The elegance of dance lies in its status as one of the world’s universal languages. Dancing has existed globally since ancient times, playing a significant role in cultural rituals, leisure activities, and artistic creativity for hundreds of years.
There are many dance styles available today that even the most skilled dancers cannot master every dance style and form available. Therefore, we aim to delve deeper into several well-known dance styles, spanning from traditional to contemporary, while investigating the cultural and social impacts of various dance styles globally.
Latin dance
Latin dance styles have been updated and popularized in the United States in recent decades, but renowned Spanish dance began in Latin America during the 1500s.
Drawing inspiration from European colonists and African slaves, the populations of Mexico, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean fused their traditional cultural dances with the new dance styles introduced by these distant settlers. The outcome is the remarkably rhythmic dance styles of Jive, Bachats, salsa, rumba, cha cha, Paso Doble, tango and lambada.
Salsa dancing
Salsa dance usually mixes the Cuban dance styles of pachanga, mambo, and rumba with traditional American dance styles like tap and swing. In the 1960s and 1970s America, the Cuban and Puerto Rican communities popularized the partnered dance style known as salsa in the United States.
Salsa includes foot patterns of a basic step along with the stylish addition of seductive hip actions, synchronized upper body motions, and steps that align with the music’s rhythm.
The Cha Cha Cha
Gaining prominence in 1950s Havana, this Cuban style of artistry through dance adheres to the fundamental footwork sequence of “cha cha cha,” or “one-two-three.” The cha cha is a smooth, consistent, and vibrant form of ballroom dance.
Every partner executes footwork combined with a range of hip and arm actions in a presentation of an expressive, playful, and lively dance performance.
The Rumba
Inspired by the afro-dance trend and Cuban dance forms in 1920s and 1930s America, the rumba honors Latin national dances alongside the contemporary big band music craze. This fuses the cultural origins of Latin dance with contemporary trends in the States, resulting in a stunning and intricate style of dance that remains widely performed today.
The rumba is executed by repeating fundamental side-to-side and forward-step actions while maintaining a distinctly upright, erect posture. The rumba is acknowledged as a theatrical dance style in which the two partners engage in flirtation through sensuality while executing their steps together and alongside each other.
Ballroom Dancing
Ballroom dances are the perfect types of dances for paired partners or social dancers. This form of dance has gained popularity via competitions and social dance styles globally. Particularly with television competition programs, such as Dancing with the Stars, which have established ballroom dancing as a significant aspect of American pop culture.
Appreciated as a kind of visual artistic amusement, besides television, ballroom dance is also enjoyed in theaters and studios. Many dance studios provide ballroom dance lessons for novices, as it is among the well-liked traditional dance styles that many individuals wish to learn. Shop here for ballroom shoes.
The Foxtrot
Designed to be accompanied by big band music, the foxtrot dance style features elongated, graceful movements over the dance floor. Like the waltz, the foxtrot consists of two beats of slow movements, succeeded by two beats of faster footwork, showcasing a sliding and gliding dancing style as you progress.
The foxtrot dates back to the 1910s and originated from the ragtime movement, but its popularity surged in American social circles during the 1930s. To this day, the foxtrot remains a style frequently taught at dance schools and national dance competitions.
The Tango
Deeply linked to its Argentinian heritage, the tango is familiar to many contemporary dance viewers. Originating in the late 1800s in South America, the tango features two partners in close embrace, with sensual, lead-and-follow motions where the dancers connect their bodies through movements at the legs, chest, upper thighs, and hips.
Numerous tango performances are featured in theatrical dance environments since tango is a significant performance dance.
The Waltz
The waltz can be executed in various styles, ranging from a slow-paced waltz to quicker interpretations, yet it remains identifiable as a beloved ballroom and folk dance. The waltz began in Germany and features a box step along with rhythmic turns that glide gracefully across the dance floor. This dance in a closed position is favored for weddings and various social events, where you and your partner showcase gliding movements and elegant footwork.
Swing Dancing
During the 1920s and 1930s, the dance styles associated with jazz, particularly swing dancing, gained popularity. At social dance events, individuals would perform the charleston, shag, or lindy hop. African American dance circles popularized swing dancing throughout the U.S., leading to a contemporary dance style that is now enjoyed by individuals from various cultural backgrounds.
East Coast Swing
A rapid genre of swing dances that began in New York, East Coast swing encompasses rock and roll as well as the boogie-woogie dances that gained popularity in the 1970s and 1980s.
West Coast Swing
The lindy hop and various West Coast swing styles typically occur in a “slotted” dance area, which is a compact designated section of the dance floor that occupies a small boxed or rectangular region. West Coast swing is a bit slower than East Coast, enabling dancers in a crowded area to prevent collisions by using the designated slots for the dance.
The hustle
The hustle is a disco dance form that gained popularity in the 1970s, especially within African American social groups. The hustle left a significant impact on pop culture by appearing in the film, Saturday Night Fever. Due to the film’s popularity, individuals from various ages, races, and cultural backgrounds witnessed this contemporary dance transform into a social dance accompanied by funk music.
Hip Hop Dance
Hip-hop dance styles are contemporary movements shaped by African American dance traditions and urban dance. This style of dance is among the most favored types that newcomers like to take classes to master. Hip-hop dance features a range of different movements, combining choreography with freestyle, resulting in some of the most distinctive dance styles that incorporate various improvisational elements.
Emerging in the 1980s and gaining increased popularity throughout the 1990s to the present, hip-hop dance remains one of the most recognized and popular dance styles performed in America and globally. Styles encompass break dance and pop and lock, frequently accompanied by rap, R&B, funk, and pop music.