So you think you can Dance?
- By:Leanne Kemp
Move your body, move your feet. Sway and swing and samba. They say to Tango, Salsa or Rumba is to escape the confines of the chaotic world. Emersed yourself into the world of soul, romance, emotion and drama. There’s a dance type to suit all interests, including swing, latin, tap, ballroom and belly dancing. Not only is it fun and enjoyable, its great for your fitness levels as well.
It is not possible to say exactly when dance became a part of our cultural history but it has definitely played a large role in ceremonies, rituals and entertainment. Dance has been used for centuries as a form of expression and story telling. Even before the written language, dance was used to pass down myths and stories through generations.
Many people believe that dance can only be achieved with a combination of music and movement. Not all dance types require music as some people believe that they “dance to their own rhythm”.
There are many types of dance available. Lessons for many types of dance styles are available. Some people even choose to learn a certain dance type as a form of fitness and for social interaction. It’s a great way to meet others with similar interest. There are no restrictions on who can join, if you can walk and run, you can dance.
Some of the more popular types of dance are;
The history of swing dates back to the 1920's, where the black community, while dancing to contemporary Jazz music, discovered the Charleston and the Lindy Hop. In the late 1930's and through the 1940's, the terms Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, Lindy, and Swing were used interchangeably by the news media to describe the same style of dancing taking place on the streets, in the night clubs, in contests, and in the movies.There are many types of swing dance available with each region or area boasting its own type of Swing Dance. To name just a few types;
Ballroom West Coast Swing; A style of swing popular in the ballroom dance school organizations and different from the style performed in the California night clubs and Swing dance clubs.
Savoy Swing; A style of Swing popular in the New York Savoy Ballroom in the 30's and 40's originally danced to Swing music. The Savoy style of swing is a very fast, jumpy, casual-looking style of dancing
West Coast Swing; A style of Swing emphasizing nimble feet popular in California night clubs in the 30's and 40's and voted the California State Dance in 1989.
The Mambo was born in 1943 after the fusion of Swing and Cuban Music. The original Mambo dance was a lot different to what we see today as it was toned down due to the violent acrobatics that were performed. After its first birth onto the dance floors, the Mambo craze did not last long and today the Mambo is much limited to advanced dancers. Teachers agreed that this is one of the most difficult of dances. One of the greatest contributions of the Mambo is that it led to the development of the Cha-Cha and the authentic night-club style of mambo dancing, which in the 1990's is increasingly known as Salsa.
The Salsa is a mix of many Latin and Afro-Caribbean dances with each playing a large role of the Salsa evolution. Salsa is similar to Mambo in that both have a pattern of six steps danced over eight counts of music. The dances share many of the same moves. In Salsa, turns have become an important feature, so the overall look and feel are quite different form those of Mambo. Mambo moves generally forward and backward, whereas, Salsa has more of a side to side feel.
The correct name for belly dancing is actually "Oriental Dance"? The Arabic name for it is raqs sharqi, which means "dance of the East/Orient", and the Turkish name is Oryantal. For centuries, the role of Oriental dance in Middle Eastern society has been that of a folk dance that people would do at joyous occasions such as weddings, the birth of a child, community festivals, and other events that bring people together to party. It was a dance that men, women, and children did for fun, not a "performance" done to entertain an audience.
There are many other types of dancing, such as, Break Dancing, Disco, Hip Hop, Ballet, Ballroom, Tango, Flamenco, Foxtrot, Jazz, Merenque, Polka, Rumba, Samba, Twist, Waltz, etc just to name a few. Why not try one today, you never know, you may just love it.
About the author:
Leanne Kemp is the Managing Director for Wotaboutme. Look online to find a day spa, haircut, aromatherapy massage anywhere in Australia. Perfect for gifts for him or gifts for her. For updates, check out the Wotaboutme Blog