Introduction - What is Dance?
Definition
verb:
to move one's feet or body, or both, rhythmically in a pattern of steps, especially to the accompaniment of music.
noun:
a successive group of rhythmical steps or bodily motions, or both, usually executed to music.
The History of Dance in a Beat
Dance has been part of people's lives since the earliest civilizations as an expression of thoughts, emotion, religion, and means of storytelling. The first genre of dance, ballet, was initiated in the 16th and 17th centuries in Italy. A short while later, Louis XIV developed ballet's technique and the form of dance became popular for entertainment among the most prestige nobles in France. Eventually, ballet became prominent all over the world. During the Romantic Period, England debuted pointe and began choreographing routines that allowed the dancer to express emotion and use his or her body to the greatest ability. The 20th and 21st centuries gave rise to the postmodernism period, when dance genres such as contemporary, jazz, tap, and hip-hop made their debuts. Regardless of what style of dance one is performing, he/she has to understand the principles of physics in order to perform pirouettes at a certain speed, balance (whether it be on two feet, one foot, on pointe, or on demi-pointe), and minimize or maximize the height and length of a leap.
verb:
to move one's feet or body, or both, rhythmically in a pattern of steps, especially to the accompaniment of music.
noun:
a successive group of rhythmical steps or bodily motions, or both, usually executed to music.
The History of Dance in a Beat
Dance has been part of people's lives since the earliest civilizations as an expression of thoughts, emotion, religion, and means of storytelling. The first genre of dance, ballet, was initiated in the 16th and 17th centuries in Italy. A short while later, Louis XIV developed ballet's technique and the form of dance became popular for entertainment among the most prestige nobles in France. Eventually, ballet became prominent all over the world. During the Romantic Period, England debuted pointe and began choreographing routines that allowed the dancer to express emotion and use his or her body to the greatest ability. The 20th and 21st centuries gave rise to the postmodernism period, when dance genres such as contemporary, jazz, tap, and hip-hop made their debuts. Regardless of what style of dance one is performing, he/she has to understand the principles of physics in order to perform pirouettes at a certain speed, balance (whether it be on two feet, one foot, on pointe, or on demi-pointe), and minimize or maximize the height and length of a leap.
Picture above from: http://voices.nationalgeographic.com//files/2013/01/KIKECALVO_Ballet_Science_YALE-600x398.jpg