Dance is...
Dance is an art form that uses movement to communicate our ideas, feelings, and experiences.
Dance can be broken down into the following five elements: Body, Action, Space, Time, Energy.
Body: Who Dances? The Dancer!
Imagine a body moving with rhythmic purpose and motions, usually performing to music. That’s dance. Sounds simple, right? Dance critic Walter Terry put it best this way:
“No paints nor brushes, marbles nor chisels, pianos or violins are needed to make this art, for we are the stuff that dance is made of. It is born in our body, exists in our body and dies in our body. Dance, then, is the most personal of all the arts . . . it springs from the very breath of life.”
Inspired by Africa
African diasporic dance
Denotes those dances and dance traditions Africans brought with them and passed on to their descendants during the great "scattering," or diaspora.
Beginning with the slave trade to Portugal in the fifteenth century and lasting well into the nineteenth century, between ten and thirteen million Africans were enslaved and displaced throughout the Americas. With them came African worldviews that meshed the material and spiritual worlds and incorporated music and dance into life's every aspect.
Gombey
Originated from west Africa, the Gombey dance is a unique art performance. This west African dance has several elements, like, colors, intricate masquerade, drumming, and loads of dancing.
Moreover, this traditional African dance reflects the island's blend of African, Caribbean, and British cultures.
In Latin America
Samba
A musical genre and dance that originated in Brazil in the early 20th century.
It is known for its incredibly fast footwork and hip movement, and is a staple dance in the festival of Carnaval in Brazil.
Pachanga
A dance style and music genre that originated in Cuba in the 1950s.
Pachanga is characterized by a bouncing movement which comes from the bending and straightening of the knees, and also incorporates gliding and sliding movements.
Cultures of the East
Belly dance
Middle Eastern and Belly Dance forms focus on the presence of the dancer as self-contained performer.
Exquisite, graceful movements and a sense of total self-awareness are major factors in the popularity of Middle Eastern dance as a form of exercise, therapy, and creative enjoyment.
Garba
Garba comes from Gujarat which is a traditional dance form dedicated to Goddess Durga.
It is performed in a couple on the typical Gujarati music, and the sticks are used to perform this art form.
Dance is for Everyone
There are so many more beautiful dances in the world that mean so much to the people involved in its culture.
Dance isn't just movement, but a connection to your body, ancestors and nature.
Dancing brings me joy and transports me to a stressless place.
Why do you dance?