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Folk Dancing
Published September 12, 2009 | 
Do you remember in Middle School in the Gym with all the girls grouped together to learn how to do social dancing? I always believed it was because the weather was crappy outside and that was on the list of things we were to learn that semester. Kind of like Health one semester, team sports another. There we were all grouped out in 5 or 6 girls to a circle and were told we had to learn how to “Swing Your Partner” or the Virginia Reel. I can’t remember exactly what all we had to do but mostly it was embarrassing. When I think back on it, it is still embarrassing but I would hope that today’s teenagers are still getting to do them. Square Dancing is great exercise even if the music is kind of corny and the moves are as well. Dancing teaches us coordination and cooperation as well as a little bit about our culture.
“Folk dance is a form of dance developed by a group of people that reflects the traditional life of the people of a certain country or region. Folk dancing originated in the 18th century to distinguish dance forms of common people from those of the upper classes. The steps of folk dances are passed through generations, rarely being changed. Folk dancing is usually associated with social activities, although some folk dances are performed competitively.
Many children’s games are traditional folk dances, such as “The Farmer in the Dell” and “London Bridge.” Today, popular folk dances include square dancing, clogging, contra dancing, highland dancing and Irish jigs.”
So if your teenager comes home complaining about the dumb square dancing he or she had to do in GYM that day call up the school and tell them THANK YOU! It may seem kind of silly but it is a great way to get kids to interact together in a positive way as well as learn a little something about our culture.
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Posted in Group Dancing | 
Folk Dancing, Middle School Dancing, Square Dancing, Virgnia Reel | 
Leave a commentTypes of Dance
Published August 18, 2009 | There are over 460 different types of dances listed in wiki at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dances
The list is probably not complete so if you see that the dance that you do in your area is not listed participate with wiki and add it to the list!
As I was looking over the listing I didn’t recognize half of them. But I know that dance types can also be categorized in styles as well. For the purposes of this blog we will say that Types are the names of each one of the dances where as Styles is the grouping of those types.
Ballet: Ballet is a formalized type of performance dance, which originated in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century French courts, and which was further developed in England, Italy, and Russia as a concert dance form. Classical ballet is the most formal of the ballet styles; it adheres to traditional ballet technique. There are variations relating to area of origin, such as Russian ballet, French ballet, and Italian ballet.Neoclassical ballet is a ballet style that uses traditional ballet vocabulary but is less rigid than the classical ballet. For example, dancers often dance at more extreme tempos and perform more technical feats. Contemporary ballet is a form of dance influenced by both classical ballet and modern dance. It takes its technique and use of pointe work from classical ballet, although it permits a greater range of movement that may not adhere to the strict body lines set forth by schools of ballet technique.
Ballroom dance refers to a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world. Its performance and entertainment aspects are also widely enjoyed on stage, in film, and on television. Under the umbrella “ballroom dance” include Nightclub Dances such as Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, Nightclub Two Step, Hustle, Salsa, and Merengue.
Belly Dancing: Belly dance is a Western term for traditional Arab dance styles, especially raqs sharqi. It is sometimes called “Middle Eastern Dance” or “Arabic Dance” in the United States, or by the Turkish term çiftetelli. Belly dance is a misnomer as all parts of the body are involved in the dance, the most featured body part in raqs sharqi being the hips. Different regions have different styles including Egyptian Belly Dance; Turkish Belly Dance; American Belly Dance; Australian Belly Dance; Canadian Belly Dance and Belly Dance in the UK.
Folk: The term “folk dance” is sometimes applied to certain dances of historical importance in European culture and history; typically originated before 20th century. For other cultures the terms “ethnic dance” or “traditional dance” are sometimes used, although the latter terms may encompass ceremonial dances. Types of folk dance include clogging, English country dance, international folk dance, Irish dance, Maypole dance, Morris dance, Nordic polska dance, Ball de bastons, square dance, and sword dance.
LATIN: Latin dance includes a wide range of dances originating in Latin America and Cuba. Examples include the Cha-cha-cha, Rumba, Samba, Salsa, Mambo, danza, Merengue, Tumba, Bachata, Cumbia, and Bolero
Street: Street dance is also commonly used to identify the many hip-hop and funk dance styles that began appearing in the United States in the 1970s and are still alive and evolving within hip-hop culture today. These styles include breaking, popping, locking.
There are more styles and each styles has it own set of rules and of course, costumes! We will be addresses each style and providing videos for each. Check back often.
Cheers!
jolenemac7
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