Novelty and fad dances

Fad dances are dances which are characterized by a short burst of popularity, while novelty dances typically have a longer-lasting popularity based on their being characteristically humorous or humor-invoking, as well as the sense of uniqueness which they have.

Fad dances

These are also called "dance crazes". Dancing style fads have for some centuries been a part of social dancing, sometimes gliding smoothly into tradition after their "newness" has faded, and sometimes simply fading away into oblivion.

Since the Renaissance, the courts of European monarchs and nobles played host to a long succession of dance fads, many of which became social 'crazes' that spread into general society. They include the minuet, the allemande, the schottische, the mazurka and the waltz. Many of these European Renaissance dance crazes—such as the allemande—have long since faded into obscurity, but their rhythms were preserved in European classical music. By the time of Bach, the tempi of these dances had evolved into standardized rhythmical frameworks that formed the basis for the various movements of Baroque and early Classical instrumental works.