Active types of dances. What types of dances are there? Electro - youth direction

An art such as dance began to develop at the dawn of humanity. Primitive tribes had their own, special ritual dances, which were an important part of their traditions and life. Their descendants, who began to build the first states, turned these movements into part of the sovereign symbolism. Thus, the first types of dances appeared, which to a greater extent testified to the origin of man, to his roots. Today people dance everywhere, and at the same time, their movements are no longer limited by any framework that the state defines. Well, let us consider in more detail what types of dances are in certain corners of the planet and how they become popular all over the world.

What is dance

This term refers to an art form in which artistic images are transmitted through plastic and rhythmic body movements. Any dance is inextricably linked with a certain music that suits it in style. During this "ritual", certain positions of the human body, the figures that he can show, the transitions from one pose to another are very important. Considering what types of dances are in our time, it is easy to assume that such figures and movements are simply uncountable. That is why they are divided into categories that largely depend on the place of origin of a particular dance, as well as on its other features (pair, group, single, etc.).

The history of the birth of dance art

Even during the existence of primitive tribes, the earliest types of dances were born. They were named according to the emotions they accompanied. For example, a tribe could try to make rain after a long drought, and for this a special ritual was invented, during which people moved in a certain way. Through rhythmic body movements, they thanked their gods, met the birth of children and saw off their dead ancestors. As an art form, dance was founded in antiquity. At this time, special choreographic acts dedicated to the gods began to appear in Greece and Rome. At the same time, the very first oriental types of dances developed in Babylon, Assyria, the Persian kingdom and other countries of Asia. In the Middle Ages, this art was beyond the line of legality due to the spiritual views of mankind. But with the advent of the Renaissance, it began to develop and improve again. In the 16th century, such a form of choreography as ballet appeared, which soon became a separate art form.

Classics and its varieties

Professional dancers, learning this art from an early age, initially master classical dances. Their types depend on which program is taken as a basis - European or Latin. The two subgroups are united by the good old classical choreography, which has a lot in common with ballet. The bottom line is that rehearsals are held to the accompaniment of classical music, dancers perform stretches, study positions, plie, pique and other choreographic techniques. In the future, the quality of the dance will depend on the purity and correctness of all these movements.

European program

Slow waltz. It is a golden classic of dance that is always accompanied by appropriate three-quarter music. For each beat, the dancers take three steps, the first being the main one, the second determining the angle of rotation, and the third being the auxiliary one, which allows the weight to be transferred to the other leg.
Tango. It was originally an Argentine folk dance, but later became incredibly popular all over the world and moved into the category of European classics. Its essence lies in the fact that two partners move energetically and rhythmically to the appropriate music (it is also called tango).
Viennese waltz. This is a kind of analogy to a simple waltz, only it is danced a little faster and more energetically.
Foxtrot. It is a fast and flamboyant dance performed both in pairs and in groups. It was invented by Harry Fox (hence the name) at the beginning of the 20th century, and since then its popularity has not faded away.
Quickstep. This is the fastest dance from the European classics. It is played in a 4/4 rhythm, and at the same time there are as many as 50 measures per minute. It takes years of practice and grueling training to do the foxtrot properly. It is important that all movements look light, relaxed, and performed with incredible precision.

Latin American program

Popular types of dances that today often go beyond the classics will be listed here. On their basis, a wide variety of variations are created to simplify the choreography and make these dances available to everyone.

Samba. Brazilian dance that emerged from the fusion of African and Portuguese traditions. It is danced to a 2/4 time signature, with up to 54 measures per minute. In the classical version, it is performed to the beat of drums or other Latin percussion instruments.
Cha-cha-cha. Characterized by a much slower choreography. The time signature is 4/4, there are 30 bars per minute. The most popular dance in Cuba, where it originated in the 20s of the last century. Today it is included in the classical dance program.
Rumba. The slowest and most intimate dance, which is always performed in pairs. Accuracy is not important here, as in other types of choreography. It is only important that the poses of the partners are very beautiful, that they form unique figures, and at the same time their every movement should be as flexible as possible.
Paso Doble. This dance has its roots in the Spanish bullfight. Here the partner often depicts a bullfighter, and his partner a cloak. The essence of choreography is a double step (hence the name).
Jive. African American choreography, which also originated in the 20th century and became widespread in the United States. Jive is danced in swing mode, but at the same time it is very different from the modern analogue of the same name. The time signature is 4/4, the number of beats per minute is 44.

Ballet

All currently existing types of dance are based in one way or another on ballet. This art formally separated from general choreography in the 17th century when the first French ballet school emerged. What are the features of ballet? Here choreography is inextricably linked with the music and facial expressions of the performers. As a rule, each production has a specific scenario, therefore it is often called a mini-performance. True, in some cases there are also "non-script" ballets, where dancers simply demonstrate their incomparable and precise skills. Ballet is divided into three categories: romantic, classical and contemporary. The first is always a mini-performance on a love theme (Romeo and Juliet, Carmen, etc.). The classical one can personify any plot (for example, "The Nutcracker"), but at the same time its important element is the choreography based on acrobatics and excellent plasticity. Different types of dances are included in the framework of modern ballet. There are elements of jive, Latin choreography, and classics. A distinctive feature is that everything is danced in pointe shoes.

Contemporary choreography

Nowadays all over the world, regardless of traditions and religion, modern types of dances are popular. Their names are known to everyone, and at the same time almost everyone can learn how to perform them. Such movements do not require special stretching, preparation or natural plasticity. The main thing is to join the rhythm and become one with the music. Immediately, we note that all the dances that will be listed below are the basis for the so-called "club choreography". These movements are quickly learned and mixed by modern youth, resulting in a kind of mix that can be seen in any nightclub in any city in the world.

Contemporary dances

Tectonist. It arose in the 21st century on the basis of jumpstyle, hip-hop, popping, techno style, etc. Always dancing to fast electronic music.
Strip dance. This is the basis of any striptease, in other words, a dance that can involve further stripping. The essence lies in plastic movements, as well as often in interaction with other objects. This is how the famous pool-dance, lap-dance, etc. were born.
Go go. An erotic dance that does not involve undressing. Aims to entertain the public in the club. It can contain any plastic elements that will match the playing music.
Hakka. A dance that originated in the Netherlands, in hardcore circles. His movements are based on this style of music.
Jumpstyle. Jump-based dance is one of the few modern dance that is danced in pairs. But at the same time, it has a peculiarity - partners should not touch each other.
D'n'B Step. These are exclusively attributes of the drum and bass style. Choreography always depends on the rhythm and tempo of the music.
Shuffle. The dance originated in Australia and is based on jazz. All movements, in particular the steps characteristic of this style, are performed to electronic fast music at a faster pace.

Based on the plot of the film "Step Forward" ...

After the first part of this wonderful film was released, young people began to actively study all kinds of street dances, which are characterized by freestyle and at the same time incredible plasticity and accuracy of movements. Let's list their main types, which have already become "street classics":

Hip-hop. This is a whole cultural trend that originated in the 70s in New York among the representatives of the working class. It covers not only unique choreography, but also slang, fashion, demeanor and other areas of life. Within the hip-hop culture, there are a wide variety of types of dances, more or less difficult to perform. These are breaking, DJing, MCing, club hip-hop and more.
Break dance, also called b-boing. Initially, to be a part of hip-hop culture, and then, due to its uniqueness, became a separate dance.
Crip Walk. A dance that originated in Los Angeles. It is characterized by steps that are performed in the spirit of improvisation at a very fast pace.
Popping. The dance is based on the rapid contraction and relaxation of muscles, due to which the human body shudders. At the same time, it is important to observe certain positions and postures in which such movements look most effective.

In the spirit of folk traditions

In each state, in addition to the flag and anthem, there is one more, no less important attribute - dance. Each nation is characterized by its own movements, rhythms and rates, which have developed historically. By the peculiarities of the choreography, one can easily determine what nationality a person is, what country he represents. Such performances are performed mainly in a group, but there are some exceptions when only two partners perform. Now we will look at the types of folk dances that are the most popular all over the world. By the way, some of them became the basis of classical choreography, and some served as an excellent start for the development of street dancing.

Dances of the peoples of the world

Attan is the official folk dance of Afghanistan. Also performed by many neighboring peoples in various variations.
Hopak is the dance of the peoples of Ukraine. It is always performed in national costumes, in a very fast and energetic rhythm. It is characterized by jogging, squatting, jumping and other active body movements.
Trepak is a primordially Russian dance, which is also widespread in Ukraine. It is always performed in bipartite size, while accompanied by fractional steps and stamping.
Zika is a famous Chechen dance performed exclusively by men. As a rule, it is an accompanying element for important religious events.
Krakowiak is the most famous Polish dance. It is performed in a fast rhythm, always with a straight back.
Round dance. A dance game that was previously popular among many nations. The rules are different everywhere, but the bottom line is that a huge number of people take part in the round dance.
Lezginka is the most famous choreographic performance in the Caucasus. It is danced by Chechens, Armenians, Georgians, Azerbaijanis and many other peoples.

Types of oriental dances

In the East, the art of dance had a completely different development than in the countries of Europe and America. Men here always performed group mini-performances, which were accompanied by some important events. A woman's dance is a kind of sacrament. A wife can dance only for her husband, and one. Such a choreographic culture has been widespread from time immemorial throughout Western Asia, but in each country it has its own characteristics. Therefore, now we will consider what types of dances are in this or that state of the East and how they are characteristic.

Turkish. They are always performed in bright costumes and fast music. They are characterized by rhythmic movements, very high plasticity and even acrobatics.
Egyptian. This is the most modest oriental choreography. The costumes are restrained, as are the movements, the music is slow and measured. There is no place for frivolous body movements in Egyptian dances - this is considered debauchery.
Arab. This is a real scope for improvisation and variation. If you know what types of dances are in the East and how they are performed, you can put all the techniques and techniques together, and you will get an excellent performance in the Arabian style.
Lebanese. The most unique and unusual. They combine elements of Turkish and Egyptian choreography. Therefore, fast and rhythmic movements alternate with slow and measured ones. Also, the action is characterized by the use of foreign objects (cymbals, canes, etc.).
Persian dance consists of graceful movements, mainly involving the arms, head and long hair.

How belly dance came about

Almost all women in the world dream of mastering this choreographic style, but only a few people master it perfectly. Many people attribute Middle Eastern roots to it, but in fact the dance originated in India. Even before the birth of Christ, this custom was transferred from their homeland by the gypsies to Egypt, where it became popular. Various types of belly dancing began to emerge there, which soon spread throughout the Middle East. Well, let's consider which of them are the most famous today:

Dance with a snake. Requires a combination of plasticity and courage, as well as the ability to handle this animal.
Dance with fire. During the performance, torches, candles, lamps with essential oils and much more can be used to celebrate the cult of fire.
Dance with cymbals. This hand percussion instrument is a relative of the Spanish castanets. Performing rhythmic body movements, the dancer accompanies herself.
Raks el Sharqi is a belly dance that involves the area from the navel to the hips.
Rax-el-Shamadam - an action during which a woman dances with a candelabrum on her head. Very popular in Egypt.

Types of sports dances

Sports dances are a kind of analogue of ballroom classical choreography. The difference lies in the fact that dancers are trained according to a more rigorous and enhanced program, with special emphasis on stretching, accuracy of movements, and speed of their execution. An important component of any sports dance is not the beauty of the performance, but the technicality of all movements. In general, this subgroup consists of choreographic performances known to us, among which there are standard European and Latin programs.

Conclusion

We examined what types of dances exist in different countries, decided on their styles and characteristics. As it turned out, each choreographic performance has its own tempo, rhythm, character of performance. Also, many dances cannot exist without facial expressions, certain costumes, style and even the mood of those who perform them. Therefore, if you are going to master this art, it is important to initially decide in which style you like dancing most of all, and which one will suit you best in terms of capabilities and even in terms of the features of the body structure. And in the future, for self-improvement, you will only need diligence and practice. Go for it!

Types of dances taught in the club and in general

Samba

Brazilian dance in bipartite size; in a broader sense, the word "samba" is applied to all dances of Brazilian origin. There are two different types of samba: the country samba, which is characterized by sharp syncopation, and the urban samba, which is more smoothed out. Samba Carioca ( carioca - one of the names of a resident of Rio de Janeiro) is a stylized urban dance. Samba was introduced to professional music by E. Vila-Lobos and Camargo Guarniero.

Cha-cha-cha (Cha-cha-cha)

The dance, using the rhythmic structure of the mambo or rumba, was first performed by the Cuban Orchestra America in 1953. The basic time signature is slow, slow, fast, fast, slow, and the last three rhythmic beats corresponding to the syllables Cha-cha-cha. In the first recordings of the dance on records, it was called mamba. The rhythmic section gradually expanded, and the dancers adjusted to the new slow rhythm, doubling the size by 4 and 1 and replacing the light hip movements with three steps; after four years the initial stiffness of the model was overcome, and three steps were performed with a typical Cuban swing in the hips.

As in most Latin American dance, the charm of Cha-cha-cha is not in the intricacy of movements, but in their grace and naturalness.

Rumba

Contemporary Cuban dance of African American origin. Rumba is performed in four-beat time, and the rhythmic pattern changes almost in every measure; in general, syncopation and repetitions are characteristic of the rumba rhythm.

In pubs in Havana, Rumba is often performed to the accompaniment of ensembles using available materials - for example, bottles, spoons, pots. The main theme of Rumba is usually eight bars, rhythmic beginning prevails in it, while the text and melody are in the background. Rumba entered American pop music in the 1930s.

Jive

Jive originated in the 19th century in the southeastern United States, and some believe that he was Negro, others that it is a war dance of the Seminole Indians. The fate of the reincarnations of this dance is endless: from Ragtime to Swing in the 1910s, to Lindy Hope in the 1920s, to Jagberg in the 1930s and 40s, to rock, boogie in the 1950s, and finally from Bee Bop is already a modern version of Jive. One of the ever-fashionable dances that leaves no one indifferent.

Dances such as Rock'n'Roll and Jaterbag have a very strong influence on Jive. Jive is sometimes referred to as Six Step Rock 'n' Roll. Jive is very fast, consuming a lot of energy. This is the last dance to be danced in competition and dancers must show that they are not tired and ready to perform it with greater dedication. The fastest of all ballroom dancing.

Pasadoble

"Paso Doble" in translation means "double step". Although the Paso Doble is closely associated with Spain, there are many French terms in it, and this, as some experts point out, reminds us that the Paso Doble was originally a French dance. The warlike, restrained rhythm of the Paso Doble, undoubtedly akin to flamenco, conquered all of Spain, a country in which bullfighting is considered the most ancient and true tradition of the people.

Spanish culture has always preferred the taste of death, challenge and risk. Partially Paso Doble is based on bullfighting. The partner represents the bullfighter, and the partner represents his cloak or muletu (a piece of bright red cloth in the hands of a matador), sometimes a second bullfighter, and very rarely a bull, as a rule, defeated by the final blow. The character of the music corresponds to the procession in front of the bullfight (el paseíllo), which is usually accompanied by Paso Doble.

Competitive Paso Doble is technically very difficult to execute. Music has three main accents (themes). The first emphasis is divided into the introduction (false emphasis) and the main part. Most often, the third theme is a repetition of the first. At competitions in sports ballroom dancing, the first two themes are most often performed. However, in addition to the competitive one, there is also a generally available form of this dance, which is widespread in Spain, France and Latin America. It is this Paso Doble that is danced in numerous clubs and dance centers around the world.

Slow Waltz

It originated in the old folk dances of Austria and southern Germany. The name comes from the German word walzen - "spin", "spin". The closest predecessors of the waltz can be considered fast "German dance" and slow waltzes - landlerswhich became fashionable approx. 1800. German dances are found in J. Haydn, W. A. \u200b\u200bMozart and L. van Beethoven.

The first mention of, in fact, the waltz dates back to around 1770. At first, this dance caused strong resistance from both the guardians of morality and dance masters. For some time, the waltz existed within the English Country Dance (country dance), but soon gained independence and came out on top among ballroom dances popular in Vienna, Paris, New York.

Viennese Waltz

Although the Waltz was a huge success and made a splash in many courts of Europe, at the very beginning of the 19th century, the official attitude towards Waltz was very cautious - at balls in Vienna itself, the waltz was allowed to dance for no more than 10 minutes: the arms of the gentleman and the ladies in the dance were considered not quite appropriate ... But it was already impossible to stop the waltz, and when in 1815, after the victory over Napoleon, the congress of the victorious allies was held in Vienna, the waltz was selflessly danced at all balls - enchanting, magical, brilliant. It was then that the waltz acquired its specific feature - an accented rhythm, which made this dance more elegant and more romantic.

Tango

Tango is a unique fusion of traditions, folklore, feelings and experiences of many peoples, with a long history. With the creation of the first "Sociedades de negros" at the beginning of the 19th century in Buenos Aires and Montevideo the word "tango" was used to refer to both these societies and their dance parties. What was played at these parties had little in common with the music that had spread in émigré circles in the Rio de la Plata since the mid-19th century. In the ports of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, different cultures merged into one new one, with which the new settlers identified themselves, the tango we know appeared.

Quickstep

Quickstep (Foxtrot) - by its origin a fast dance in a bipartite size, performed somewhat slower than One-step, after which Foxtrot gained popularity in the USA approx. 1912. After the First World War, due to the spread of the "jazz style" in dance music, the term "Foxtrot" began to refer to any dance music similar to jazz in bipartite size (except Latin American tangos and congas). In the 1920s, various types of Foxtrot, which quickly replaced each other, were popular, among which Charleston and Black Bottom can be distinguished.

Slow Foxtrot

In the early 1930s, a calmer Slow Fox ("Slow Foxtrot"). It reached its popularity in the 40s of the XX century. The melodies written by Frank Sinatra, Glen Miller and many other musicians have become real classics. The characteristic steps in the Slow Foxtrot are long and sliding. The rhythm of the dance is less than 30 bars per minute.

Mambo

In Haiti "Mambo" is a voodoo priest, for villagers - a judge, doctor, fortuneteller, spiritual mentor and organizer of dance fun.

However, there was no dance with that name in Haiti. For the first time, such dances appear in Cuba, where there were large settlements of Haitians. The invention of the mambo is credited to Perez Prado, who performed it at the La Tropicana nightclub in Havana in 1943. In New York, the dance first appeared at the New York's Park Plaza Ballroom, the favorite hall of Negro dancers from Harlem. Mambo made a splash in other clubs in 1947 - at the Palladium and other famous places such as The China Doll, Havana Madrid and Birdland.

A modified version of "Mambo" (the original dance that Prado danced was greatly simplified - a lot of acrobatic elements were thrown out) was presented to the public in dance studios, resort hotels, and nightclubs in New York and Miami. The success was complete! Happy mambo dancers began to be called affectionately "Mambonicks"... The mambo craze did not last long; today mambo in the West is just one of the popular Latin American dances. The teachers came to the conclusion that this dance is one of the most difficult, in terms of technique and musicality.

Merengue

Latin American dance of Dominican origin, also adopted in the USA. Moving in a bipartite meter, the dancers emphasize the first beat with a walking step, and on the count of "two" they make the movement inward with their knees pressed to each other. The cheerful, slightly syncopated dance melody consists of two periods of 16 bars each. A typical merengue consists of an introduction (jaseo) and interludes (jaleo).

Salsa

Latin American style of music, which means "sauce", with Indian, Spanish and African ingredients. The term "Salsa" was coined in the 1920s by Chano Pozo, a Cuban percussionist, an emigrant of the first wave to America from Cuba. The boom of Salsa came in the 70s, when huge salsa festivals were held in the USA, Africa and Latin America, gathering stadiums, and a huge number of CDs were recorded. New York immediately made Salsa more commercial and, thanks to the powerful broadcasting stations of New York record companies and the active distribution of CDs, it is this product that reaches us. The indigenous Latin American Salsa is warmer and less popular here.

Hustle

Translated from English, it means "hustle and bustle". Pair dance based on improvisation and "lead".

The progenitor of Hustle (more precisely, of all its versions, performed in three and six counts) should be considered the Latin American Hustle. His life was given to him by street dancers from among the many gypsies and Latinos (mostly Cubans) in the southern part of the American state of Florida. Trying to adapt their own dance skills (the source material was Salsa and West Coast swing) to the completely inappropriate, but insanely popular in the early 1970s Disco rhythms, the dancers created a unique precedent - a dance in which three movements (Latin American Hustle is performed on six counts "one-two-and-three-four-five-six" - 1-2- & 3-4-5-6). The resulting dance was initially known as the "disco swing", but in New York it was considered a variation of the West Coast swing and continued to be called "West Coast Swing".

Forro

Forro (or Fojo) is a Brazilian folk and social pair dance that gained its most popularity after the Second World War. According to one version forró comes from the word forrobodómeaning a big noisy party or "noise, din, excitement." According to another version, the word forró comes from the English expression "For all" (for all - English). British engineers during the construction of the Great Western Railroad organized dancing on weekends for both their staff and the general population. ("For all")... There is also a third version: the word comes from the number of locomotives that English engineers used to ram the railroad rails, "40" or "Four-oh", simplified by the Brazilians to " forró».

There are three main rhythms in Forro's dance: slow (xote), original (baiao), quick (arrasta-pe)... Slow rhythm xote is considered the basic style of all Forro. It is quite primitive and easy to execute. Due to the slow pace, haratker turns left and right are easy to master even for beginners. Rhythm baiao takes as a basis xotebut with some additions. So in baiao the tempo of the dance increases and the swinging is added. To cope with the increased rhythm, dancers move less around the dance floor. The last rhythm arrasta-pe is very fast xote... Depending on the region of Brazil, Forro can be represented in several more dance rhythms: xaxado, coco, embolado.

The ancestor of modern Forro is Brazilian accordionist, composer and singer Luis Gonzaga (1912-1989) ... Salsa had a huge influence on the formation of modern Forro dance. It was thanks to her that the dancers' rotations and numerous turns appeared in Forro. The most popular dance is in the northeast of Brazil.

Argentine Tango

Tango was born in the late 19th century in the sprawling slum neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. Here, in overcrowded and seedy urban dwellings, the cultural traditions of countries around the world met. Soldiers tired of protracted civil wars, destitute peasants, descendants of African slaves, immigrants from Europe flocked here. The vast majority of new arrivals were men. Suffering from loneliness in a foreign land, they gathered in port bars. National tunes blended together to create catchy tango sounds. First came music and dance. Poems appeared later.

Over time, tango began to gain popularity among the working class of Buenos Aires. At the beginning of the 20th century, towards a unique sound bandoneon added sounds of guitar, flute and violin. Tango orchestras appeared. It was rapidly gaining popularity, and only high society did not recognize new music.

At the beginning of the 20th century, tango appeared in Europe. His debut in Paris was a real sensation. Someone immediately became his passionate admirer, someone - an enemy. Attempts to stop the popularity of this sensual dance with its hips and leg interlocking have been unsuccessful. For Europe, this dance has become a craze.

In the 40s of the XX century tango was very popular. After the establishment of a military dictatorship in Argentina, tango was persecuted in every possible way and was banned for many decades. Today, speaking of Argentine tango, they mean dances: Tango Salon, Tango Waltz and Milonga.

Milonga

Milonga is a dance of Argentine origin, together with the Spanish Habanera, is the predecessor of the Argentine tango. The musical meter of the Milonga is bipartite, the tempo is flexible. A distinctive feature is the syncopated rhythm, which is also characteristic of Creole tango. The lyrics of the song Milonga usually have lyrical or comic content.

Milonga is danced as a fast, cheerful and mischievous dance with fast linear progress. There are several styles of Milonga performance: Milonga fox - technically relatively simple, with a rhythm of one step per beat; Milonga-traspi - a relatively new style, characterized by a large number of interrupted steps, accelerations, etc. techniques performed at a speed doubled (quadrupled) in relation to the main rhythm or with syncopation. Less commonly, a slowdown is applied in relation to the main rhythm. The high speed of the dance gives rise to noticeable differences from tango in the technique of movement and pair interaction.

The song Milonga gained the greatest popularity in the second half of the 19th century. Milonga dance appeared in the last third of the 19th century as a street dance in the poor neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. In the early 20th century, Milonga's dance form merged with Tango.

Disco

Disco dancing appeared in the mid-70s. Their simplicity, ease of learning, amazing vigor - all this created such popularity, which is relevant to this day. The melody "Dance the hustle - Do hustle" came out after the famous movie "Saturday Night Fever". Hollywood star John Travolta, the most popular Bee Gees, simple and melodic melodies have taken disco rhythms and dancing to the top of popularity. Flashing lights, mirrored walls, loud pulsating rhythms, high fashion and much more have made Disco dance the most coveted in the world.

The Disco dance itself was extremely simple and erotic - unlike the acrobatic tricks of Rock and Roll, the classic twist and swing movements, which had already turned into "ancestral dances" by that time, no special skills were required to dance Disco - you just had to feel the rhythm well. It was Disco who first threw out the cry "Just move your body"!

In Europe, this direction is known as disco-fox (in Germany) and disco-swing (in Switzerland), and in America as disco-hustle.

Hip-Hop

Hip-hop party, R'n'B-party, MTV-style - do you know these names? A huge number of dance schools teach the very popular hip-hop style today. But, perhaps, not everyone can answer the question - where did this dance direction come from?

The "ancestor" of dance Hip-Hop is African jazz (translated as improvisation), and the first performers are African Americans. Afro-jazz exists to this day as a separate dance direction. But if we consider Afro-jazz as an ethnic dance, then initially it was a night festivities and dances around the fire of black tribes. We can say that Hip-Hop is a street style closely related to the so-called Street jazz (street improvisation). Like any other style of dance, Hip-Hop (and hence R'n'B) is not only a dance, but also a style of dress, a style of behavior, a lifestyle.

R&B

The R'n'B style came to us from the Negro quarters of Latin America. R'n'B parties are now the most fashionable not only in the West, but also here. The most prominent representatives of R'n'B rhythms are such personalities as J. Timberlake, Five, J. Lopez, B. Spears and others. R'n'B is quite difficult to distinguish into a certain style in dance, first of all it is a mixture hip-hop, locking, pops and funk... The trend, which is very popular among today's youth, first appeared in America in black neighborhoods. Now R'n'B dance in the most advanced European clubs. Don't you know how yet?

C-Walk

Crip Walk, or C-Walk, is a dance that originated in the early 1990s in poor areas of Compton, California. The roots of this dance go back to South Central, an area of \u200b\u200bdowntown Los Angeles, where the foundations were laid in the early 80s and became a staple of ip-hop dancing in the late 90s.

Initially, gang members "Crips" used leg movements to visually represent their name or some other word from the Crips arsenal. Also, many Crips gangs use C-Walk to initiate new gang members. Usually C-Walk is performed by West Coast Gangsta Rap and G-Funk performers, the mainstream first saw C-Walk in the late 80's when rapper Ice-T performed it on scene in front of the cameras. Later, rapper WC also started using C-Walk in his music videos, but unlike Ice-T, WC clearly let everyone know that this was not a dance. In one of the compositions, he said the following - “gangsters don't dance”, that is, WC used C-Walk only to show his love to other members of “Crips” (as you know, WC was a member of the “111 Neighborhood Crips” gang).

Papping (dad; from the English. Poppin " - rapid contraction and relaxation of muscles) is a dance style that creates the effect of a sharp start in the dancer's body. A papping dancer is called a papper. Papping in Russia was for a long time incorrectly called "upper break dance". Also under the name papping, a number of related styles are combined, including: Waving - it is based on undulating body movements; Glidingthe most famous movement of which is the famous "moonwalk" by Michael Jackson; and King tut and Finger Tut (in which the dancer builds figures from hands or fingers), Puppet ("Dances of dolls" - all dance movements are performed as a puppet on strings does), Slow Motion (dance in slow motion) and others.

The dance appeared in Fresno (California) in the 70s of the XX century; Locking contributed in part to this. Like other street dances, papping is often used in battles to prove one’s advantage over other dancers in public. Papping is characterized by funky music, with a clear tempo and an emphasis on bump / clap.

To express the emotions and feelings that overwhelmed them, expectations and hopes, our ancient ancestors used rhythmic ritual dances. With the development of the person himself and the social environment that surrounded him, more and more various dances appeared, becoming more complex and sophisticated. Today, even experts will not be able to indicate the name of the types of dances - all performed by people over the centuries. However, the dance culture, having passed through the centuries, is actively developing. New and modern styles and trends appear on the basis of folk and classical ones.

What it is?

Before considering what types of dance there are, let's clarify, but what is it really? The most short-lived and most complex of the arts, in which the human body and its plastic capabilities are used to create a unique image, is dance.

It is impossible without the personality of an artist and music. The performer, starting from the content of the piece of music, builds a "picture" of the dance and embodies his vision and sensory perception in motion. This action can be used as a way of social communication and self-expression, a competitive sports discipline and part of a religious cult, as well as an exemplary art form that is constantly evolving and changing. New styles and forms, different types of dances appear in it, the diversity of which even confuses specialists.

History of appearance

The very first dances of people were ritual, performed by them in the hope of a successful hunt or a bountiful harvest, healing a sick person or winning a war. Over time, rhythmic movements were generalized, which served as the beginning of the formation of ethnic art, which has its own characteristics and traditions for each of the peoples.

All the variety of dance steps originated from the basic types of human movements - running, walking, jumping, swinging and turning. Over time, the following types of household (for oneself) appeared, as well as performed for show - cult and stage.

Main directions

Among the various dance styles and directions that exist today, the following are the most popular and famous:

In this article, we will consider in more detail what types of dance are in modern

The beginning and middle of the XX century

This division into two stages is not accidental. According to many performers of the beginning of the last century, dance as an art form was supposed to reflect the new reality, and not adhere to the canons of the old ballet schools “frozen” in time. At this time, such choreographic directions appeared, which are popular today, such as:

Free dance.
Modern.
Butoh.
Contemporary (contemporary).
Jazz Modern.

Let us dwell on each of them in more detail, since they had a great influence on the formation and development of many styles and directions of modern dance art.

Free dance

This is, first of all, a special worldview of the performer, formed under the influence of Nietzsche's ideas. The performer, rejecting the canonical rules of ballet choreography, strove to combine dance and real life, manifesting himself as a liberated spirit of creativity. It was on the basis of the free style that such trends as modern and bouteau, jazz modern and contemporary were born and developed.

Modern

Founded at the beginning of the century, this dance direction is very popular today and is one of the leading in the Western choreographic school.

Just like a free man, he denies any ballet norms and seeks to embody various forms on stage, using new original methods. It is characterized by semantic fullness, a wide range of movements, high jumps and flexibility, "broken" poses and movements unusual for ballet choreography, and various twists.

Contemporary dance

It is quite reasonable to say that such popular styles at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, such as free dance and modern, served as the basis for the formation of such a direction as contemporary (contemporary). This one invites the dancer, through various choreographic styles, to fully demonstrate in improvisation all his inner emotions and resources.

Jazz Modern

The main feature of this direction is the combination of jazz improvisational rhythms and energy, coordination and work with the body and breath of the modern performer, as well as the movements inherent in the classical ballet school. Thus, the body of a modern jazz dancer becomes another musical instrument that manifests melody through the plasticity of its own body.

Butoh

It is one of the youngest dance techniques that emerged in Japan in the 1950s. Butoh, despite its rather long existence, remains the most difficult for people of the Western world to understand. It is based on the cultural, philosophical, religious and aesthetic values \u200b\u200bof the Land of the Rising Sun. This dance seeks to show the earthiness of the everyday life of an ordinary person, as well as to comprehend and demonstrate the body and its capabilities in space and time.

Contemporary dance of the late XX and early XXI centuries

All the variety of modern dances to us can, of course, conditionally, be subdivided into two large groups:

street;
club.

Street dance

Hip-hop and Krump, popping and locking, break-dance and C-walk - all this is the name of the types of dances that were "born" not on stage venues and in choreographic studios, but on the streets and courtyards of megacities, discos and clubs.

Most of them are based on hip-hop. The performer is not limited to any form and can safely improvise and experiment, creating an individual and unique pattern of movements, as well as interact with both other dancers and the audience. In their "pure" form, they are extremely rare, and for the most part they began to be performed in clubs, and not on the streets, which is why they often fall into the club category. Here are the most popular and common destinations:

New style (NewStyle).
Krump is short for Kingdom Radically Uplifted Mighty Praise, meaning "Empire of the Absolute Power of Spiritual Praise."
Locking.
Popping.
LA-Style.
Crip walk (C-walk).
Brakedance.
Hip-hop (Hip-Hop).

It is a temperamental, vibrant and incredible blend of diverse contemporary styles that allows you to express yourself in motion. Everybody, as they say, "has heard" the name of the types of dances in this direction:

Tectonic or electro dance.
House (house).
Jumpstyle (jumpstyle).
Melbourne shuffle (shuffle).
Waacking (waacking).
Go-Go (club go).
Square dance (square dance).
DnBstep.
Ragga (ragga) and many others.

It is impossible to list all types of dances. The list of names of modern styles and trends is constantly changing and supplemented. Today dancing is not only a plastic art, but also a fairly widespread sport.

Dance Sport

If in the old days dancing was perceived only as an art form, then the complication of the technical and choreographic requirements for performance led to the need for excellent physical shape for those who do it. Today sports dancing is, first of all, ballroom. Their feature is the performance by partners of a set of certain obligatory movements and figures to a predetermined music. Competition judges are composed of three parts: compulsory, original and free.

Over time, new musical and choreographic styles and trends appear. And now such modern types of sports dancing as break or locking, jumpstyle or pole dance (pole dancing) are attracting more and more fans from different age groups. To participate in competitions in these areas, athletes need not only excellent choreographic, but also physical fitness. For those who do not seek to win international competitions, but are trying to keep their own body in good shape, we can recommend fitness classes in various dance techniques. Twerk, high heels, go-go, strip-plastic, belly dance, zumba, sexy R&B, ragga, bootie-dance - these are the most demanded for beautiful dances. Girls are attracted to them not only by the opportunity to correct their figure, but also to improve plasticity and increase their own self-esteem.

Types of dances

If we talk about the types of dances, then we should mean their certain classification. However, in the world of incendiary and passionate movements, there is no single correct classification. In this article, we want to present you with information that will acquaint you with the types of the three main dance directions - club, ballroom and sports dances.

Club

So, the most common club dances are mambo, merengue, salsa and hustle. Let's get to know them better!

The word itself "Mambo" of Haitian origin, where it meant the name of a Voodoo priest, who for the villagers was a judge, doctor, fortuneteller and spiritual guide. However, there was no dance with that name on the islands of Haiti. For the first time, mambo dances appeared in Cuba, in the territories of Haitian settlements. In any case, the idea of \u200b\u200beach new dance must be attributed to a specific person or group. Who then counts "Inventor" mambo? In 1943, in Havana, a man named Perez Prado for the first time performed a complete and complete mambo dance at the Tropicana nightclub. Time passes, and mambo becomes popular in New York among Negro dancers from Harlem who performed these incendiary and at the same time complex dance moves in their beloved Park Plaza. Gradually, mambo became more popular and began to make a splash in many other clubs, starting in 1947.

The original dance, which Perez Prado introduced us to, was slightly modified, since it contained a lot of complex acrobatic elements that not all mambo dancers succumbed to. But a simplified version of it was presented in nightclubs, resort hotels and dance studios in New York and Miami, where the success of mambo exceeded all expectations. The mambo dancers were very fond of even they came up with a tender name - "mambonics". However, the passion for this dance is considered short-lived. Today, mambo is one of the most popular Latin American dances. And finally, I would like to note that teachers from all over the world have come to the same opinion: mambo is a club dance that is very difficult both in its technique and in musicality.

Another Latin American dance adopted in the United States is considered merengue... However, his origin is Dominican. Like mambo, Merengue also went through its evolution, having undergone some changes. Modern merengue consists of two parts - intros and interludes... Its melody is cheerful, somewhat syncopated, and is divided into two periods of sixteen bars each. Dancing merengue move in a bipartite meter, emphasizing the first lobe with such a walking step, and we are counted by two knees pressed to each other, performing the movement inward. Actually, this is the very highlight of the merengue dance.

The next kind of dance is salsa... It is performed under the style of Latin American music. When translating a word "Salsa" it does not mean anything even close to music, just a simple word "sauce", which requires special Indian, African and Spanish ingredients. And someone by name came up with such an unusual name for this dance Chano Pozowhen in the twenties of the last century he, along with many other Cubans, emigrated to the United States, which in history will be remembered as the first wave of emigrants from Cuba.

However, salsa reached its peak in popularity in the seventies of the twentieth century - during the period of huge salsa festivals in the USA, Latin America and Africa. Such festivals gathered entire stadiums, and during the performances themselves, many CDs were made for all those who could not enjoy such a spectacle in person. From then on, salsa became a more commercial dance, which of course was embodied in New York. Thanks to this massive distribution of recorded CDs, as well as broadcast radio stations, we will also learn about the salsa dance. However, the indigenous Latin American dance salsa, which is distinguished by its softness, is not popular with us.

The last type of club dances that we talk about in our article is hustle, which is translated from English - "crush"... This is a pair dance, the main point of which is improvisation and lead.

There are many different versions of the hustle that run on three or six counts. The progenitor of all these versions is considered to be the Latin American hustle, whose life was given by ordinary street dancers from among the Cubans and gypsies living in Florida, more precisely in its southern part. And it happened something like this. At that time, salsa and western swing were the most popular dances among Latin American and Romani youth on the West Coast. Using the technique of these dances, street dancers tried to adapt their dancing skills to disco rhythms, which, on the one hand, did not correspond at all to salsa or swing, but on the other hand, were terribly popular, especially in the early seventies. Thus, performing three movements in four beats of a measure, the dancers managed to depict a unique precedent, which was called a hustle. However, due to the presence of disco rhythms in this dance, at first it was called disco swing. The real Latin American hustle is danced on six counts.

Ballroom

Ballroom dancing is no less popular, especially nowadays. It was their turn.

Samba is a Brazilian dance performed in bipartite size. If you dig deeper, you can find out that the word "samba" is a kind of common prefix to many dances of Brazilian origin. As for the samba dance, there are two main types of it - country samba, a hallmark of which is typically acute syncopation, and urban samba, which is performed in a smoother rhythm. There is also samba carioca, which is essentially the same urban samba, but in a somewhat stylized role. The word "Carioca" is the name of the inhabitants of Rio de Janeiro, where this distinctive style of urban samba was born. But the fact that this dance was introduced into professional music, he must thank E. Vila-Lobos and Camargo Guarniero.

A dance with a funny name cha-cha-cha embodied the rhythmic structures of mambo and rumba. It was first performed in 1953 by the Cuban America Orchestra. The name of the dance was given by its bar execution scheme, the tempo of which is first slow, slow, then fast, fast, then again slow, and at the end three final rhythmic beats, which correspond to the syllables cha-cha-cha.

However, as often happens, at first they did not see anything new or unusual in this dance, therefore, on all the records with his recording, it was called nothing else but simply mamba, since it was based on the rhythmic structure of this dance. But over time, the rhythmic section of the cha-cha-cha grows, its dancers adapt to a slower rhythm, the size doubles by four and one, which, in the end, allows three steps to replace the light movements of the hips. And yet, five years passed, when the initial rigidity in the dance was overcome, and three steps began to be performed with a typical Cuban swing in the hips. The charm of everyone's favorite cha-cha-cha lies in its naturalness and grace, and not in some intricacy of its movements.

Rumba is a modern Cuban dance, but has African American origins. The rumba is performed in four-beat time, but the rhythmic pattern at the same time changes almost in every measure. It should also be noted that repetitions and syncopation are characteristic of rumba tactics. The main theme of rumba is eight bars, in which the rhythmic principle prevails, while the melody and text are in the background. Rumba entered pop American music in the thirties of the last century.

One of the features of the Havana rumba, which is quite popular in various taverns and other similar establishments, is its performance to the accompaniment of ensembles that use all kinds of improvised means, for example, spoons, bottles, pots.

Another type of ballroom dancing is considered jive... In the USA, it originated in the nineteenth century. However, the question of the origin of jive is still open: some believe that this dance was truly Negro, while others attribute it to the number of military dances of the Seminole Indians.

Throughout its long existence, the jive has undergone many reincarnations. In the 1910s, he switched from ragtime to swing. In the twenties of the same century, jive is reincarnated into a lindy-hope. The thirties and forties of the last century are characterized by jagberg, the fifties - rock and boogie boogie. It was only in the seventies of the twentieth century that the modern version of jive appeared. And, despite such significant and rather frequent changes, all this time jive remained a fashionable dance that did not leave anyone indifferent.

Some of the most powerful dance trends that have significantly influenced the formation of jive as a separate dance are rock and roll and jaterbag. That is why sometimes you can find such a name for jive as a six-step rock and roll, which is characterized by a fast pace that takes up a lot of energy. Because of this peculiarity, in all dance competitions, the jive is danced last. At the same time, dancers must show all their endurance by performing this dance with maximum efficiency. Among all ballroom dances, jive is considered the fastest.

There is another ballroom dance with an unusual name - paso doble... Although there is no particularly unusual word in this, because it is translated in no way other than "double step". People have always associated Paso Doble with Spain, although there is a lot of French style in his movements and steps. Therefore, many experts are sure that the Paso Doble was originally a truly French dance. Very often paso doble is compared to flamenco, which, however, confirms the relationship of these dances. Paso Doble has the same restrained, but at the same time very warlike rhythm, which could not fail to conquer Spain - the country with the oldest tradition of bullfighting. History knows a lot of facts confirming that Spanish culture has always tried to associate itself with some kind of challenge, risk and even death.

Pasadoble, which is performed in dance competitions, is very difficult in its technique. However, in Spain, France, as well as in Latin America, its public form is widespread, which is danced in all kinds of clubs and dance centers.

Ballroom dancing includes slow waltz, the basis for which was taken from old folk dances of Germany and Austria. Therefore, it is not surprising that the word "waltz" itself is of German origin, and in translation means "whirl". In addition, German dance is considered to be the closest predecessor of the modern slow waltz, although in its technique it was much faster. Also, the relationship of the slow waltz is associated with landlers - these are also slow waltzes, which were popular in the eighteenth century.

Studying ancient manuscripts, researchers found documents in which the waltz was mentioned as early as 1770. And since then, the waltz has been condemned more than once for its ambiguity. For the most part, this condemnation came from the guardians of morality and from the dance masters themselves, although this might seem somewhat strange. Therefore, for a long time, the slow waltz spent its existence within the framework of country dance, known throughout England. However, later he still managed to defend his independence, and become the first ballroom dance, which was popular in Vienna, Paris and New York.

Another type of waltz is the famous viennese waltz... But here you need to tell a certain background. The fact that the waltz as a dance was a huge success, and also made an incredible sensation in the courts of Europe at that time, is beyond dispute. And yet, at the beginning of the nineteenth century, the waltz was not officially accepted, they continued to treat it with some caution, therefore, on all kinds of points in Vienna, it was given no more than ten minutes. And all for one simple reason: the hugs of the man and woman who performed this dance were considered somewhat inappropriate. However, the waltz turned out to be much stronger than all these ridiculous prejudices in our time. Therefore, in 1815, when Napoleon was amazed, a congress of the victorious allies was organized in Vienna, at which point all the dancers fell into the full embrace of this enchanting, brilliant, magical dance without the slightest doubt about its sophistication. At the same time, the waltz acquires a specific feature in the form of an accented rhythm, which makes this dance even more romantic and elegant. The Viennese waltz was born.

Sports

One of the most popular sports dances at one time is considered disco... These dances appeared in the 70s of the last century and immediately won affection among young people due to their simplicity, ease of learning and amazing vigor. The frenzied popularity of disco dancing was also promoted by the movie Saturday Night Fever, which was released at that time, as well as the groovy melody Dance the Hustle. Flashing lights, loud pulsating rhythm, mirrored walls, high fashion and much, much more have become the unspoken symbols of disco, which is why the dance has become one of the most desirable in the whole world.

But the slogan for disco dancing has become the simplest phrase - "Just move your body" (“Just move your body”), which, in essence, explains their meaning: the dance is very simple and at the same time quite erotic. Everyone could dance disco, because special skills were not required for this, as, for example, in rock and roll, swing or twist. It was all in the past - it was time for disco dancing. You just had to feel the rhythm - and you are the star of the dance floor.

And if disco is the most popular sports dances of the past decades, today hip-hop is at the peak of its popularity. Today, in every city, you can find dozens of dance schools that teach this type of dance. But are people who decided to learn how to dance hip-hop interested in where this direction in sports dancing came from?

And everything is very simple: dance hip-hop takes its origins in African jazz, the first performers of which were African Americans. The word "jazz" is translated as "improvisation"... Of course, African jazz still exists today, but it is seen more as an ethnic dance. But hip-hop is more of a street dance style, which means it is a street improvisation dance. In addition, one should not forget that hip-hop is not just a kind of sports dance, it is something much more - it is a whole lifestyle, clothing style and behavior style.

Recently, the style has gained wide popularity R&B, which originated in the Negro neighborhoods of Latin America. However, many researchers are in no hurry to single out this style as a separate dance, since they see in it rather a mixture of many other styles, such as hip-hop, funk, locking and pop.

As you can see, there are dances for every taste. Therefore, if you decide to study one of their types, no doubt you will find the most suitable one for you.

We have tried to make a classification of the types of dance with the ability to describe each dance direction (links with the name of the dances are clickable). This classification of types of dance will be updated and supplemented over time and the addition of new styles and types of dance.

Main directions

Among the various dance styles and directions that exist today, the following are the most popular and famous:

Ballet

● classic;

● romantic;

● modern.

Ethnic (folk) dances reflecting the essence and rituals, traditions and rituals of certain peoples. Among them, the following groups are distinguished:

● European;

● Asian (oriental);

● African;

● Latin American.

Each of them contains various types of folk dances: group, individual, pair and others.

Historical dances

These are dances popular in past eras and performed today, for example, ballo, contradance, polonaise and others.

Ballroom dancing

Includes two main programs: european and latin American.

Here is the name of the types of dances included in the Latin program:

The following types of dances are performed in the standard European program:

Let us dwell on each of them in more detail, since they had a great influence on the formation and development of many styles and directions of modern dance art.

Free dance

Modern

Founded at the beginning of the century, this dance direction is very popular today and is one of the leading in the Western choreographic school. Like free dance, modern denies any ballet norms and seeks to embody a variety of forms on stage using new original methods. It is characterized by semantic fullness, a wide range of movements, high jumps and flexibility, "broken" poses and movements unusual for ballet choreography, and various twists.

Contemporary dance

It is quite reasonable to say that such popular styles at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, such as free dance and modern, served as the basis for the formation of such a direction as contemporary (contemporary). This dance, as an art form, invites the dancer through various choreographic styles to fully demonstrate in improvisation all his inner emotions and resources.

Jazz Modern

Butoh

Contemporary dance of the late XX and early XXI centuries

All the variety of modern dances to us can, of course, conditionally, be subdivided into two large groups:

● outdoor;

Street dance

Hip-hop and Krump, popping and locking, break-dance and C-walk - all this is the name of the types of dances "born" not on stage venues and in choreographic studios, but on the streets and courtyards of megacities, discos and clubs.

Most of them are based on hip-hop. In street style, the performer is not limited to any form and can safely improvise and experiment, creating an individual and unique pattern of movements, as well as interact with both other dancers and the audience. In their "pure" form, they are extremely rare, and for the most part they began to be performed in clubs, and not on the streets, which is why they often fall into the club category.

Here are the most popular and common destinations:

● Ragga (ragga) and many others

Dance Sport

Today, the main types of sports dances are, first of all, ballroom. Their feature is the performance by partners of a set of certain obligatory movements and figures to a predetermined music. The ballroom sport dances evaluated at the competitions consist of a European and Latin American program, as well as biathlon (10 dances competition).