View source for Dance

{{Short description|Art form consisting of body movement}}
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{{Essay|date=June 2023}}
[[File:Two dancers.jpg|alt=A man and woman, mid-leap|thumb|Two [[modern dance]]rs]]
{{Performing arts}}
'''Dance''' is an [[The arts|art form]], consisting of sequences of body movements with [[aesthetic]] and often [[Symbol|symbolic]] value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its [[choreography]], by its repertoire of movements or by its [[History of dance|historical period]] or [[List of ethnic, regional, and folk dances by origin|place of origin]]. Dance is typically performed with [[Music|musical accompaniment]], and sometimes with the dancer simultaneously using a musical instrument themselves.

Two common types of group dance are [[Concert dance|theatrical]] and [[Participation dance|participatory]] dance. Both types of dance may have special functions, whether social, ceremonial, [[Competitive dance|competitive]], [[Erotic dance|erotic]], [[War dance|martial]], [[Sacred dance|sacred]] or [[Liturgical dance|liturgical]]. Dance is not solely restricted to performance, as dance is used as a form of exercise and occasionally training for other sports and activities. Dance performances and dancing competitions are found across the world exhibiting various different styles and standards.

Dance may also be participated in alone as a form of exercise or self expression. Dancing is common human behaviour, and does not necessarily require specific choreography.

== Theatrical and participatory dance ==
[[File:GDC onlywayaround.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.35|Members of an American jazz [[dance company]] perform a formal group routine in a [[concert dance]] setting.]]{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2023}}
Theatrical dance, also called performance or [[concert dance]], is intended primarily as a spectacle, usually a [[performance]] upon a [[Stage (theater)|stage]] by [[virtuoso]] dancers. It often tells a [[narrative|story]], potentially using [[Mime artist|mime]], [[Dance costumes|costume]] and [[Theatrical scenery|scenery]], or it may [[Interpretive dance|interpret the musical accompaniment]], which is often specially composed and performed in a theatre setting but it is not a requirement. Examples are Western [[ballet]] and [[modern dance]], [[Classical Indian dance]] such as [[Bharatanatyam]], and Chinese and Japanese song and dance dramas, such as the [[dragon dance]]. Most classical forms are centred upon dance alone, but performance dance may also appear in [[opera]] and other forms of [[musical theatre]].

Participatory dance, whether it be a [[folk dance]], a [[social dance]], a group dance such as a [[Line dance|line]], [[Circle dance|circle]], [[Medieval dance#Other Chain Dances|chain]] or [[square dance]], or a [[partner dance]], such as in [[Ballroom dance|Western ballroom dancing]], is undertaken primarily for a common purpose, such as [[social interaction]] or [[exercise]], or building flexibility of participants rather than to serve any benefit to onlookers. Such dance seldom has any narrative. A group dance and a ''[[corps de ballet]]'', a social partner dance and a ''[[pas de deux]]'', differ profoundly. Even a [[solo dance]] or [[interpretive dance]] may be undertaken solely for the satisfaction of the dancer. Participatory dancers often all employ the same movements and steps but, for example, in the [[rave culture]] of [[electronic dance music]], vast crowds may engage in [[free dance]], uncoordinated with those around them. On the other hand, some cultures lay down strict rules as to the particular dances people may or must participate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Theatrical and Social Dance {{!}} sound-heritage.soton.ac.uk |url=https://sound-heritage.ac.uk/dance/theatrical-and-social-dance |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=sound-heritage.ac.uk |archive-date=2024-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241207101200/https://sound-heritage.ac.uk/dance/theatrical-and-social-dance |url-status=live }}</ref>

== History ==
{{Main|History of dance}}
[[File:Dancing painting at Bhimbetka.jpg|thumb|left|Mesolithic dancers at Bhimbetka]]
[[archeology|Archaeological]] evidence for early dance includes 10,000-years-old paintings in [[Madhya Pradesh, India]] at the [[Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka]],<ref name="YM">{{cite book |last1=Mathpal |first1=Yashodhar |title=Prehistoric Painting Of Bhimbetka |date=1984 |publisher=Abhinav Publications |isbn=9788170171935 |page=220 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GG7-CpvlU30C&pg=PA220 |language=en}}</ref> and [[ancient Egypt|Egyptian]] tomb paintings depicting dancing figures, dated {{Circa|3300 BC}}. It has been proposed that before the invention of written languages, dance was an important part of the oral and performance methods of passing stories down from one generation to the next.<ref name="lecomte">Nathalie Comte. "Europe, 1450 to 1789: Encyclopedia of the Early Modern World". Ed. Jonathan Dewald. Vol. 2. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2004. pp&nbsp;94–108.</ref> The use of dance in [[Ecstasy (emotion)|ecstatic]] [[altered state of consciousness|trance states]] and healing rituals (as observed today in many contemporary indigenous cultures) is thought to have been another early factor in the social development of dance.<ref name="guenther">Guenther, Mathias Georg. 'The San Trance Dance: Ritual and Revitalization Among the Farm Bushmen of the Ghanzi District, Republic of Botswana.' Journal, South West Africa Scientific Society, v. 30, 1975–76.</ref>
[[File:Dancers and musicians on a Sasanian bowl.jpg|thumb|Dancers and musicians on a Sasanian bowl, Iran]]
References to dance can be found in very early recorded history; [[Greek dance]] (''[[Choros (dance)|choros]]'') is referred to by [[Plato]], [[Aristotle]], [[Plutarch]] and [[Lucian]].<ref>Raftis, Alkis, ''The World of Greek Dance'' Finedawn, Athens (1987) p25.</ref> The [[Bible]] and [[Talmud]] refer to many events related to dance, and contain over 30 different dance terms.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Kadman|first=Gurit|date=1952|title=Yemenite Dances and Their Influence on the New Israeli Folk Dances|jstor=835838|journal=Journal of the International Folk Music Council|volume=4|pages=27–30|doi=10.2307/835838}}</ref> In [[History of Chinese classical dance|Chinese]] pottery as early as the [[Neolithic]] period, groups of people are depicted dancing in a line holding hands,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://en.chnmuseum.cn/Default.aspx?TabId=549&AntiqueLanguageID=3002|title=Basin with design of dancers|publisher=National Museum of China|language=en-US|access-date=2017-05-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811060221/http://en.chnmuseum.cn/(S(qskmzwqsztmrds45bof052bh))/Default.aspx?TabId=549&AntiqueLanguageID=3002|archive-date=2017-08-11|url-status=dead}} Pottery from the [[Majiayao culture]] (3100 BC to 2700 BC)</ref> and the earliest Chinese word for "dance" is found written in the [[oracle bones]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=The history of Chinese dance|last=Kʻo-fen|first=Wang|date=1985|publisher=Foreign Languages Press|isbn=978-0-8351-1186-7|oclc=977028549|page=7}}</ref> Dance is described in the ''[[Lüshi Chunqiu]]''.<ref name="aesthetic tradition">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d1eZuB2xwYwC&pg=PA5|title=The Chinese aesthetic tradition|first1=Zehou|last1=Li|first2=Maija Bell|last2=Samei|date=2010|publisher=University of Hawaiʻi Press|isbn=978-0-8248-3307-7|oclc=960030161|page=5}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=en&id=23281|title=Lü Shi Chun Qiu|last=Sturgeon|first=Donald|website=Chinese Text Project Dictionary|language=zh|access-date=2017-05-23|quote=Original text: 昔葛天氏之樂，三人操牛尾，投足以歌八闋|archive-date=2022-07-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705152247/https://ctext.org/dictionary.pl?if=en|url-status=live}}</ref> Primitive dance in ancient China was associated with sorcery and shamanic rituals.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Schafer|first=Edward H.|date=June 1951|title=Ritual Exposure in Ancient China|journal=Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies|volume=14|issue=1/2|pages=130–184|doi=10.2307/2718298|jstor=2718298|issn=0073-0548}}</ref>
[[File:Bronze Statuette of a Veiled and Masked Dancer 1.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|Greek bronze statuette of a veiled and masked dancer, 3rd–2nd century BC, Alexandria, Egypt]]
During the first millennium [[common era|BCE]] in India, many texts were composed which attempted to codify aspects of daily life. [[Bharata Muni]]'s ''[[Natya Shastra]]'' (literally ''"the text of dramaturgy"'') is one early text. It mainly deals with drama, in which dance plays an important part in Indian culture. A strong continuous tradition of dance has since continued in India, through to modern times, where it continues to play a role in culture, ritual, and the [[Bollywood]] entertainment industry. Many other [[contemporary dance]] forms can likewise be traced back to [[Historical dance|historical]], [[Traditional dance|traditional]], ceremonial, and [[List of dances sorted by ethnicity|ethnic]] dance.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dance {{!}} Ministry of Culture, Government of India |url=https://www.indiaculture.gov.in/dance |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=www.indiaculture.gov.in |archive-date=2024-07-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240730074450/https://www.indiaculture.gov.in/dance |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Music ==
{{main|Dance music}}
[[File:Dancing girls in concert.jpg|thumb|right|Two women dance at a [[pop music]] concert in [[Sofia, Bulgaria]].]]
Dance is generally, but not exclusively, performed with the accompaniment of [[music]] and may or may not be performed in [[time signature|time]] to such music. Some dance (such as [[tap dance]] or [[gumboot dance]]) may provide its own audible accompaniment in place of (or in addition to) music. Many early forms of music and dance were created for each other and are frequently performed together. Notable examples of traditional dance-music couplings include the [[jig]], [[waltz]], [[Tango music|tango]], [[disco]], and [[Salsa (dance)|salsa]]. Some [[musical genre]]s have a parallel dance form such as [[baroque music]] and [[baroque dance]]; other varieties of dance and music may share nomenclature but developed separately, such as [[Classical music era|classical music]] and [[classical ballet]]. The choreography and music are meant to complement each other, to express a story told by the choreographer and dancers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Relationship Between Dance And Music {{!}}{{!}} Dotted Music|url=https://dottedmusic.com/2014/lifestyle/relationship-between-dance-and-music/|access-date=2021-10-27|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-10-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027171112/https://dottedmusic.com/2014/lifestyle/relationship-between-dance-and-music/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Rhythm ==
[[Rhythm]] and dance are deeply linked in history and practice. The American dancer [[Ted Shawn]] wrote; "The conception of rhythm which underlies all studies of the dance is something about which we could talk forever, and still not finish."<ref name="Shawn 50">Shawn, Ted, ''Dance We Must'', 1946, Dennis Dobson Ltd., London, p. 50</ref> A musical rhythm requires two main elements; a regularly-repeating [[pulse (music)|pulse]] (also called the "beat" or "tactus") that establishes the [[tempo]], and a pattern of [[Accent (music)|accents]] and [[Rest (music)|rests]] that establishes the character of the [[Meter (music)|metre or basic rhythmic pattern]]. The basic pulse is roughly equal in duration to a simple step or gesture.
[[File:Tango rhythm.svg|thumb|A basic tango rhythm]]
Dances generally have a characteristic tempo and rhythmic pattern. The tango, for example, is usually danced in {{music|time|2|4}} time at approximately 66 beats per minute. The basic slow step, called a "slow", lasts for one beat, so that a full "right–left" step is equal to one {{music|time|2|4}} measure. The basic forward and backward walk of the dance is so counted – "slow-slow" – while many additional figures are counted "slow – quick-quick".<ref>Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, ''Ballroom Dancing'', Teach Yourself Books, Hodder and Stoughton, 1977, p. 38</ref>

Repetitive body movements often depend on alternating "strong" and "weak" muscular movements.<ref name="Kirstein 4">Lincoln Kirstein, ''Dance'', Dance Horizons Incorporated, New York, 1969, p. 4</ref> Given this alternation of left-right, of forward-backward and rise-fall, along with the [[Symmetry in biology|bilateral symmetry]] of the human body, many dances and much music are in [[duple and quadruple meter]]. Since some such movements require more time in one phase than the other – such as the longer time required to lift a hammer than to strike – some dance rhythms fall into [[triple metre]].<ref>Shawn, Ted, ''Dance We Must'', 1946, Dennis Dobson Ltd., London, p. 49</ref> Occasionally, as in [[Music of Southeastern Europe|the folk dances of the Balkans]], dance traditions depend heavily on more complex rhythms. Complex dances composed of a fixed sequence of steps require phrases and melodies of a certain fixed length to accompany that sequence.

[[File:Lululaund - The Dancing Girl (painting and silk cloth. A.L. Baldry 1901, before p.107).jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.6|''Lululaund – The Dancing Girl'' (painting and silk cloth. A.L. Baldry 1901, before p. 107), The inscription reads; "Dancing is a form of rhythm/ Rhythm is a form of music/ Music is a form of thought/ And thought is a form of divinity."]]
Musical accompaniment arose in the earliest dance, so that ancient Egyptians attributed the origin of the dance to the divine Athotus, who was said to have observed that music accompanying religious rituals caused participants to move rhythmically and to have brought these movements into proportional measure. The idea that dance arises from musical rhythm, was found in [[renaissance]] Europe, in the works of the dancer [[Guglielmo Ebreo da Pesaro]]. Pesaro speaks of dance as a physical movement that arises from and expresses inward, spiritual motion agreeing with the "measures and perfect concords of harmony" that fall upon the human ear,<ref name="Kirstein 4" /> while earlier, [[Mechthild of Magdeburg]], seizing upon dance as a symbol of the holy life foreshadowed in Jesus' saying "I have piped and ye have not danced",<ref>Matthew 11:17</ref> writes;

{{blockquote|I can not dance unless thou leadest. If thou wouldst have me spring aloft, sing thou and I will spring, into love and from love to knowledge and from knowledge to ecstasy above all human sense<ref>Lincoln Kirstein, ''Dance'', Dance Horizons Incorporated, New York, 1969, p. 108</ref>}}

[[Thoinot Arbeau]]'s celebrated 16th-century dance-treatise ''Orchésographie'', indeed, begins with definitions of over eighty distinct drum-rhythms.<ref>Lincoln Kirstein, ''Dance'', Dance Horizons Incorporated, New York, 1969, p. 157</ref>

[[File:Dancing with Helen Moller; her own statement of her philosophy and practice and teaching formed upon the classic Greek model, and adapted to meet the aesthetic and hygienic needs of to-day, with (14784705065).jpg|thumb|upright|Helen Moller]]
[[File:La Valse.jpg|thumb|upright|''[[The Waltz (Claudel)|The Waltz]]'' by [[Camille Claudel]], 1905 cast]]
Dance has been represented through the ages as having emerged as a response to music yet, as [[Lincoln Kirstein]] implied, it is at least as likely that primitive music arose from dance. Shawn concurs, stating that dance "was the first art of the human race, and the matrix out of which all other arts grew" and that even the "[[Meter (poetry)|metre]] in our poetry today is a result of the accents necessitated by body movement, as the dancing and reciting was performed simultaneously"<ref name="Shawn 50"/> – an assertion somewhat supported by the common use of the term "foot" to describe the fundamental rhythmic units of poetry.

[[Percy Scholes|Scholes]], a [[musician]], offers support for this view, stating that the steady measures of music, of two, three or four beats to the bar, its equal and balanced phrases, regular cadences, contrasts and repetitions, may all be attributed to the "incalculable" influence of dance upon music.<ref>{{cite book|last=Scholes |first=Percy A. |author-link1= Percy Scholes |title= The Oxford Companion to Music |edition= 10 |year= 1977 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |chapter=Dance }}</ref>

Hence, Shawn asserts, "it is quite possible to develop the dance without music and... music is perfectly capable of standing on its own feet without any assistance from the dance", nevertheless the "two arts will always be related and the relationship can be profitable both to the dance and to music",<ref>Shawn, Ted, ''Dance We Must'', 1946, Dennis Dobson Ltd., London, p. 54</ref> the precedence of one art over the other being a moot point. The [[Common metre|common ballad measures]] of hymns and folk-songs takes their name from dance, as does the [[Carol (music)|carol]], originally a [[circle dance]]. Many purely musical pieces have been named "[[waltz]]" or "[[minuet]]", for example, while many [[concert dance]]s have been produced that are based upon abstract musical pieces, such as ''[[2 and 3 Part Inventions]], [[Adams Violin Concerto]]'' and ''[[Andantino (ballet)|Andantino]]''. Similarly, poems are often structured and named after dances or musical works, while dance and music have both drawn their conception of "measure" or "metre" from poetry.

Shawn quotes with approval the statement of Dalcroze that, while the art of musical rhythm consists in differentiating and combining time durations, pauses and accents "according to physiological law", that of "plastic rhythm" (i.e. dance) "is to designate movement in space, to interpret long time-values by slow movements and short ones by quick movements, regulate pauses by their divers successions and express sound accentuations in their multiple nuances by additions of bodily weight, by means of muscular innervations".

Shawn points out that the system of musical time is a "man-made, artificial thing.... a manufactured tool, whereas rhythm is something that has always existed and depends on man not at all", being "the continuous flowing time which our human minds cut up into convenient units", suggesting that music might be revivified by a return to the values and the time-perception of dancing.<ref>Shawn, Ted, ''Dance We Must'', 1946, Dennis Dobson Ltd., London, pp. 50–51</ref>

The early-20th-century American dancer [[Helen Moller]] stated that "it is rhythm and form more than harmony and color which, from the beginning, has bound music, poetry and dancing together in a union that is indissoluble."<ref>Moller, Helen and Dunham, Curtis, ''Dancing with Helen Moller'', 1918, John Lane (New York and London), p. 74</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Additional references:

<ref name="carnegiehall/Helen-Moller-1918">{{cite book |last1=Moller |first1=Helen |last2=Jacobs |first2=Max |author3=Orchestral Society of New York |author1-link=Helen Moller |author2-link=Max Jacobs |author3-link=Orchestral Society of New York |title=Helen Moller and Her Pupils |date=March 20, 1918 |publisher=[[Carnegie Hall]] Archives |url=https://collections.carnegiehall.org/archive/Complete-program-of-Helen-Moller-and-Her-Pupils--March-20--1918-2RRM1TZL9KAZ.html |quote=Complete program collections.carnegiehall.org/C.aspx?VP3=pdfviewer&rid=2RRM1TZL9KAZ collections.carnegiehall.org/a2c80a53-b8fa-4327-b8cf-bbde0cc95651 |archive-date=August 22, 2024 |access-date=August 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822013209/https://collections.carnegiehall.org/archive/Complete-program-of-Helen-Moller-and-Her-Pupils--March-20--1918-2RRM1TZL9KAZ.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name="nytimes/moller-appear">*{{cite news |title=Helen Moller and Dancers Appear. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1918/12/27/archives/helen-moller-and-dancers-appear.html |access-date=19 July 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=27 December 1918 |archive-date=22 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240822011706/https://www.nytimes.com/1918/12/27/archives/helen-moller-and-dancers-appear.html |url-status=live }} https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1918/12/27/97056760.html</ref>

<ref name="archive/dancinghelenmoll00moll">{{cite book |last1=Moller |first1=Helen |last2=Dunham |first2=Curtis |author1-link=Helen Moller |author2-link=Curtis Dunham |title=Dancing with Helen Moller; her own statement of her philosophy and practice and teaching formed upon the classic Greek model, and adapted to meet the aesthetic and hygienic needs of to-day, with forty-three full page art plates; |date=1918 |publisher=[[John Lane Company]] |location=[[New York City|New York]] and [[London]] |url=https://archive.org/details/dancinghelenmoll00moll |access-date=19 July 2024 |via= [[archive.org]]}}</ref>

<ref name="Musical-Courier-79/Helen-Moller">{{cite magazine |title=Helen Moller |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E-k6AQAAMAAJ&q=%22Helen+Moller%22 |access-date=19 July 2024 |magazine=[[Musical Courier]] |issue=V79 |publisher=Musical Courier Company |date=1919 |location=<!-- 437 Fifth Avenue, New York, --> New York |language=en}}</ref>}}

== Approaches ==
[[File:Dinastia tang, due danzatrici, cina del nord, 650 ca..JPG|thumb|[[Tang dynasty]] female dancers]]

=== Theatrical ===
Concert dance, like [[opera]], generally depends for its large-scale form upon a [[narrative]] [[dramatic structure]]. The movements and gestures of the [[choreography]] are primarily intended to [[mime]] the personality and aims of the characters and their part in the plot.<ref>Laban, Rudolf, ''The Mastery of Movement'', MacDonald and Evans, London, 1960, p. 2</ref> Such theatrical requirements tend towards longer, freer movements than those usual in non-narrative dance styles. On the other hand, the ''[[ballet blanc]]'', developed in the 19th century, allows interludes of rhythmic dance that developed into entirely "plotless" ballets in the 20th century<ref>Minden, Eliza Gaynor, [https://books.google.com/books?id=S-RuSzcrBnAC ''The Ballet Companion: A Dancer's Guide''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408040139/https://books.google.com/books?id=S-RuSzcrBnAC |date=2023-04-08 }}, Simon and Schuster, 2007, p. 92</ref> and that allowed fast, rhythmic dance-steps such as those of the ''petit allegro''. A well-known example is ''[[Danse des petits cygnes|The Cygnets' Dance]]'' in act two of ''[[Swan Lake]]''.

The [[ballet]] developed out of courtly dramatic productions of 16th- and 17th-century France and Italy and for some time dancers performed dances developed from those familiar from the musical suite,<ref>Thoinot Arbeau, ''Orchesography'', trans. by Mary Stewart Evans, with notes by Julia Sutton, New York: Dover, 1967</ref> all of which were defined by definite rhythms closely identified with each dance. These appeared as [[character dance]]s in the era of [[romantic nationalism]].

Ballet reached widespread vogue in the romantic era, accompanied by a larger orchestra and grander musical conceptions that did not lend themselves easily to rhythmic clarity and by dance that emphasised dramatic mime. A broader concept of rhythm was needed, that which [[Rudolf Laban]] terms the "rhythm and shape" of movement that communicates character, emotion and intention,<ref>Laban, Rudolf, ''The Mastery of Movement'', MacDonald and Evans, London, 1960, pp. 2, 4 ''et passim''</ref> while only certain scenes required the exact synchronisation of step and music essential to other dance styles, so that, to Laban, modern Europeans seemed totally unable to grasp the meaning of "primitive rhythmic movements",<ref>Laban, Rudolf, ''The Mastery of Movement'', MacDonald and Evans, London, 1960, p. 86</ref> a situation that began to change in the 20th century with such productions as [[Igor Stravinsky]]'s ''[[The Rite of Spring]]'' with its new rhythmic language evoking primal feelings of a primitive past.<ref>Abigail Wagner, [https://www.lawrence.edu/mfhe/www_web_student/Everyone/A%20Different%20Type%20of%20Rhythm.pdf ''A Different Type of Rhythm''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008030631/https://www.lawrence.edu/mfhe/www_web_student/Everyone/A%20Different%20Type%20of%20Rhythm.pdf |date=2016-10-08 }}, Lawrence University, Wisconsin</ref>

Indian classical dance styles, like ballet, are often in dramatic form, so that there is a similar complementarity between narrative expression and "pure" dance. In this case, the two are separately defined, though not always separately performed. The rhythmic elements, which are abstract and technical, are known as ''nritta''. Both this and expressive dance ''(nritya)'', though, are closely tied to the rhythmic system (''[[Tala (music)|tala]]''). Teachers have adapted the spoken rhythmic mnemonic system called ''[[Bol (music)|bol]]'' to the needs of dancers.

Japanese classical dance-theatre styles such as [[Kabuki]] and [[Noh]], like Indian dance-drama, distinguish between narrative and abstract dance productions. The three main categories of kabuki are ''[[jidaimono]]'' (historical), ''[[sewamono]]'' (domestic) and ''[[shosagoto]]'' (dance pieces).<ref name="Kabuki MIT Global Shakespeares">{{cite web | url=http://globalshakespeares.mit.edu/glossary/kabuki/ | title=Kabuki « MIT Global Shakespeares | date=8 March 2011 | access-date=April 8, 2015 | archive-date=September 5, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905230357/http://globalshakespeares.mit.edu/glossary/kabuki/ | url-status=live }}</ref> Somewhat similarly, Noh distinguishes between ''Geki Noh'', based around the advancement of plot and the narration of action, and ''Furyū Noh'', dance pieces involving acrobatics, stage properties, multiple characters and elaborate stage action.<ref name="Ortolani">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ge8cWl8OT3gC&q=mugen-no+Genzai-no+waki-no&pg=PA132 |page=132 |title=The Japanese theatre: from shamanistic ritual to contemporary pluralism |first=Benito |last=Ortolani| publisher=Princeton University Press|year=1995 |isbn=978-0-691-04333-3}}</ref>

=== Participatory and social ===
[[File:Dela Says Yippee at YDW 2019.webm|thumb|A [[contra dance]], a form of participatory social folk dance with mixed European roots]]
[[Social dances]], those intended for participation rather than for an audience, may include various forms of mime and narrative, but are typically set much more closely to the rhythmic pattern of music, so that terms like [[waltz]] and [[polka]] refer as much to musical pieces as to the dance itself. The rhythm of the dancers' feet may even form an essential part of the music, as in [[tap dance]]. African dance, for example, is rooted in fixed basic steps, but may also allow a high degree of rhythmic interpretation: the feet or the trunk mark the basic pulse while cross-rhythms are picked up by shoulders, knees, or head, with the best dancers simultaneously giving plastic expression to all the elements of the [[polyrhythm]]ic pattern.<ref>Ayansu, E.S. and Whitfield, P. (eds.), ''The Rhythms Of Life'', Marshall Editions, 1982, p. 161</ref>

== Cultural traditions ==

=== Africa ===
[[File:Kuduro - One of the Angolan National Dances.webm|thumb|"[[Kuduro]]" (Angolan dance)]]
[[File:Cultural celebrations resumed with the end of the LRA conflict in Northern Uganda (7269658432).jpg|thumb|right|[[Uganda]]n youth dance at a cultural celebration of peace]]
{{main|African dance}}

Dance in Africa is deeply integrated into society and major events in a community are frequently reflected in dances: dances are performed for births and funerals, weddings and wars.<ref name="WelshHanley2010">{{cite book|author1=Kariamu Welsh|author2=Elizabeth A. Hanley|author3=Jacques D'Amboise|title=African Dance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eXDWJiRr0PYC|date=1 January 2010|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-1-60413-477-3}}</ref>{{rp|13}} Traditional dances impart cultural morals, including religious traditions and sexual standards; give vent to repressed emotions, such as [[grief]]; motivate community members to cooperate, whether fighting wars or grinding grain; enact spiritual rituals; and contribute to [[structural cohesion|social cohesiveness]].<ref name="Hanna1973" >{{cite journal|last1=Hanna|first1=Judith Lynne|title=African Dance: the continuity of change|journal=Yearbook of the International Folk Music Council|date=1973|volume=5|pages=165–174|jstor=767501|doi=10.2307/767501}}</ref>

Thousands of dances are performed around the continent. These may be divided into traditional, neotraditional, and classical styles: [[folklore|folkloric]] dances of a particular society, dances created more recently in imitation of traditional styles, and dances transmitted more formally in schools or private lessons.<ref name="WelshHanley2010" />{{rp|18}} African dance has been altered by many forces, such as European [[missionaries]] and [[colonialist]] governments, who often suppressed local dance traditions as licentious or distracting.<ref name="Hanna1973" /> Dance in contemporary African cultures still serves its traditional functions in new contexts; dance may celebrate the inauguration of a hospital, build community for rural migrants in unfamiliar cities, and be incorporated into Christian church ceremonies.<ref name="Hanna1973" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Utley, Ian.|title=Culture smart! Ghana customs & culture.|date=2009|publisher=Kuperard|oclc=978296042}}</ref>

=== Asia ===
{{See also|History of dance#Asia}}
[[File:Nandini Ghosal.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.75|An Indian classical dancer]]
[[File:Mintha Theater 2.webm|thumb|In the Mintha Theater ([[Mandalay]]) a master teacher of the Inwa School of Performing Arts demonstrates traditional hand movements.]]
All [[Classical Indian dance|Indian classical dances]] are to varying degrees rooted in the ''[[Natyashastra]]'' and therefore share common features: for example, the ''mudra''s (hand positions), some body positions, leg movement and the inclusion of dramatic or expressive acting or [[abhinaya]]. Indian classical music provides accompaniment and dancers of nearly all the styles wear bells around their ankles to counterpoint and complement the percussion.

There are now many regional varieties of [[Indian classical dance]]. Dances like ''"Odra Magadhi"'', which after decades-long debate, has been traced to present day Mithila, [[Odisha]] region's dance form of [[Odissi]] (Orissi), indicate influence of dances in cultural interactions between different regions.<ref>[http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/dance Exoticindiaart.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060514235542/http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/dance/ |date=2006-05-14 }}, Dance: The Living Spirit of Indian Arts, by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet.</ref>

The [[Punjab region|Punjab]] area overlapping India and [[Pakistan]] is the place of origin of [[Bhangra (dance)|Bhangra]]. It is widely known both as a style of music and a dance. It is mostly related to ancient harvest celebrations, love, patriotism or social issues. Its music is coordinated by a [[musical instrument]] called the 'Dhol'. Bhangra is not just music but a dance, a celebration of the harvest where people beat the dhol (drum), sing Boliyaan (lyrics) and dance. It developed further with the Vaisakhi festival of the [[Sikh]]s.

The [[dances of Sri Lanka]] include the devil dances (''yakun natima''), a carefully crafted ritual reaching far back into Sri Lanka's pre-Buddhist past that combines ancient "[[Ayurvedic]]" concepts of disease causation with [[psychological manipulation]] and combines many aspects including Sinhalese cosmology. Their influence can be seen on the [[classical dances of Sri Lanka]].<ref>[http://www.lankalibrary.com/rit/yakun%20natuma.htm Lankalibrary.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070309222614/http://www.lankalibrary.com/rit/yakun%20natuma.htm |date=2007-03-09 }}, "The yakun natima&nbsp;— devil dance ritual of Sri Lanka"</ref>

[[File:Bali-Danse 0729a.jpg|thumb|upright|An [[Indonesia]]n [[Balinese dance]]r]]
[[Dances in Indonesia|Indonesian dances]] reflect the richness and diversity of Indonesian ethnic groups and [[Culture of Indonesia|cultures]]. There are more than 1,300 [[ethnic groups in Indonesia]], it can be seen from the cultural roots of the [[Austronesian people|Austronesian]] and [[Melanesian peoples]], and various cultural influences from [[Asia]] and the west. Dances in [[Indonesia]] originate from ritual movements and religious ceremonies, this kind of dance usually begins with rituals, such as war dances, shaman dances to cure or ward off disease, dances to call rain and other types of dances. With the acceptance of dharma religion in the 1st century in Indonesia, [[Hinduism]] and [[Buddhist]] rituals were celebrated in various artistic performances. Hindu epics such as the [[Ramayana]], [[Mahabharata]] and also the [[Panji tales|Panji]] became the inspiration to be shown in a dance-drama called "Sendratari" resembling "[[Ramayana Ballet|ballet]]" in the western tradition. An elaborate and highly stylized dance method was invented and has survived to this day, especially on the islands of [[Java]] and [[Bali]]. The Javanese [[Wayang wong]] dance takes footage from the Ramayana or Mahabharata episodes, but this dance is very different from the Indian version, indonesian dances do not pay as much attention to the "[[mudra]]s" as Indian dances: even more to show local forms. The sacred [[Javanese people|Javanese]] ritual dance [[Bedhaya]] is believed to date back to the [[Majapahit]] period in the 14th century or even earlier, this dance originated from ritual dances performed by virgin girls to worship Hindu Gods such as [[Shiva]], [[Brahma]], and [[Vishnu]]. In Bali, dance has become an integral part of the sacred Hindu Dharma rituals. Some experts believe that [[Balinese dance]] comes from an older dance tradition from Java. Reliefs from temples in [[East Java]] from the 14th century feature crowns and headdresses similar to the headdresses used in Balinese dance today. [[Islam]] began to spread to the [[Indonesian archipelago]] when indigenous dances and dharma dances were still popular. Artists and dancers still use styles from the previous era, replacing stories with more Islamic interpretations and clothing that is more closed according to Islamic teachings.<ref name="Folk Dances Indonesia">{{cite web |url=http://www.indonesia-tourism.com/general/theatre.html |work=Indonesia Tourism |title=The Indonesian Folk Dances |access-date=30 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124083455/http://indonesia-tourism.com/general/theatre.html |archive-date=24 November 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[Middle Eastern dance|dances of the Middle East]] are usually the traditional forms of [[circle dance|circle dancing]] which are modernized to an extent. They would include [[dabke]], [[tamzara]], [[Assyrian folk dance]], [[Kurdish dance]], [[Armenian dance]] and [[Turkish dance]], among others.<ref name="Badley 2000. pp 391-395">Badley, Bill and Zein al Jundi. "Europe Meets Asia". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East, pp. 391–395. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books.</ref><ref>Recep Albayrak Hacaloğlu. Azeri Türkçesi dil kilavuzu. Hacaloğlu, 1992; p. 272.</ref> All these forms of dances would usually involve participants engaging each other by holding hands or arms (depending on the style of the dance). They would make rhythmic moves with their legs and shoulders as they curve around the dance floor. The head of the dance would generally hold a [[Walking stick|cane]] or [[handkerchief]].<ref name="Badley 2000. pp 391-395"/><ref>Subhi Anwar Rashid, Mesopotamien, Abb 137</ref>

=== Europe and North America{{anchor|Europe}} ===
{{Main|Concert dance}}
{{See also|History of dance#Europe}}

[[File:Dance-At-Bougival.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.75|''[[Dance at Bougival]]'' by [[Pierre-Auguste Renoir]] (1883)]]
[[Folk dance]]s vary across Europe and may date back hundreds or thousands of years, but many have features in common such as group participation led by a [[Caller (dancing)|caller]], hand-holding or arm-linking between participants, and fixed musical forms known as caroles.<ref name="lee">{{cite book|title=Ballet in Western Culture: A History of Its Origins and Evolution|pages=10–11|year=2002|isbn=978-0-415-94257-7|author=Carol Lee|publisher=Psychology Press }}</ref> Some, such as the [[maypole]] dance are common to many nations, while others such as the [[céilidh]] and the [[polka]] are deeply-rooted in a single culture. Some European folk dances such as the [[square dance]] were brought to the [[New World]] and subsequently became part of American culture.

[[File:NutcrackerSnowPas.JPG|thumb|right|Two classical ballet dancers perform a sequence of ''[[The Nutcracker]]'', one of the best known works of classical dance.]]
[[File:Buffalo Dance (1894).webm|thumb|right|Sioux ''[[Buffalo Dance (film)|Buffalo Dance]]'', 1894]]
[[Ballet]] developed first in Italy and then in France from lavish court spectacles that combined rhythm, drama, poetry, song, costumes and dance. Members of the court nobility took part as performers. During the reign of [[Louis XIV]], himself a dancer, dance became more codified. Professional dancers began to take the place of court amateurs, and ballet masters were licensed by the French government. The first ballet dance academy was the Académie Royale de Danse (Royal Dance Academy), opened in Paris in 1661. Shortly thereafter, the first institutionalized ballet troupe, associated with the academy, was formed; this troupe began as an all-male ensemble but by 1681 opened to include women as well.<ref name="lecomte"/>

[[20th century concert dance]] brought an explosion of innovation in dance style characterized by an exploration of freer technique. Early pioneers of what became known as [[modern dance]] include [[Loie Fuller]], [[Isadora Duncan]], [[Mary Wigman]] and [[Ruth St. Denis]]. The relationship of music to dance serves as the basis for [[Eurhythmics]], devised by [[Emile Jaques-Dalcroze]], which was influential to the development of Modern dance and modern ballet through artists such as [[Marie Rambert]]. [[Eurythmy]], developed by [[Rudolf Steiner]] and [[Marie Steiner-von Sivers]], combines formal elements reminiscent of traditional dance with the new freer style, and introduced a complex new vocabulary to dance. In the 1920s, important founders of the new style such as [[Martha Graham]] and [[Doris Humphrey]] began their work. Since this time, a wide variety of dance styles have been developed; see [[Modern dance]].

[[African American dance]] developed in everyday spaces, rather than in dance studios, schools or companies. [[Tap dance]], [[disco]], [[jazz dance]], [[swing dance]], [[hip hop dance]], the [[lindy hop]] with its relationship to [[rock and roll|rock and roll music]] and [[rock and roll (dance)|rock and roll dance]] have had a global influence. Dance styles fusing classical ballet technique with African-American dance have also appeared in the 21st century, including [[Hiplet (dance style)|Hiplet]].<ref name=kourlas>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/arts/dance/hiplet-an-implausible-hybrid-plants-itself-on-pointe.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/arts/dance/hiplet-an-implausible-hybrid-plants-itself-on-pointe.html |archive-date=2022-01-01 |url-access=limited|title=Hiplet: An Implausible Hybrid Plants Itself on Pointe|last=Kourlas|first=Gia|date=2016-09-02|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-12-03}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

=== Latin America ===
{{main|Latin American dance}}
[[File:HK TST night 柏麗購物大道 Park Lane Shopper's Boulevard 巴西 Brasil 森巴舞娘 Samba female dancers Nov-2010 02.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.1| [[samba school|Street samba]] dancers perform in carnival parades and contests.]]
Dance is central to [[Latin America]]n social life and culture. Brazilian [[Samba (Brazilian dance)|Samba]], Argentinian [[tango]], and Cuban [[salsa (dance)|salsa]] are internationally popular partner dances, and other national dances—[[merengue (dance)|merengue]], [[cueca]], [[plena]], [[jarabe]], [[joropo]], [[marinera]], [[cumbia]], [[Bachata (dance)|bachata]] and others—are important components of their respective countries' cultures.<ref name="Chasteen2004">{{cite book|author=John Charles Chasteen|title=National Rhythms, African Roots: The Deep History of Latin American Popular Dance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yBvvvrydCNwC&pg=PR8|date=1 January 2004|publisher=UNM Press|isbn=978-0-8263-2941-7|pages=8–14}}</ref> Traditional [[Carnival]] festivals incorporate these and other dances in enormous celebrations.<ref name="MusmonHanley2010">{{cite book|author1=Margaret Musmon|author2=Elizabeth A. Hanley|author3=Jacques D'Amboise|title=Latin and Caribbean Dance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qIZq7jgqXE8C|year=2010|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-1-60413-481-0|pages=20–23}}</ref>

Dance has played an important role in forging a collective identity among the many cultural and ethnic groups of [[Latin America]].<ref name="DelgadoMuñoz1997">{{cite book|author1=Celeste Fraser Delgado|author2=José Esteban Muñoz|title=Everynight Life: Culture and Dance in Latin/o America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gefjk07Y9kEC&pg=PA3|year=1997|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=978-0-8223-1919-1|pages=9–41}}</ref> Dance served to unite the many African, European, and indigenous peoples of the region.<ref name="Chasteen2004"/> Certain dance genres, such as [[capoeira]], and body movements, especially the characteristic ''[[quebrada (dance)|quebrada]]s'' or [[pelvis]] swings, have been variously banned and celebrated throughout Latin American history.<ref name="DelgadoMuñoz1997"/>{{clear}}

== Different dance styles ==
{{main|List of dance styles}}
{{Unsourced section|date=March 2025}}
* [[Ballet]] originated during the Italian Renaissance and developed further in France and Russia. It is known for its graceful, precise movements, pointe work, and storytelling through choreography. Classical ballet follows strict techniques, while contemporary ballet incorporates modern influences.
* [[Contemporary dance]] emerged in the mid-20th century. It blends elements of ballet, modern, and jazz dance. It emphasizes fluidity, emotion, and expression over rigid technique. Pioneers like Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham contributed to its development.
* [[Jazz dance]] is evolved from African American vernacular dance and became popular in the early 20th century. It features energetic movements, syncopated rhythms, and influences from ballet and contemporary styles. It is commonly seen in musical theatre and commercial performances.
* [[Hip-hop dance]] emerged in the 1970s in the Bronx, New York, as a part of hip-hop culture. Styles such as breaking, popping, locking, and krumping fall under this genre. It emphasizes freestyle movements, rhythm, and personal expression.
* [[Tap dance]] is characterized by rhythmic footwork using metal-soled shoes to create percussive sounds. It has roots in African and Irish dance traditions and became prominent in Vaudeville and Broadway productions.
* [[Ballroom dance]] is a social and competitive dance style that includes forms such as the waltz, tango, foxtrot, and cha-cha. These dances are typically performed with a partner and emphasize posture, elegance, and synchronization.
* [[Latin dance]] encompasses styles such as salsa, bachata, merengue, and samba. These dances are known for their vibrant, energetic movements and rhythmic footwork, often performed socially and competitively.
* [[Traditional and folk dance]] is deeply rooted in history and tradition. Examples include Irish step dancing, Indian Bharatanatyam, Spanish flamenco, and African tribal dances.
* [[Modern dance]] developed in the early 20th century as a rebellion against classical ballet, modern dance focuses on self-expression, gravity, and unconventional movement. Influential figures include Isadora Duncan and Martha Graham.
* [[Lyrical dance]] is a fusion of ballet and jazz that emphasizes emotional storytelling and fluid movement. It is often performed to contemporary music and focuses on grace and expression.
* [[Belly dance]] originates in the Middle East and is characterized by intricate hip movements, shimmies, and undulations. It is often performed solo and has variations across different regions, including Egyptian and Turkish styles.
* [[Street dance]] refers to urban dance styles that developed outside of traditional dance studios. These include hip-hop, house, and breakdancing, often performed in freestyle battles and social settings.
* [[Bollywood dance]] is a vibrant fusion of classical Indian dance, folk dance, and modern styles. It is widely seen in Indian cinema and incorporates expressive gestures, energetic movements, and dramatic storytelling.
* [[Aerial dance]] combines dance and acrobatics performed on apparatuses such as silks, hoops, and trapezes. It requires strength, flexibility, and coordination to create breath-taking performances.

== Education ==

[[File:Gibney Dance.jpg|thumb|right|A dancer practices in a [[dance studio]], the primary setting for training in classical dance and many other styles.]]
Dance studies are offered through the [[arts]] and [[humanities]] programs of many higher education institutions. Some universities offer [[Bachelor of Arts]] and higher [[academic degree]]s in Dance. A dance study curriculum may encompass a diverse range of courses and topics, including dance practice and performance, choreography, [[ethnochoreology]], [[kinesiology]], [[dance notation]], and [[dance therapy]]. Most recently, dance and movement therapy has been integrated in some schools into math lessons for students with learning disabilities, emotional or behavioral disabilities, as well as for those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.artsedsearch.org/study/dance-movement-therapys-influence-on-adolescents-mathematics-social-emotional-and-dance-skills/|title=Dance/Movement Therapy's Influence on Adolescents Mathematics, Social-Emotional and Dance Skills {{!}} ArtsEdSearch|website=www.artsedsearch.org|date=16 April 2019 |access-date=2020-03-18|archive-date=2020-04-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402193121/https://www.artsedsearch.org/study/dance-movement-therapys-influence-on-adolescents-mathematics-social-emotional-and-dance-skills/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Dance is taught to all ages ranging from two years old to the adult level outside of a professional dance setting. Typically this dance education is seen in dance studio businesses across the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NDEO > About > Dance Education > Dance Studios |url=https://www.ndeo.org/About/Dance-Education/Dance-Studios |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=www.ndeo.org}}</ref> Some K-12 public schools have provided the opportunity for students to take beginner level dance classes, as well as participate in dance teams that perform at school events.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NDEO > About > Dance Education > PreK-12 Schools |url=https://www.ndeo.org/About/Dance-Education/PreK-12-Schools |access-date=2024-10-24 |website=www.ndeo.org |archive-date=2024-09-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240910165157/https://www.ndeo.org/About/Dance-Education/PreK-12-Schools |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Occupations ==
{{Main|List of dance occupations}}

=== Dancers ===
Professional dancers are usually employed on contract or for particular performances or productions. The professional life of a dancer is generally one of constantly changing work situations, strong competitive pressure and low pay. Consequently, professional dancers often must supplement their incomes to achieve financial stability. In the U.S. many professional dancers belong to unions (such as the [[American Guild of Musical Artists]], [[Screen Actors Guild]] and [[Actors' Equity Association]]) that establish working conditions and minimum salaries for their members. Professional dancers must possess large amounts of athleticism. To lead a successful career, it is advantageous to be versatile in many styles of dance, have a strong technical background and to use other forms of physical training to remain fit and healthy.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Sagolla|first=Lisa|date=April 24, 2008|title=(untitled)|url=https://www.ebsco.com/products/research-databases/international-bibliography-theatre-dance-full-text|journal=International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance|volume=15|issue=17|page=1|access-date=January 14, 2023|archive-date=January 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114171433/https://www.ebsco.com/products/research-databases/international-bibliography-theatre-dance-full-text|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Teachers ===
Dance teachers typically focus on teaching dance performance, or coaching competitive dancers, or both. They typically have performance experience in the types of dance they teach or coach. For example, [[dancesport]] teachers and coaches are often tournament dancers or former dancesport performers. Dance teachers may be self-employed, or employed by [[dance school]]s or general education institutions with dance programs. Some work for university programs or other schools that are associated with professional classical dance (e.g., ballet) or modern dance companies. Others are employed by smaller, privately owned dance schools that offer dance training and performance coaching for various types of dance.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dance Teacher {{!}} Berklee |url=https://www.berklee.edu/careers/roles/dance-teacher |access-date=2022-10-04 |website=www.berklee.edu |language=en |archive-date=2022-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004152125/https://www.berklee.edu/careers/roles/dance-teacher |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Choreographers ===
[[Choreography (dance)|Choreographers]] are the ones that design the dancing movements within a dance, they are often university trained and are typically employed for particular projects or, more rarely may work on contract as the resident choreographer for a specific dance company.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Risner|first=Doug|date=December 2000|title=Making Dance, Making Sense: Epistemology and choreography|journal=Research in Dance Education|volume=1|issue=2|pages=155–172|doi=10.1080/713694259|s2cid=143435623|issn=1464-7893}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=dance - Choreography {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/art/dance/Choreography |access-date=2022-10-04 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en |archive-date=2022-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221004152120/https://www.britannica.com/art/dance/Choreography |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Competitions ==
[[File:MIT 2006 Standard Prechamp Final 2.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.45|An amateur dancesport competition, featuring the [[Viennese Waltz]]]]

A '''dance competition''' is an organized event in which contestants perform dances before a judge or judges for awards, and in some cases, monetary prizes. There are several major types of dance competitions, distinguished primarily by the style or styles of dances performed. Dance competitions are an excellent setting to build connections with industry leading faculty members, adjudicators, choreographers and other dancers from competing studios. A typical dance competition for younger pre-professional dancers can last anywhere between two and four days, depending whether it is a regional or national competition.

The purpose of dance competitions is to provide a fun and educative place for dancers and give them the opportunity to perform their choreographed routines from their current dance season onstage. Oftentimes, competitions will take place in a professional setting or may vary to non-performance spaces, such as a high school theatre. The results of the dancers are then dictated by a credible panel of judges and are evaluated on their performance than given a score. As far as competitive categories go, most competitions base their categories according to the dance style, age, experience level and the number of dancers competing in the routine.<ref name="Schupp 58–67">{{Cite journal |last=Schupp |first=Karen |date=2019-04-03 |title=Dance Competition Culture and Commercial Dance: Intertwined Aesthetics, Values, and Practices |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15290824.2018.1437622 |journal=Journal of Dance Education |language=en |volume=19 |issue=2 |pages=58–67 |doi=10.1080/15290824.2018.1437622 |s2cid=150019666 |issn=1529-0824|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Major types of dance competitions include:

* '''[[Dancesport]]''', which is focused exclusively on [[ballroom dance|ballroom]] and [[latin dance]].
* '''[[Competitive dance]]''', in which a variety of theater dance styles, such as [[acro dance|acrobatics]], [[ballet]], [[jazz dance|jazz]], [[hip-hop]], [[lyrical dance|lyrical]], [[step dance|stepping]], and [[tap dance|tap]], are permitted.
* '''Commercial Dance''', consisting of as hip hop, jazz, locking, popping, breakdancing, contemporary etc.<ref name="Schupp 58–67"/>
* '''Single-style''' competitions, such as; [[Scottish highland dance|highland dance]], [[dance squad|dance team]], and [[Irish dance]], that only permit a single dance style.
* '''Open''' competitions, that permit a wide variety of dance styles. An example of this is the TV program ''[[So You Think You Can Dance]]''.
*'''Olympic''', Dance has been trying to be part of the Olympic sport since 1930s.

== Dance diplomacy ==
During the 1950s and 1960s, cultural exchange of dance was a common feature of international diplomacy, especially amongst East and South Asian nations. The [[People's Republic of China]], for example, developed a formula for dance diplomacy that sought to learn from and express respect for the aesthetic traditions of recently independent states that were former European colonies, such as Indonesia, India, and Burma, as a show of anti-colonial solidarity.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wilcox |first1=Emily |date=22 December 2017 |title=Performing Bandung: China's dance diplomacy with India, Indonesia, and Burma, 1953–1962 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14649373.2017.1391455 |journal=[[Inter-Asia Cultural Studies]] |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=518–539 |doi=10.1080/14649373.2017.1391455 |s2cid=111380513 |access-date=21 March 2023 |archive-date=22 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322043705/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14649373.2017.1391455 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

== Health ==

=== Footwear ===
In most forms of dance the foot is the source of movement, and in some cases require specific shoes to aid in the health, safety ability of the dancer, depending on the type of dance, the intensity of the movements, and the surface that will be danced on.

Dance footwear can be potentially both supportive and or restrictive to the movement of the dancer.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Russell |first=Jeffrey A. |date=2013-09-30 |title=Preventing dance injuries: current perspectives |journal=Open Access Journal of Sports Medicine |volume=4 |pages=199–210 |doi=10.2147/OAJSM.S36529 |issn=1179-1543 |pmc=3871955 |pmid=24379726 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The effectiveness of the shoe is related to its ability to help the foot do something it is not intended to do, or to make easier a difficult movement. Such effects relate to health and safety because of the function of the equipment as unnatural to the bodies usual mobility.

==== Ballet ====
[[File:Cutaway-of-a-pointe-shoe.png|thumb|[[Pointe shoe]]]]
[[File:Pointe shoe wear.jpg|thumb|Worn out pointe shoe]]
Ballet is notable for the risks of injury due to the biomechanics of the ankle and the toes as the main support for the rest of the movements. With the [[pointe shoe]], the design specifically brings all of the toes together to allow the toes to be stood on for longer periods of time.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Li |first1=Fengfeng |last2=Adrien |first2=Ntwali |last3=He |first3=Yuhuan |date=2022-04-18 |title=Biomechanical Risks Associated with Foot and Ankle Injuries in Ballet Dancers: A Systematic Review |journal=International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |volume=19 |issue=8 |pages=4916 |doi=10.3390/ijerph19084916 |issn=1660-4601 |pmc=9029463 |pmid=35457783|doi-access=free }}</ref>

There are accessories associated with pointe shoes that help to mitigate injury and soothe pain while dancing, including things such as toe pads, toe tape, and cushions.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Center |first=Smithsonian Lemelson |date=2020-05-28 |title=A Better Pointe Shoe Is Sorely Needed |url=https://invention.si.edu/better-pointe-shoe-sorely-needed |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation |language=en |archive-date=2022-12-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213164007/https://invention.si.edu/better-pointe-shoe-sorely-needed |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Body image ===
Dancers are publicly thought to be very preoccupied with their body image to fit a certain mold in the industry. Research indicates that dancers do have greater difficulty controlling their eating habits as a large quantity strive for the art-form's ideal body mass. Some dancers often resort to abusive tactics to maintain a certain image. Common scenarios include dancers abusing laxatives for weight control and end up falling into unhealthy eating disorders. Studies show that a large quantity of dancers use at least one method of weight control including over exercising and food restriction. The pressure for dancers to maintain a below average weight affects their eating and weight controlling behaviours and their life-style.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Abraham |first=Suzanne |date=1996 |title=Eating and Weight Controlling Behaviours of Young Ballet Dancers |url=https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/284996 |journal=Psychopathology |language=en |volume=29 |issue=4 |pages=218–222 |doi=10.1159/000284996 |pmid=8865352 |issn=1423-033X |access-date=2022-12-04 |archive-date=2014-08-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140829155206/http://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/284996 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref> Due to its artistic nature, dancers tend to have many hostile self-critical tendencies. Commonly seen in performers, it is likely that a variety of individuals may be resistant to concepts of self-compassion.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Walton |first1=Courtney C. |last2=Osborne |first2=Margaret S. |last3=Gilbert |first3=Paul |last4=Kirby |first4=James |date=2022-03-04 |title=Nurturing self-compassionate performers |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00050067.2022.2033952 |journal=Australian Psychologist |language=en |volume=57 |issue=2 |pages=77–85 |doi=10.1080/00050067.2022.2033952 |s2cid=247163600 |issn=0005-0067 |access-date=2022-12-04 |archive-date=2022-12-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203010455/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00050067.2022.2033952 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

=== Eating disorders ===

In North America, eating disorders present a significant public health challenge, with an estimated 10% of young girls affected. Those engaged in aesthetic-focused sports like dance face even greater risks due to intense pressures for a slender physique.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Doria |first=Nicole |date=January 12, 2022 |title=Dancing in a culture of disordered eating: A feminist poststructural analysis of body and body image among young girls in the world of dance |journal= PLOS ONE|volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=e0247651 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0247651 |pmid=35020720 |pmc=8754298 |bibcode=2022PLoSO..1747651D |doi-access=free }}</ref> Eating disorders in dancers are generally very common. Through data analysis and studies published, sufficient data regarding the percentage and accuracy dancers have of realistically falling into unhealthy disordered eating habits or the development of an eating disorder were extracted. Dancers, in general, have a higher risk of developing eating disorders than the general public, primarily falling into [[anorexia nervosa]] and [[Other specified feeding or eating disorder|EDNOS]]. Research has yet to distinguish a direct correlation regarding dancers having a higher risk of developing bulimia nervosa. Studies concluded that dancers overall have a three times higher risk of developing eating disorders, more specifically anorexia nervosa and EDNOS.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Arcelus |first1=Jon |last2=Witcomb |first2=Gemma L. |last3=Mitchell |first3=Alex |date=2013-11-26 |title=Prevalence of Eating Disorders amongst Dancers: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/erv.2271 |journal=European Eating Disorders Review |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=92–101 |doi=10.1002/erv.2271 |pmid=24277724 |issn=1072-4133}}</ref>

== Dance on social media ==
{{Undue weight|section|date=June 2023}}

Dance has become a popular form of content across many social media platforms, including [[TikTok]]. During 2020, TikTok dances offered the opportunity for isolated individuals to interact and connect with one another through a virtual format.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1295618580 |title=TikTok cultures in the United States |date=2022 |others=Trevor Boffone |isbn=978-1-000-60215-9 |location=Abingdon, Oxon |oclc=1295618580}}</ref> Since its debut in 2017, the app has also attracted a small but growing audience of professional dancers in their early 20s to 30s. While the majority of this demographic is more accustomed to performing onstage, this app introduced a new means to generate professional exposure.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Warburton |first=Edward C. |date=2022-07-01 |title=TikTok challenge: dance education futures in the creator economy |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10632913.2022.2095068 |journal=[[Arts Education Policy Review]] |volume=125 |issue=4 |language=en |pages=430–440 |doi=10.1080/10632913.2022.2095068 |s2cid=250233625 |issn=1063-2913 |access-date=2022-12-04 |archive-date=2022-12-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203045928/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10632913.2022.2095068 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>{{clear}}

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode="packed-hover" heights="182px">
File:Fresco Villa dei Misteri 28.JPG|A satyr dancing. A fresco from the cubiculum in the [[Villa of the Mysteries]]. From Pompeii. Date: 80 to 70 BCE <ref>{{cite web |url=https://pompeiisites.org/en/archaeological-site/villa-of-the-mysteries/ |title=VILLA OF THE MYSTERIES |website=Pompeii sites |access-date=31 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131085710/https://pompeiisites.org/en/archaeological-site/villa-of-the-mysteries/ |archive-date=31 January 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>
File:Irish dancers in team costume, Davis Academy, USA.jpg|'''Folk dance''' – a trio of [[Irish Stepdance]]rs performing in competition
File:TÜRKA Vanemuise suures majas -- tants Kodukotus.JPG|[[Folk dance]] in [[Estonia]]
File:NwFusionAngelaLeap.jpg|A contemporary dancer performs a stag split leap.
File:NWFusion7.jpg|'''[[Dance partnering]]''' – a male dancer assists a female dancer in performing an [[arabesque (ballet position)|arabesque]], as part of a classical [[pas de deux]].
File:FrontAerial.gif|'''Acrobatic dance''' – an [[acro dance]]r performs a [[front aerial]].
File:ToeRise.jpg|A dancer performs a "toe rise", in which she rises from a kneeling position to a standing position on the tops of her feet.
File:Jitterbug Wolcott FSA.jpg|'''Social dance''' – dancers at a [[juke joint]] dance the [[Jitterbug]], an early 20th century dance that would go on to influence [[Swing dance|swing]], [[jive (dance)|jive]], and [[jazz dance]].
File:Tanzturnier_28.JPG|Latin Ballroom dancers perform the [[Tango]].
File:Bootsa.jpg|[[Gumboot dance]] evolved from the stomping signals used as coded communication between labourers in South African mines.
File:Harlekin Columbine Tivoli Denmark.jpg|[[Harlequin]] and [[Columbina]] from the mime theater in [[Copenhagen, Denmark]]
File:Popping dancer.gif|A [[hip-hop dance]]r demonstrates [[popping (dance)|popping]].
File:Striptease pole dancing in Belovskaya, Belgorodskaya Oblast, Russia.jpg|'''[[Erotic dance]]''' – a [[pole dancer]] performs a routine.
File:Spark Fire Dance in Art on Ice 2014-3.jpg|'''Prop dance''' – a [[fire dance]]r performance
File:Imdt01.jpg|'''Modern dance''' – a dancer performs a [[splits|leg split]] while balanced on the back of her partner.
File:Belogolovtsev Abderahman.jpg|'''Stage dance''' – a professional dancer at the [[Bolshoi Theatre]]
File:La bailaora Josefa Vargas (1840).jpg|A nineteenth century artist's representation of a Flamenco dancer
File:Պար_Գառնում.jpg|'''Ritual dance''' – Armenian folk dancers celebrate a [[neo-pagan]] new year.
File:Samba Atlason Jakobsdottir 0509.JPG|A latin ballroom couple perform a [[Samba (ballroom dance)|Samba]] routine at a dancesport event.
File:Polonezkoy_08859_nevit.jpg|'''Folk dance''' – some dance traditions travel with immigrant communities, as with this festival dance performed by a Polish community in Turkey.
File:Fuori asse alla seconda.jpg|A ballet dancer performs a standing [[Splits|side split]].
File:Breakdancer - Faneuil Hall cropped.jpg|'''Street dance''' – a [[Breakdance]]r performs a handstand trick.
File:Odissi Performance DS.jpg|[[Indian classical dance]]r
File:Ballet Class 3 (237261875).jpeg|Ballet class of young girls wearing leotards and skirts in 2017
File:Tari Kebagh, 2017.jpg|''Kebagh'' dance from [[Pagar Alam]], [[Indonesia]]
File:50 tahun LKB Saraswati, Jakarta.jpg|[[Balinese people|Balinese]] dance
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Art]]
* [[Outline of performing arts]]
* [[Outline of dance]]
* [[List of dancers]]
* [[List of dances]]
* [[List of dance awards]]
* [[Index of dance articles]] 
* [[Dancing ban]]

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=nb}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* Abra, Allison. "Going to the palais: a social and cultural history of dancing and dance halls in Britain, 1918–1960." ''Contemporary British History'' (Sep 2016) 30#3 pp.&nbsp;432–433.
* Blogg, Martin. ''Dance and the Christian Faith: A Form of Knowing'', The Lutterworth Press (2011), {{ISBN|978-0-7188-9249-4}}
* Carter, A. (1998) ''The Routledge Dance Studies Reader''. Routledge. {{ISBN|0-415-16447-8}}.
* Cohen, S, J. (1992) ''Dance As a Theatre Art: Source Readings in Dance History from 1581 to the Present''. Princeton Book Co. {{ISBN|0-87127-173-7}}.
* Daly, A. (2002) ''Critical Gestures: Writings on Dance and Culture''. [[Wesleyan University Press]]. {{ISBN|0-8195-6566-0}}.
* Miller, James, L. (1986) ''Measures of Wisdom: The Cosmic Dance in Classical and Christian Antiquity'', [[University of Toronto Press]]. {{ISBN|0-8020-2553-6}}.

== External links ==
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{{Sister project links|commons=Dance|s=Portal:Dance}}
* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Dance}}
* [https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/17289 Historic illustrations of dancing from 3300 BC to 1911 AD] from [[Project Gutenberg]]
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