Do You Want To Do You Want To DanceDance??

““PURPOSES & STYLES OF DANCE”PURPOSES & STYLES OF DANCE”

©2006 EvaMedia Inc.

Or simply Or simply learn a bit learn a bit

more about more about this this

art form?art form?

Remember,there are 3 Purposes3 Purposes of dance:

•CeremoniaCeremonia

ll (Ritual)(Ritual)

•RecreationRecreational al (Social)(Social)

•Artistic Artistic ExpressionExpression (Performance)(Performance)

Types of Ceremonial Dances …

• harvest• worship• marriage• coming-of-age• honoring nature• courage• good weather• celebration

Types of Recreational Dances …

• ballroom• line dancing• aerobics• hobby• social gatherings• games

Artistic Dances …

• express emotions or feelings• communicate ideas• share information• attempt to persuade• exhibit great technical skills• engage an audience• showcase choreographic

talent

So, what kinds of So, what kinds of dancesdances

do people create?do people create?

There are two basic There are two basic types of dancing ...types of dancing ...

•Dances for participation• these do not need an audience

•Performance dances• intended for an audience

Some dances tell a storytell a story

• These are called NARRATIVE dances

• Classical ballet is often narrative(The Nutcracker, Swan Lake)

• Folk or ceremonial dances are sometimes narrative, too

People learn to dance

in several

ways

1. Some take formal classes ….

2. Others learn from the people around them ...

OR

3. Make updances on their own

So, how do we defineSo, how do we define

different STYLES of different STYLES of dancing?dancing?

Ballet

•highly highly stylizedstylized

•traditionally traditionally uses classical uses classical musicmusic

•performance performance dancedance

Folk• these are often these are often

group dancesgroup dances• passed from passed from

generation to generation to generationgeneration

• often often culturally culturally specificspecific

• participation participation dancingdancing

Social (or Popular)

• recreationalrecreational• relatively easy to learnrelatively easy to learn• usually originates usually originates

from the people, not from the people, not choreographerschoreographers

• often ‘couples’ dancingoften ‘couples’ dancing• usually popular for a usually popular for a

short time onlyshort time only

Modern

• free-flowing, free-flowing, creative dance creative dance stylestyle

• one artist is usually one artist is usually both dancer and both dancer and choreographerchoreographer

• can be for can be for participation or participation or performanceperformance

Jazz• American stage American stage

dancedance• uses jazz music uses jazz music

as its basisas its basis• performance performance

dancedance• used often in used often in

musical theatremusical theatre

Tap

• American American performance danceperformance dance

• characterized by characterized by percussive percussive footwork and footwork and precise rhythmic precise rhythmic patternspatterns(feet as rhythm (feet as rhythm instruments!)instruments!)

Theatrical Dance• designed for designed for

performance in performance in musical musical theatre, dance theatre, dance concerts and concerts and moviesmovies

• requires an requires an audienceaudience

• often combines often combines several stylesseveral styles (ballet, jazz, folk, (ballet, jazz, folk, modern, tap, etc.)modern, tap, etc.)

Dance has many Dance has many styles...styles...

… which depend on

creative movementcreative movement combined with

musicmusic (or sound) & moodmood

You don’t have to be a You don’t have to be a dancer…dancer…

… … to to appreciatappreciate dance e dance … … a a difficultdifficult, , beautifulbeautiful, , culturally culturally importantimportant, and , and funfun art form! art form!

Just Just dance !dance !

Dance Dance

!!

Dance Dance !!