So You Think You Can Dance?

So You think You Can Dance?

Subject to society's politics and whimsy, the popularity of certain dances have waxed and waned over the decades, so that certain dances have been discarded altogether or merely altered to fit shifting social tastes.

A ball or impromptu party might feature any combination of different dances, depending on what was most popular at the time. Though the dance trends varied through the years and among class lines, one thing was certain: where there was dancing, joyfulness followed.

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, such as in ballet or European folk dance, or have a gestural vocabulary/symbolic system as in many Asian dances. Dance can embody or express ideas, emotions or tell a story.

Dancing has evolved many styles. Breakdancing and Krumping are related to the hip hop culture. African dance is interpretive. Ballet, Ballroom, Waltz, and Tango are classical styles of dance while Square and the Electric Slide are forms of step dances.

Many early forms of music and dance were created and performed together. This paired development has continued through the ages with dance/music forms such as: jig, waltz, tango, disco, salsa, electronica and hip-hop. Some musical genres also have a parallel dance form such as baroque music and baroque dance whereas others developed separately: classical music and classical ballet.

Although dance is often accompanied by music, it can also be presented independently or provide its own accompaniment (tap dance). Dance presented with music may or may not be performed in time to the music depending on the style of dance. Dance performed without music is said to be danced to its own rhythm.

Ballroom dancing is an art although it may incorporates many fitness components using an artistic state of mind.

Country dances sometimes known as square dances are more egalitarian in nature; all who are willing are encouraged to participate. Partners faced each other and progress down a line performing repetitions of the figures, so that the first couple moved to the second place after the first repetition.

This sequence continues until the first couple has returned to the front of the line, and each couple has taken a turn in leading the dance. Though country dances are among the most democratic, dancers are still expected to be elegant and formal in their carriage, and
not uncivilized and reckless.

A line dance is choreographed dance with a repeated sequence of steps in which a group of people dance in one or more lines or rows without regard for the gender of the individuals, all facing the same direction, and executing the steps at the same time. Line dancers are not in physical contact with each other

Over a dozen line dances were created during the 1980s for country songs. The 1980 film Urban Cowboy reflected the blurring of lines between country music and pop, and spurred renewed interest in country culture, and western fashion, music, and dance. "Boot Scootin' Boogie" was choreographed by Bill Bader in October of 1990 for the original Asleep at the Wheel recording of the song of the same name. The Brooks and Dunn version of the song has resulted in there being at least 16 line dances with "Boot Scootin' Boogie" in the title, including one by Tom Maddox and Skippy Blair under contract to the recording company.

Billy Ray Cyrus' 1992 hit Achy Breaky Heart, helped catapult western line dancing into the mainstream public consciousness. In 1994 choreographer Max Perry had a worldwide dance hit with "Swamp Thang" for the song of the same name by The Grid. This was a techno song that fused banjo sounds in the melody line and helped to start a trend of dancing to forms of music other than country. In this mid 1990s period country western music was influenced by the popularity of line dancing.

Hip hop dance refers to dance styles, mainly street dance styles, primarily danced to hip hop music, or that have evolved as a part of the hip hop culture.

By its widest definition, it can include a wide range of styles such as breaking, popping, locking,house dance and even electro dance. It can also include the many styles simply labelled as hip hop, old school hip hop (or hype), hip hop new style and freestyle. However, "hip hop" and "dance" should properly be distinguished separately, as was stated by legendary "hip hopper" Ice Cube, "Gangsters don't dance, we boogie.".

Do you still think you can dance?