festivals may occur on May Day or Pentecost (Whitsun), although in some countries it is instead erected during the Midsummer. In some cases the maypole is a permanent feature that is only utilized during the festival, although in other cases it is erected specifically for the purpose and is taken down after the celebration. This dance is common in Scandinavia, Britain, and Ireland. In Sweden, this dance is performed mostly by gesturing movements based on the theme of the song played in the background. In Britain and Ireland, the dance is performed by pairs of boys and girls (or men and women) who stand alternately around the base of the pole, each holding the end of a ribbon. They weave in and around each other, boys going one way and girls going the other and the ribbons are woven together around the pole until the merry-makers meet at the base.
Mazur is a traditional Polish folk dance from Masovia. It is a dance form performed by two dancers who portray the love and loss we encounter in a lifetime by varying movements.
The mazurka (in Polish, mazurek) is a Polish folk dance in triple meter, usually danced at a lively tempo, and with accent on the second or third beat. It is a folk dance characterized by stamping of the feet and clicking of the heels. It is also danced to accompaniment of musical instruments like the bagpipe. This dance has no set figures and is highly improvisational.
Medieval dances are mentioned in writing from around 1170, where a story speaks of a meadow with ladies and knights playing games and dancing. These, and many more surviving writings, are considered to all be referring to caroles.
Another dance often credited to medieval times, even though it was probably developed a bit after, is the Saltarello. Saltarello is a lively dance which originated in Naples. The dance steps for this are quick and fast-paced and highly improvisational. It was danced during the 15th century.
Megarian sousta is another form of the sousta dance style from the ancient Geeks. It features eroticism when danced by partners and is danced to the accompaniment of the lyre.
Also called Rocking or simply The Shuffle, Melbourne Shuffle is a rave and club dance which originated in the late 1980s in the underground rave music scene of Melbourne Australia. The dance features basic movements including fast heel-and-toe action and various arm movements. People who danced the Melbourne Shuffle were referred to as rockers because of the popularity of Melbourne Shuffle being danced to rock music during the 1990s.
Merengue is a dance form from Dominican Republic. Partners hold each other in a closed position. The leader (most of the time male) holds the follower’s (most of the time female) waist with the leader’s right hand, while holding the follower's right hand with the leader's left hand at the follower's eye level. They then both bend their knees slightly left and right, thus making the hips move left and right, too. Their hips have to move in the same direction all throughout the performance. They are allowed to switch to an open position and do separate turns without letting go each other's hands. During these turns, they may twist and tie their handhold into intricate pretzels.
Meringue is a dance form which was influenced by contra danse from Europe and the Afro-Carribean regions of Hispaniola. These two popular cultures blended and the result is meringue. European dances accompanied by Kongo influences, deriving from a section of kontradans are said to have evolved into the méringue. However, like almost all Latin American dances, the méringue can trace its origins back to the contra danse, the French dance which was hugely popular in Europe and its creolization by the use of the drums, poetic songs, antiphonal song forms, and imitations of colonial elite dance elements by the mulattos and the black slaves who had already begun to transform the genre.
Metelytsia is a popular folk dance from Ukraine. It is performed by both amateurs and professional Ukrainian dancers. This dance features swift changes of choreographed figures of a spinning nature, mimicking snowstorms. It is a circle dance and a group dance performed to choral accompaniment. The chorale is sometimes accompanied by the bandura.
Milonga dance is a form of dance performed to the music of the same name, milonga music.
Milonga dance features the same basic elements as that of the tango but gives way to a greater relaxation for the legs and the body. The movements are fast-paced and pauses in between are very minor. It is considered a kind of rhythmic walking without incorporating complicated figures. Its style is considered humorous and rustic as compared to tango which is serious and dignified. There are two different styles of Milonga. The first one is "Milonga Lisa" (Simple Milonga), in which the dancer steps on every beat of the music. The second one is the "Milonga con Traspié", in which the dancer uses Traspiés or contrapasos (changes of weight from one foot to the other and back again in double time or three steps in two beats) to interpret the music.
A minuet is a social dance of French origin for two people, normally performed in 3/4 time. The name of the dance refers to short steps which is one of the defining characteristics of the dance.
Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert dance or theatrical dance (as opposed to participation dance), mainly originating from both Germany and the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Modern dance’s legacy is evident among the 20th century concert dance forms. Modern dance subtypes also include the postmodern dance and the contemporary dance.
Modern Jive is a dance style derived from swing, Lindy Hop, rock and roll, salsa and others. The defining characteristic of the modern jive is its uncomplicated footwork. Sometimes, the term French Jive is used instead, in order to reflect the origins of the style. The word modern distinguishes it also from the ballroom Jive.
Although modern jive adapts moves from other dance styles like West Coast Swing, Salsa, Ballroom, and Latin dance, Modern Jive is a dance on its own right. The Modern Jive has many variations and is continually evolving into different trends and styles. It is called Modern Jive Blues when danced to slower tempos.
Modern Western square dance (also called Western square dance, contemporary Western square dance, modern American square dance or modern square dance) is one of two American types of square dancing, along with traditional square dance. As a dance form, modern Western square dance grew out of traditional Western dance.
Modern Western square dance, like traditional square dance, is directed by a square dance caller. In modern Western square dance, the caller strings together a sequence of individual square dance calls to make a figure or sequence. These calls are the building blocks of the choreography that is danced by the individuals, square dancers, in the squares. There are eight people (four couples) in each square. Generally, each of these squares dances independently of other squares. There are moments where one dancer from one square joins the other square during the performance. There are two types of square dance calls, the patter calls and the singing calls.
Mohiniyattam, also spelled Mohiniattam is a classical dance form from Kerala in India. This dance is believed to have originated from the 16th century. It was meant to be performed as solo recitals by female dancers.
The term Mohiniyattam comes from the words "Mohini" meaning a woman who enchants onlookers and "aattam" meaning graceful and sensuous body movements. The word "Mohiniyattam" literally means "dance of the enchantress".
The dance involves the swaying of the dancer’s hips and the gentle movements of erect posture from side to side. There are approximately 40 basic movements in this dance style and the dancers the eyes move in coy yet sensual manner.
Molly dancing is a form of English Morris dance, traditionally done by out-of-work ploughboys during the midwinter of the 19th century. On this occasion the dances performed included a tango, performed by two male dancers with one dancer dressed as a woman.
The moonwalk is a dance move in which the dancer moves backwards while appearing to walk forwards, as If gliding in the moon. It became popular around the world after Michael Jackson executed the dance move during a performance of "Billie Jean" on Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever in 1983.
To do the moonwalk, the dancer’s front foot should be held flat on the ground, while the back foot is in a tiptoe position. The flat front foot remains on the ground but is slid lightly and smoothly backward past the tip-toe back foot. What is now the front foot is lowered flat, while the back foot is raised into the tiptoe position. These steps are repeated over and over to create an illusion that the dancer is being pulled backwards by an unseen force while trying to walk on the opposite direction. Variations of this move allow the moon walking to also appear to glide forwards, sideways, and even in a circle.
Also known as the Dance of the Black Slaves, the Morenada is a dance style from the Bolivian Andes characterized by a mixture of African dance elements.
Morris dance is a form of English folk dance which is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers. The dancers wear bell pads on their shins and they also have sticks, swords, and handkerchiefs during the performance. In a small number of dances for one or two people, steps are performed near and across a pair of clay tobacco pipes laid one across the other on the floor.
Nowadays, the morris dance is considered an art and recreation enjoyed by people across the world. In England, there are many Mixed Morris sides that enable English people to dance and have roles in the performance regardless of their gender.
Also called slam dancing, moshing is a style of dance where participants push or slam into each other during concerts or in “mosh pits” of aggressive” music genres, such as hardcore punk and variations of heavy metal. It is primarily done to live music, although it can be done to recorded music, too. Moshing can be done solo or in groups and there are variations called “pogoing”, “circle pits” and the most extreme called “wall of death”. Moshing is usually done in the central area of the crowd, near to the stage where the performance is held.
In the east-central Indian states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Orissa, the term “nacnī” refers to female performers who sing and dance professionally in rural areas, accompanied by male ḍhulkī and nagarā drummers who move around the stage while the females are singing. Women who perform as nacnīs are considered "kept women" and are usually paired in an informal "marriage" with a male dance partner from a higher caste. In this pairing, nacnīs are thought to embody the goddess Radha while the male dance partner is a looked at as if he is Krishna.
Also referred to as NC2S, California two-step, or disco two-step, nightclub two step is a partner dance initially developed by Buddy Schwimmer during the mid-1960s. This dance form is frequently performed to mid-tempo ballads in 4/4 time that have a characteristic quick-quick-slow beat.
The nightclub two step basic step can be counted as one & two - three & four.The dance position for nightclub two step is with a more relaxed hold, or "what people tend to do without lessons". The lead rocks back on their left foot, the follow on their right, for one beat. A gentle but noticeable resistance is maintained during the rock step. Then both dancers replace weight on the second part of the first beat. On the next beat, the lead takes a step to the left and the follow to the right. Then both partners repeat, but on opposite feet (the lead rocks back on their right foot and moves to the right). The quick rock steps should be matched with the quick drum beats in the music. The "slow" drum beat and slow step can occur on either the second and fourth, or the first and third beats of a measure.
Another pattern in NC2S is the side-cross-side move. Typically, the lead starts this move by stepping on the side with their left foot and then crosses in front with their right foot. This is followed by another step to the side with the left foot. The rhythm, here, is quick, quick, slow. The follow does the same thing, but starts with their right foot. Both partners cross in front.
NIsiotiko Syrtos is a dance from which is performed in Nisiotiko, in Kos, in Dodecanese Island of Greece. This dance is performed during special celebrations like wedding and during Greek festivals. It can be a chain dance with many variations. It is danced to any of syrtos or kalamatiano recordings.
Fad dances are dances which are characterized by a short burst of popularity, while novelty dances typically have a longer-lasting popularity based on their humorous characteristics and sense of uniqueness.
Novelty dances might include quirky and unusual steps, or have an unusual name. Novelty dances may also have been fad dances which have remained popular over a longer period. Novelty dances are also referred to as "party" or "dance party" dances.
Also called obertas or ober, the oberek dance style is a highly energetic and lively dance from Polance. The name "Oberek" is derived from "obracać się" which in Polish language means "to spin". The dance consists of many dance lifts and jumps. It is performed at a much quicker pace than the Polish waltz and is one of the national dances of Poland. It is also the second-most popular dance in Polish-American music, after the polka.
The oberek features of quick steps and constant turns. The beauty of the oberek depends on each individual dancer's talent of spinning at the fast tempo of the oberek, which shares some steps with another dance style called mazur.
Odissi, also known as Orissi is one of the eight classical dance forms of India which originated from the state of Odisha in Eastern India. It is the oldest surviving dance form of India on the basis of archaeological evidences.
Odissi was originally a court dance. Later, it was performed in all religious places of Jainismas and Buddhist monasteries. It is particularly distinguished from other classical Indian dance forms by the importance it places upon the Tribhangi (literally: three parts break), the independent movement of head, chest and pelvis and upon the basic square stance known as Chauka or Chouka that symbolises Lord Jagannath. This dance is characterized by various Bhangas (Stance), which involves stamping of the feet and striking various postures as seen in Indian sculptures.
Pachanga is a Cuban dance style which is described and tagged as a happy-go-lucky dance. It features some of the steps from Charlton like straightening of the knees and double bending. It is danced to 4/4 time with accompaniment from instruments like flute, violin, and drums.
Also called Samba Pagode, Pagode is a type of Samba partner dance which also resembles the Samba de Gafieira but is different since it features less acrobatic movements. It also is performed with more intimate choreography as compared to the Sambe de Gafieira. This dance fom stated in Sao Paolo in Brazil.
Palo de Mayo, also called Maypole in English, is a type of Afro-Caribbean dance featuing sensual movements. It is performed and is a big part of several communities in the RAAS region in Nicaragua, Belize, the Bay Islands of Honduras, and Bocas del Toro in Panama. The music to which Palo de Mayo is danced to is sensual with intense rhythms.
Panthi dance is one of the important dance forms of Chhattisgarh in India. This Indian folk dance is a famous ritual of the Satnami community. It is performed with a variety of steps and patterns to the accompaniment of melodious songs during festivals and rituals, and most especially during the birth of Guru Ghasidas. Male dancers are the usual performers of Panthi. They dance around a Jaitk-hamb set up for the festival. The performance begins with slow body movements. The leader of the group sings a song while the rest follow the refrain. Dancers with bent torsos and swinging arms continue to dance till carried away by their devotion. As the rhythm quickens, they indulge in acrobatics and even form human pyramids. The dancers who participate in this dance are usually the people or member of Panthi Nritya Mandir.
Pantsula is a highly energetic dance form which originated in the black townships of South Africa during the Apartheid era. Pantsula is a quick-stepping form of dance which evokes the urban street culture of which it is a part of. It is performed by groups of dancers who practice together for many hours each week. It provides a powerful, stylized form of expression for those who dance it. Pantsula is divided into three styles called Western Style, Slow Poison, and Futhuza.
Para Para is a synchronized dance which originated in Japan. Unlike most club dancing and rave dancing, there are specific synchronized movements for each song much like line dancing. Para Para Para is strongly associated with Eurobeat. Dave Rodgers, a Eurobeat artist, has described Para Para as the only way to dance to Eurobeat, which is usually "so fast."
Para Para dancing consists of mostly arm movements and very little lower body movement
Fans of Para Para dancing call themselves "paralists."
The Japanese Parasol Dance is an example of a simple Japanese dance where dancers use an umbrella. The dance is mostly performed by women who use shuffling steps which is basic to a typical Japanese dance. The Parasol Dance is from Kabuki. The song played during the dance is called Mikado, which is played in a 4/4 time. It is danced in groups of 4 in an open position.
Participation dance, also known as group-participation dance or audience participation dance is a major category or classification of dance forms or dance styles based on purpose. The purpose of participation dance is to actively encourage dancing from a certain group of people, especially those who are passive in the audience. This dance style is performed mostly at weddings, festivals, and other large social gatherings.
Partner dance is a type of dance which uses basic choreography and involves two partners. It may be a formation dance, a round dance, a sequence dance, or a square dance. In most partner dances, one, typically a man, is the leader; the other, typically a woman, is the follower. As a rule, they maintain connection with each other. In some dances the connection is loose and called dance handhold. In other dances the connection involves body contact. In the latter case the connection imposes significant restrictions on relative body positions during the dance and hence it is often called dance frame. It is also said that each partner has his own dance frame. Although the handhold connection poses almost no restriction on body positions, it is quite helpful that the partners are aware of their dance frames, since this is instrumental in leading and following.
Pasillo is a genre of music and a dance form that has incorporated more European features of classical dance, such as Viennese waltz in Colombia and features of sanjuanito and yaraví in Ecuador. Pasillio is danced with varying style, tone, and tempo depending on the country.
Paso Doble is a traditional couple’s dance which originated in France and was then adopted by Spain and Portugal. It is a lively dance form which is danced to corresponding pasodoble music. Paso Doble is mostly danced competitively and rarely for social functions. It is a danced performed in weddings and big celebrations in the country of Venezuela.
In competitive dance, modern pasodoble is combined with other four dance forms such as cha-cha-cha, rumba, salsa, and jive. Modern pasodoble dance consists of two dancing parts and one break in between for dancers of class D and of three parts and two breaks in between for dancers of class C, B, A, according to the IDSF classification.
Also called “street song”, Passacaglia is a court dance performed to music in ¾ time. Little is known about the passacaglia’s actual steps and movements as there wasn’t any dance manuals found during the time it existed.
The passepied is a French court dance. Originating as a kind of Breton branle, it was adapted to courtly use in the 16th century and is found frequently in 18th-century French opera and ballet, particularly in pastoral scenes. It is accounted as the fastest of the triple-time dances of the time, usually with a time signature of 3/8 (also occasionally 6/8 or 3/4), its phrases starting upon the last beat of the measure. Its phrasing had to divide into four measures to accommodate the four characteristic tiny steps over two measures. It used the steps of the minuet, which Lully had long before similarly adapted, to quite different effect, moving lightly and tracing elaborate patterns upon the floor.
Also referred to as the pavan, paven, pavin, pavian, pavine, or pavyn, pavane is a slow processional dance common in Europe during the 16th century. It is likened to the basse danse and is danced to moderately fast to very fast music.
Peabody was a foxtrot type ballroom dance in the United States of the beginning of the 20th century. It was essentially a fast One-Step danced to the accompaniment of lively music.
Peewee style is a dance form based on the movie Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, a 1985 American adventure comedy film by Tim Burton.
Pendozalis is a Pyrrichios from the island of Kriti. The name of the dance literally means “5 steps” and pendozalis was created during the Ottoman Turkish occupation. The male dancers wear the Kritan headdress called the siriki during the performance.
The Pentozali or Pentozalis is the trademark folk dance of Crete Island in Greece. It is a war dance featuring vigorous and high jumping movements. It is highly improvisational and usually starts at a moderate pace which then accelerates as the music progresses. It is danced to corresponding instrumental Pentozali music.
Persian dance refers to the dance styles in Iran which vary depending on the area, culture, and language of the local people. Persian dances can range from sophisticated reconstructions of refined court dances to energetic folk dances.
The Persian dance is divided into four categories: chain or line dances, solo improvisational dance, war or combat dances, and ritual or spiritual dances.
Pogo dance is performed by dancers jumping up and down, while either remaining on the spot or moving around. The most common version of the dance incorporates dancers’ movements including keeping their torso stiff, their arms rigid, and their legs close together. Pogo dancing is most associated with punk rock and is said to be a precursor to moshing.
Pogonisios is a dance from the Epirus region of Greece, danced in a 4/4 rhythm. Dancers start by ling up, holding each other’s arms in V hold and facing their right.
Pole dance is a form of performance art, historically associated with strip clubs and night clubs, which combines dance and acrobatics centered on a vertical burlesque pole. This art form has recently gained popularity as a form of fitness and mainstream entertainment, practiced by many enthusiasts in gyms and in dance studios. Pole dancing includes climbs, spins, and body inversions using the limbs to grip the pole. Upper body and core strength are required to attain proficiency, and rigorous training is necessary.
The Polka is a Central European dance and genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas. It originated in the middle of the 19th century in Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. Polka remains a popular folk music genre in many European countries. There are various styles of contemporary polka. One of the types found in the United States is the North American "Polish-style polka," which has roots in Chicago; two sub-styles are "The Chicago Honky" and "Chicago Push".
The polka-mazurek is a dance, musically similar to the mazurek, but danced much like the polka.
The polonaise is a dance of Polish origin in 3/4 time. The polonaise had a rhythm quite close to that of the Swedish semiquaver or sixteenth-note polska, and the two dances have a common origin. Polonaise is a widespread dance in carnival parties. Polonaise is always a first dance at a studniówka ("hundred-days"), the Polish equivalent of the senior prom that occurs approximately 100 days before exams.
The pols is a Norwegian folk dance in 3/4. It is the fast version of the Nordic polska.
The polska is a family of music and dance forms shared by the Nordic countries which is called polsk in Denmark and polska in Sweden and Finland. The polska is considered as a partner dance in 3/4-beat although there are variants of polaska danced in 2/4 time and for two or more couples.
A dance squad or dance team, sometimes called a pom squad is a team of participants that participates in competitive dance. In a routine, a squad will incorporate a specific dance style (i.e. hip-hop, jazz or lyrical), technical work (leaps, turns, kicks, splits, jumps) and, depending on the routine, pompom and/or cheers. A pom squad slightly differs from a regular dance squad in that it uses pom-poms in all its dance routines, whilst a regular dance squad may or may not do pom work in a dance routine. Pom squads are like cheerleading or dance, but they use poms which not all cheerleading dance use.
The pony was a dance made popular in the 1960s by the Chubby Checker song "Pony Time". The beat is 1&2 and 3&4. The dancers keep their feet comfortably together while various arm and hand motions are executed. Movement around the dance floor may occur, but there is no line-of-dance. Couples, who generally face each other, do not touch and they incorporate turns and chase positions.
Based on the song "Pop, Lock & Drop It" by the rapper Huey , Pop, Lock & Drop is a dance form performed to the song of the same name. It is danced in a highly energetic motion and incorporate movements present in general hip-hop dance routines.
The Progressive Double Two is a type of country and western dance popularized in the Dallas/ and Fort Worth areas of Texas. It consists of 6 and 8 count dance patterns.
The basic 6-beat pattern consists of two shuffle steps (counted as "1 and 2", "3 and 4") with the woman being led by an arching one quarter semicircle clockwise then counterclockwise followed by two walking steps (counted "5, 6").
Prophetic dance is a ritual dance in which the purpose is to obtain a communication from or to gods’ spirits in order to receive a favorable response (for example, rain and abundant harvest).
Pryvit is a Ukrainian dance developed during the 20th century by Ukrainian performance ensembles to start off programs of Ukrainian folk dances. It is performed by amateurs and professional Ukrainian dancers as well as other performers of folk dance. The bread, salt and wheat used by dancers during the performance represent the land's fertility to Ukrainian people.
Punta is a Garifuna music and dance style performed at celebrations and festive occasions. It is the best known traditional dance in Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, and parts of Nicaragua. Punta dance form is performed at wakes, holidays, parties, ancestral celebrations, and other social events. This dance symbolizes the continuity of life.
The Punta dance is performed by a man and a woman who evolve separately in a circle formed by the spectators.They begin facing each other and the figure varies with the ingenuity of the dancers, but always represents the evolution of a courtship in which first the man pursues, and then the woman, while the other retreats; and ends only when one of them, from exhaustion or from lack of further initiative, admits defeat by retiring from the ring, to have his or her place immediately taken by another
Also called Whip, Push is a dance style popular in the Dallas area and is quite similar to the movements incorporated in the West Coast Swing. It is a sensual dance form with body rolls and body waves and is danced to the rhythm and blues music.
The Pyrrhichios dance was the best known war dance of the Greeks. It was of Doric origin and practiced at first solely as a training for war. It is danced with quick movements in which blows and darts are to be avoided and also the modes in which an enemy is to be attacked. It was dance to the sound of the aulos; it's time was quick and light, as is also shown by the metric foot called pyrrhic.
Also called Ghasem abadi, Qasemabadi is a kind of ancient dance which originated in the northern parts of Iran. Dancers portray movements like preparing rice for consumption of the gods. Qasemabadi is danced during the Persian week.
The Quadrille is a dance that was fashionable in late 18th and 19th century in Europe It is performed by four couples in a rectangular formation and is related to the American square dancing. The Lancers, a variant of the quadrille, became popular in the late 19th century and was still danced in the 20th century in folk dance clubs.
The quadrille consists of a chain of four to six contre danses, courtly versions of English country dances that had been taken up at the court of Louis XIV. During the later peiod, the quadrille was frequently danced to a medley of opera melodies.
A quebradita is a Mexican-American dancing style. It is usually performed to a modified form of Sinaloan banda music.
In the quebradita dance form, there is a male dancer and a female dancer. The male dancer lowers the female dancer backwards almost to the point where she touches the floor. Then the male dancer quickly pulls her up. Compared to the brinquito or caballito dance styles, which use athletic and trotting steps, quebraditas emphasize acrobatics.
Quickstep was developed in the twenties in New York and was first danced by Caribbean and African dancers. The quickstep is a light-hearted member of the standard ballroom dances. The movement of the dance is fast, powerfully flowing, and infused with a number of syncopations. Its origins are in combination of slow foxtrot combined with the Charleston, a dance which was one of the precursors to what today is called swing dancing.
The dancers should appear to be very light on their feet. It is a very energetic dance style which is danced to 4/4 music of 48-52 measures per minute.
Raas or Dandiya Raas is the traditional folk dance form of Gujarat, India. Along with Garba, it is the featured dance of Navratri evenings in Western India. During the Navratri festival, in most of the cities of Gujaratand in Mumbai, people gather and perform the Raas dance.
Originating as devotional Garba dances, which were always performed in Durga's honour, this dance form is actually the staging of a mock-fight between the Goddess and Mahishasura, the mighty demon-king, and is nicknamed "The Sword Dance". During the performance, the dancers energetically whirl and move their feet and arms in a complicated, choreographed manner to the tune of the music with various rhythms. The dhol is used as well as complementary percussion instruments such as the dholak, tabla, bongos and others.
The sticks (dandiyas) of the dance represent the swords of Durga. The women wear traditional dresses such as colorful embroidered choli, ghagra ,and bandhani dupattas (traditional attire) dazzling with mirror work and heavy jewelry. The men wear special turbans and kedias, but this varies depending on the region where the dance is performed.
Among the most well-known examples of weather modification rituals are North American rain dances, historically performed by many Native American tribes, particularly in the Southwestern United States. Feathers and turquoise, or other blue items, are worn by dancers during the ceremony to symbolize wind and rain respectively.
Ramvong is a type of Southeast Asian dance where both females and males dance in a circle. It is a popular folk-dance in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. It is a slow round dance continuously moving in a circular manner, and incorporates graceful hand movements matched with simple footwork. Both men and women participate in the same circle. This dance is still popular at traditional festivities in Khmer, Lao, and Thai culture.
The basic pattern involves two couples folding their palms, with their fingers at right angles to their wrists, and bringing the hands up from behind the body to in front of the face, straightening and bending the fingers in time to the music throughout. The hands move in opposition directions - one to the left and one to the right. The legs must move in time of the rhythm, and in the opposite direction of the partner. Dancers continue around in a circle, keeping in time with the beat of the drum. There is often a decorated pole or a vase of flowers used to mark the center of the circle.
Also known as the Short Sword dance, Rapper sword is a variation of sword dance that emerged from the pit villages of Tyneside in North East England, where miners first performed the traditional dance.
The dance requires five performers who coordinate themselves while using "rapper swords" made from flexible steel. Accompanied by traditional folk music, the dancers wear specially-designed shoes which allow them to produce percussive movements though their feet.
Dancers wear the traditional costume consisting of a shirt, sash, breeches, hoggers (similar to breeches but shorter) or long trousers, and socks or stockings.
Raqs sharqi is the classical Egyptian style of belly dance which was developed during the first half of the 20th century. It is considered as a hybrid dance style which was performed in the cabarets of Egypt.
Since the 1950s, it has been illegal in Egypt for belly dancers to perform publicly with their midriff uncovered. They were prohibited to display excessive skin. It is therefore becoming more common to wear a long, figure-hugging lycra one-piece gown with strategically placed cut-outs filled in with sheer, flesh-coloured fabric when doing the Raqs Sharqi. Egyptian dancers traditionally dance in bare feet, but these days often wear shoes and even high heels.
One of the most popular traditional dances of Kashmir is Rouf. This beautiful dance form is performed during festive occasions in Kashmi including Id and Ramzan. The dance is performed by a group of women facing each other and incorporates simple footwork. The dance is inspired by bee and the process of lovemaking of the bees is what the dancers portray. In the dance, two or four groups are formed consisting of 2 to 3 charming women. They stand facing each other and hold the hand of the adjacent partner. The women together sway their feet forward and then to back. The song that is sung during the performance is in the form of question and answer form where one group questions and the other responds to it in a rhythmic way.
Raut Nacha is a dance performed by yadava or yaduvanshis, a caste which considers themselves to be descendants of Krishna. For them, the dance is considered as a symbol of worship to Krishna. They perform the dance at the time of 'dev udhni ekadashi'. It is believed that it is time of awakening of gods after brief rest according to Hindu pancang (calendar).
The basic rebetiko dances are the zeibekikos, the hassapikos, and the tsifteteli. They originated from the Balkans and Asia Minor refugees in 1922.
A redowa is a dance of Czech origin with turning, leaping waltz steps which were most popular in Victorian era European ballrooms.
A basic redowa step contains one long reaching step and two small leap-steps. The long reaching step can be danced on either the 1 or the 2 of each bar of music, depending on what feels best with the tune that is playing. Like most dances currently described as waltzes, the redowa is danced in 3/4 time, with the couple performing a full rotation every six beats.
The reel dance form is a folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type. In Scottish country dancing, the reel is one of the four traditional dances, the others being the jig, the strathspey, and the waltz. In Irish dance, a reel is any dance danced to music in reel time and is danced by dancers wearing soft shoes. It is one of the first dance forms taught to students in Irish territories. There is also a treble reel, danced in hard shoes to reel music.
Regency dance is the term for historical dances of the period ranging roughly from 1790 to 1825.In the early part of this period, up to the early 1810s, the ballroom was dominated by the country dance, the cotillion, and the scotch reel. Dances of this era were lively and bouncy, not the smooth and stately style seen in films Steps ranging from simple skipping to elaborate ballet-style movements was used. In the 1810s, the era of the Regency proper, English dance began an important transition with the introduction of the quadrille and the waltz.
Reggaeton is a dance that focuses on grinding, with one partner facing the back of the other (usually male behind female). This is also known as daggering or "grinding" or "twerking" in the United States
Renaissance dances belong to the broad group of historical dances.
The dances in these manuals are extremely varied in nature. They range from slow, stately dances (bassadance, pavane, almain) to fast, lively dances (galliard, coranto, canario). The former, in which the dancers' feet did not leave the ground were called the dance basse while energetic dances with leaps and lifts were called the haute dance. Some were choreographed, others were improvised on the spot.
Rieldans is one of the oldest dancing styles in South Africa that can be traced back to the Khoi San of the Cape. Also known as ikhapara by the Nama, it’s danced at an energetic pace, and demands fancy footwork. Often performed in a circle, the dance is about wooing and lovemaking, and takes some of its moves from animal courtship rituals, particularly the ostrich.
The rigaudon (also spelled rigadon, rigadoon) is a French baroque dance with a lively duple mete. The music is similar to that of a bourrée, but the rigaudon is rhythmically simpler with regular phrases (eight measure phrases are most common). It originated as a sprightly 17th-century French folk dance for couples which features hopping steps.
The robot (or mannequin) is an illusionary street dance style which attempts to imitate a dancing robot or mannequin. Roboting gained fame after Michael Jackson used the dance when he performed "Dancing Machine" with his brothers and later performed the dance during his solo career in songs such as "Billie Jean".
The robot dance originated in 1967. It is a dance in which the dancer moves their limbs in a way that imitates the movements of a robot. Movements of the robot are normally started and finished with a dimestop (a very abrupt stop), to give the impression of motors starting and stopping, but poppers have also been known to do the robot with a pop to the beat.
Modern social round dancing is choreographed and cued ballroom dancing that progresses in a circular pattern then counter-clockwise around the dance floor. The two major categories of ballroom rhythm found in round dancing are the smooth or international rhythms, such as foxtrot and waltz, and the Latin rhythms, such as cha-cha and rhumba. It is not to be confused with circle dancing, which is a type of folk dance where dancers are connected in a circular chain. The step-by-step instructions on how to dance this choreography are written out in what is called a cue sheet.
Salsa is a popular form of social dance that originated in New York with strong influences from Latin America, particularly Colombia, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. The movements of salsa have its origins in Cuban Son, Cha-cha-cha, Mambo and other dance forms, and the dance, along with the salsa music, originated in the mid-1970s in New York
In many styles of salsa dancing, as a dancer shifts their weight by stepping, the upper body remains level and nearly unaffected by the weight changes. Weight shifts cause the hips to move. Arm and shoulder movements are also incorporated. The Cuban Casino style of salsa dancing involves significant movement above the waist, with up-and-down shoulder movements and shifting of the ribcage.
The arms are used by the "lead" dancer to communicate or signal the "follower," either in "open" or "closed" position. The open position requires the two dancers to hold one or both hands, especially for moves that involve turns, putting arms behind the back, or moving around each other, to name a few examples. In the closed position, the leader puts the right hand on the follower's back, while the follower puts the left hand on the leader's shoulder. In the original Latin America form, the forward/backward motion of salsa is done in diagonal or sideways with the 3-step weight change intact.
Rueda de Casino (Rueda, Salsa Rueda, Salsa Rueda de Casino) is a particular type of Salsa square (in this case 'round') dance. Pairs of dancers form a circle, with dance moves called out by one person, a caller (or "líder" or "cantante" in Spanish). Many moves have hand signs to complement the calls. Most moves involve the swapping of partners, where the partners move around the circle to the next partner. The combination of elaborate dance combinations and constant movement of partners create a visually spectacular effect.
As a ballroom dance, the samba is a partner dance. Most steps are danced with a slight downward bouncing or dropping action. This action is created through the bending and straightening of the knees, with bending occurring on the beats of 1 and 2, and the straightening occurring between. However, unlike the bouncing of, e.g., Polka, there is no considerable bobbing. Also, Samba has a specific hip action, different from that in ballroom Latin dances (Rumba and Cha-Cha-Cha).
The ballroom samba is danced to music in 2/4 or 4/4 time. It uses several different rhythmic patterns in its figures, with cross-rhythms being a common feature.
Samba is a lively, and rhythmical dance of Brazilian origin in 4/4 time danced under the Samba music. However, there are three steps to every bar, making the Samba feel like a 3/4 timed dance. Its origins include the Maxixe.
The Samba music rhythm has been danced in Brazil since its inception in the late 16th century. There is actually a set of dances, rather than a single dance, that define the Samba dancing scene in Brazil; thus, no one dance can be claimed with certainty as the "original" Samba style.
Another major stream of the Samba dance besides the Brazilian Samba dancing styles is Ballroom Samba which differs significantly. This style is done with a partner in closed hold or open positions including but not limited to hand to hand hold, or side by side positions.
Samba de Gafieira is a partner dance considerably different from the Ballroom Samba. It appeared in the 1940s and it gets its name from the gafieira, popular urban nightclubs of Rio de Janeiro at that time.
The dance derived from the Maxixe and followed the arrival of the Choro (another samba musical style). It left most of the Maxixe's Polka elements behind but maintained the entwined leg movements of the Argentine tango, although adopting a more relaxed posture than the latter. Many see this form of Samba as a combination of Waltz andTango. Several Brazilian dance studios use elements and techniques from these two dances to teach Samba de Gafieira steps and dance routines.
Samba de Gafieira has incorporated many acrobatic movements nowadays which transformed this dance style to a more complex dance form of Samba in Brazil.
The Sambalpuri folk dance is performed in Binka and Sonepur of Subarnapur district during the month of chaitra. The male dancer paints his bare body with yellow and black stripes like that of a tiger and attaches a tail on his behind. One or more dancers move from house to house and after a crowd gathers the dance begin. The dancers are accompanied by a drummer and a bell player who provides the music. The dance is nothing but acrobatic movements in rhythm. They make hissing sounds while dancing.
The sarabande is a dance in triple meter. This dance was popular in the 16th and 17th centuries, initially in the Spanish colonies, before moving back across the Atlantic to Spain. It spread to Italy in the 17th century, and to France, where it became a slow court dance.
The sardana is a type of circle dance typical of Catalan culture. The dance was originally from the Empordà region, but started gaining popularity throughout Catalonia during the 20th century. There are two main types, the original sardana curta (short sardana) style and the more modern sardana llarga (long sardana), which is more popular. Other more unusual sardanes are the sardana de lluïment and the sardana revessa. There is an experienced dancer leading the circle. The dancers hold hands throughout the dance: arms down during the curts and raised to shoulder height during the llargs.
Sattriya or Sattriya Nritya is one among the eight principal classical Indian dance traditions. The core of Sattriya Nritya has usually been mythological stories. The dance was an artistic way of presenting mythological teachings to the people in an accessible, immediate, and enjoyable manner. Traditionally, the Sattriya dance was performed only by bhokots (male monks) in monasteries as a part of their daily rituals or to mark special festivals. Today, in addition to this practice, Sattriya is also performed on stage by men and women who are not members of the sattras, on themes not merely mythological.
The Saya dance originated in the jungles of the Yungas ares of La Paz Department. Enslaved Africans were taken to South America to work in a range of industries. Their customs, music, was merged with the native cultures which then gave rise to the Saya.
The schottische is a partnered country dance, which originated in Bohemia. It was popular in Victorian era ballrooms as a part of the Bohemian folk-dance craze and left its traces in folk music of countries such as Argentina ("chotis" and "chamamé"), Finland ("jenkka"), France, Italy, Norway ("reinlender (no)"), Portugal and Brazil (xote, Chotiça (pt)), Spain (chotis), Sweden, Denmark ("schottis"), and the United States, among other nations. The schottische basic step is made up of two sidesteps to the left and right, followed by a turn in four steps. In some countries, the sidesteps and turn are replaced by Strathspey hopping steps.
Schottisches danced in Europe (in the context of a bal folk), where they originated, are different from how they are danced in the United States. The European (or Continental) version (often called "skoteesh"), is typically danced to faster music and is quite restrained in its movements. The American version is often large and open, with the first part expressed equally as promenades, individual or led twirls or similar moves, and the second part most often expressed as a close pivot. It seems to be mostly referred to as a "shodish".
A Scottish Country dance (SCD) is a form of social dance involving groups of couples of dancers tracing progressive patterns according to a predetermined choreography. Although Country dancing is often considered a type of folk dancing, its original base of dancers was from the more educated and wealthy classes of the Renaissance.
Scottish country dancing uses different steps according to a dance's choreography (although most people in Scotland use the terms 'cèilidh dancing' or 'country dancing' interchangeably, with 'county dancing' often being taught in schools and later used at 'cèilidh' events). Travelling steps include the skip-change of step in quick-time dances and the Strathspey travelling step in strathspey time, whilesetting steps include the pas de basque in quick time and the common schottische/Strathspey setting step in strathspey time. Some dances also involve setting steps fromHighland dancing, such as the rocking step, high cuts, or Highland schottische. In quick time, there is also the slip step for quick sideways movement, e.g. in circles.
Highland dance or Highland dancing is a style of competitive solo dancing developed in the Scottish Highlands in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in the context of competitions at public events such as the Highland games, where it is often performed to the accompaniment of Highland bagpipe music. It is now seen at nearly every modern-day Highland games event.
Highland dancers wear specialized shoes called ghillies.
Sean-nós dance is an older style of traditional solo Irish dance. It is a casual dance form, as opposed to the more formal competition-oriented form, of Irish stepdance. Sean nós in Irish Gaelic means "old style", and is applied to the dance form as well as sean-nós song. These now less-common forms of Irish dance and traditional Irish singing have been documented in Irish history and by ethnomusicologists, but are still alive in parts of the Irish music scene.
Sean-nós dance is characterised by its "low to the ground" footwork, improvised steps, free movement of the arms, and an emphasis upon a "battering step" (which sounds out more loudly the accented beat of the music). By its nature, it follows the music closely. It is traditionally a solo dance form. Because sean-nós dancing is improvisational, it is not necessary for a pre-arranged routine or choreography to be decided upon by the dancer. Spontaneous expression is highly valued. Therefore, it is less common to see groups performing synchronised sean-nós dance (which requires choreography in advance). Instead, the dancers may dance in turns, playing off the energy of the other.
Sega is danced without the feet ever leaving the ground. Instead, the rest of the body moves.
The seguidilla is an old Castilian folksong and dance form in quick triple time. The dance is performed in pairs with animated footwork reflecting the rhythm of the guitar and percussion, yet restrained upper body movement. One technique characteristic of the dance is known as bien parado, wherein the dancers stop motion at the end of a section of the music or stanza of text while the instruments continue playing into the next section. Usually the woman dancing also holds castanets.
Sequence dancing is a form of dance in which a preset pattern of movements is followed, usually to music which is also predetermined. Sequence dancing may include dances of many different styles. The term may include ballroom dances which move round the floor as well as line, square and circle dances.
Modern sequence dancing has a repeat of the steps at every sixteenth bar, typically going on for five or six sequences in all. Specially performed sequence dance music in strict tempo is usually needed, although some 'ordinary' music may suffice provided it is played in 16 bar sections or sequences throughout. Ideally, sequence music will have a four bar introduction at the correct tempo and in the correct rhythm, followed by 5 or 6 sixteen bar sequences allowing all dancers to progress around the room and ending when the music finishes.
Serra is a Pontic Greek war dance of ancient Greek origin, from Pontus region of the Black Sea. Its name comes from the Serra River in the Trapezunda region. It is also called Lazikon . The rhythm starts in 7/16 and becomes an even meter when the dance speeds up. This dance is sometimes confused with Atsiapat, which precedes it. It is danced in sequence and followed by the Pyrrhichios dance.
Distinctive set dances and dance regions emerged in the beginning of the 19th century and evolved as popular house dances separate from the more formal Irish step-dancing tradition. In some homesteads a kitchen pot was placed under the flag stones as an extra acoustical element for the house dance.
Set dance differs from square dance and round dance in that it does not require a caller: the sequence of figures is predefined by the name of the set. In places with a large community of set dancers, like Ireland or New York, it is usual for dances to be uncalled - that is, done with no calling - because most dancers already know the instructions for the common sets. However, at venues with larger numbers of occasional dancers, a caller is often present to give instructions as the dance progresses, for those people who are not yet familiar with the set.
Sevillanas are types of folk music and dance of Seville and its region. They were derived from the Seguidilla, an old Castilian folk music and dance genre. In the nineteenth century they were influenced by Flamenco. They have a relatively limited musical pattern but are rich in lyrics based on country life, virgins, country towns, neighborhoods, pilgrimage, and love themes. They are sung by a plethora of local groups, like the Los Romeros de la Puebla, Los Amigos de Gines, Las Corraleras de Lebrija, Cantores de Hispalis, and Los del Río.
Usually, one person (often helmeted or masked) dance to the “Harlem Shake” song alone for 15 seconds, surrounded by other people not paying attention or seemingly unaware of the dancing individual. When the bass drops, the entire crowd works up a crazy convulsive dance. The dancing style should not be confused with the original Harlem Shake dance.
A shimmy is a dance move in which the body is held still, except for the shoulders, which are alternated back and forth. When the right shoulder goes back, the left one comes forward. It may help to hold the arms out slightly bent at the elbow, and when the shoulders are moved, keep the hands in the same position.
The origin of the dance’s name is often attributed to Gilda Gray, a Polish emigrant to America. Shimmy is used in various modern dances. The shimmy is also a class of belly dance moves. Depending on the desired effect, style, teacher, and country of origin of the particular dance, a shimmy might be executed differently, but altogether, the shimmy will manifest as a fast shaking or shuddering movement that can be rhythmic or arrhythmic. The movement may be localized, such as in the hips, shoulder, chest, etc., or the move might be loose and general, reverberating through the entire body. Shimmies in belly dance can also have orientation, such as an up/down movement or a twisting movement of the hips.
The Shim Sham Shimmy, Shim Sham or just Sham originally is a particular tap dance routine and is regarded as tap dance's national anthem. For swing dancers, today it is a kind of line dance that recalls the roots of swing.
The Shim Sham goes best with swing songs whose melody lines start on beat eight, as does the choreography. An obvious choice is The Shim Sham Song (Bill Elliot Swing Orchestra), which was written specifically for this dance and has musical effects (e.g., breaks) in all the right places. However, today the Shim Sham — particularly the Frankie Manning version — is danced more often to "'Tain't What You Do (It's The Way That Cha Do It)" by Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra, or "Tuxedo Junction" byErskine Hawkins.
The basic movements of the Shuffle dance are fast heel-and-toe action with a style suitable for various types of electronic music. Most variants incorporate arm movements.
Siganos are the slow version of the Pentozalis. It is a traditional war dance which symbolizes heroism and hope. The slower Siganos became a communal dance during the Turkish occupation signifying unity and freedom. The malevisiotis or sousta is another fast and lively dance which originated in Rethymnon but is now seen all over Crete. Danced by both sexes it is a modern version of an ancient warrior dance depicting adventure in battle. Finally, the syrtos or chaniotikos, danced by men and women, it expresses life, death, love and secret desires through small, creeping, rhythmic steps with the lead dancer having an opportunity to perform more spectacular moves.
Silyvriano Syrtos are line dances and circle dances popularly danced in Greece and Cyprus duing weddings and other social gatherings.
Single Swing (also called single-time swing) is a fast dance rhythm in the larger swing family of dances.
Swing or Jive is danced to popular rock-and-roll or jitterbug music that has 4 beats per measure and a tempo of 35 - 46 measures per minute. Most figures are written to span a measure and a half of music with a rock, recover, and two triples at the slower tempos: eight steps over six beats of music. When the tempo gets faster, it becomes more difficult to fit those triples in, and "single swing" is more comfortable. Each 6-count figure becomes, rock, recover, step, step, or quick, quick, slow, slow: four steps over the six beats of music. Swing bounces a little on soft knees and dances mostly in place on the dance floor.
Sirtaki or syrtaki is a dance with Greek origin. The name sirtáki comes from the Greek word syrtos which means “drag the dance”, a common name for a group of traditional Cretan dances of so-called "dragging" style, as opposed to pidikhtos, a hopping or leaping style. Despite that, sirtaki incorporates both syrtos (in its slower part) and pidikhtós (in its faster part) elements.
Sirtáki is danced in a line or circle formation with hands held on neighbours' shoulders. Line formation is more traditional. A similar choreography will be featured in Just Dance 2015.Meter is 4/4, tempo increasing, and often the signature is changed to 2/4 in the fastest part. Accordingly, the dance begins with slower, smoother actions, gradually transforming into faster, vivid ones, often including hops and leaps.
skan*ing is a form of dancing practiced in the ska, ska punk, hardcore punk, reggae, jump-up (a drum and bass subgenre) and other music scenes.
Originally, skan*ing consisted of a “running man” motion of the legs to the beat while alternating bent-elbow fist-punches, left and right. Over time, however, variations have emerged across the musical world. The punk version features a sharp striking out look with the arms, and is sometimes used in moshing to knock around others doing the same.
The dance style originated in the 1950s or 1960s at Jamaican dance halls, where ska music was played. British mods and skinheads of the 1960s adopted these types of dances and altered them. The dancing style was revived during the 1970s and 1980s 2 Tone era, and has been adopted by some individuals in the hardcore punk subculture.
Skip Jive is a British dance, descended from the jazz dances of the 1930s and 40s jive and ultimately from the Lindy Hop. Danced to trad jazz music, it was popular in England in the 1950s and 1960s in jazz clubs in London, notably Jazzshows. It is still danced to a limited extent today.
The Slängpolska is a Swedish folk dance and sometimes also the description of certain folk music tunes. The dances bearing the name slängpolska can be divided into two major types. The first type is for two or four people, and is one of the sixteenth-note versions of the polska. The dances of this type usually have in common that they are danced on the spot, either during parts of the dance or during the entire dance. A typical slängpolska of this type could consist of two basic set positions: one in which the couple is spinning around one another while holding crossed hands outstretched with centrifugal force, the other in which the couple is spinning around one another in a closer position while holding the partner's shoulders and arms.
The second type of slängpolska is more related to other polskas than to the above slängpolska type, in that the couples move counterclockwise around the periphery of the room, and choose to do so with or without rotation clockwise around an internal axis, one full rotation for each measure. The music and dances in this category share a high tempo, givin a "tossing" feeling, which is often reflected in the rotation part of the dance in the form of a jump or a lift as part of the step recurring in every measure until the couple decides to dance without rotation for a while. Both in midwest and north Sweden there are examples of dances which can both be danced as a slower "polska" and as a faster "slängpolska" with retention of the basic steps.
Slip jig refers to both a style within Irish music, and the Irish dance to music in slip-jig time. The slip jig is in 9/8 time, traditionally with accents on 5 of the 9 beats — two pairs of crotchet/quaver (quarter note/eighth note) followed by a dotted crotchet note.
The slip jig is one of the four most common Irish stepdances, the others being the reel, the jig and the hornpipe. It is danced in soft shoes. At one time only men danced it, then for several decades only women, and today slip jigs can be danced by any dancer, though at a competitive level they are almost exclusively danced by women. This dance is graceful and controlled, with heels very high, often called "the ballet of Irish dance". There are also traditional Irish céilí dances which are slip jigs, though these are much less common than reels and double jigs.
A slow dance is a type of partner dance in which a couple dance slowly, swaying to the music. This is usually done to very slow-beatsongs.
When two partners dance together, the lead partner typically holds their hands against the sides of the following partner's hips or waist while the follower drapes their hands on the leader's shoulders. The couple then sways back and forth with the music. Foot movement is minimal, but the pair may use their feet to slowly turn on the spot. Because the dance requires little physical concentration, participants often talk to each other while dancing. Some couples who have a close relationship may dance very closely together, in a "hug-and-sway" fashion.
The foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is danced to big band (usually vocal) music. The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is in a 4/4 time signature instead of a ¾. Developed in the 1910s, the foxtrot reached its height of popularity in the 1930s, and remains practiced up until today.
The basic figures of slow foxtrot include the Three Step, Feather Step, Natural Turn, Reverse Turn, Closed Impetus, and Feather Finish. The standard figures include the Natural Weave, Basic Weave, Closed Telemark, Open Telemark, Hover Feather, Hover Telemark, Hover Cross, Open Impetus, and Reverse Wave.
Slow waltz is the term applied to waltz in countries where Viennese Waltz is the prevalent form of waltz. Some confusion occurs when dancers come from these countries to places like the United States where it is simply known as "waltz".
"Slow Waltz" was also the name of a dance in the International Standard dance category of ballroom dances. Now it is officially called simply "Waltz", but "Slow Waltz" is still in the informal use, to distinguish from other types of waltzes. It is sometimes called the "English Waltz".
Social dance is a major category or classification of danceforms or dance styles, where sociability and socializing are the primary focuses of the dancing. Social dances can be danced with a variety of partners and still be led and followed in a relaxed, easy atmosphere.
Many social dances are partner dances. Quite often when spoken about social dances, ballroom or other partner dances are kept in mind. However it is natural to include in this category such groups of dances as circle dances, line dances, novelty dances, or simply club dancing in solo.
There may be aspects of any of the above dance forms that are either competitive or performance-oriented in nature.
Also called son cubano, the son is a style of music and dance that originated in Cuba and gained worldwide popularity during the 1930s. Son combines the structure and traits of the Spanish canción with Afro-Cuban stylistic and percussion instruments elements. The Cuban Son is one of the most influential and widespread forms of Latin American music.
The word Son (one of the words that translates to English 'rhythm' from Spanish) has also been used in other musical styles of Spanish-speaking countries. For example, in Mexico the Son Jarocho of Veracruz and the Son Huasteco of the Sierra Huasteca constitute distinct popular musical genres and are not related to the Cuban Son.
Also called the Western Swing, the Sophisticated Swing dance has the following strict technical guidelines to follow then dancing. Every figure or pattern should end with an anchor step, a critical characteristic feature of WCS. This is used to mark the end of a figure and re-establish connection between the two dancers. The leader should maintain the slot. The leader should use his own weight changes to lead the lady's movement, not the arm or hand alone. The follower should continue to the end of the slot. The follower should assume a step-step count unless led otherwise. Both closed and open positions are acceptable. A connection should be maintained at all times, using some combination of physical and visual connections. Most steps are danced in 2-beat groups, allowing 6-count and 8-count figures to be extended and shortened as necessary to fit the music. The leader should plan ahead in the dance to allow the follower to experience musical accents.
Stage diving is the act of leaping from a concert stage onto the crowd below. It is often the precursor to crowd surfing. Long before the word was invented, public stagediving took place during the first Dutch concert by The Rolling Stones at the Kurhaus of Scheveningen on August 8, 1964.
Initially seen as confrontational and extreme, stage diving has become common at hardcore punk and thrash metal performances. Many musicians have made stage diving a part of their stage act. Iggy Pop is often credited with popularizing stage diving in popular rock music. Jim Morrison was another early performer known for having jumped into the crowd at several concerts.
The "Stanky Legg" is a multi-step dance that mainly involves the movement of the dancer's leg being moved in a circular motion, then alternating to the opposite leg. The dance also involves dances such as the "Booty Dew" and the "Dougie". In the2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, USA forwards Jozy Altidore and Charlie Davies used this dance as their goal celebration, making it a popular reference in the US Soccer scene.
Step dance is the generic term for dance styles where the footwork is the most important part of the dance. Limb movements and styling are either restricted or considered irrelevant. Tap dancing is probably the most popular form of step dancing taking its influence from a variety of older step-forms.
A traditional form of individual step dancing is still found in certain areas of England such as East Anglia and Dartmoor. This style of dance is commonly performed informally in pubs to traditional folk tunes, with dancers often bringing a wooden board to dance on.
Another form of step dancing, Stepping, has been popularized by National Pan-Hellenic Council. This step dance has African roots and is an African American tradition as well as part of Black History. The members of the fraternities and sororities join in steps — elaborate synchronized group routines that are performed in competitions between the fraternities and sororities called "step shows." Step shows incorporate cheerleading, military, and drill-team moves, especially the call-and-response element inherent in those forms. These aspects are not only important to the energy of stepping for entertainment use but also for bonding and pride within their organizations.
St. Louis shag is a swing dance that evolved from Charleston. As its name suggests, it is recognized as being started in St. Louis, Missouri. It is a very fast closed position dance that is usually done to stomp, jump, and boogie-woogie music. St. Louis Shag features a stationary 8-count basic that is most commonly composed of triple-step, kick, triple-step, kick.
Street dance, formally known as vernacular dance, refers to dance styles—regardless of country of origin—that evolved outside of dance studios in any available open space such as streets, dance parties, block parties, parks, school yards, raves, and nightclubs. They are often improvisational and social in nature, encouraging interaction and contact with spectators and other dancers. Two examples of street dance include b-boying (or breakdancing), which originated in New York City, and Melbourne Shuffle which originated in Melbourne, Australia.
Suzie Q (or Suzy Q) is the name of a dance step in the Big Apple, Lindy Hop, and other dances. In line dances, this step is also known as Heel Twist or Grind Walk. The step is also used in jazz dance and in Salsa shines.
The hands of the dances are clasped together and pumped up and down or side to side in time to the music. The arm movements may vary. Hand movement may vary.
In Lindy Hop, Suzy Qs can be performed by couples, either facing each other in open position, or side by side.
Swim is dance which was popularized during the 1960s. It mimics the movements when one is swimming. he Swim is closely related to the Twist, a dance craze ignited by the rise of rock n' roll music in the 1950s and 60s. While there are many ways to do the Swim, the basic dance combines the lower body movement of dances like the Twist and the Pony with arm and hand motions that resemble swim strokes. Dancers are free to add their own style and variations.
The "Swing dance" is a group of dances that developed with the swing style of jazz music in the 1920s-1950s, the origin of the dances predating popular "swing era" music. The most well-known of these dances is the Lindy Hop, a fusion of jazz, tap, breakaway, and Charleston, which originated in Harlem in the early 1920s, but includes a number of other styles such as Balboa, Shag, West Coast Swing, and Boogie Woogie to name a few. While the majority of swing dances began in African American communities asvernacular African American dances, some swing era dances such as West Coast Swing and the Balboa developed in white communities. Swing dance was not used as a blanket term for this group of dances until the latter half of the twentieth century. Historically, the term "Swing" referred to the style of Jazz music, which inspired the evolution of the dance.
Over roughly the last decade, Swing Jive has been influenced by West Coast Swing, an American partner dance developed from Lindy Hop with the addition of the 'slot' meaning it is danced up and down an imaginary line.
Like many partner dances, Swing Roc is traditionally a male-led dance. However, many female dancers today also learn the lead role, even though few male dancers learn the follow role. It is danced to almost any music, typically 60s through to modern popular music. It is generally danced to music with 4 beats to the bar (quadruple or common time), from latest chart hits to big band music and everything between, in a wide variety of tempos from slow to very fast.
The tambourin is a Provençal dance accompanied by lively duple meter music. It is so named because the music imitates a drum (tambour being a generic French term for "drum"), usually as a repetitive bass.
Tanoura or el-Tanoura is an Egyptian folk dance usually performed in Egyptian Sufi festivals.
The Tanoura dance is performed by Sufi men, Darawish. The dance is similar to the Sufi whirling inLevant and Turkey. In this version, the men wear long colorful skirts, where each color on the skirt represents one Sufi order.
Tap Charleston was the Charleston with breaks into open position to do tap steps. The connection between Breakaway and Tap Charleston is murky therefore it could be the same thing attributed to Leonard Reed or something else.
Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm (jazz) tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses on dance; it is widely performed in musical theater. Rhythm tap focuses on musicality, and practitioners consider themselves to be a part of the Jazz tradition.
Tap dancers make frequent use of syncopation. Choreography typically starts on the eighth or first beat count. Another aspect of tap dancing is improvisation. Tap dancing can either be done with music following the beats provided, or without musical accompaniment; the latter is known as a cappella tap dancing.
Tarantella is a group of various folk dances characterized by a fast upbeat tempo, usually in 6/8 time (sometimes 18/8 or 4/4), accompanied by tambourines. It is among the most recognized forms of traditional southern Italian music. The specific dance-name varies with every region. Tarantella is popular in Southern Italy and Argentina.
The tauʻolunga is a traditional Tongan dance. The type of dance is comparable with Hawaiʻianhula or the Tahitian ʻaparima.
The tau'olunga is a dance for virgins, especially for them to show off at their wedding day. But it can be danced at any special occasion. Often it is performed by a small group of girls, up to 10 or so. It is rare for a married, or any older woman to dance it. It is even rarer, but not impossible, to be performed by men. However, men can assist the dancing girl by mimicking her movements in an exaggerated and clownesque way, which is supposed to make her beauty more striking. The assistance of older women is usually limited to only handclaps on the rhythm of the music. This role is called the tuʻulafale.
Electro dance (otherwise known as Tecktonik and Milky Way) is a frenetic and quirky form of street dance typically performed to electro house music. It is based on, although is not limited to, a blend of different dance styles, such as industrial dance, moroccan chaabi, disco, vogue, waacking, hip-hop and freehand glowsticking. It started in the 2000s and originated from the southern suburbs of Paris, France, mainly from the Metropolis nightclubs and has grown around the world. Fast-paced techno and electro house music imported from Northern Europe is the usual choice for Tecktonik dancing.
The Yemenite step or Temani is a dance step widely used in Yemenite Jewish dancing and Israeli folk dancing.
Yemenite step is a popular dance performed Jews during weddings and other Jewish occasions. The basic Yemenite step provides a swaying movement that changes the dancer's direction of motion, although the dancer may face forward throughout the step. It is usually a sideways movement, but may be done moving backward and forward (or vice versa). It consists of three steps, with a short pause on the final step for a "quick, quick, slow" tempo.
The Texas Tommy was a hit around 1910 at a Negro cabaret, Purcell's, on the Barbary Coast. Ethel Williams, who helped popularize the dance in New York in 1913, described it as a "kick and a hop three times on each foot followed by a slide". The basic steps are followed by a breakaway - an open position, while keeping with the timing, which allowed for acrobatics, antics, improvisations, and showing off.
The Freddie was a short-lived 1960s fad dance prompted by the release of the songs "I'm Telling You Now," and "Do the Freddie," both by the British band, Freddie and the Dreamers.
To do The Freddie, simply stand in place; then, in rhythm with the music first extend the left leg and left arm; then the right leg and right arm. Repeat until the song's conclusion.
The Nutbush is a dance categorized as a line dance, performed to Tina Turner's song "Nutbush City Limits" and has gained massive popularity in Australia.
In the 1950s, the dance was known as "The Madison". Inspired by Tina Turner's song, a variation of the dance emerged again as "The Nutbush" in the 1970s disco era. The dance is generally performed by a group of people both male and female at a social function where dancing is not appropriate. Also, the dance is performed with the dancers roughly in a box formation.
The "The Time Warp" is a song featured in the 1973 rock musical The Rocky Horror Show and in its 1975 film adaption The Rocky Horror Picture Show, as well as a dance performed during the chorus of the song. The song is both an example and a parody of the dance song genre in which much of the content of the song is given over to dance step instructions. The dance is one of the major audience-participation activities during screenings of the film and performances of the show. It has become a popular song beyond the reaches of the film and show, and is often played at dances and weddings.
Tinikling is a traditional folk dance from the Philippines which originated during the Spanish colonial era. The dance involves two people beating, tapping, and sliding bamboo poles on the ground and against each other in coordination with one or more dancers who step over and in between the poles in a dance. It is traditionally danced to rondalla music, a sort of serenade played by an ensemble ofstringed instruments which originated from Spain during the Middle Ages.
In the United States, this dance has been altered into a four-beat rhythm to adjust to popular music. In some cases, it has been used in conjunction with traditional Filipino martial arts to demonstrate fleetness of foot and flow of movement.
Tinku, a Bolivian Aymara tradition, began as a form of ritualistic combat. In the language of Aymara it means “physical attack.” During this ritual, men and women from different communities will meet and begin the festivities by dancing. The women will then form circles and begin chanting while the men proceed to fight each other; rarely the women will join in the fighting as well. Large tinkus are held in Potosí during the first few weeks of May.
Because of the rhythmic way the men throw their fists at each other, and because they stand in a crouched stance going in circles around each other, a dance was formed. This dance, the Festive Tinku, simulates the traditional combat, bearing a warlike rhythm. The differences between the Andean tradition and the dance are the costumes, the role of women, and the fact that the dancers do not actually fight each other. The Festive Tinku has become a cultural dance for all of Bolivia, although it originated in Potosí.
Tondero is a dance and guitar rhythm from the Peruvian north coast (Piura–Lambayeque). In its choreography and its music, the tondero is very similar to the marinera, Perú's national dance, and the marinera norteña, the version of the marinera popular in the northern part of Perú.
Tourdion (or tordion) (from the French verb "tordre" / to twist) is a lively dance, similar in nature to the Galliard, and popular from the mid-15th to the late-16th centuries, first in the Burgundian court and then all over the French Kingdom. The dance was accompanied frequently by the basse danse, due to their contrasting tempi, and were danced alongside the Pavane and Galliard, and the Allemande and Courante, also in pairs.
Nearly all variations on the dance are based upon the simple cinq pas (five-step) tourdion. The cinq pas begins in either a posture droit or posture gauche (the former with the right foot slightly in front, the latter with the left), with weight evenly distributed between the feet. Assuming a posture gauche, a pied en l'air droit and a petit saut follow in one beat, that is, a small kick of the right foot into the air at the same time as a slight hop as to land with the left foot. (It should be remembered that all pieds en l'air are accompanied by the petit saut of the opposite foot.)
The step is repeated as a pied en l'air gauche, with the left foot kicked into the air and a slight hop to land upon the right. The two steps are then repeated, with care that the kicks are small (as the dance is brisk). Following the four kicks, one performs a saut moyen—a small jump into the air that pulls the feet into the posture gauche or droit—whichever is the opposite of the first. This combination of the saut moyen and the posture is typically called a cadence. The process repeats, mirrored to reflect the new starting posture, until the song ends.
The term "folk dance" is sometimes applied to dances of historical importance in European culture and history; typically originating before the 20th century. For other cultures the terms "ethnic dance" or "traditional dance" are sometimes used, although the latter terms may encompass ceremonial dances.
The terms "ethnic" and "traditional" are used when it is required to emphasize the cultural roots of the dance. In this sense, nearly all folk dances are ethnic ones. If some dances, such as polka, cross ethnic boundaries and even cross the boundary between "folk" and "ballroom dance", ethnic differences are often considerable enough to mention, e.g., Czech polka vs. German polka.
Not all ethnic dances are folk dances; for example, ritual dances or dances of ritual origin are not considered to be folk dances. Ritual dances are usually called "Religious dances" because of their purpose.
Traditional square dance is a generic American term for any style of American square dance other than modern Western. The term can mean any of the American regional styles (broadly, Northeastern, Southeastern, and Western) that existed before around 1950, when modern Western style began to develop out of a blend of those regional styles,. It can also refer to any style (other than modern Western) that has survived, or been revived, since around 1950.
The Tranky Doo is a jazz dance choreography. It was choreographed by Pepsi Bethel and first appeared at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem during the 1940s.
At that time, it was danced to Tuxedo Junction, however many modern day performances of the dance use other swing jazz songs. It is most common these days to perform the dance with the song "Dipsy Doodle" by Ella Fitzgerald because the dance appears in the Spirit Moves documentary film with a playback of the song. However the film originally had no sound, and the song "Dipsy Doodle" was artificially superimposed on that section of the film. It was common to Lindy hoppers, like the shim sham.
The Trata is a traditional commemorative dance performed every two years in Megara in Attica, but also in the Aegean Islands.
The Trata in the Aegean Islands refers to a Syrtos dance done at all social functions and gatherings. On the Island of Ikaria (North East Aegean) they dance it with specific movements in the chorus.
The trata symbolizes the fishing. The famous dance, the Trata, is said to celebrate their success of fishing, each day. However, folklorists note that the movements of this dance, which mimic the hauling in of fishing nets, seem to indicate that it is probably a very ancient dance, much older than the Ottoman period, and was originally performed to ensure success of the fishermen.
The "Trepak is one of the several consecutive ethnic dances in Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's famous ballet The Nutcracker. It is based on the traditional Ukrainian folk dance known in Ukrainian as the Tropak or Tripak.
The "Trepak" often also goes under the name "Russian Dance" and is the most popular dance of the ballet (although a case could be made for both the "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" and the "Waltz of the Flowers", which are heard more often than the "Trepak"). The dance makes much use of ethnic Ukrainian folk melodies.
American Tribal Style Belly Dance or Tribal Style Belly Dance (also known as ATS or Tribal) is a modern style of belly dance created by FatChanceBellyDance director,Carolena Nericcio-Bohlman. American Tribal Style Belly Dance is clearly defined and documented with the primary characteristic being that of group improvisation. Tribal is generally performed in a group, often at community events such as festivals and parades, with tribal dancers typically favoring a look provided by wide-legged pants gathered at the ankles tops known as cholis and full skirts.
Troika is a Russian folk dance, where a man dances with two women. The Russian word troika means three-horse team/gear. In the Russian dance the dancers imitate the prancing of horses pulling a sled or a carriage.
This dance is included into repertoires of virtually all Russian ethnographic dance ensembles.
Similar folk dances are known among other Slavic peoples, e.g., the Polish Trojak.
A Cajun dance of the same name, Troika, exists, and is very similar to the Russian dance. It has been suggested that the Cajun version of the dance originated at the times when Cossacks of the Russian tsar army were stationed in Paris.
The Tsakonikos or Tsakonikos khoros is a dance performed in the Peloponnese in Greece. It comes from the region, chiefly in Arcadia, known as Tsakonia. It is danced in many towns villages there with little variation to the steps.
In Ayios Andreas, it is performed as a mixed dance in an open circle, with the hands held up. The dance is performed to a 5/4 (3+2) rhythm in an open circle which slowly winds in upon itself, forming a snail-shaped design. This labyrinthine formation is, according to legend, linked to the Crane dance of Theseus in Greek mythology, who slew the Minotaur in the Labyrinth of King Minos.
The Tsamikos is a popular traditional folk dance of Greece, done to music of 3/4 meter. The name literally means dance of the Chams. The dance follows a strict and slow tempo not emphasising on the steps, but more on the "attitude, style and grace" of the dancer. The dancers hold each other from each other's hands, bent 90 degrees upwards at the elbows. It takes a sturdy hand, especially if you are supporting the first or last person of the line (or circle) who will lean on you to perform high acrobatic leaps (usually kicking his right leg up as he takes off followed by the left (in a scissor-like motion), hitting the latter with the back of his hand before landing). The steps are relatively easy but have to be precise and strictly on beat. The dancer might even stomp his foot in response to a strong beat. There is some improvisation involved and many variations of the steps, depending on which area the dancers come from. Over time the dance has taken on many variations. In the past, it was danced exclusively by men, but in modern times both men and women take part.
The Tsifteteli is a rhythm and dance of Anatolia and the Balkans with a rhythmic pattern of 2/4. In Turkish the word means "double stringed", taken from the violin playing style that is practiced in this kind of music.
There are three variants of this syrtós dance described here. The first two are versions widely taught in the USA by Lee Otterholt such as older slow version and a faster new version. The third version described here is a version more consistent with the traditional 3 measure pattern of these dances, it's the version you'll see in the videos linked below. The dance is from Kythirá, an island also called Tsirigo, but it is danced throughout the islands.
Also called Tsiganochka, this is one of the favorite ballroom dances of various Russian-American groups. It is also called the Russian Two-Step or Karapiet. Formation is double circle, music is 4/4. This dance should be done in a rather sober and dignified manner as contrasted with the more exuberant dance forms of Russia.
Tumba is a musical form native to Aruba and Curaçao. It is of African origin, although the music has developed since it was introduced on the island in the 17th century. TheCuraçao-born composer Jan Gerard Palm was the first composer to write Curaçao tumbas. The lyrics can be very explicit. Nowadays the Tumba takes influences from the merengue and Latin jazz.
Twerking is a type of dancing in which an individual, usually a female dances to music in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low squatting stance. Since the late 1990s, twerking was associated with bounce music of Southern hip hop and was disseminated via mainstream hip hop videos and popular video-sharing sites since the mid-2000s.
The twist is a dance that was inspired by rock and roll music. It became the first worldwide dance craze in the late 1950s. It inspired dances such as the Jerk, the Pony, the Watusi, the Mashed Potato, the Monkey, and the Funky Chicken, but none were as popular.
Twoubadou is a guitar music and dance style from Haiti that has a long and important place in Haitian culture. The word comes from troubadour, a medieval poet-musician who wrote and sang songs about courtly love. The dance is performed in a risqué and suggestive manner.
Ukrainian dance refers to the traditional folk dances of the peoples of Ukraine. Ukrainian Dance is often described as energetic, fast-paced, and entertaining.
Today, Ukrainian dance is primarily represented by what ethnographers, folklorists and dance historians refer to as "Ukrainian Folk-Stage Dances" which are stylized representations of traditional dances and their characteristic movements that have been choreographed for concert dance performances.
The Dances of Universal Peace (DUP) are a spiritual practice employing singing and dancing the sacred phrases of the world's religions. Their intention is to raise consciousness and promote peace between diverse religions according to one stated goal. The DUP are of North American Sufic origin. They combine chants from many world faiths with dancing, whirling, and a variety of movement with singing.
Five to 500 dancers stand in a circle often around a leader and musicians, with acoustic instruments, in the center. All dances are participatory and spectatorship is somewhat discouraged because joy is the goal, not technical performance of specified dance steps or forms. Dances are facilitated by a dance leader often playing a drum, guitar, flute or other stringed instrument.
Tango is a rhythm that has its roots in the poor areas of Montevideo around 1880. Different forms of dance originated in the neighborhoods of Montevideo, Uruguay in the last part of the 19th century and in the early 20th century that was particular from that area and different from Buenos Aires. It consists of a variety of styles that developed in different regions of Argentina and Uruguay.
The Uruguyan Tango dance is often accompanied by several musical forms such as tango, milonga, vals, and candombe.
There are many versions of the Veleta (a.k.a. Valeta or Veletta) Originally written by Arthur Morris in England in 1900 and just qualifying as a "Colonial dance", it is credited with being the first of many "sequence" dances which became known as "Old time" and then "New Vogue" (a style originating in Australia) later on. Veleta translates from Spanish as "weather vane". Valeta is danced to music of 16 bar waltz at 52-54 BPM.
Valse à deux temps, waltz à deux temps ("waltz in two beats"), also Valse à deux pas ("waltz of two steps") or Valse Russe ("Russian waltz") was a waltz of Russian origin introduced in France in the mid-19th century.
The step is taken in a three-beat measure, and with a sudden movement. First beat: Slide the left foot to the left, and stop, bending the knees slightly for the second beat; on the third beat, bring the right foot quickly behind the left one, sidestepping it before one towards the left. This step can also be done behind, sidestepping the foot behind oneself instead of in front. The steps are the same for the lady.
Verbunkos is an 18th-century Hungarian dance and music genre. The name was derived from the German word Werbung, a noun derived from the verb werben that means, in particular, "to recruit". The verbunkos is typically danced in a pair of sections, slow (lassú), with a characteristic dotted rhythm, and fast (friss), with virtuosic running-note passages. This music and dance was played during military recruiting, organized by press gangs, which was a frequent event at these times when the Habsburg Emperors, who were also Kings of Hungary, were frequently at war. The character of the music derives from the military march tempo.
Vesnianka, which means “spring” in the Ukrainian language started with a small group of Ukrainian dancers. It was founded in 1958 by Mr. Mykola Baldeckyj. It is a dance performed in weddings and community events.
Viennese Waltz is a genre of a ballroom dance. The Viennese Waltz is a rotary dance where the dancers are constantly turning either toward the leader's right (natural) or toward the leader's left (reverse), interspersed with non-rotating change steps to switch between the direction of rotation. A true Viennese waltz consists only of turns and change steps. Other moves such as the fleckerls, American-style figures and side sway or underarm turns are modern inventions and are not normally danced at the annual balls in Vienna. Furthermore, in a properly danced Viennese Waltz, couples do not pass, but turn continuously left and right while travelling counterclockwise around the floor following each other. 479. Vintage dance
Vintage dance is the authentic recreation of historical dance styles. Vintage dance includes the re-creation of the dances of the English Regency (1795–1820), American Civil War, Victorian, and Ragtime ages. 480. Vogue
Vogue, or voguing, is a highly stylized, modern house dance that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scenein the 1980s. It gained mainstream exposure when it was featured in Madonna's song and video "Vogue" (1990), and when showcased in the 1990 documentary Paris is Burning (which went on to win the Grand Jury Prize at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival).
The volta is an anglicised name for aRenaissance dance for couples from the later Renaissance. This dance was associated with the galliard and done to the same kind of music. Its main figure consisted of a turn and lift in a sort of closed position, which could be done either to the right or to the left. It is also called La volta, Volta, Volte. Spelling variants include la volta and levolto; its name is la volte inFrench and la volta in Italian. Considered at first to be risque and controversial, La volta became a respectable, but never completely dignified, dance after Queen Elizabeth I of England danced it with the Earl of Leicester.
The dance begins with a galliard. Then the couple makes a transition to a closed position. The leader (the man, according to period custom) lets go of his partner's hand and takes hold of her below her busk with one hand, and places the other hand on her back above the far hip. The follower places her near hand on top of her partner's near shoulder. Now the leader is facing his partner while she faces to one side; both will do the turn with forward steps, and both step with the same foot at the same time.
The turn begins with a small step, springing onto the outside foot and lifting the inside foot forward. On the second beat there is a longer step, stepping smoothly onto the inside foot and staying close to the ground. During this step the follower poises herself for a spring, and just after it she springs up into the air. The leader lifts her with his hands, then holds her up with his hands and with the thigh of his free leg under her thighs. He lets her down to land on both feet on the last beat of the measure. The couple makes an approximate 3/4 turn during each measure. The turn is repeated ad lib for several measures, and then the galliard is resumed in an open position.
Waack/Punk is a form of dance created in the LGBT clubs of Los Angeles, during the 1970s disco era. Waacking consists of moving the arms to the music beat, typically in a movement of the arms over and behind the shoulder. Waacking also contains other elements such as posing and footwork. Waacking puts a strong emphasis on musicality and interpretation of the music and its rhythm. It also took inspiration stylistically from movie stars such as Lauren Bacall, Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davis and James Dean.
The typical music of choice for Waacking is 70's Disco. The originators of Waacking were said to have danced to underground Disco music and records imported from various European countries. The dance has been incorporated by dance programs including the Department for Theatre and Dance at University of South Carolina.
The Walking Boston, sometimes designated the One Step Waltz, is a very simple dance in which many graceful figures may be introduced. It is done to the same music as the Hesitation Waltz and Dream Waltz. The dance includes a great deal of "balancing". Indeed, the Walking Boston cannot be performed easily or gracefully unless the balancing is done properly. Balancing means throwing the weight of the body successively on to one foot and then on the other. This is done with one foot well in advance of the other. Good dancers get plenty of swing into their action. Swing forward. Swing backward. In balancing on to the forward foot, the backward foot should barely leave the floor, and in no event should it be brought forward. And in balancing onto the backward foot the forward foot should not be brought backward.
The Watusi is a solo dance that enjoyed brief popularity during the early 1960s. It was the second-most popular dance craze in the 1960s in the United States, after the Twist. In the classic Watusi, the dancer is almost stationary with knees slightly bent, although may move forward and back by one or two small rhythmic paces. The arms, with palms flat in line, are held almost straight, alternately flail up and down in the vertical. The head is kept in line with the upper torso but may bob slightly to accentuate the arm flailing. The dance, which became popular in the American surf/beach sub-culture of the 1960s, may be enhanced if one imagines that one's feet are on sand. 485. West Coast Swing
West Coast Swing (WCS) is a partner dance with roots in Lindy Hop. It is characterized by a distinctive elastic look that results from its basic extension-compression technique of partner connection, and is danced primarily in a slotted area on the dance floor. The dance allows for both partners to improvise steps while dancing together, putting West Coast Swing in a short list of dances that put a premium on improvisation.
West Coast Swing can be danced to almost any music written in 4/4 time at speeds ranging from very slow to very fast; 15 to 45 Measures per Minute, ideally at 32 Measures per Minute (15x4=60 bpm, 32x4 = 128 bpm, 45x4=180 bpm). The character of the dance changes over that range. At the slowest speeds the dance tends to exhibit a highly elastic connection with the possibility of very sexy, "slinky" walks for the lady, and a slight backward leaning poise at the full extent of the connection. At faster speeds the partners become more upright and the connection shortens with more of a "push and pull" feel and look.
Western promenade dances are a form of partner dance traditionally danced to country-western music, and which are stylistically associated with American country and/or western traditions.
In promenade-style partner dancing the partners (dance couple) dance side-by-side, maintaining a connection with each other through a promenade handhold. The man dances traditionally to the left of the woman. There is no leader or follower, as in ballroom-style partner dancing, because both partners execute the steps identically. However, the man does function as a leader in a limited capacity, when and if there is undertaken turns, twirls and other fancy arm maneuvers.
Whip is a kind of swing dance popular in Texas, danced to rhythm and blues music. Whip is a slotted dance similar to West Coast Swing. Because of cross-pollination, the two dances may look pretty similar. Some say that Whip is more sensual and uses more body work (body rolls, body waves, etc.), while West Coast Swing puts more emphasis on footwork. However this may well be attributed to the prevalent music used: with slower music, proficient "Westies" may become extremely sensual. It is mainly used with songs that have a trap style beat with repetitive rhythms.
Guard members incorporate many different styles of dance into their shows. The most common styles of dance used are modern, contemporary, lyrical, jazz, and ballet. The different styles of dance are chosen depending on the different types of music chosen and the themes of the shows. Dance is usually incorporated into the equipment work, and is performed seamlessly throughout the show. 489. Wolosso
Wolosso is a type of erotic dance from Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). The moves involved, described as involving "buttock-swinging," have caused controversy amongMuslims in Guinea. Several allegations of rape have been made by young women in Conakry, the capital, against men who accused them of doing the Wolosso dance. 490. Worship dance
Worship dance is any kind of dance that is undertaken for the specific purpose of religious worship. As a basic element of human expression, dance is found within many of the world's religions, and is frequently associated with worship. However, use of the term worship dance appears to be restricted to Christianity and Messianic Judaism.
The xibelani dance or shibelani dance is an indigenous dance of the Tsonga or Shangaan women of the Limpopo province in northern South Africa. The name of the dance comes from the native Xitsonga language. In the xibelani dance the Tsonga women tie a type of African skirt—the xibelani commonly known as "tinguvu"—around their waist and then shake from the waist. The xibelani skirt is designed to make the wearer's hips look bigger, and thereby to emphasise the shaking.
The dance that I researched for El Salvador was the Xuc dance. Xuc is pronounced as Sook. The dance Xuc came from the Salvadoran instrument called the Sacabuche. The music emerged in 1942, but the dance wasn't choreographed until sixteen years later. The Xuc dance is also a group dance and the dancers have a white costume during the traditional dance.
Yablochko is a Russian folk song of chastushka style and dance, traditionally presented as sailors' dance.
The yahoozee dance style had some negative intonations; it was alleged to be a dance style founded by internet scammers and fraudsters popularly known in Nigerian suburbs as yahoo boys. The reign of the dance poured on every Nigerian like a torrential downpour of rainfall. From the kindergarten schools to the universities, the Nigerian people did the yahoozee dance with a sense of vigour. Nigerian singer, Olu Maintain adopted this dance style as a trade mark and re-packaged yahoozee into a brand. The dance which looks very imbecilic contains a lot of hand movements while the feet remain rather stationary. 495. Yakshagana
Yakshagana is a folk theater form that combines dance, music, dialogue, costume, make-up, and stage techniques with a unique style and form. This folk theater style is mainly found in the coastal districts and theMalenadu region of Karnataka, India. Yakshagana is traditionally presented from dusk to dawn. 496. Yerakina
Also called Gerakina from Greece, this version was introduced to the US by Anatol Joukowsky in 1954. There are several other choreographies done to this music, but this is the one most common in US international folk dance groups. It is danced to 7/8 meter and the performance starts with singing.
YMCA is also the name of a group dance with cheerleader Y-M-C-A choreography invented to fit the song. One of the phases involves moving arms to form the letters Y-M-C-A as they are sung in the chorus:
Y —arms outstretched and raised upwards
M —made by bending the elbows from the 'Y' pose so the fingertips meet over the chest
C —arms extended to the left
A —hands held together above head
Yowla is traditional dance in the United Arab Emirates. It involves spinning and throwing a rifle dummy made entirely of wood and metal plating. Men dance to the rhythm and music by moving in an up and down step while constantly spinning, throwing and performing several tricks with the rifle. This type of dance requires great skill and concentration.
The Zamacueca is an ancient colonial dance and music that originated in the Viceroyalty of Peru, taking its roots from African, Spanish, and Andean rhythms. Although currently the dance is not widely popular, several dance institutions in places such as Peru still dedicate part of their time to teaching Zamacueca.
Zamba is a traditional dance of Argentina. Zamba is very different from its hom*ophone, the samba - musically, rhythmically, and temperamentally. It is afro-indigenous compared to the Samba, in the steps of the dance and in its costume. It has six beats to the bar and is a majestic dance, performed by couples who circle each other waving white handkerchiefs very elegantly. (It has common elements with the cueca.) The Zamba is a slow dance in three-quarter time played primarily on guitar and bombo legüero. The steps of the dance are a walking step, an alternate step (two steps at one time), and a tip toe alternate step or "sobrepaso punteado" (three steps at one time). The Zamba also requires a handkerchief.
Zapateado is a style of dance and traditional music of Andalusian origins in metre 6/8, with lively movement, marked on two beats, the second being very stressed. The dance shows a gracious tapping. Humanists of 16th century affirmed that zapateado derived from the lactisma of the Roman dancers in times of the Empire.
In flamenco, zapateado also refers to a style of dancing which accents the percussive effect of the footwork (zapatear is a Spanish verb, and zapato means "shoe"). In the footwork of particular zapateado, "the dancer and the guitarists work together in unison, building from simple foot taps and bell-like guitar tones to rapid and complex steps on a repeated melodic theme."
Zapin is a Malay dance form that is popular in Malaysia (especially in the state of Johor, Pahang and Selangor), in Indonesia, especially in Malay-populated provinces in Sumatera (Riau Province, Jambi province, Riau Islands Province, North Sumatera, and Bangka-Belitung Islands) and West Kalimantan, and in other Malay populated countries like Brunei Darussalam and Singapore. It is believed to have been introduced by Arab, Muslim missionaries from the Middle East in the fourteenth century.
In the old days, only males were allowed to perform; nowadays, female dancers are included. It used to be performed exclusively for religious ceremonies but through the years it has become a form of traditional entertainment, hence the participation of female dancers is allowed.
The dancers usually perform in pairs and are accompanied by a traditional music ensemble which normally consists of the gambus, accordion, rebab, marwas (bongos), rebana (drum) and dok.
Zeibekiko is a Greek folk dance with a rhythmic pattern of 9/4 or else 9/8. The dance is of free choreographic structure. Although in older times the dance was danced by a pair of either the same or opposite sex, it has been evolved a solo dance strictly masculine and is considered in some cases offensive to be interrupted by another dancer. Occasionally dancers perform feats such as standing on a glass of wine or a chair or fireplace, or picking up a table, adding a sense of a little braggadocio and humor. The name of this dance style was derived from Zeibek warriors of Anatolia.
Zeybeks or sometimes Zeibeks, were irregular militia and guerrilla fighters living in the Aegean Region of the Ottoman Empire from late 17th to early 20th centuries, of Yörüks Turkomanorigin.
Zeybeks had a special dance in which performers simulate hawks. Romantic songs about their bravery are still popular in Turkish folk music. The yatagan sword was their primary weapon, but most of them carried firearms as well.
Zonaradiko is a traditional Greek folk dance from Thrace (Greece) that is named after the dance's handhold. Dancers hold the adjacent dancer's zonaria (belt) during the dance. Zonaradiko is a village line dance done in one form or another all over Greece. In each village the dance will look somewhat different, but the basic structure is essentially the same. The same dance is done in Bulgaria under the name Pravo.
Many variations of the dance exist. In northern Thrace, zonaradikos turns into a fast tsestos dance. In western Thrace, the dance is led by the males, and the females follow towards the end of the line. As the dance nears the end, the first dancer moves to the centre and the others twist around him, then they "unwist" and go back to their normal positions. Mixed lines of men and women hold belts. The leader is on the right. When the Tsestos portion starts, either the entire line does the Tsestos steps, or those doing the Tsestos steps form a new belt-hold line inside (towards the center) of the original line. Traditionally, some or all of the men would leave the line and the women would either stop and watch or continue the pravo around the men's line. The entire dance is done with the knees bent. This position is especially evident in the Tsestos.
Songs like Lianohortarouthyia, Steryios Pismanipsi, and Yiannis Dimarhos are all zonaradika.
Sirtáki is danced in a line or circle formation with hands held on neighbours' shoulders. Line formation is more traditional. It is danced to a meter of 4/4, tempo increasing, and often the signature is changed to 2/4 in the fastest part. Accordingly, the dance begins with slower, smoother actions, gradually transforming into faster, vivid ones, often including hops and leaps.
Zouk is a fast jump-up carnival beat style originating from the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique, originated and popularized by the French Antilles Kassav' in the 1980s. French Antilles Kassav' is the only band that includes it in its repertoire to a lesser extent. Too fast, the style lost ground in the 1980s due to the strong presence of kadans orcompas, the main music of the French Antilles. Today, zouk is the French Antilles compas, also called zouk-love. 508. Zouk-Lambada
Brazilian zouk is a couple dance descended from lambada in Brazil. The name Brazilian zouk is used to distinguish the dance from the Caribbean zouk dance, which is historically related to, but very different from the lambada. The three dominant lines of Brazilian zouk are traditional zouk, lambazouk, and zouk with different styles. The Brazilian zouk dances are among the most popular couple dances in Brazil, others being forró, lambada, samba de gafieira and salsa. Brazilian Zouk is led by more parts of the body. Sometimes, in a basic sideways movement, it is the hips that move first, followed by the rest of the body, and this is part of what makes the dance so sensual. However, in various moves the dance partners are also connected by eye contact, legs, arms, shoulders, head, etc.
Zumba is a dance fitness program created by Colombian dancer and choreographer Alberto "Beto" Perez during the 1990s. Zumba is a trademark owned by Zumba Fitness, LLC.
Zumba involves dance and aerobic elements. The choreography incorporates hip-hop, soca, samba, salsa, merengue and mambo. Squats and lunges are also included.
Zydeco as a dance style has its roots in a form of folk dance that corresponds to the heavily syncopated zydeco music, originated in the beginning of the 20th century among the Francophone Creole peoples of Acadiana (south-west Louisiana). It is a partner dance that has been primarily danced socially and sometimes in performances.
The follower usually mirrors the steps of the leader however in some figures the steps may be completely different, allowing for self-expression and improvisation. Because of the very lively music, the overall style is small sidewise steps with relatively steady upper body and no hip swinging, wiggling or jumping. There are exceptions to this rule, but feel of the zydeco is very real and consistent. Zydeco dance can be described as the opposite of swing or ballroom since the direction or feel of the dance is down, not up like swing or ballroom.
