social dance
Quick Summary
Social dance refers to dances performed for social and recreational purposes, often in couples or groups. Unlike theatrical performances, social dances typically lack strict formations, though spontaneous circles or lines may form.12
Well-known social dances include the waltz, fox-trot, tango, rumba, samba, and cha-cha. These dances are characterized by specific step patterns, rhythms, and tempos. For instance, the fox-trot involves a slow-slow-quick-quick rhythm, while the waltz is a three-step dance.2
Historically, social dancing has evolved significantly, influenced by various cultures and music genres. The 20th century saw a revolution in social dancing with the infusion of Afro-American jazz, leading to more free, relaxed, and intimate styles. Post-World War II dances like the jitterbug and later rock and roll styles often featured less physical contact between partners, emphasizing individual expression. In the mid-1970s, disco dancing brought a return to partner dancing with choreographed steps.3
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danceMusicSocial dance is nearly always accompanied by music, which not only helps to keep the dancers in time with each other but also increases the power and excitement of the dance, encouraging the dancers to abandon themselves to their movements. Sometimes individual dances have developed…
Read MoreSocial dance is nearly always accompanied by music, which not only helps to keep the dancers in time with each other but also increases the power and excitement of the dance, encouraging the dancers to abandon themselves to their movements. Sometimes individual dances have developed…
Read More- danceSocial dance
When the early European folk dances—particularly the courtship forms—were incorporated into court dances, they lost many of their boisterous and pantomimic elements. The man no longer thrust forward to embrace the woman or lifted her vigorously into the air, but simply knelt and…
Read MoreWhen the early European folk dances—particularly the courtship forms—were incorporated into court dances, they lost many of their boisterous and pantomimic elements. The man no longer thrust forward to embrace the woman or lifted her vigorously into the air, but simply knelt and…
Read More
Latin American danceSocial dancesUpper-class immigrants from Europe brought with them their fashionable social dances (los bailes de salón). The aristocracy of the viceroyalties kept up with a succession of popular European dances. These included open-couple dances, in which couples generally did not touch—such as minuet, allemande,…
Read MoreUpper-class immigrants from Europe brought with them their fashionable social dances (los bailes de salón). The aristocracy of the viceroyalties kept up with a succession of popular European dances. These included open-couple dances, in which couples generally did not touch—such as minuet, allemande,…
Read More
Western dance…communal or ritual dances, of social dances enjoyed by many different levels of society, and of skilled theatrical dances that followed distinct but often overlapping lines of development.
Read More…communal or ritual dances, of social dances enjoyed by many different levels of society, and of skilled theatrical dances that followed distinct but often overlapping lines of development.
Read More- Western danceSocial dance
Postwar social dancing was marked by continuing exuberance and enthusiasm. Dances such as the jitterbug, popular throughout the 1930s and ’40s, included lively turns and lifts with rapid footwork. Motion pictures and television helped to spread such rock and roll dances as the…
Read MorePostwar social dancing was marked by continuing exuberance and enthusiasm. Dances such as the jitterbug, popular throughout the 1930s and ’40s, included lively turns and lifts with rapid footwork. Motion pictures and television helped to spread such rock and roll dances as the…
Read More