There is more to dance than moving your body to the rhythms of music. Whether the dance movements are energetic, funny, slow or romantic, dances are great way to express yourself in the most beautiful way. Dances have been a part of numerous cultures since ancient times across the world. It is considered as a form of self-expression, medium for social interaction and part of religious rituals. Sometimes, dance is also used to convey a message or narrate a story. Dance is an entertaining act, even if a person doesn’t know dancing still he loves to watch people dancing. Some people are very passionate about dancing and take it up as a career. If you are wondering what are the popular dances around the world? Here is a list of popular dances around the world:
Ballet
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Ballet was originated in the Italian Renaissance during the 15th century and later developed into a concert dance form in Russia and France. The word ‘ballet’ is derived from the Latin term ‘ballo’ and ‘ballare’, which means ‘to dance’. It is a complicated dance form which is usually performed with orchestral or vocal music. There are a number of ballet movements – attitude, tendu, demi-ponte, frappe, and more, each of them have unique steps. Ballet has evolved over the centuries and came under numerous cultural influences which have given birth to different ballet styles – Classical Ballet, Romantic Ballet, Neoclassical Ballet and Contemporary Ballet. Romantic Ballet (Ballet Blanc), is the most widely performed ballet. Students who are interested in the dance form needs to take Ballet Dance Classes while they are still very young.
Bharatanatyam
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Bharatanatyam is a very popular Indian classical dance form that originated in the temples of Tamil Nadu, almost 2000 years back. It was originally knowns as ‘Dasiyattam’ which means ‘dance of the maid servants’. Bhartanatyam is one of the most popular and evolved dance forms of all the Classical Dance forms in India. The dance form consists of four important aspects – Emotions, Melody, Rhythm, and Dance. Bharatanatyam, is known for its grace, elegance, tenderness, purity and sculpturesque poses. It strictly adheres to the scripture of Indian Classical dance. Considered as a fire-dance, the dance form is powerful and mystical. It is a very popular Indian Classical Dance Form which is also popular around the world.
Break dance or Breaking or B-boying
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Break dance was originally known as b-boying or breaking. It is a popular street style dance originated among African American and Puerto Rican youth, during the 1970s. The dance form became popular in a number of countries – South Korea, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, France, Russia and Germany, during the 80s due to huge media attention. Breakdancing consists of four different movement – downrock, toprock, power moves and freezes. The dance is performed to the tunes of breakbeats, funk music and hip-hop, along with a wide variety tempo and beat patterns. An individual who practices Break Dance is called a breaker or b-girl or b-boy.
Salsa
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Salsa is a partner dance form originated in New York during the 1970s. The dance form has strong influences from Eastern Cuba, Puerto Rico and Colombia. Salsa means sauce, which indicates the mixing of various ingredients to create something new. It is indeed a mixture of different dance forms – Cha-cha-cha, Cuban Son, Mambo and more, and a mix of various African, Spanish and Caribbean music elements. There are different styles of Salsa such as New York, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Colombian styles, which you can mostly find in the Caribbean and Latin America countries. The dance form often has a connotation of being hot and spicy.
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