Leinani Soto

Bruce, Leslie

English 301

17 December 2018

Dance

Dance is generalized as the act of moving the body in a rhythmic way. Typically but not always,

a dance is performed to music. The dancer(s) can go off of the lyrics of a song, or just simply

move to the beat. The purpose of dancing is to entertain, express an idea or emotion, release

energy, or to take in the moment of merely just being active (Mackrell, 2018).

History of dance

Back to the earliest trace of human

existence, dances were performed in early

rituals, religious gatherings and social

events (“History of dance,” 2018). It is

believed that dance was used as a way to

“Indian Ritual by Algonquian Native

Americans” (White, 2018).

interpret stories into a physical representation.

 Table of Contents
1. Dance
2. History of dance
3. Popular styles of dance
a. Ballet
b. Jazz
c. Contemporary
d. Hip Hop
4. Technique
5. Reasons to dance
a. Performance
b. Fitness
c. Career

Popular styles of dance

Amongst all the dance

styles performed

throughout the world,

Jazz, Ballet,

Modern/Contemporary,

and hip hop gained the

most popularity in the

Hip Hop dancers (​Bernardo, 2018)

United States over the years.

Ballet
Ballet is characterized by elegance and accuracy of movement (​Bedinghaus, 2018​). Though it

looks easy, ballet requires tremendous core strength for the balance and precise movements.

Ballet is considered the foundation of all dance as other styles such as jazz and modern use the

technique from ballet as a framework.

Contemporary/ Modern

While modern and contemporary dance utilize ballet skills, it is altered. For instance, the

positions of the traditional footwork, hand placements, etc. are used but may look different. It

was designed to rebel against the traditional visual of ballet. This dance style allows the

emotion(s) of the dancer to be seen through their fluid dance moves.

Jazz

Jazz dance is a style that integrates techniques of classical ballet and modern dance (“Class

descriptions,” 2018). There is a big emphasis on energy and style in jazz dance. Big moves,

leaps, and turns are involved in this style.

It is typically a dance style that is

rhythmically accurate and entertaining to

watch.

Hip Hop

Hip hop is referred to as a ‘street’ style of

Dancer practicing her technique in class (Wilson,

2018)
dance portrayed in music videos. It was developed in the Bronx, New York as a way to describe

the gang violence, drug use, arrests, killings, and more unfortunate things that were happening

around that time (​Garofalo, 1985).​ Hip-hop includes various moves such as popping, breaking,

krumping and locking (​“Class descriptions,” 2018).​ This style of dance requires a high level of

energy. Though this style is looked at to have no technique involved, hip hop still requires a lot

of body control and skill.

Technique

Technique is the foundation for all dance movement. Without a strong technical foundation the

dancer would not be able to be attentive to the stylistic and performance aspect of dance. In order

to do proper jumps, turns, and leaps one must have the correct posture and center control

(Wilson, 2018). The body's center is the focal point from which all movement stems from, thus

making it possible to maintain balance while accomplishing powerful movements (“Jazz dance,”

2018). Once the technique is executed, the dancer is able to focus on her overall performance

which included facials and style. Proper technique also minimizes or prevents any injury that

might occur while dancing. If one does not use correct technique they are at a potential risk to

strain a muscle or rotate the body the wrong way (​Nemecek & Chatfield, 2007).

Reasons to dance:

​Performances

Some individuals audition for dance shows to showcase their talents and love for dance. These

shows serve as great entertainment for the audience that come to watch.

Fitness
Dance has revolutionized throughout the years. Some take dance to simply get a good sweat in.

With aerobic fitness classes like Zumba, both experienced and inexperienced dancers are able to

gain the benefits from dancing all while still having fun.

​Career

There are occupations for dancers that include being a dance teacher, choreographer, a

professional sideline dancer, backup dancer or making cameo appearance in films. Though there

are more opportunities within the field, these tend to be the occupations that people pursue.
 Citations

Bedinghaus, T. (2018).“12 Popular types of dance.” ​Thoughtco.com​. Retrieved from:

https://www.thoughtco.com/types-of-dance-1007456

Bernardo, E. (2018). “Hip Hop Dance For Beginners.” ​Udemy.com​. Retrieved from:

https://www.udemy.com/hip-hop-dance-for-beginners/

“Class descriptions.” (2018). ​Allthatjazzdanceco.net.​ Retrieved from:

http://allthatjazzdanceco.net/class-descriptions/

“History of dance.” (2018). ​Dancefacts.net​. Retrieved from:

http://www.dancefacts.net/dance-history/history-of-dance/

Garofalo, R. (1985). Hip Hop: The Illustrated History of Break Dancing, Rap Music, and

Graffiti. ​New York: St. Martin's Press​, 112.

“Jazz dance.” (2018). ​Danceconnectionrochester.com.​ Retrieved from:

http://www.danceconnectionrochester.com/dance/jazz-dance

Nemecek S. & Chatfield S. (2007). Teaching and Technique in Dance Medicine and Science: A

Descriptive Study with Implications for Dance Educators, ​Journal of Dance Education​,
 7:4, 109-117.

Wilson, Jessica. (2018). “Progressing Ballet Technique.” ​Blog.dancedirect.com.​ Retrieved from:

http://blog.dancedirect.com/2017/05/02/progressing-ballet-technique/

White, John. (2018). “Indian Ritual by Algonquian Native Americans.” ​Alamy.com​.

Retrieved from:

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-indian-ritual-dance-by-algonquian-native-americans

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