other uses, see Dance (disambiguation) . Dancer and Dancing redirect here. For other uses, see Dancer (disambiguation) and Dancing (disambiguation) . Dance Modern dance Originating culture various Originating era Antiquity Dance is a type of art that generally involves movement of the body, often rhythmic and to music. It is performed in many cultures as a form of emotional expression, social interaction , or exercise, in a spiritual or performance setting, and is sometimes used to express ideas or tell a story. Dance may also be regarded as a form of nonverbal communication between humans or other animals , as in bee dances and behaviour patterns such as a mating dances. Definitions of what constitutes dance can depend on social and cultural norms and aesthetic, artistic and moral sensibilities. Definitions may range from functional movement (such as folk dance ) to virtuoso techniques such as ballet . Martial arts kata are often compared to dances, and sports such as gymnastics , figure skating and synchronized swimming are generally thought to incorporate dance. There are many styles and genres of dance. African dance is interpretative . Ballet, ballroom and tango are classical dance styles. Square dance and electric slide are forms of step dance , and breakdancing is a type of street dance . Dance can be participatory , social , or performed for an audience . It can also be ceremonial , competitive or erotic. Dance movements may be without significance in themselves, as in ballet or European folk dance, or have a gestural vocabulary or symbolic meaning as in some Asian dances. Choreography is the art of creating dances. The person who creates (i.e., choreographs) a dance is known as the choreographer. Origins and history Main article: History of dance Dance does not leave behind clearly identifiable physical artifacts such as stone tools , hunting implements or cave paintings. It is not possible to say when dance became part of human culture, but archeological evidence indicates dance has been an important part of ceremony, rituals , celebrations and entertainment since the earliest human civilizations. Examples of such evidence include 9,000 year old paintings in India at the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, and Egyptian tomb paintings depicting dancing figures, dated c. 3300 BC. One of the earliest structured uses of dances may have been the telling of myths. Before the invention of written languages, dance was one of the methods of passing stories down from generation to generation. [1] Dance was also used to show feelings for one of the opposite gender. [citation needed ] Another early use of dance may have been as a precursor to ecstatic trance states in healing rituals; dance is still used for this purpose by many cultures from the Brazilian rainforest to the Kalahari Desert .[2] Many contemporary dance forms can be traced back to historical, traditional, ceremonial, and ethnic dance. For example, some Sri Lankan dances are related to aboriginal, mythical devils known as yakkas , and according to local legend, Kandyan dance began as a ritual that broke the magic spell on a bewitched king. Ancient Greek bronze statuette of a dancer, 3rd - 2nd century BC, found in Alexandria, Egypt. Dancing maenad on a Paestan red- figure skyphos, ca. 330-320 BC. Classification Main articles: List of basic dance topics and List of dances Dance can be categorized in various ways, such as by the number of interacting dancers, as in solo dance , partner dance and group dance , or by purpose, as in ceremonial dance , erotic dance , performance dance , and social dance . Solo dance - Russian ballerina Marina Semjonova. Partner dance - Dance at Bougival by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1882–83). Group dance - Morris dancing in the grounds of Wells Cathedral , Wells , England By ethnicity or region Main article: List of ethnic, regional, and folk dances sorted by origin Dance genres are often categorized by ethnicity or geographic region. Saman dance from Gayo people of Sumatra , Indonesia Poi Kal Kudirai, a South Indian folk dance Harlequin and Columbina from the mime theater in Copenhagen, Denmark Asia India Main article: Dance in India During the first millennium BCE in India, many texts were composed which attempted to codify aspects of daily life. In the matter of dance, Bharata Munis Natyashastra (literally the text of dramaturgy ) is one of the earlier texts. Though the main theme of Natyashastra deals with drama, dance is also widely featured, and indeed the two concepts have ever since been linked in Indian culture. The text elaborates various hand-gestures or mudras and classifies movements of the various limbs of the body, gait, and so on. The Natyashastra categorised dance into four groups and into four regional varieties, naming the groups: secular, ritual, abstract, and, interpretive. However, concepts of regional geography has altered and so have regional varieties of Indian dances. Dances like Odra Magadhi , which after decades long debate, has been traced to present day Mithila, Odisha regions dance form of Odissi (Orissi), indicate influence of dances in cultural interactions between different regions. [3] From these beginnings rose the various classical styles which are recognised today. Therefore, all Indian classical dances are to varying degrees rooted in the Natyashastra and therefore share common features: for example, the mudras, some body positions, and the inclusion of dramatic or expressive acting or abhinaya . The Indian classical music tradition provides the accompaniment for the dance, and as percussion is such an integral part of the tradition, the dancers of nearly all the styles wear bells around their ankles to counterpoint and complement the percussion. Bhangra in the Punjab Main article: Bhangra (dance) The Punjab area overlapping India and Pakistan is the place of origin of Bhangra . It is widely known both as a style of music and a dance. It is mostly related to ancient harvest celebrations, love, patriotism or social issues. Its music is coordinated by a musical instrument called the Dhol. Bhangra is not just music but a dance, a celebration of the harvest where people beat the dhol (drum), sing Boliyaan (lyrics) and dance.It developed further with the Vaisakhi festival of the Sikhs . Sri Lanka Main article: Dances of Sri Lanka The devil dances of Sri Lanka or yakun natima are a carefully crafted ritual with a history reaching far back into Sri Lankas pre-Buddhist past. It combines ancient Ayurvedic concepts of disease causation with psychological manipulation. The dance combines many aspects including Sinhalese cosmology, the dances also has an impact on the classical dances of Sri Lanka . [4] Europe and North America Concert (or performance) dance Main article: Concert dance Ballet Ballet developed first in Italy and then in France from lavish court spectacles that combined music, drama, poetry, song, costumes and dance. Members of the court nobility took part as performers. During the reign of Louis XIV, himself a dancer, dance became more codified. Professional dancers began to take the place of court amateurs, and ballet masters were licensed by the French government. The first ballet dance academy was the Académie Royale de Danse (Royal Dance Academy), opened in Paris in 1661. Shortly thereafter, the first institutionalized ballet troupe, associated with the Academy, was formed; this troupe began as an all- male ensemble but by 1681 opened to include women as well. [1] 20th-century concert dance Main article: 20th century concert dance At the beginning of the 20th century, there was an explosion of innovation in dance style characterized by an exploration of freer technique. Early pioneers of what became known as modern dance include Loie Fuller , Isadora Duncan, Mary Wigman and Ruth St. Denis . The relationship of music to dance serves as the basis for Eurhythmics, devised by Emile Jaques- Dalcroze , which was influential to the development of Modern dance and modern ballet through artists such as Marie Rambert. Eurythmy , developed by Rudolf Steiner and Marie Steiner-von Sivers , combines formal elements reminiscent of traditional dance with the new freer style, and introduced a complex new vocabulary to dance. In the 1920s, important founders of the new style such as Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey began their work. Since this time, a wide variety of dance styles have been developed; see Modern dance . African American dance Main article: African American dance African American dances are those dances which have developed within African American communities in everyday spaces, rather than in dance studios, schools or companies and its derivatives, tap dance , disco , jazz dance , swing dance , hip hop dance and breakdance. Other dances, such as the lindy hop with its relationship to rock and roll music and rock and roll dance have also had a global influence. Dancing and music Many early forms of music and dance were created for each other and performed together. This paired development has continued over time, producing paired dance/music forms such as the jig , waltz , tango, disco , and salsa . Some musical genres have a parallel dance form such as baroque music and baroque dance ; others, such as classical music and classical ballet , developed separately. Although dance is often accompanied by music, it can also be performed without music, or it may provide its own audible accompaniment as in tap dance . When performed with music, dance may or may not be performed in time to the music (synchronous to the musics time signature ). Dance education Dance education emerged as an academic discipline in the early 1920s [citation needed ] , and by the late 20th century, recognition of the academic value of practical knowledge led to the acceptance of practice research in academic dance education programs. [ citation needed] Today dance studies are offered through the arts and humanities programs of many higher education institutions, leading to Bachelor of Arts and higher academic degrees . A dance study curriculum may encompass a diverse range of courses and topics, including dance practice and performance, choreography, ethnochoreology, dance notation , and dance therapy . Occupations A professional dancer at the Bolshoi Theatre . Main article: List of dance occupations Dancer Professional dancers are usually employed on contract or for particular performances or productions. The professional life of a dancer is generally one of constantly changing work situations, strong competitive pressure and low pay. Consequently, professional dancers often must supplement their incomes to achieve financial stability. In the U.S. many professional dancers belong to unions (such as the American Guild of Musical Artists , Screen Actors Guild and Actors Equity Association) that establish working conditions and minimum salaries for their members. Dance teacher Dance teachers typically focus on teaching dance performance, or coaching competitive dancers, or both. They typically have performance experience in the types of dance they teach or coach. For example, dancesport teachers and coaches are often tournament dancers or former dancesport performers. Dance teachers may be self-employed, or employed by dance schools or general education institutions with dance programs. Some work for university programs or other schools that are associated with professional classical dance (e.g., ballet) or modern dance companies. Others are employed by smaller, privately owned dance schools that offer dance training and performance coaching for various types of dance. Choreographer Choreographers are often university trained and are typically employed for particular projects or, more rarely may work on contract as the resident choreographer for a specific dance company. Competitions An amateur dancesport competition at MIT A dance competition is an organized event in which contestants perform dances before a judge or judges for awards, and in some cases, monetary prizes. There are several major types of dance competitions, distinguished primarily by the style or styles of dances performed. Major types of dance competitions include: Competitive dance , in which a variety of theater dance styles, such as acro , ballet , jazz , hip-hop , lyrical, and tap , are permitted. Open competitions, that permit a wide variety of dance styles. A popular example of this is the TV program So You Think You Can Dance . Dancesport , which is focused exclusively on ballroom and latin dance . Popular examples of this are TV programs Dancing with the Stars and Strictly Come Dancing. Single-style competitions, such as; highland dance , dance team, and Irish dance , that only permit a single dance style. Today, there are various dances and dance show competitions on television and the Internet. Dance to raise awareness As with other forms of entertainment, dance is sometimes performed to raise awareness of social issues. For example, dance performances have been used to raise awareness of diabetes, [5][6] violence against women, [7][8] protecting water resources, [9] Alzheimers, [10] and breast cancer. [11] See also Dance portal Main articles: Outline of dance and Index of dance articles Lists List of choreographers List of dance style categories List of dance topics List of dance wikibooks Articles Backup dancer Cheerleading Collective identity, the shared sense of belonging to a group Entrainment (Biomusicology) , the synchronization of organisms to an external rhythm Health risks of professional dance Dance costumes Dance critique Dance theory Dancing ban Physically integrated dance Women in dance References 1. ^ a b Nathalie Comte. Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World. Ed. Jonathan Dewald. Vol. 2. New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 2004. pp 94–108. 2. ^ Guenther, Mathias Georg. The San Trance Dance: Ritual and Revitalization Among the Farm Bushmen of the Ghanzi District, Republic of Botswana. Journal, South West Africa Scientific Society, v30, 1975–76. 3. ^ Exoticindiaart , Dance: The Living Spirit of Indian Arts, by Prof. P. C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. 4. ^ Lankalibrary , The yakun natima — devil dance ritual of Sri Lanka 5. ^ Staff (2011-09-27). Dance planned to raise awareness, money for diabetes research . The Republic. Retrieved 2014-06-20. 6. ^ Staff (2014-05-12). Dance teams raise diabetes awareness . Shelby County Reporter. Retrieved 2014-06-20. 7. ^ Yost, Rae (2013-2-14). ae89-001a4bcf887a.html Waldorf dances to raise awareness of violence against women . Globe Gazette. Retrieved 2014-06-20. 8. ^ Allie, Johnson (2013-2-18). Groups dance to raise awareness . Badger Herald. Retrieved 2014-06-20. 9. ^ Jordan, Levin (2014-04-08). Miami-based National Water Dance Project aims to raise awareness of threats to a crucial resource . Miami Herald. Retrieved 2014-06-20. 10. ^ Shonti, Tager (3/5/2014). Dancing Stars of Central Georgia Raise Alzheimers Awareness . WGXA TV. Retrieved 2014-06-20. 11. ^ Natalie, Rostran (2013-10-31). raise-breast-cancer-awareness- support.aspx Zumba participants dance night away to raise breast cancer awareness, support . United States Marines. Retrieved 2014-06-20. Further reading Blogg, Martin. Dance and the Christian Faith: A Form of Knowing , The Lutterworth Press (2011), ISBN 9780718892494 Carter, A. (1998) The Routledge Dance Studies Reader . Routledge. ISBN 0-415-16447-8 . Cohen, S, J. (1992) Dance As a Theatre Art: Source Readings in Dance History from 1581 to the Present. Princeton Book Co. ISBN 0-87127-173-7 . Daly, A. (2002) Critical Gestures: Writings on Dance and Culture . Wesleyan University Press. ISBN 0-8195-6566-0 . Miller, James, L. (1986) Measures of Wisdom: The Cosmic Dance in Classical and Christian Antiquity , University of Toronto Press. ISBN 0-8020-2553-6 . External links Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Dance . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. Historic illustrations of dancing from 3300 B.C. to 1911 A.D. from Project Gutenberg United States National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame Read in another language Mobile Desktop Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless otherwise noted. Terms of Use Privacy
Posted on: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 10:47:55 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015