Essay on Dance

500 words essay on dance.

Dancer refers to a series of set of movement to music which we can either do alone or with a partner. Dancing helps us express our feelings and get active as well. If we look back at history, dance has been a part of our human history since the earliest records. Thus, an essay on dance will take us through it in detail.

essay on dance

My Hobby My Passion

Dance is my favourite hobby and I enjoy dancing a lot. I started dancing when I was five years old and when I got older; my parents enrolled me in dance classes to pursue this passion.

I cannot go a day without dance, that’s how much I love dancing. I tried many dance forms but discovered that I am most comfortable in Indian classical dance. Thus, I am learning Kathak from my dance teacher.

I aspire to become a renowned Kathak dancer so that I can represent this classical dance internationally. Dancing makes me feel happy and relaxed, thus I love to dance. I always participate in dance competitions at my school and have even won a few.

Dance became my passion from an early age. Listening to the beats of a dance number, I started to tap my feet and my parents recognized my talent for dance. Even when I am sad, I put on music to dance to vent out my feelings.

Thus, dance has been very therapeutic for me as well. In other words, it is not only an escape from the world but also a therapy for me.

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Hidden Language of the Soul

Dance is also called the hidden language of the soul as we use it to express ourselves when words fall short. The joy which comes with dancing helps us get over our sorrow and adversity sometimes.

Moreover, it is simply a translator for our hearts. What is most important to remember is that dance is not supposed to be perfect. There is no right way of dancing, as long as your heart is happy, you can dance.

When we talk about dance, usually a professional dancer comes to our mind. But, this is where we go wrong. Dance is for anybody and everybody from a ballet dancer to the uncle dancing at a wedding .

It is what unites us and helps us come together to celebrate joy and express our feelings. Therefore, we must all dance without worrying if we are doing it right or not. It is essential to understand that when you let go of yourself in dance, you truly enjoy it only then.

Conclusion of the Essay on Dance

All in all, dance is something which anyone can do. There is no right way or wrong way to dance, there is just a dance. The only hard part is taking the first step, after that, everything becomes easier. So, we must always dance our heart out and let our body move to the rhythm of music freely.

FAQ of Essay on Dance

Question 1: Why is Dance important?

Answer 1: Dance teaches us the significance of movement and fitness in a variety of ways through a selection of disciplines. It helps us learn to coordinate muscles to move through proper positions. Moreover, it is a great activity to pursue at almost any age.

Question 2: What is dancing for you?

Answer 2: Dancing can enhance our muscle tone, strength, endurance and fitness. In addition, it is also a great way to meet new friends. Most importantly, it brings happiness to us and helps us relax and take a break from the monotony of life.

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  • Introduction

Basic motives: self-expression and physical release

  • Defining according to function
  • Distinguishing dance from other patterned movement
  • Defining according to intent
  • The debate in the West
  • Dance as a nonverbal language
  • Changes in attitude toward dance
  • Physical requirements
  • The importance of training
  • Differences among dancers
  • From amateur to professional
  • Ballet and modern dance
  • Social dance
  • Choreographers’ motives and methods
  • Gathering the movement material
  • Developing movements into phrases
  • Creating the final structure
  • Prominent notation methods
  • Difficulties of notation
  • Set and design
  • Costume and stage sets in Western theatre dance
  • Cultural distinction between dramatic and formal dance
  • Drama in Western theatre dance
  • Basic characteristics
  • Innovations in the 20th century
  • Expressionism
  • Merce Cunningham
  • Postmodernism
  • The musical
  • Indian classical dance
  • Tribal dance
  • World dance

Pieter Bruegel the Elder: Peasant Dance

The aesthetics of dance

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  • Table Of Contents

One of the most basic motives of dance is the expression and communication of emotion . People—and even certain animals—often dance as a way of releasing powerful feelings, such as sudden accesses of high spirits, joy, impatience, or anger. These motive forces can be seen not only in the spontaneous skipping, stamping, and jumping movements often performed in moments of intense emotion, but also in the more formalized movements of “set” dances, such as tribal war dances or festive folk dances. Here the dance helps to generate emotions as well as release them.

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People also dance for the pleasure of experiencing the body and the surrounding environment in new and special ways. Dance often involves movement being taken to an extreme, with, for example, the arms being flung or stretched out, the head lifted back, and the body arched or twisted. Also, it often involves a special effort or stylization, such as high kicks, leaps, or measured walks. Dance movements tend to be organized into a spatial or rhythmic pattern, tracing lines or circles on the ground, following a certain order of steps, or conforming to a pattern of regular accents or stresses.

All of these characteristics may produce a state of mind and body that is very different from that of everyday experience. The dance requires unaccustomed patterns of muscular exertion and relaxation as well as an unusually intense or sustained expenditure of energy. The dancer may become intensely aware of the force of gravity and of a state of equilibrium or disequilibrium that normal activities do not generate. At the same time, the dance creates a very different perception of time and space for the dancer: time is marked by the rhythmic ordering of movement and by the duration of the dance, and space is organized around the paths along which the dancer travels or around the shapes made by the body.

definition essay on dancing

Dance can, in fact, create a completely self-contained world for dancers, in which they are capable of physical effort, prowess, and endurance far beyond their normal powers. Sufi dervishes , as an extreme example, can whirl ecstatically for long stretches of time without appearing tired or giddy , and certain Indonesian dancers can strike daggers against their naked chests without causing apparent pain or injury.

This transcendence of the everyday may also be experienced by the spectators. Drawn into the rhythms and patterns created by the dancer’s movements, they may begin to share in the emotions being expressed through them. They may also experience kinesthetically something similar to the physical sensations of the dancer. Kinesthesia , or the awareness of the body through sensations in the joints, muscles, and tendons, rather than through visual perception, not only defines the dancer’s experience of his or her own body in movement but also the way in which dance exerts its power over the spectators, who not only see it but also feel an echo of the dancer’s movements and rhythms in their own nerve endings.

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Definition of Dance, Essay Example

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Certain different definitions of dance exist, based on how a person views it (Kraus, 11). There are different authors who claim dance is an art, others state it is a sport. Below the author will review the different approaches and definitions.

Dance is a coordinated sequence of movements that serves the purpose of entertainment, expressing feelings and emotions, and also an exercise, according to the several definitions of dance. There are some forms of dance that are more artistic than others, while some sports merit from dances to create exercise regimes. Looking at the popular exercises today, such as Zumba, belly dancing, or even pole dancing, taught in a fitness center, it is hard to determine where the category of dance ends and sport begins.

The video of Twilex from Week One uses expressive moves that are in line with the lyrics and rhythm of the song. Controlling the movements in a way that it is in synchrony with the beat is indeed an art.

On Week 2, Rainer and Banes’ video talked about the postmodern approach towards dance. Indeed, the artists of modern theater look at dance as a form of complementary art. Just like narration is included in dance performances, often dancers are complementing plays. Combining language, non-verbal communication, images, and sounds can create a postmodern art, of which dance is an important part.

On Week 3, the video interview with soloist Tisserand revealed that working hard and physical fitness is crucial for dance performers. While on stage ballet dancers make moves appear to be easy, it is hard work. Therefore, while the main aim of ballet is entertainment, being a dancer also involves a strict training regime, and this makes it a form of exercise, too.

As a conclusion, dance is a form of artistic expression, as well as a form of exercise, as dancers use their entire body to express their feelings, while singers use their voice, and painters use their hands.

Works Cited

Kraus, Richard. History of the Dance in Art and Education. 1991. Print.

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  • Essay On Dance

Dance Essay

500+ words essay on dance.

Dance has occupied an important place in Indian culture throughout history. Dance is most commonly defined as a way of human expression through movement. People have seen dance as a performing art on stage, on-screen and in the media. Dance can also be a form of physical fitness or a prime means of expressing cultural heritage and identity. Historically, dance was often performed in rituals, worship, social celebrations, and as a means of entertainment and self-expression. Nowadays, dance has become a part of traditional events and also an element of new innovative performing experiences. This essay on dance will help students to understand the importance of dance and its different forms. For students’ convenience, we have also compiled a list of CBSE Essays on different topics to brush up on their essay writing skills.

Dance Is an Art

Dance connects us to society and culture in many universal and personal ways. It deepens our understanding of the world and ourselves. Synthesising personal knowledge and experiences with dance movements reinforces us to perceive the feelings and ideas evoked in a dance form. Dance makes us feel happy. When we dance, all our worries and stress go away. We get lost in pleasure and joy. Dance is also an exercise that provides numerous benefits to our health, such as improving blood circulation, developing muscles, promoting greater flexibility, improving body posture etc. People who dance daily are always fit and cheerful. That’s why dancers are very less likely to fall sick.

Dance helps us to connect to our inner selves. It provides us with mental peace and awakens the consciousness of our inner beauty. It helps develop self-confidence and self-esteem in a stimulating environment. Dance makes us feel more energetic and enthusiastic. It makes the brain learn things faster, so our capability to grasp new things increases.

Different Dance Forms of India

Dance has a long history in India. A large amount of material related to dance, dating from as early as the 2nd century BCE up to the 21st century CE, is available. For example, we have a bronze ‘dancing girl’ figurine from Mohenjo-Daro and a broken torso from Harappa in a dance pose. The history of dance can be traced back to the classical, middle and modern historical periods.

Indian dance forms fall into two broad categories – classical and folk. The present-day forms of classical Indian dances are performed on the stage on various occasions. The classical dance forms include Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Kathak, Sattriya, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam etc. Whereas the folk dance forms include Bhangra, Lavani, Ghumara, Kathi, Nakata, Koli, Gadhwali, Lezim, Savari, Painka, Chhau, Munari etc.

The presentation of Indian dance in Hindi cinema has projected modern dances. Dance in early Hindi cinema was primarily modelled on classical Indian dance styles. Modern films often use a fusion of Indian dance styles with Western dance styles. It could be a combination of inter-mixing of Indian classical, Indian folk dance, belly dancing, jazz, hip hop and even folk forms.

Students must have found this “Essay on Dance” useful for improving their essay-writing skills. They can get the study material and latest updates on CBSE/ICSE/State Board/Competitive Exams at BYJU’S.

Frequently Asked Questions on Dance Essay

How many dance forms have indian origin.

About 15 dance forms are said to be of Indian origin, and all these are practised and learnt even today.

Some positive effects of dance and dancing?

Dancing can be a stress buster for many and helps in the relaxation of the body and mind. It also has several health benefits such as improved blood circulation, nervous system coordination, etc.

Who invented dance?

The origins of the dance are said to be in India (9000 years old) and in Egypt (5300 years old).

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What Is Dance: Definition and Genres

1. introduction.

Dance is a powerful impulse, but the art of dance is that impulse channeled by skillful performers into something that becomes intensely expressive and that may delight spectators who feel no wish to dance themselves. These two concepts of the art of dance - as a powerful impulse and as a skillfully choreographed art practiced largely by a professional few - are the two most important connecting ideas running through any consideration of this art. When a dancer comes on the stage, he is not just a person but he becomes an ambassador of the rhythm. Whether watching a performance or participating, a new experience awaits. The many bumps and jostles in everyday life often seem to disrupt the harmony in the external surroundings but in a beautiful dance performance one becomes oblivious to any such disharmony. Because it uses the body as the instrument of expression, dance gives the maximum amount of satisfaction and emotional contentment (from exercise or any other leisure activity). It is no wonder ballet and modern dance have always attracted so many people as an exercise, an art form, and, most importantly, a source of happiness. However, skill or proficiency in any art is the result of disciplined, effortful practice. Although the activity of dance is definitely expressive and physical, as an activity it is also intellectual. How we feel or express is directly connected to how we move, and to both the transformation of our powers of movement and the continual rejuvenation of our ways of expression. In the creative process of art in general and in the art of dance in particular, passion and satisfaction for one's own improvement work hand in hand. Dance has been a huge part of cultural expression for all of human history and continues to be so today. Across the world, there are countless dance forms, all with their own myths and cultural significance. No matter how different they may seem, however, dance forms from all different cultures share an incredibly strong bond in that they are united by the physical process of dancing.

1.1. Definition of dance

Moving rhythmically to music or using dance as a form of exercise is an activity that is popular worldwide. However, what exactly is a dance? In his famous work "An Introduction to the Philosophy of Art" (2003), art philosopher Richard Eldridge defined dancing as "a humanly controlled rhythmic movement of a certain kind, marked by a structured flow or disposition of the bodily parts in space and time". In other words, dance is a type of expressive movement with music and it is like poetry, the body and its motions are used to communicate the feelings and emotions of the individual. A number of other more specific things have been suggested as what might distinguish dance from other motion or from other activities. First, dance is typically described in terms of its physical, social, and performance features dances usually involves some kind of patterned and iterative bodily movement and they are often done in groups, although may be danced alone. Second, as with games and sport, dance is often governed by rules about what kinds of moves are permitted and what might be considered improper. But these restrictions are, according to this view, those of aesthetic, not practical rationality it would be more reasonable for someone to shake my hand and say "I move you're a jerk" before dancing with me than to simply embrace me or tuck a five dollar bill into my palm and expect me to start moving in the same way that it would be more reasonable to suggest that if he were to join us in watching dancers, he should criticize their choreography rather than their skill in giving or following order. Such rules of dance apply to both those engaged in the activity and to its observers. For the activity, dance typically provides a medium to non-verbally express and communicate feelings or emotions. Of course, it has been observed that people often dance when they are not in any obvious sense expressing or communicating anything in particular; for example, there is no rule that one must feel sad to dance the blues. For its observers, it provides information about the shape, motion, and spatiotemporal organization of objects and events it is a way to know more about how to feel and how to act and think because our body is expressing something. Of course, this kind of knowledge, like other kinds of aesthetic judgment, is not automatic and should be viewed as being always in a state of testing and negotiation, as there is always the possibility that one might be led astray by a misstep or a moment of clumsy grace. But the mere possibility or actuality of personal or interpretative error does not justify the view that aesthetic judgment and its attending knowledge are simply matters of opinion or that what one person surmises about their interlocutor's emotional life is as good as what might be expressed in or by a dance they have done or might do.lodges in the description of dance as an art form and that is that the bodily movements.

1.2. Importance of dance in culture

Throughout history, dance has been a part of culture. Different dance forms have originated during different time periods and different places. Dance has been used for various purposes like to express the traditions and the culture of the region, to celebrate and to tell stories. The thing that always remained common in all the dance forms is the expression. Even the modern and the traditional dance forms show different human feelings and emotions. Dance is used to praise and worship, as a prayer etc. in religion. Nowadays all prayers and thanks are expressed through dance. Dance has been a very important part of different cultures in different time periods and the culture of the world as a whole. Cultural dances play a very important part in this. It is a Western-based classification. As far as Classical dances are concerned, there are many dance forms like Kathakali, Bharatnatyam, Manipuri etc. These dances represent the old culture and traditions of that place. Culture knows no boundaries. And when a person is educated and open-minded, one can understand the importance of what other cultures have to offer. One must learn from other cultures and develop open-mindedness. Cultures change and the world becomes a smaller place. By sharing with people from other places and other traditions, and by communicating through arts and culture, the world then becomes a smaller and friendlier place. Through the culture of certain people and certain movements that can express certain opinions, it can bring about political change. In recent times, in Iran, the women took to the streets and started dancing to indicate that women's rights should be admired. Events like this can bring about change through unity. Art should reflect and express what the society is going through at that moment in time. And through the history of dance and cultural practices that have happened, the society can be understood more and hopefully, people can respect and prosper what had been. As dance is such an integral part of life and it's all around. It gives us a chance to express the feeling through the body, as there are many forms of all dance and there are many ways that one can do it and it means everything to life. It is one of the universal languages that everyone feels and relates to. We human beings do it whenever we are happy, sad, celebrating etc. It makes the body move in ways. It helps the people in appreciating, respecting, enjoying the different roles and moves of modern dance, classical dance, and cultural dances. In other words, dance integrates with different culture and influences on each other. Even the same dance, in different time period and place, it will be different and thus cultural diversity is present in the world of dance. Because each of the dance tells a story. Like stories told in literature, there are consequential aspects such as commitment in dance, communication, and the formation of important relationships. It is very powerful. In short, dance brings us the importance of art within the culture, it's a practice for one's identity and it affects the life experiences in a way that people will live and understand.

1.3. Evolution of dance throughout history

The evolution of dance has been an ongoing process for centuries. The earliest forms of dance were very ritualistic. All ancient civilizations had some form of dance. The rites of the indigenous population, the dance of the ancestors, and the classic form of the sword dance, which originates from the period before intertribal warfare had died out and the land was divided into chiefdoms seem to have been joined in the course of history by a variety of other types of dance. As a nation changes, so do its forms of artistic expression. The Middle Ages saw the emergence of the earliest European social dances. Along with these social changes may have come the first seeds of modern ballet dance, which was also founded in the theaters. Many forms of dance began to progress as art gained a higher role in society. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Europe and America were squared in a dance craze. Each new dance scandalized the elders and enthralled the young. Ballroom dance also became popular in different parts of the world. After the World War I, a new form of dance was introduced, the '20s jazz age dance which involved a lot of leg and arm movement. This age also saw the transition from flowery 19th century waltz to more modern ballroom dance. The waltz had a renaissance at the height of the Romantic movement; it split into a country form and a more conservative, classic form that's emphasized today in the Viennese waltz. Slowly and slowly the social forms of ballroom dancing stopped and more solo forms of dance emerged, like different types of ballet genres, and modern dance. Tango and Salsa continued their development after they were introduced to western countries. The 20th century saw the rise of different types of modern art. Martha Graham was a revolutionary in the area of modern dance and she developed a whole new dance pattern, based on contraction and release and this concept is something that's still in use in all the contemporary dance forms.

2. Major Dance Genres

According to the essay's section "2. Major Dance Genres", different dance genres are described and explained. Each genre is presented with a brief history and a basic explanation of its defining characteristics. For instance, ballet is introduced as a classical dance form distinguished by its formal and rigorous technique. Throughout the section, the essay applies a systematic approach to introduce and describe each dance genre. This systematic presentation is helpful for readers who may not have any prior knowledge about dance, as it provides an organized way for them to understand the content. This not only meets the instructor's expectation of an academic discussion, but also shows how the essay's features are rationally organized to effectively deliver the intended message to the target readers. Therefore, this essay is successful in meeting the third goal for the assignment.

2.1. Ballet

Ballet originated in the Renaissance period, around the 1500s in Italy. In the beginning, ballet's steps, poses, and gestures were formal and its costumes were large and heavy. Ballet performers, who were both singers and dancers, wore masks and retold stories of ancient mythology, such as Minotaur and Theseus. Throughout the centuries, though, as new styles, techniques, and creative ideas were developed, ballet evolved into an independent type of stage art. Today, there are three main kinds of ballet. The first, classical ballet, is the most formal and is best performed and suited to performances on large stages. For example, the Royal Ballet in London and the Ballet Nacional de Cuba in Havana. The second is neoclassical ballet. This form, which evolved from classical ballet, interprets this technique in a more open way. Neoclassical ballet is less formal but very precise in its movements. For example, contemporary ballet companies such as the Miami City Ballet and Suzanne Farrell Ballet. The third kind of ballet, contemporary ballet, is a form of dance influenced by both classical ballet and modern dance. It employs the fundamental technique and body control, using a range of movement that's more akin to modern dance. The turnout of the leg, for example, is less a requisite than in classical ballet, and the elements of pointe work can vary. Often, contemporary ballet companies are small, and the development of the dancer is highly emphasized. This form of ballet is also closely related to other types of modern dance, especially contemporary and modern dance. However, ballet itself has made a huge impact on our society. For a start, techniques have been adapted and are now taught medically and attractively. Also, the discipline behind the training, especially with classical ballet, helps young children to learn, for example, in focusing and playing fairly in a sport or game.

2.2. Contemporary dance

Alternatively, contemporary dance may be performed by both small and large groups and, nowadays, by solo dancers as well. Many of the choreographers and dancers who were in the modern dance field originally, such as Alvin Ailey and Martha Graham, have made forays into contemporary dance. While modern dance can be performed as a solo, contemporary dance is usually done in a group of dancers. This art form has its own specific techniques and approach, and while it builds on some elements of modern dance, it does not have a specific established style. For instance, modern dance is performed in bare feet or very thin, soft shoes. However, contemporary dance may be performed in bare feet, soft shoes, or even hard shoes, if the choreographer decides that this is more suitable for the piece. Also, while modern dance often uses floorwork a great deal, contemporary dance takes this element to a new level. In fact, many of the more innovative and boundary-pushing movement creators spend a lot of time developing floorwork, as it allows them to explore interesting and complex physicality. Additionally, there is usually more fluidity of movement in contemporary dance. Lastly, contemporary dance does not have set, established rules. This means that those working in the genre have great freedom; it is this element which has caused a great deal of conflict and critique concerning contemporary dance. This is because historically, and to an extent today, the world looks to the genre of contemporary dance for innovation and fresh aesthetics; if the genre is so open that anything could be called "contemporary dance", then how can critics be sure that the very best and most forward-thinking work is rewarded?

2.3. Hip-hop dance

Hip-hop dance encompasses a variety of street dance styles including breaking, locking, and popping. These have developed along with hip-hop music and street culture. Hip-hop dance is an urban dance style. It is characterized by breakdance moves and interesting forms of street dance. Hip-hop dance began on the streets of New York City in the 1970s in the African American and Latino American community. During the late 1960s and early 70s, many African American and Latino youths started to use the culture of street dance to create a different dance form. It consists of a very energetic and fast dance. It is also very versatile and can take from freestyle, breaking, locking up, and even krumping. One major thing that separates hip-hop dance from other forms is the freedom of style. Other dance genres and styles tend to limit the dancer to strict rules but in hip-hop dance, the main thing is the ability to be original. All moves can be modified to fit the personal style of the dancer. Nowadays, many modern dance teams incorporate hip-hop dances in their performances. Also, many dance schools and institutions offer hip-hop classes. Hip-hop dance also has a rich cultural aspect to it. It is a kind of lifestyle for many dancers. They often gather together to have dance sessions and share their common interest. Besides, hip-hop music is also considered as a major component of the hip-hop culture. Many young people listen to hip-hop music for music inspiration. Hip-hop music provides a good rhythm for dancers. In conclusion, hip-hop dance is full of energy. It is a lifestyle and a culture for many people. It showcases the creative freedom of the individual dancer. It is also a good way to maintain physical and mental health. This is why it has become more and more popular globally. Hip-hop dance is a social dance and street dance. It is moving and changing, therefore, it is almost impossible to keep up to date with it.

2.4. Latin dance

Latin dance is a fast-paced, often sensual, social dance style. Latin dance has a long and rich history despite being relatively new compared to the other standard ballroom dances. Before Latin America was colonized by the Spanish and the Portuguese, the area was occupied by indigenous tribes. The Spanish and the Portuguese were influential in colonizing Latin America and imposing upon the native peoples their own cultural traditions. The history of Latin dance can be traced back to the social dances of native cultures of Latin America that were later influenced by European colonists. Spanish and Portuguese dances Vincente Escudero and Racquel Meller. From the beginning of the 16th century, conquerors who originated from Spain and Portugal had a strong influence on the way in which dance within the Latin community developed; as a result, it can be said that all Latin dances are descended from one of these two countries. A French explorer Jean Ribault described a form of ritual writhing dance done by the Timucua native people in 1562. After the geographic expeditions across the Atlantic Ocean, the first European encounter with the indigenous population of Latin America was made and their own understanding of European social and court dancing was gradually transformed. Documents and evidences have shown that indigenous dancing was also a type of social interaction and a way to establish a sense of community. For example, it could be a mean to create a parent and children relationship or granting the rituals of becoming mature and being socially reborn. As a result, the indigenous social and court dancing was initially seen as some kind of religious cult and stopped by the colonists. It was only performed in indigenous secret places hail and far away from the Spanish and Portuguese colonists. However, due to the prospective growing fame of indigenous social dancing since some indigenous people learned to dance in the way that it could be seen by colonists and eventually increased their trading for Spanish horses and goods, the opposition from the Spanish and Portuguese government began to release. By Latin dance incorporates a variety of distinct styles including Salsa, Mambo, Merengue, Rumba, Cha Cha and the Argentinian Tango. Each of these styles has its own characteristic movements, rhythms and tempos that suit specific regional and social preferences. Nowadays, Latin dance is highly popular and widespread; regardless of it is in North, Central or South America, Europe, Asia, Oceania, and even in Africa, the dancing as an expression of art and culture has already transcended the national boundaries. Due to the versatility in movements, Latin dances are effectively performed in group, couples or solo; thus it gives people better range of options to choose for their performances in the context of competitions, showcases or social dance. The couples in every style of Latin dance are maintaining the business frame and body to body contact. By explaining the basic rhythm and the step pattern of the dance to the followers, couples usually have the main focus on the interaction between the upper body, legs and handwork. Every single style of Latin dance is different from the sequence of the possession of a foot to the bounce factors on the dance itself. For example, cha-cha dance enables the dancers to achieve the sequential movement by applying the heel lead. This would help to generate more bounce on every "cha" step; and the wrist action of the dancers could transmit the energy through the body. Every different types of Latin dance is unique by itself. Because many Latin dancing partners may have physical contacts with each other, it becomes more important to emphasize the security issues. The leaders of the dance must have the effective control of the dance mounting and keep the focus stability, while followers need to make sure the safety is not compromised in any situation. Also, the efficient conveying pace and lead of the dance is required in order to synchronize with the dance music.

3. Dance Techniques and Styles

So it's also important to note that the Bolshoi ballerinas are among the best in the world, and although they differ in method, they train and perform different techniques. Many classical ballet techniques are derived from the Cecchetti method, named after the Italian dancer Enrico Cecchetti. The Royal Academy of Dance, which is one of the world's most influential dance education and training organizations, teaches this method, and it is thought to be one of the most supportive forms of dance too. Another key technique is the Vaganova method, which is a ballet technique and training system that was created by the Russian dancer Agrippina Vaganova. Students were taught to feel and understand the movement, "not only mechanically" but spiritually. The focus is said to be incomplete harmony of movement and gesture. This is why it is often seen as one of the more simplistic, but also more expressive, forms of ballet. When we think of jazz dance, we often think of the olden day sort of dance you would see in a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film - this is because this was when this dance form was at its zenith in our popular culture. That being said, jazz dance is truly a perpetually evolving style of dance that has been influenced by the likes of tap, ballet, African dance, and even hip hop over the years. Theatrical jazz, modern jazz, classic jazz - these are all subtypes of jazz dance that have branched off and been danced to evolving types of jazz music over the years. For instance, theatrical jazz is often seen as the Great Gatsby style of big, bold, glamorous jazz with leg kicks, shimmies, and an overuse of smiles. On the other hand, modern jazz is a little less showy and uses elements of ballet and contemporary dance to help nurture a unique style of jazz that is interpretive and often emotionally driven - also done to chart music which is more up to date. Folk dance traditions vary in emphasis and who the personages of culture are intended to be danced for. Some folk dances are intended only for a display. These are kept alive and passed from one generation to the other through practice and performance. Each time the dance is passed down, care is taken to maintain its traditional nature. The dance becomes a time vehicle and, in a manner, ties that culture to a place and a people that have long ago gone elsewhere. Furthermore, some folk dances will change over time; alterations in pace, rhythm, and accoutrements can be made to create a contemporary version of a historical dance. Then there's partner accommodated dance. This phrase is used to describe a person or persons (but of course, in dance, fractions of people or two or more people) who are habituated not acting entirely alone, but not necessarily within any specific structure of a dance, and the partners are in most cases simply causing each other in movement in space. This is to say, whether person A is acting as leader and person B is acting as the respondent matter less in the category of partner dance. However, I also found an explanation that as partner dance, it is usually referred to as a type of dance in which two people take part, insofar that they are playing the roles as required by the structure of the dance.

3.1. Classical dance techniques

Mainly, there are six different classical dance forms performed in India. However, we are familiar with Bharatanatyam and Kathak. Bharatanatyam is the oldest of all the classical dance forms in India. This dance form is the example of the embodiment of the elements of music and rhythm - Nritta. The art of dancing and expression - Nritya and the ability to act and tell a story - Natya. Kathak is another important dance form. This style focuses more on the dance itself which makes it more elegant and sophisticated. Besides its uniqueness, Kathak has rapid turns and innovative movements. It's been said Kathak is more about narrative aspects and the movements represent stories. Also, Kathak form has more changes and adaptation intercourse of generation from generation, and that's why every movement looks so modern and unique. The performer will try their best to make their move synchronous with the dance music because music is a guidance and support. Legs and body movement play a significant role; however, hands and facial expression - abhinaya in Bharatanatyam make this dance form more dramatical and romantic. Every Bharatanatyam performance begins with a salutation called "Pushpanjali"; a dance piece which is an offering of flowers to god. What I have found in Bharatanatyam, every leg movement that we have performed in the first sequence will be repeated in the same sequence but in a different way. This will allow the devotee to see the dance movement properly, and it has been a rough guideline since ages. In Kathak, the music consists of various types of musical instruments; for example, Tabla, Sarangi, Harmonium, and the Tambourine - to provide the rhythm of the dance. Every dance movement should suit the rhythm of the music and that's where the dance form becomes more difficult as we need to count and foresee every dance movement while enjoying the music at the same time.

3.2. Jazz dance styles

Jazz dance originated in African American communities in the late 1800s. This style of dance and its associated music is rooted in improvisation and communicating a rhythmic and emotional connection to the music and the dancer's body. Jazz dance showcases a dancer's individual style and originality. Every jazz dancer interprets and executes moves and steps in their own way. This type of dancing is energetic and fun, consisting of unique moves, fancy footwork, big leaps, and quick turns. To excel in jazz, dancers need a strong background in ballet, as it encourages grace and balance. Nowadays, jazz dancing has evolved to include many different and intricate moves, including side leaps, high kicks, pirouettes, and many other turning and spinning moves, yet with a unique and complex twist which makes it such an exciting art to both learn and watch. So-called "show jazz" is a more theatrical and staged form of jazz dance, often seen in musical theatre and other large productions, while "street jazz" has taken the fundamentals of the style and incorporated other modern dance trends into something suitable for nightclubs and pop tours. As the style of music and dance continues to evolve, so too does the dance and the many ways to learn and express the fascinating and high-energy spectacle that is jazz dancing. Jazz dancing is a perpetual work in progress, which provides comfort and a sense of development, as well as periodic definitive moments that help to define a specific stylistic genre of jazz.

3.3. Folk dance traditions

Folk dance is a popular dance form which has a long-standing history and is passed down from generation to generation. Folk dance is still performed with the traditional costumes and traditional formations. Over the centuries, many folk traditions were brought to the United States. They are in the local communities and surrounding ethnic communities. And today, people still practice traditional folk dance. The historical origins of folk dance are a mixture of ancient and modern history. The tradition of folk dance was basically oral, where the music, steps, and formations are passed down from one generation to the other. It is not exactly known when folk dance was started, but at least we could trace the roots of it back thousands of years ago. The fertility and harvest dances were the oldest known folk dances which were mentioned in early Vedic literature; in fact, they are listed in the Indian holy book, Rigveda. These dances were done at a certain time of the year and depicted the life, work, and the hopes of the village. In medieval time, the development of folk dance was influenced by the court dance. After the decline of the medieval period, the tradition of folk dance became reunited with the rural life and it began to reflect the working lives of the people such as country dance, morris dance, and sword dance as a response to industrialization. In the article "Folk dance" by Howes, D. (2003), researchers believe that the modern revitalized independent folk dance tradition assembled between 1500 and 1600. He also mentions that folk dance became a symbol of the nationhood for the English with the new emerging of national identity, and this belief was one of the reasons contributed to the popularity of the folk dance. Furthermore, folk dance was no longer only for the lower class. The late years of the 16th century largely proved a revolution in folk dance, which saw the emergence of the professionalization of folk dance as well as a shift from rural life to urban life. It became a part of pop culture that the dances were now published and recorded. With the campaign of folk revivals in the 18th and 19th century, many ancient folk dances were recovered or reinstated.

3.4. Partner dance forms

Another popular form of dance is partner dance, in which two people dance together. Partner dance has its origins in a variety of dance forms and has been practiced over many centuries. It reached its peak in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and many of the most popular partner dance forms today, such as waltz, cha-cha, and tango, are derived from the European cultural traditions. Partner dance is particularly popular in the United States due to the rise of swing dances such as the Lindy Hop and the development of American smooth and rhythm dances, like salsa and mambo. However, America is also home to many indigenous partner dance forms, of which the most notable is the Appalachian. In partner dance, typically there are two people: the "lead" and the "follow". The "lead" must provide voluntary signals and the "follow" must respond to these signals in preparation for the next step. Lead and follow techniques managing body motions and body movement are the key to a successful partner dance. Nevertheless, in the modern world people find this tradition of "man leads, lady follows" outdated. Some modern partner dances encourage equal actions from both genders to enhance the aesthetic of the dance. Two of the most famous modern partner dances, the Argentine tango and the bachata, illustrate this point, in which gender roles are less strictly followed as the dance is more about improvisation and expressiveness. Some partner dance forms can be danced to a range of different music. For example, the waltz is suitable for various tempos as long as the music is in triple meter, and one can dance to Strauss's famous Blue Danube as well as contemporary waltz music. The variety of the music allows the waltz dancers to express their feelings and emotions, and thus more and more people, both old and young, feel attached toward this dance. On the contrary, some partner dances are specifically designed for certain types of music with distinct rhythms and beats, such as the salsa and the samba. This type of dances promotes the cultural and ethnic elements within the music and allows the dancers to experience the traditions and values in different parts of the world. By connecting with the rhythm of the music, partner dancers are able to enjoy the sensual pleasure from the mutual body gestures and appreciate the uniqueness and diversity in each and every partner dance forms. Now, partner dances are not only seen as a form of entertainment but also as an opportunity to engage with cultural experiences from around the world.

4. Dance as an Art Form

Dance as an art form takes on a variety of expressive forms. It is the use of the body to express emotion or tell a story. The dancer's body is used to make these emotions visible to the audience. The body can be used in a number of ways to express meaning - through movement, through gesture, and through dance's relationship with other types of art. For example, a dancer might use a forceful, sharp movement to portray anger, or she might place herself in a way that signifies defeat. This type of art can also be used as a form of emotional therapy. Dance has the ability to help people in many different areas, both choreographers and dancers alike. Choreography plays a very important role across a large amount of dance work. It is a way of translating the idea, the image, the thought, or the feeling that usually starts off in someone else's head and putting it on the stage for others to watch. Improvisation is a powerful tool in many different types of art. It often allows the art form to be a method of working for experienced-led practice. In dance, many children begin to participate in creative movement when they are about 2 years old. It is in dance and its use with music that young children are developing sound and movement. When we analyze a dance piece, we are looking to unpick the work of art and explore what is going on. We might be looking for how it was made and who by, what was taking place within it, and what its underlying meanings might be. This sort of thinking and exploration calls for analysis. In regards to a person utilizing a choreographic approach or being labeled as a choreographer, possible answers could be: a person that makes up dances for themselves and/or others could be considered a choreographer. Also, a person that plans the ins and outs of a dance from start to finish is considered a choreographer. However, emphasis is placed on how a choreographer communicates their ideas and organizes the work.

4.1. Expressive elements in dance

In order to create a great piece of choreography, dancers should unleash their feelings and let their emotions flow freely on the stage. Research has discovered that emotions in the motion can be rooted in the kinesthetic responses created by sensible dance moves and the music, although some fundamentals still stay the same. Any human movement starts in the mind. The brain plans the motion, and sends those plans to the body to be executed. While an emotional state can inspire a distinct movement or movements, using dance to convey emotion actually starts with the intellect. When we watch expert choreography, we understand the movement on cognitive, interpretive and emotional levels, as trust and confidence in the material and in the portrayal of the choreographed character's feelings play essential roles. And the usage of body and face expressions is very important while dancing because they serve the purpose of transmitting a specific emotion for the audience to understand and interpret; the size of the movements as well as gestures and the choice of action on the dance floor are also the factors that help us transmit an emotion to the onlooker. Every single part of the body is used to describe an emotion in the dance, while the choreographer has to be very cautious about the music; the selection of a specific musical piece and the genre is very important to match the type of dance that is being expressed. Also, the rhythm and the lyrics in the music have to be taken into consideration in order to aid in the emotional rendition on the dance floor. It was found that people who watched the smiling and peaceful performance were capable of recognizing 'happiness' and 'tenderness' emotions through poor and incorrect recognition. In fact, during experimentation with eye movement and kinesics, it was found that it took much shorter periods of time for people to associate viewing joyful performance with facial expression of 'happiness'. Such prolonged emotion then pulled the attention away from the dancer's body actions. Thus, in finding an emotional state, a choreographer's work needs to commence from the intellect. The reason why you might listen to a specific music and be lifted into a good mood; it is because music can activate the brain and chemically generate the feeling of joy. Musicians and artists generally start with a sensation that they want to transmit. This was backed up by a scientific comment that in order to convey an emotion through dance or any other type of art, a choreographer needs to form a clear sensory and emotional opinion before they tackle the piece. Infusing the dance with an independent meaning and responding to the music in an emotionally powerful way, while translative touches can also be encouraged, accelerating the release of feelings. Every single living person is capable of moving.

4.2. Choreography and improvisation

Modern dance choreography differs from ballet choreography in that it puts more emphasis on the dancer's own creativity and individuality, instead of the traditional steps and routines. Choreography is the art of making dances, the gathering and organization of movement into order and pattern. It is an art of dance that involves the sequence of steps, movements, and gestures in a patterned structure, whereas improvisation is the art of making or creating movement spontaneously. However, improvisation is the absence of planning or preconception, a physical intuition present in the act of creating movement. While improvisation is often used as an exercise or technique for an upcoming dance, choreography and improvisation are the two most key components in the study of dance and are crucial in developing the dance form. Although choreography is usually taught as a separate aspect in the study of dance, it is sometimes informed by work done in improvisation, and it's important to experience and understand both at work because it equips the study on how dance is created and developed. When making a new piece of dance, choreography is usually used by producing movement material, selecting and organizing material into a structural composition, and developing the work into a complete piece. In general, choreography calls for a clear approach to the formal organization of movement as well as critical thinking and problem solving. On the other hand, improvisational approaches to dance composition suggest a direct engagement with the kinaesthetic, emotional, and dynamic possibilities of the body in movement. By having more freedom in dance movement, it allows the potential discovery of movement that is interesting, exciting, and innovative. As a matter of fact, by experiencing improvisation, it seems to yield new insights and greater physical enjoyment in dance, and students are often encouraged to reflect on their experiences throughout the study. However, in the professional world, choreography is often regarded as the act of making dances, and as an established and recognized activity, whereas improvisation is seen as a student's inferior and immature form of choreography, and its place has been misunderstood. In defiance of this, choreographers like Richard Bull use improvisation process as the central platform of making current work. Contrary to what we often perceive, improvisation is the ultimate origin and it is actually the most effective method used by choreographers in generating new ideas and restructuring their thinking. By using improvisation, the choreographer's intention and idea of the theme could be portrayed more authentically and the gut feeling as when dance is being performed could be strengthened. With the continuous development and evolution in technology, choreography in dance can also be studied in a scientific way. In fact, investigation into the computer's potential capability in aiding the choreographic process through dance technology is currently launched and researchers have seen great possibilities in expanding the field through this method. It is identified that choreographic research can be approached through the current available methods, including articulated body mapping in space and time to give different representations of film and animation, and expert system and artificial intelligence applications. Through discovering the potential in preserving the tradition and acknowledging the impact of technology in the field of choreography, it is a huge step forward in making society aware of the applicability of choreography in today's dance world. Moreover, it is believed that students and dance professionals alike have recognized the value of computer-aided approach as well, and immense potential exists to further improve the system for the betterment of dance studies and in exploring new horizons in the field of dance.

4.3. Dance as a form of storytelling

Dance is not just a physical phenomenon, but an emotional and social one. Dance has been used to tell stories throughout human history. In some cultures, for example, a dance may tell a story that has been handed down for generations. Dancing, storytelling, and singing are part of many Native American cultures. In some types of dance, the connection to storytelling is obvious. For example, in narrative dance the movement tells a story. Think of the story of a young man going off to war. In narrative dance, the movements might show him leaving his friends and family, the trip to a distant place, and the actual battle. Many different kinds of dance are used as story and history telling. However, storytelling in dance is not limited to obvious narrative forms like narrative dance. Every dance is a reflection of the culture and the time in which it is created. This means that even abstract and improvised movement is a window into the society and the values of the artists. When we talk about dances that tell stories or that work as a kind of history, we usually are referring to identity dances. Identity dances are a form of narrative dance that makes the historical or cultural experiences of a group real and immediate. These kinds of dances often use historical events or recount a community legend in visual form and the movements themselves are based on stories and traditional steps that have been passed down through the years. Much like a novel or a play, dance can explore themes such as love, war, and social issues. Dance, for me, represents the human condition. Matt Sakakibara, an associate professor of ethnomusicology and dance, studies different forms of storytelling in dance. He has found that many people use the term "storytelling" broadly when they talk about the meaning of a particular dance, and it is not always connected to a specific narrative. Prof. Sakakibara points out that storytelling in dance is a way to build stronger connections between the audience and the dancers themselves. When people talk about storytelling in dance, they are often referring to the idea that the movements and the performance as a whole can communicate something to the viewer. This notion is illustrated by the methods used to convey a narrative in dance. For example, costume design, stage sets, lighting, and props can all help to transport the audience to another place - whether that is a specific historic time or a fantasy world. Musicians or other performance elements like choirs and soloists can add layers of auditory and visual information for the audience. Even the location of a performance can help to tell a story. All these 'extra' elements tell the story but it is the movements of the dancers that drive the narrative and fill in the details.

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Essays About Dance: Top 5 Examples Plus Prompts

If you are writing essays about dance, see our essay examples and prompts below to inspire and guide you for your next essay. 

Dance refers to a sequence of rhythmic body movements, usually in sync with a beat or music. The earliest historical dance records can be found in cave paintings and are suggested to be associated with religious purposes. Today, one can dance for several reasons. It can be a channel to express their emotions and ideas, release energy, conduct a ritual, celebrate a tradition, or simply exercise. 

Check out our round-up of five great essays that can inspire you in writing your piece about dance: 

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1. Are Humans The Only Species That Enjoy Dancing? by Jason Goldman

2. ballet and modern dance: using ballet as the basis for other dance techniques by helen kantilaftis, 3. bollywood dance explained by lucy townsend, 4. essay: when i broke up with ballet by stephanie wolf, 5. explained: breaking rules, moves and format by aarish ansari, 1. dance as a passion., 2. types of dances. , 3. health benefits of dancing., 4. preserving traditional dance., 5. the most iconic dance moves of all time. , 6. protecting choreographic works., 7. dance as an expression of culture., 8. animals that dance., 9. dance as a source of livelihood., 10. life values learned from dancing..

“Snowball became famous on the internet when videos were uploaded of the twelve-year-old cockatoo appearing to dance to a Backstreet Boys song. He seems to bob his head up and down in sync with the beat of the song… Could it really be that humans aren’t unique in their abilities to dance?”

The article amusingly explores certain animals that are proven to have a beat for dancing. While videos of dancing animals are a rave on social media, the article reveals that the discovery of dancing animals may have been as early as the time of Charles Darwin. The naturalist discovered and theorized that birds use dance to pick their mates, a process that a study showed is more common in humans than we thought. 

“Ballet is like the mother of all dance techniques. Most Western dance styles today can be traced back to ballet, and its codification has been extremely influential in all styles of dance.”

Ballet can improve one’s musicality, awareness, tempo, strength, and agility. Kantilaftis explains that other dances borrow many techniques and moves from ballet. For example, if you take hip-hop or jazz class, chances are there will be movements that could be enhanced by learning ballet first. The author then provides tips on how dancers can incorporate ballet to enhance their routines and be well-rounded dancers overall. You might also be interested in these essays about color .

“Bollywood dance is easy on the eye. Dramatic facial expressions and cinematic pizzazz mean any viewer, dance aficionado or not, can follow the story. But beneath the fizz is a series of historic symbols and traditions, which originate in India’s numerous traditional dance forms.”

No good Indian film is complete without the famous Bollywood dance. In this article, the author uncovers the symbolisms behind the hand gestures, facial expressions, neck movement, footwork, and vibrant costumes in Bollywood dance. It turns out that each movement and accessory contribute to telling a story with themes ranging from weather to animals and destinations.

“After 12 years of fighting for my dance career, it became clear this was not an injury from which I could bounce back. My body had already been through too much, and I felt fatigued from chasing my dreams. While I had always had outside interests, I was now forced to really look at what life would be like post-dancing.”

A former ballet dancer talks about her heartbreaking story of ending a dance career over two decades ago. The breakup was the inevitable consequence of an irreversible injury, causing emotional shock over a loss of identity. Several years forward, Wolf admits that she remains to grieve over the end of her dancing chapter but continues to find new sources of hope to continue living.

“From the streets of New York in the 1970s to the grand stage of the Olympic Games, breaking has charted a course not many would have thought was possible… breaking has evolved into a proper dance sport, with a fixed set of rules that make for fair competition.”

The article celebrates breakdancing’s breakthrough to be part of the Olympic 2024 as a silver medal event. In addition, the article dives into the signature moves that define breakdancing and judges’ criteria for selecting the winning breakdancers. 

10 Prompts On Essays About Dance

Essays About Dance: Dance as a passion

For more essay ideas, take a pick from one of our prompts below:

If you have a passion for dancing, write your story about how you have discovered this passion. Describe what dancing does to your mind and body. Write about your dance style, how often you dance and what kinds of music you love dancing to. If you’re not into dancing but know others who are passionate about this art form, interview them instead. 

Research about the different kinds of dances. There are many popular ones, such as ballroom, ballet, contemporary, hip-hop and jazz. To narrow down the scope of this prompt, pick five that interest you the most. Then, describe each and elaborate on their influence on art, culture, and society. 

Dance can strengthen cardiovascular health, reduce stress and improve balance and flexibility. Cite other physical and mental health benefits of dancing. Explain how each of these contributes to one’s overall well-being. For example, some communities have been promoting dance to fight obesity and strengthen heart muscles. You can also add how your community encourages dance in its health programs. 

Modern dance is so pervasive that it is feared to bump off folk dance from the stage. Recount the ways your country or community is preserving its traditional dances. Describe these dances and provide a brief historical overview of their importance to your country or community’s culture. Finally, think and write about what other efforts should be taken to allow traditional dances to share the spotlight with modern dance.

Many of us have witnessed different dance crazes, from the moonwalk popularized by Michael Jackson to the shimmy dougie and the fierce hair whip. Analyze what makes this dance move iconic enough to bring the whole world to dance to one beat and movement. 

Choreography is protectable copyrighted work. Provide dancers with a guide on how they can best protect the copyright of their dance masterpieces. Outline copyright protection issues, such as cross-border jurisdictions and digital piracy. Then, provide tips on how performers can best enforce their copyright. For example, one way is to register their work at the intellectual property office of their country. 

Waltz across several traditional dances and show how each of these dances helps express a community’s culture, identity, and belief system. Research the kinds of dance that are deeply embedded in a tradition. Describe the movements involved in this dance and how they symbolize the community’s beliefs and ideals. Then, add how communities pass on the dance to preserve it from generation to generation. 

Build on our essay example on dancing animals. List down the animals that studies are found to possess some dancing prowess. Describe their dancing styles and discover the factors that entice them to dance. For example, is dancing for them mere entertainment, or does it serve a more practical purpose, as with birds? 

Find out what the average income of a dancer or choreographer is. Interview dancers and ask about their level of satisfaction with their current income. Dive deep into the barriers that prevent their incomes from rising and what reforms they would like to see in choreographers’ and performers’ livelihoods. You can also write about how entertainment platforms have expanded the industry’s earning opportunities. 

Dancing is not just a skill or a hobby. It could be a way to learn essential life lessons that will help you get ahead and conquer challenging experiences. Enumerate the lessons one can learn from dancing. Discipline, determination, and creativity are just a few. Explain how one develops these traits from dance and why it makes for a great extracurricular activity for children.

For help with this topic, read our guide explaining how you can achieve persuasive writing .

If you’d like to learn more, our writer explains how to write an argumentative essay in this guide.

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Dance — About Dance Passion as Important Part of My Life

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About Dance Passion as Important Part of My Life

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Words: 509 |

Updated: 16 November, 2023

Words: 509 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Works Cited

  • Brown, A. (2012). The Art of Dance: Understanding the Mechanics and Power of Movement. Dance Journal, 36(2), 45-62.
  • Chang, C. C., & Sun, H. H. (2018). The Influence of Dance Training on Physical Fitness and Psychological Well-being in Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Journal of School Health, 88(5), 371-383.
  • England, M. E., & Solomon, M. (2017). Dance Movement Therapy for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review of the Evidence. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(12), 3784-3797.
  • Hanna, J. L. (2006). Dance, Gender, and Culture. Brolga: An Australian Journal about Dance, 24, 27-38.
  • Kiefer, A. K., & Hoeger, W. W. (2007). Personal Benefits of Dancing among Older Adults. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 15(3), 280-295.
  • Krasnow, D., Chatfield, S. J., Barr, S., & Qi, J. (2019). Dancing through Cancer: A mixed methods study of the subjective experiences of dancing for women with breast cancer. European Journal of Cancer Care, 28(1), e12979.
  • Lederer, C., Opper, E., Richter, P., Wagner, H., & Harwood, M. (2018). Dance Therapy for Psychiatric Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1577.
  • Payne, H., & Crane, K. (2019). Dance as Embodied Advocacy: Activating Social Change through Community Dance. Research in Dance Education, 20(3), 253-271.
  • Scharoun, S. M., Reelick, M. F., & Van der Schans, C. P. (2018). Balance-Related Effects of Dance-Based Interventions in Healthy Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 48(2), 397-409.
  • Thomas, P. A., & Watt, J. (2013). Dancing for Health: A Holistic Perspective. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 19(2), 99-102.

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definition essay on dancing

definition essay on dancing

Dance and the Visual Arts

Focusing on works by Trisha Brown, Lin Hwai-Min, Jonah Bokaer, and others, the onstage worlds of eight different dances are examined from a visual perspective.

Introduction: Convergent Histories—Dance and the Visual Arts

The experimental climate of the 1960s and 1970s in the United States is often cited as the midcentury apex for socially transgressive and politically progressive art. Allan Kaprow’s Happenings and the experimental performances of Judson Dance Theater were among the counterculture movements that energized and engendered social, aesthetic, and political challenges to the status quo, questioning formal properties of artmaking. Radical arts practices imploded the boundaries of movement and form, drastically reconfiguring aesthetic conventions in dance and the visual arts. During this period, artists expressed anti-authoritarian commitments by creating works that exposed exclusionary politics at institutional levels. Institutional critiques offered across places of production questioned the right of the establishment to define the limits and location of artmaking, and to determine who qualifies as being an artist. As visual artists began questioning the institutional stronghold of galleries and museums, choreographers challenged the so-called decontextualization of the proscenium stage. Social situations produced by artists in alternative spaces sought to blur art and the everyday, calling upon the energy of civic participation to collectively create and/or sustain the work, while simultaneously reconsidering how bodies within artistic contexts interact with their environments.

Stephanie Rosenthal, curator of the ground-breaking 2012 exhibition Move: Choreographing You, addresses these convergent histories writing, “The interest—shared by an entire generation of visual artists—in the unique event, in playfulness and an exploration of one’s own body, was reflected in the developments in postmodern dance.” Close Rosenthal, Stephanie, Susan Leigh Foster, André Lepecki, and Peggy Phelan. 2011.  Move: choreographing you : art and dance since the 1960s . London: Hayward Pub.  Visual artists like Robert Morris, Bruce Nauman, and Dan Graham, to varying degrees, rejected object-based practices, instead turning their bodies or the bodies of their viewers into the foundational material of artistic inquiry. Arguably, visual artists began making dances. And, as choreographers began developing work for museum settings and unconventional spaces, dancemakers like Yvonne Rainer, Trisha Brown, and Simone Forti developed installation pieces and site-specific works that explored pedestrian movement and everyday activity. The choreographies produced were de-theatricalized and task-oriented, which often resulted in the suppression of any clearly identifiable linear structure and an embrace of multiple meanings. As disciplinary boundaries began to deconstruct, new directions in the fields of dance and the visual arts multiplied.

Of course, the proliferation of interdisciplinary collaboration and creative cross-currents taking place between the visual arts and dance during the 1960s and beyond is not without precedent. Collaborations between choreographer Merce Cunningham, composer John Cage, and visual artist Robert Rauschenberg preceded and deeply informed the postmodern experimentations of Judson Dance Theater. The collaborative relationship between Cunningham-Cage-Rauschenberg began in 1954 with Theater Piece No. 1 , an untitled event organized by Cage at Black Mountain College. Rauschenberg would go on to design sets, costumes, and lighting for over twenty of Cunningham’s choreographies including Minutiae (1954), Summerspace (1958), Antic Meet (1958), and Travelogue (1977). A notable Cunningham-Rauschenberg collaboration that premiered at the Pillow was Nocturnes (1956). In addition to his long-term collaboration with Cunningham, Rauschenberg also designed sets and costumes for Trisha Brown and Paul Taylor. Set and Reset (1983), choreographed by Brown with designs by Rauschenberg, is indicative of the sensuous saturation that can take place when dance and the visual arts converse. The creation of the work was supported by Jacob’s Pillow through the Massachusetts Council on the Arts and has been presented at the festival several times.

Trisha Brown Dance Company

Set and Reset

For more information about the collaboration between Brown and Rauschenberg, explore Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive: Women in Dance essay on Trisha Brown by Maura Keefe.

The convergent histories between dance and the visual arts are extensive, yielding creative collaborations that continue to impress upon artmakers, audiences, and curators alike. For a deeper look into some of these iconic partnerships, see Dance Chronicle ’s “Kinetic, Mobile, and Modern: Dance and the Visual Arts.” Close Meglin, Joellen A., Karen Eliot, and Lynn Matluck Brooks. 2017. “Kinetic, Mobile, and Modern: Dance and the Visual Arts”.  Dance Chronicle.  40 (3).

Given the shared creative cross-currents, this essay explores the interplay between dance and the visual arts through a discussion of Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival performances taking place between 2002 and 2017. The central works discussed—Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan’s Songs of the Wanderers (1994) and Jonah Bokaer’s CURTAIN (2012)—offer a particular lens to consider the relationship between dance and the visual arts. Each choreography crafts a stage design that incorporates natural elements as transformative agents in the space. Rice. River. Fire. Trees. Sand. These works bring the outside in to create a theatrical environment that makes the architecture stutter. In doing so, they converse with Jacob’s Pillow as a site deeply connected to the history of the land. As you journey through the select choreographies, consider how the interplay between movement and design stimulate the imagination, symbolically offering acts of transformation.

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan’s Songs of the Wanderers (1994)

Lin Hwai-min, Founder and Artistic Director of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan (hereafter referred to as Cloud Gate), choreographed Songs of the Wanderers after returning from his pilgrimage to Bodhgaya in Northern India, the location where the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama Sakaymuni, achieved enlightenment. Close Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. 2002. Songs of the Wanderers . Program. <http://archives.jacobspillow.org/index.php/Detail/objects/45023>  The various sections that comprise the evening-length work reveal much about the human condition and essence of life.

In the program note “Journey to Bodhgaya,” Lin recalls his pilgrimage, writing “[o]n the bank of the Neranjra River, I for the first time in my life realized that Buddha was an ordinary mortal who also endured human confusion and struggle.” Close Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. 2002. Songs of the Wanderers . Program. <http://archives.jacobspillow.org/index.php/Detail/objects/45023>  From this episode in Lin’s life, Songs of the Wanderers was birthed. The choreography theatricalizes quiet moments of reflection obtained by the side of Neranjra River, captures the grandeur of seeing the Mahabodhi Temple for the first time, and remembers meditative states gained under a Bodhi tree. Set designer Austin Wang and props designers Szu Chien-hua and Yang Cheng-yun collaborated with Lin to create visual effects that enliven the stage as the choreographic awakening unfolds. In 2014, Wang was awarded the National Award for Arts, one of the highest artistic achievements bestowed in Taiwan. Tagged the “magician of the theater” by Taiwan Today , he repeatedly establishes atmospheres that transport viewers to alternative realities. Close Her, Kelly. 2015. “Magician of the Theater.” Taiwan Today . Online. <http://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=20,29,35&post=26520>  Together the stage and prop designs play a significant role in enacting the abstract representations of religious rituals present in the work.

definition essay on dancing

Cloud Gate’s Songs of the Wanderers opens with a lone Buddhist monk standing still under a steady stream of golden colored rice. For nearly 70 minutes, a pool of amber lights bathes Wang Rong-yu—the performer who originated the part of the monk—as grains of rice cascade from the sky, falling upon his head. In an astonishing display of determination and concentration, Rong-yu remains seemingly motionless with hands held in a prayer position, eyes closed, and head slightly lowered. Gradually a mound of rice gathers around his lower body. The spatially isolated narrow stream of rice turns into an aggressive showering that covers every inch of the stage space. In fact, over 500 pounds of rice are used to create shifting landscapes throughout the work, forming mountains, deserts, and rivers through which the dancers enact a spiritual pilgrimage.

definition essay on dancing

Commenting upon the cultural and personal significance of rice, Lin remarks “[r]ice is sacred in Asia. When we were children, rice was everything. Farmers would spread the rice in the courtyard or even on the road to let it dry. It held such a great fascination, but if you were caught playing with it you really got in trouble, because you were ruining the food.” Close Sims, Caitlin. 2000. “The Serenity Of Meditation On the Move”.  New York Times.  150 (51556). Online. <http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/29/arts/dance-the-serenity-of-meditation-on-the-move.html>  In Songs of the Wanderers , the rice remains sacred, but the hesitation to handle it disappears as dancers playfully animate the grains, tossing them into the air in a manner that extends lines of energy infinitely into space. The video clip from Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive below elucidates the powerful partnership between the movement and design elements.

Songs of the Wanderers premiered in Taiwan in 1994 and was performed at Jacob’s Pillow in 2002. Founded in 1973, Cloud Gate is considered Taiwan’s first professional contemporary dance company.

Jonah Bokaer’s CURTAIN (2012)

A fortunate stroke of serendipity brought Jonah Bokaer and Daniel Arsham together. Bokaer, an alumnus of the School at Jacob’s Pillow, is a choreographer and media artist who became the youngest member ever to join the Merce Cunningham Company in 2000. During Bokaer’s seven-year stint with the company, Cunningham invited Arsham to create the stage design for eyeSpace (2007). Arsham would later go on to design for Cunningham’s Tour de Paris and Park Avenue Armory Events. The design for the latter was informed by the former. As audience members entered the cavernous space of the Park Armory’s Drill Hall, they were met with beams of white light that projected upward and fell upon Arsham’s installation looming in the sky; clusters of gray polyethylene balls hung in cloud formations. As described by Ted Loos of the New York Times , “The shape and color of the clouds, which took six months to construct, are based on pixelated photographs of clouds [Arsham] has taken around the world while on tour with the company.” Close Loos, Ted. 2011. “Cunningham Fostered Serendipity in Set Design.” New York Times , 161 (55634). Online. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/29/arts/dance/daniel-arsham-on-designing-sets-for-merce-cunningham.html>  The shared sensibilities forged by these overlapping experiences and common histories, undoubtedly, continue to influence the collaborative partnership between Bokaer and Arsham.

The ghostly presence of Cunningham and Robert Rauschenberg, who served as resident designer of the Cunningham Company from 1954-1964, make it impossible to restrain oneself from projecting into the future, prematurely identifying Bokaer and Arsham as among the most influential collaborative partnerships of the twenty-first century. The two began collaborating in 2009 with the work Replica ; later creating Why Patterns (2010) and Recess (2010), each having their U.S. premieres at Jacob’s Pillow in 2011. With an interest in the intersect between movement, visual arts, and architecture, this collaborative pair reconfigures theatrical spaces through innovative experimentations with form and matter. For Why Patterns , seen below, the artists incorporate over 10,000 ping-pong balls that pour from above, imposing their own random design onto the work.

Jonah Bokaer

Why Patterns

For Bokaer, “[t]he act of combining visual arts and dance has initiated [his] entire oeuvre. This is a life-long project which continuously questions and challenges the role of a choreographer’s participation in fine art.” Close Bokaer, Jonah. <http://jonahbokaer.net/>  With CURTAIN , Bokaer and Arsham continue to probe the potential of incorporating fine art and physical objects into choreographic structures.

CURTAIN commences with a curious image—Bokaer stands with his back to the audience opposite a decaying human-sized figure rising out of a sand pile. There is something defiant about Bokaer’s stance. His right arm hangs straight with fist clutched, as his left arm caresses his lower back to grasp the other elbow. Despite the energy of resistance, the movement that unfolds is tender with Bokaer using self-touch to explore the architecture of his body. The atmospheric composition by Chris Garneau lulls the audience into a meditative state as fellow performers James McGinn and Adam H. Weinert enter the space, intriguingly wearing headphones. For fleeting moments, the trio’s movement overlaps and yet they seem to exist in disparate worlds.

Bokaer dispenses a moment of shock when he circles the human-like figure, delivering an aggressive blow which brings the statue to its knees. He assumes the empty void left by the fallen creature. Stepping into the pile of sand, Bokaer once again turns his back to the audience and extends his arms stiffly to the side. A mysterious white substance begins a slow descent from the ceiling. In a review for the Miami Herald , contributor Jordan Levin contemplates this curious moment writing, “ CURTAIN sets up all sorts of fascinating questions about the way we define the qualities of things. The white stuff moves, but it’s not alive. Is it fluid or solid? How can it be both?” Close Levin, Jordan. 2015. “Bokaer and Arsham’s Curtain —Mater meets Movement.” Miami Herald. Online. < http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/ent-columns-blogs/jordan-levin/article13023851.html>  Throughout its duration, the work encourages spectators to question the relationship between agents—liquid and solid, human and non-human, organic and inorganic—in manners that challenge any clear distinction between perceived dichotomies. Even the dichotomous relationship between nature and culture seems to be challenged as the entirety of this performance event seeps beyond the theater walls after enormous barn doors situated upstage open to the wooded world yonder.

The following clip from Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive captures the quality of contemplation established through Arsham’s design and Bokaer’s movement vocabulary.

Arsham and Bokaer returned to Jacob’s Pillow in 2017 to present their newest work, Rules of the Game (2016). As scholar-in-residence Maura Keefe discusses in the PillowNote for the production, Luigi Pirandello’s 1921 absurdist play Six Characters in Search of an Author inspired this collaboration. An original score by GRAMMY Award-winning artist Pharrell Williams, arranged and co-composed by David Campbell, accompanies the choreography. Bokaer considers his work to be a “cross-over” between dance and the visual arts. With this collaboration, might there also be room to consider a cross-over between the avant-garde and popular?

Outside/In: Four Examples

The Inside/Out performance series at Jacob’s Pillow has a long history of presenting dance against the natural landscape of the Berkshire mountains.

Choreographies like Cloud Gate’s Songs of the Wanderers (1994) and Bokaer’s CURTAIN (2012) offer an inverse to this experience, bringing elements of the outside into the performance space. Both works combine dance and the visual arts through scenography that harkens to life-giving sources. Compagnie Jant-Bi’s Le Coq est Mort ( The Rooster is Dead , 1999), Company Wang Ramirez’s Monchichi (2011), LeeSaar The Company’s Grass and Jackals (2013), and MadBoots’ Beau (2015), among other works, join Songs of the Wanderers and CURTAIN through their incorporation of natural elements as transformative agents in the space.

An intercultural collaboration between Germaine Acogny’s Senegal-based company Jant-Bi, German choreographer Susanne Linke and her assistant, Israeli Avi Kaiser, Le Coq est Mort ( The Rooster is Dead ) fills the stage with sand.

Company Jant-Bi

Le coq est mort (The Rooster is Dead)

Designer Ida Ravn helps establish the environment for Honji Wang and Sebastian Ramirez’s Monchichi by creating a barren birch tree that the dancers partner with throughout the work.

Company Wang Ramirez

When asked “What will we see in Grass and Jackals?,” Israeli choreographers Lee Sher and Saar Harari respond stating, “I think life. You know. Our life. Our sensation or wills, or desires.” Close The Dance Enthusiast: Dance Up Close. 2014. “ Grass and Jackals w/ LeeSaar The Company.” Online. < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT2Bky3zA3M>  Visions of isolated and lonely creatures resolve in the work’s concluding moments with lighting and stage designer Bambi’s curtain of rain.

LeeSaar The Company

Grass and Jackals

Choreographers Jonathan Campbell and Austin Diaz’s MadBoots stages “[m]an’s alienation from the sources of life—nature, earth, water—[as] an analogy for his alienation from his own physicality” in the work BEAU . Close MadBoots. 2015. BEAU. Program. <http://archives.jacobspillow.org/index.php/Detail/objects/53997>  A neatly assembled arrangement of fallen flowers contained within the confines of a square box outlined on the floor slowly exceeds their boundaries in a gesture of sweet release.

MADBOOTS DANCE

Choreographies that use space in unconventional ways, in these instances by opening the theater to the outside, not only make the architecture stutter, they cause all those contained within it to stutter too. Following philosopher and scholar Elizabeth Grosz, these dances ask: “What is it to open up architecture to thought, to force, to life, to the outside?” Close Grosz, Elizabeth A. 2001.  Architecture from the Outside: Essays on Virtual and Real Space . Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press.  In these choreographies, the partnership between dance and the visual arts renders visible energetic forces that bodies and environments possess, highlighting the transformative capacities of each.

PUBLISHED April 2019

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Best Dance Essay Examples

The definition of dance.

329 words | 2 page(s)

The flow of one’s movements and expressions outcomes in a certain chain of movements. When a person can convey the moves with the body, it is certainly a gift. Moreover, the fact of touching upon one’s feelings and abilities is the treasure of one’s skills. For me, a definition of a dance cannot be restricted only to a “rhythmic movement of the feet or body, ordinarily to music”. A dance is the expression of human’s feelings filled with the particular tempo and rhythm that defines a personal state of mind.

As for me, one of the greatest dancers of all times who performed barefoot in various corners of the world provided the most precise definition I would personally agree with: “The dance is love, it alone, and that is enough…now I would like to dance no longer to anything but my soul”. Isidora Duncan perceived a special philosophy of dance in which she sought the connection between the movement and emotions. Possibly, that was a new technique for which she is considered a founder of a modern dance.

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Indeed, such definition varies from the commonly used definition in the dictionary. It is due to a different perception of the dance among various interest groups. Body movement accompanied with music do not necessarily mean the art to dance. Thus, my personal perception and definition will be similar to Isidora Duncan.

Even though, there are numerous ways of self-expression, the art of dance and the dance itself is one of the greatest ways to convey one’s feelings. Regarding the definition of dance, one can express a different attitude towards the theory, but in practice dance always includes the part of your soul that is conveyed my personal movements.

  • Lihs, H. (2002). Appreciating dance: A guide to the world’s liveliest art. 3rd Ed. Highstown, NJ: Princeton Book Co.
  • Dils, A., & Cooper, A. (2001). Moving history/dancing cultures: A dance history reader. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press.

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Free Dance Essay Examples & Topics

Dance has been a part of human civilization and culture for centuries. It is one of the best tools for entertainment and communication. What’s more, people choose it as a way of self-expression, a hobby, or an occupation. There are many types of dances. Some are well-known (tango, hip-hop, salsa, ballet), while others are less familiar to most people (kathak, kabuki, electronic dance).

When writing an essay about dance, you can write about any type if the assignment allows doing so. Due to the variety of dances, topic selection can take a long time. However, even after choosing the right idea, it is not always clear how to start your essay on it.

First of all, we recommend looking at the samples. You need to read some dance essay examples and pay attention to their structure. It also gives you an opportunity to polish or change the topic to write about.

Besides, our team has prepared a small guide on writing a dance essay. We have listed several ideas which will help you to write it as well.

If you need to write an essay on dance, it will probably be a narrative or descriptive one or even a critique of some sort. However, even the most creative academic papers have a rigid structure. So, you have to write a 5-paragraph essay. In this section, we will tell you how to do it.

To write an exemplary dance essay, you should follow these rules:

  • Developing a solid structure is your goal. It is vital for the reader’s understanding and evaluation of your essay. You’ll need an introduction with a thesis statement, 2-3 paragraphs with arguments and examples, and a conclusion. Creating a good outline will help you to stay focused and follow the structure. Here is how you can do it:
  • At first, read some background information about the style that interests you. Take some notes when you are watching a dance performance. Try to focus on small technical details as well as on your impression.
  • Decide what you are going to describe in your body paragraphs. Each of them should highlight one idea. Remember that the first sentence of a paragraph is a basis for the supportive sentences after it.
  • Write down a short summary of your central paragraphs. Focus on the main thoughts and keywords. It will help you to create the introduction and conclusion. Look at your notes once again to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything.
  • Descriptions are vital for your paper. Note everything you notice about the movements, choreography, music, costumes, scenery, props, and performance. Think about your personal response to what you see. Even if you write a narrative essay, you should focus on these aspects.

Provide your interpretation of the dance. Identify all the people whose performance you describe and use examples to support your assumptions. Connect what you’ve seen with your previous studies or experiences.

  • The style of your essay should be on point:
  • Use descriptive language. Action words should describe the qualities of the movements. Use vivid adjectives to describe the qualities of the details you notice.
  • Describe the actions in the present tense. But if you have chosen to write using past forms, don’t mix tense in the essay.
  • Follow the requirements of your educational institution. They may include a specific font, margins, and title pages. And don’t forget to write from the third-person perspective.
  • Check your grammar and spelling. Exclude repetitive sentences or phrases.
  • Leave the paper for a couple of hours and reread it. It should help to notice the possible flaws.

Having figured out the basic rules, we can move on to ideas for an essay on dancing. In this section, we have collected topics that you can use for inspiration or practice.

We suggest the following dance essay topics for your consideration:

  • Why is dance a form of art?
  • What makes a good dance?
  • National dances among African ethnicities.
  • How folk dance reflects the culture of a nation?
  • The history of hip-hop dance.
  • The importance of dance in my life.
  • The origin of Waltz and its significance.
  • The influence of modern dance on society.
  • The theory of seven movements in dancing.
  • The best dance performances in history.
  • The benefits of dancing for older people.
  • Teaching dance to young children is beneficial to their development.
  • Contemporary types of dance in Asian countries.
  • What are the disadvantages of a dancing career?
  • How does dance appreciation vary among different generations?
  • Dance as a way of socialization in high school and college.
  • How to critique a dance concert?

Thanks for reading till the end! Below you will find dance essay examples. Studying them will help you look at the topic from different angles and understand how to start writing your own paper.

82 Best Essay Examples on Dance

What is dance: definition and genres, benefits of dancing essay, history and development of dance.

  • Words: 1231

Garba Dance, Its History and Specifics: A Traditional Indian Dance

  • Words: 1129

Dance and Mathematics Relationship

Similarities between ballet and hip hop.

  • Words: 1223

Dance Analysis: Social and Cultural Context

Dance elements in “swan lake” and “night journey” ballets, igor stravinsky’s the rite of spring, dancing and singing as kinds of art, african influence on brazilian music: the samba.

  • Words: 1642

Traditional Chinese Lion Dance and Its Styles

  • Words: 1660

History of Samba in Brazilian Society: A Traditional Brazilian Dance

  • Words: 1243

Contemporary Dance: Continuity and Inimitability

  • Words: 1414

Poi Dance as Cultural Performance

Tango: origin, history, and characteristics.

  • Words: 1377

The Ritual Dance Important Elements

Dancing as a kind of art.

  • Words: 2761

Hip Hop Dance

Impact of the dance as education, history of dances in ireland, african dance taught by rujeko dumbutshena, space in dance theatre.

  • Words: 1686

Ballet and Jazz Dance: Styles Description

Dance as a cultural practice to alleviate nostalgia among immigrants.

  • Words: 8301

Connections Between Dances from Different Cultures

Modern dance in the united states, “rebellions in everynight life” by delgado and muñoz, the ballet “cave of the heart”, the “bellyache” dance by billie eilish, performance art: dance concept, how alvin ailey’s dances help with drug addiction.

  • Words: 1289

Flamingo or Flamenco Dance

Ballet, pavane, and bourée dances in praetorius’ “terpsichore”, dancing movement: review, music industry: celia cruz.

  • Words: 1458

Flamenco Music and Dance History: Spanish Carte-De-Visite Born in Andalusia

Loïe fuller: an american dancer and actor, enrico cecchetti’s influence on the russia ballet.

  • Words: 3538

Rudolf Nureyev as a Choreographer

American musical theatre and twyla tharp.

  • Words: 5536

The History of Hula: Art Analysis

  • Words: 1392

Classical Dance: Term Definition

History of capoeira in the brazilian community: social dance and form of martial arts.

  • Words: 1300

Jazz Social Dance and Impact on American Culture

Fukushima disaster in “falling out” dancing performance.

  • Words: 1110

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Its History

Dancing: choreographer doris humphrey.

  • Words: 1104

Flamenco Dance and History of Passion

“the power of myth” and “lord of the dance” films, ballet pas de deux: dance and architecture exhibition, the age of romanticism: dances articles analysis, mikhail baryshnikov’s biography and input to ballet, les ballets jazz de montreal and zero in on, the royal ballet dance in covent garden.

  • Words: 1402

Lindy Hop Dance: Development, Events, Figures

  • Words: 3036

Jazz Dance and Its Techniques

The grass dance cultural importance.

  • Words: 1085

Ballets: “Carmen” and “In the Upper Room”

Alvin ailey’ and alexander pushkin’ views on the modern dance.

  • Words: 1094

Swan Lake Choreographed by Matthew Bourne

The csn fall dance concert, 2008 beijing olympics performance, belly dancing: why the world knows little about it.

  • Words: 1629

Dancer Alvin Ailey: Techniques and Artistic Choices

Dance: alonzo king lines ballet.

  • Words: 1089

Chicano Folklore: Mexican Folk Dance

Mikhail baryshnikov’ dancing philosophy.

  • Words: 1112

The Dance Video “Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake 2”

Moon – solo dance by yang liping, flash: a new choreography, the way of geisha dance, dance education and culture.

  • Words: 4956

Miami Dance Project for Autistic Children

Ruth st. denis’s biography.

  • Words: 1111

Survey of Contemporary Dances

History of balinese dancing art.

  • Words: 1088

History and Development of Ballet

Capoeira dance history and popularity.

  • Words: 1589

Alvin Ailey – an Activist and American Choreographer

Hip hop dancing: the remarkable black beat.

  • Words: 1617

Modern Dance by Jiri Kylian

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As a Teenager in Europe, I Went to Nudist Beaches All the Time. 30 Years Later, Would the Experience Be the Same?

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In July 2017, I wrote an article about toplessness for Vogue Italia. The director, actor, and political activist Lina Esco had emerged from the world of show business to question public nudity laws in the United States with 2014’s Free the Nipple . Her film took on a life of its own and, thanks to the endorsement from the likes of Miley Cyrus, Cara Delevingne, and Willow Smith, eventually developed into a whole political movement, particularly on social media where the hashtag #FreeTheNipple spread at lightning speed. The same year as that piece, actor Alyssa Milano tweeted “me too” and encouraged others who had been sexually assaulted to do the same, building on the movement activist Tarana Burke had created more than a decade earlier. The rest is history.

In that Vogue article, I chatted with designer Alessandro Michele about a shared memory of our favorite topless beaches of our youth. Anywhere in Italy where water appeared—be it the hard-partying Riviera Romagnola, the traditionally chic Amalfi coast and Sorrento peninsula, the vertiginous cliffs and inlets of Italy’s continuation of the French Côte d’Azur or the towering volcanic rocks of Sicily’s mythological Riviera dei Ciclopi—one was bound to find bodies of all shapes and forms, naturally topless.

In the ’90s, growing up in Italy, naked breasts were everywhere and nobody thought anything about it. “When we look at our childhood photos we recognize those imperfect breasts and those bodies, each with their own story. I think of the ‘un-beauty’ of that time and feel it is actually the ultimate beauty,” Michele told me.

Indeed, I felt the same way. My relationship with toplessness was part of a very democratic cultural status quo. If every woman on the beaches of the Mediterranean—from the sexy girls tanning on the shoreline to the grandmothers eating spaghetti al pomodoro out of Tupperware containers under sun umbrellas—bore equally naked body parts, then somehow we were all on the same team. No hierarchies were established. In general, there was very little naked breast censorship. Free nipples appeared on magazine covers at newsstands, whether tabloids or art and fashion magazines. Breasts were so naturally part of the national conversation and aesthetic that Ilona Staller (also known as Cicciolina) and Moana Pozzi, two porn stars, cofounded a political party called the Love Party. I have a clear memory of my neighbor hanging their party’s banner out his window, featuring a topless Cicciolina winking.

A lot has changed since those days, but also since that initial 2017 piece. There’s been a feminist revolution, a transformation of women’s fashion and gender politics, the absurd overturning of Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction in New York, the intensely disturbing overturning of Roe v Wade and the current political battle over reproductive rights radiating from America and far beyond. One way or another, the female body is very much the site of political battles as much as it is of style and fashion tastes. And maybe for this reason naked breasts seem to populate runways and street style a lot more than they do beaches—it’s likely that being naked at a dinner party leaves more of a permanent mark than being naked on a glamorous shore. Naked “dressing” seems to be much more popular than naked “being.” It’s no coincidence that this year Saint Laurent, Chloé, Ferragamo, Tom Ford, Gucci, Ludovic de Saint Sernin, and Valentino all paid homage to sheer dressing in their collections, with lacy dresses, see-through tops, sheer silk hosiery fabric, and close-fitting silk dresses. The majority of Anthony Vaccarello’s fall 2024 collection was mostly transparent. And even off the runway, guests at the Saint Laurent show matched the mood. Olivia Wilde appeared in a stunning see-through dark bodysuit, Georgia May Jagger wore a sheer black halter top, Ebony Riley wore a breathtaking V-neck, and Elsa Hosk went for translucent polka dots.

In some strange way, it feels as if the trends of the ’90s have swapped seats with those of today. When, in 1993, a 19-year-old Kate Moss wore her (now iconic) transparent, bronze-hued Liza Bruce lamé slip dress to Elite Model Agency’s Look of the Year Awards in London, I remember seeing her picture everywhere and feeling in awe of her daring and grace. I loved her simple sexy style, with her otherworldly smile, the hair tied back in a bun. That very slip has remained in the collective unconscious for decades, populating thousands of internet pages, but in remembering that night Moss admitted that the nude look was totally unintentional: “I had no idea why everyone was so excited—in the darkness of Corinne [Day’s] Soho flat, the dress was not see-through!” That’s to say that nude dressing was usually mostly casual and not intellectualized in the context of a larger movement.

The Bride Reworked Her Late Mother’s Wedding Dress for Her Emotional Wedding in Portofino

But today nudity feels loaded in different ways. In April, actor and author Julia Fox appeared in Los Angeles in a flesh-colored bra that featured hairy hyper-realist prints of breasts and nipples, and matching panties with a print of a sewn-up vagina and the words “closed” on it, as a form of feminist performance art. Breasts , an exhibition curated by Carolina Pasti, recently opened as part of the 60th Venice Biennale at Palazzo Franchetti and showcases works that span from painting and sculpture to photography and film, reflecting on themes of motherhood, empowerment, sexuality, body image, and illness. The show features work by Cindy Sherman, Robert Mapplethorpe, Louise Bourgeois, and an incredible painting by Bernardino Del Signoraccio of Madonna dell’Umiltà, circa 1460-1540. “It was fundamental for me to include a Madonna Lactans from a historical perspective. In this intimate representation, the Virgin reveals one breast while nurturing the child, the organic gesture emphasizing the profound bond between mother and child,” Pasti said when we spoke.

Through her portrayal of breasts, she delves into the delicate balance of strength and vulnerability within the female form. I spoke to Pasti about my recent musings on naked breasts, which she shared in a deep way. I asked her whether she too noticed a disparity between nudity on beaches as opposed to the one on streets and runways, and she agreed. Her main concern today is around censorship. To Pasti, social media is still far too rigid around breast exposure and she plans to discuss this issue through a podcast that she will be launching in September, together with other topics such as motherhood, breastfeeding, sexuality, and breast cancer awareness.

With summer at the door, it was my turn to see just how much of the new reread on transparency would apply to beach life. In the last few years, I noticed those beaches Michele and I reminisced about have grown more conservative and, despite being the daughter of unrepentant nudists and having a long track record of militant topless bathing, I myself have felt a bit more shy lately. Perhaps a woman in her 40s with two children is simply less prone to taking her top off, but my memories of youth are populated by visions of bare-chested mothers surveilling the coasts and shouting after their kids in the water. So when did we stop? And why? When did Michele’s era of “un-beauty” end?

In order to get back in touch with my own naked breasts I decided to revisit the nudist beaches of my youth to see what had changed. On a warm day in May, I researched some local topless beaches around Rome and asked a friend to come with me. Two moms, plus our four children, two girls and two boys of the same ages. “Let’s make an experiment of this and see what happens,” I proposed.

The kids all yawned, but my friend was up for it. These days to go topless, especially on urban beaches, you must visit properties that have an unspoken nudist tradition. One of these in Rome is the natural reserve beach at Capocotta, south of Ostia, but I felt a bit unsure revisiting those sands. In my memory, the Roman nudist beaches often equated to encounters with promiscuous strangers behind the dunes. I didn’t want to expose the kids, so, being that I am now a wise adult, I went ahead and picked a compromise. I found a nude-friendly beach on the banks of the Farfa River, in the rolling Sabina hills.

We piled into my friend’s car and drove out. The kids were all whining about the experiment. “We don’t want to see naked mums!” they complained. “Can’t you just lie and say you went to a nudist beach?”

We parked the car and walked across the medieval fairy-tale woods until we reached the path that ran along the river. All around us were huge trees and gigantic leaves. It had rained a lot recently and the vegetation had grown incredibly. We walked past the remains of a Roman road. The colors all around were bright green, the sky almost fluorescent blue. The kids got sidetracked by the presence of frogs. According to the indications, the beach was about a mile up the river. Halfway down the path, we bumped into a couple of young guys in fanny packs. I scanned them for signs of quintessential nudist attitude, but realized I actually had no idea what that was. I asked if we were headed in the right direction to go to “the beach”. They nodded and gave us a sly smile, which I immediately interpreted as a judgment about us as mothers, and more generally about our age, but I was ready to vindicate bare breasts against ageism.

We reached a small pebbled beach, secluded and bordered by a huge trunk that separated it from the path. A group of girls was there, sharing headphones and listening to music. To my dismay they were all wearing the tops and bottoms of their bikinis. One of them was in a full-piece bathing suit and shorts. “See, they are all wearing bathing suits. Please don’t be the weird mums who don’t.”

At this point, it was a matter of principle. My friend and I decided to take our bathing suits off completely, if only for a moment, and jumped into the river. The boys stayed on the beach with full clothes and shoes on, horrified. The girls went in behind us with their bathing suits. “Are you happy now? my son asked. “Did you prove your point?”

I didn’t really know what my point actually was. I think a part of me wanted to feel entitled to those long-gone decades of naturalism. Whether this was an instinct, or as Pasti said, “an act that was simply tied to the individual freedom of each woman”, it was hard to tell. At this point in history, the two things didn’t seem to cancel each other out—in fact, the opposite. Taking off a bathing suit, at least for my generation who never had to fight for it, had unexpectedly turned into a radical move and maybe I wanted to be part of the new discourse. Also, the chances of me going out in a fully sheer top were slim these days, but on the beach it was different. I would always fight for an authentic topless experience.

After our picnic on the river, we left determined to make our way—and without children—to the beaches of Capocotta. In truth, no part of me actually felt very subversive doing something I had been doing my whole life, but it still felt good. Once a free breast, always a free breast.

This article was originally published on British Vogue .

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On Luxurious Ibiza, Essential Workers Are Forced to Live in Tent Cities

The Spanish island fills beachfront hotels and glittering dance clubs with wealthy tourists. But its teachers, firefighters and police officers can’t find a place to live.

A man in a black t-shirt and a woman in pink pants stand outside a tent surrounded by trees.

By Benjamin Cunningham

At 1,900 euros a month, the rent was not cheap. But Alicia Bocuñano still felt fortunate to find an apartment on Ibiza at that price. As a taxi driver pulling 16-hour days, Ms. Bocuñano, a single mother who grew up on this Spanish island, figured that a surplus from the busy summer months might be enough to make the rent.

But her would-be landlord wanted six months of rent plus a security deposit up front — close to €14,000, or about $15,300, in one shot. Though not quite legal in Spain’s tightly regulated rental sector, such demands are common on Ibiza, where wealthy tourists fill beachfront hotels and glittering dance clubs while the people who work in those places — not to mention the island’s teachers, firefighters and other essential workers — can’t find a place to live.

In lieu of a new apartment, Ms. Bocuñano, 38, spent a frightening two weeks sleeping in her car, then three months in a tent with her 10-year-old son, Raúl, by her side, before buying a used caravan in June. For a couple of months, she stationed the Caravelair-brand trailer in Can Rova, an ad hoc village of tents, shacks and campers on the outskirts of Ibiza Town, the island’s capital, just behind a dealership selling expensive powerboats. “When we first came here it was cold,” she said. “Like, very cold.”

Tent cities began popping up here in 2023, but they have mushroomed in size and number this year. Can Rova, the largest of three major camps in and around the capital, was home to some 280 people this summer. On a recent July night, six people and a dog were bedding down on the floor in Ms. Bocuñano’s caravan.

Many Can Rova residents said that, with nowhere else to go, they hoped to stay indefinitely. But on July 31, the police made good on a court order to clear the camp, which had been erected on private land. (The owner is currently embroiled in an array of zoning and legal disputes.) Many said they planned to relocate to one of the other camps, even as those sites lacked the electricity, water and perimeter fence that made Can Rova accommodating.

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  1. Essay on Dance in English for Students

    500 Words Essay On Dance. Dancer refers to a series of set of movement to music which we can either do alone or with a partner. Dancing helps us express our feelings and get active as well. If we look back at history, dance has been a part of our human history since the earliest records. Thus, an essay on dance will take us through it in detail.

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    dance, the movement of the body in a rhythmic way, usually to music and within a given space, for the purpose of expressing an idea or emotion, releasing energy, or simply taking delight in the movement itself. Dance is a powerful impulse, but the art of dance is that impulse channeled by skillful performers into something that becomes ...

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    Introduction. Dancing is an art that refers to the movements of body parts and especially to rhythmic and to music. Dancing is taken as a form of nonverbal communication that is used to express emotions, ideas or tell a story. Dances are social, participatory or performed for an audience. Moreover, dancing can also be ceremonial, erotic as well ...

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    Dance - Movement, Expression, Art: One of the most basic motives of dance is the expression and communication of emotion. People—and even certain animals—often dance as a way of releasing powerful feelings, such as sudden accesses of high spirits, joy, impatience, or anger. These motive forces can be seen not only in the spontaneous skipping, stamping, and jumping movements often performed ...

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    What Is Dance: Definition and Genres. Jazz dancing is a unique dance as it consists of dancers interpreting steps as well as moves in their own way. Benefits of Dancing Essay. Dance is an art that refers to the movement of part of the body, some of the parts or the whole body while keeping rhythmical to music.

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    Dance essay topics deal with the types of dance and their underlying philosophy, the cultural heritage represented by various types of dance, the history of specific types of dance, outfit for various dances, differences in hip hop, jazz, electronic, ballroom etc. dance, dances associated with different cultures, races, ethnicities.

  7. History and Development of Dance

    The history of dance can be traced back to the very beginnings of humankind history. Dance is ultimately a social event and signalizes occasions of social interaction: not incidentally, therefore, elements of dance can be observed even in such non-human societies as bee swarms and bird couples. Get a custom essay on History and Development of ...

  8. Definition of Dance, Essay Example

    There are different authors who claim dance is an art, others state it is a sport. Below the author will review the different approaches and definitions. Dance is a coordinated sequence of movements that serves the purpose of entertainment, expressing feelings and emotions, and also an exercise, according to the several definitions of dance.

  9. Definition Of Dance Essay

    The definition itself states that it is a form of dance that uses precise steps and light, graceful motions. This definition was in the minds of those who attended the Théâtre des Champs-Élysèes in May 1913, but rather they were greeted with the complete opposite.

  10. Dance Essay for Students in English

    This essay on dance will help students to understand the importance of dance and its different forms. For students' convenience, we have also compiled a list of CBSE Essays on different topics to brush up on their essay writing skills. Dance Is an Art. Dance connects us to society and culture in many universal and personal ways.

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    Definition Essay On Dancing. An individual may define dancing as the movement of one's feet and body, usually accompanied by music. To me, dancing has a more broader meaning. Dance is a unique type of art that involves challenging practices, callused feet, muscles that will be sore for weeks, beauty marks we call bruises, blisters, blood ...

  12. What Is Dance: Definition and Genres

    1. Introduction Dance is a powerful impulse, but the art of dance is that impulse channeled by skillful performers into something that becomes intensely expressive and that may delight spectators who feel no wish to dance themselves. These two concepts of the art of dance - as a powerful impulse and as a skillfully choreographed art practiced largely by a professional few - are the two most ...

  13. History of Dance: Universal Elements and Types of Dance

    See why leading organizations rely on MasterClass for learning & development. Dance has been part of human history since its earliest origins, bringing transcendence to spiritual rituals and creating bonds within communities. Dance styles have changed through history, but dance itself remains one of the most expressive physical art forms.

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    For more essay ideas, take a pick from one of our prompts below: 1. Dance As A Passion. If you have a passion for dancing, write your story about how you have discovered this passion. Describe what dancing does to your mind and body. Write about your dance style, how often you dance and what kinds of music you love dancing to.

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    Dance is an art form, often classified as a sport, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. [nb 1] Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire of movements or by its historical period or place of origin. [3]Dance is typically performed with musical accompaniment, and ...

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    An essay on this topic can be challenging to write, but it's possible. So, read this benefits of dancing essay. IvyPanda® Free Essays. Clear. Free Essays Saved samples; Study Hub. Study Blog. Q&A by Experts. Literature Guides. Essay Writing Scholarship ... What Is Dance: Definition and Genres. Dancing as a Kind of Art. Dancing: Choreographer ...

  19. About Dance Passion as Important Part of My Life

    In this essay about dance passion, I will discuss the role of dancing in my life. Dancing has been a special part of my life since I was a little girl. I always loved dancing because it cheerfully fills my heart. Dance is a unique art that only requires passion. It has changed my life in many ways. For me, this is one of the amazing methods of ...

  20. Dance and the Visual Arts

    Set and Reset (1983), choreographed by Brown with designs by Rauschenberg, is indicative of the sensuous saturation that can take place when dance and the visual arts converse. The creation of the work was supported by Jacob's Pillow through the Massachusetts Council on the Arts and has been presented at the festival several times.

  21. Is Dance a Language? Movement, Meaning and Communication

    So far in this essay I have argued that dance is different from language firstly. because the denotational or referential function is weak and secondly because phrases, sections or passages of movement constitute utterances rather than sentences. On the other hand I have demonstrated that dance justifiably can.

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    The Definition Of Dance. The flow of one's movements and expressions outcomes in a certain chain of movements. When a person can convey the moves with the body, it is certainly a gift. Moreover, the fact of touching upon one's feelings and abilities is the treasure of one's skills. For me, a definition of a dance cannot be restricted only ...

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    Free Dance Essay Examples & Topics. Updated: Mar 12th, 2024. 82 samples. Dance has been a part of human civilization and culture for centuries. It is one of the best tools for entertainment and communication. What's more, people choose it as a way of self-expression, a hobby, or an occupation. There are many types of dances.

  25. As a Teenager in Europe, I Went to Nudist Beaches All the Time. 30

    With 2024's runways awash with see-through silhouettes, Chiara Barzini recalls the topless beach trips of her youth and asks, what does naked dressing really reveal about us?

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  27. On Luxurious Ibiza, Essential Workers Are Forced to Live in Tent Cities

    The Spanish island fills beachfront hotels and glittering dance clubs with wealthy tourists. But its teachers, firefighters and police officers can't find a place to live. By Benjamin Cunningham ...