Popular Types of Dance: Ballet

Popular Types of Dance
Dance has been a part of human culture since the very earliest communities and civilisations, with
recorded evidence of dancing being found dating back to 30,000 years ago.
Since then, different dances have changed, merged and evolved into what we know today as the most
well-known dance genres.
Here is a list of the most popular types of dance:

1. Ballet
2. Ballroom
3. Contemporary
4. Hip Hop
5. Jazz
6. Tap Dance
7. Folk Dance
8. Irish Dance
9. Modern Dance
10. Swing Dance
Top Dance Genres
Ballet
Ballet dance developed during the Italian

Renaissance, before evolving in France and Russia
into a concert dance meant for public performance.
This is in the form of a ballet, in which the dance is
choreographed with classical music.
Ballet productions vary between using elaborate

costumes and staging and using minimal costuming
and bare staging.
Ballet is now a widespread, highly technical form of

dance with many subgenres including classic,
romantic, neoclassical and contemporary.
Ballroom
Ballroom dance is a type of partner dance originating

at the end of the sixteenth century in France.
Commonly used as shorthand for any partner dance,
ballroom has today evolved into two main subgenres
– standard/smooth and Latin/rhythm.
Dances within these categories include the waltz,

tango and foxtrot, and pasodoble, bolero and samba.
Ballroom is a popular form of competitive dance, or

dancesport, with competitions being held all over the
world.
Contemporary
Developed during the mid-twentieth century,

contemporary dance is now one of the most popular
and technical forms of dance studied and performed
professionally, especially in the US and Europe.
Drawing on classical, modern and jazz dance styles,

contemporary dance has evolved to incorporate many
characteristics of a broader range of dance forms.
Known for its emphasis on strong torso and legwork,

contract and release, fall and recovery and floor work,
it is often known for unpredictable and disordered
changes in speed and rhythm throughout a
performance.
Hip-Hop
Hip-hop dancing refers to a range of street dances

that developed in relation to hip hop music and
culture. Hip-hop dancing dates back to the early 1970s
in New York and California, evolving out of Funk and
the development of break beat.
Main styles of hip-hop dancing include Breaking,

Locking and Popping, with derivative styles emerging
out of these including Memphis Jookin’, Turfing,
Jerkin’ and Krumping. These were often popularised
and made mainstream after being featured in music
videos of the time.
Today, hip-hop is performed in outdoor spaces, in
dance studios and competitively.
Jazz
Jazz dancing has its roots in seventeenth-century

African traditions, brought to the Americas via the
Atlantic slave trade as slaves continued dancing
traditions in Brazil, the US and elsewhere on the
continents.
Known for its improvisational and dramatic body

movements, the jazz dancing grew in popularity in
early twentieth-century jazz clubs.
Today, jazz dancing builds on African American

vernacular dance styles that emerged along with Jazz
music in the US. Swing, the Lindy Hop, the Shimmy
and the Charleston are popular kinds of jazz dances.
Tap Dancing
Tap dancing is a type of percussive dance

characterised by the “tap” of shoes hitting the floor as
the person dances. Tap dancers often wear metal
“taps” on the heel and toe of a shoe to accentuate the
sound.
Often performed as part of musical theatre, tap

dancing often focuses on choreography and
formations, with more than one tap dancer
performing at once.
Tap dancing characterises a range of dances including

flamenco, rhythm, classical, broadway and
postmodern tap.
Folk Dance
Folk dancing is celebrated worldwide with people of

different cultures and religions using various forms of
folk dance to portray emotions, stories, historical
events or even aspects of daily life.
Some well known types of folk dance include:

Bharatanatyam (India), Samba (Brazil) and Hula
(Hawaii). Some cultures may even perform multiple
variations of folk dances, with countries like South
Korea performing individual dances for key events
such as victories in war, farming, music and religion.
Folk dances are commonly held at public events,

where people can participate regardless of whether
they are professional or complete beginners. Such
dances are also accompanied by traditional music to
further enhance the cultural experience.
Irish Dance
Originating in Ireland, this form of traditional dance

has been popular for hundreds of years amongst Irish
people and other countries worldwide. Popularised by
shows such as Riverdance, Irish dancing is famously
known for its fabulous display of footwork and dance
formations.
Most Irish dancing events are traditionally

accompanied by signing and music. During festivals,
dances are held to showcase talent and to compete for
trophies or medals.
Whilst most people may recognise Irish dancing as

being a group performance, there are many well-
known forms of solo Irish dances, such as the
stepdance.
Modern Dance
Considered as being a broad genre of dance, modern

dance primarily arose from western countries such as
the USA and Germany during the late 1900s. While
most forms of dance are structured and feature set
steps, the purpose of modern dance is to rely on the
dancer’s interpretation of the music and feeling to
guide movements.
Modern dance was initially born out of dislike for the

limitations of traditional dances such as ballet, which
often oppressed dancers with rigid rules and
techniques.
Currently, modern dance is enjoyed across the world

with participants having the ability to practice ballet
dancing without having to place strict focus on their
techniques or turnout. Instead, dancers can choose a
piece of music and use unconventional movements to
convey emotions or to tell a meaningful story.
Swing
Swing is a variation of jazz dance which developed

between the 1920s to the 1940s as a response to the
growing popularity of swing jazz in America. With the
evolution of music that occurred during the Jazz era,
dance also began to change with the likes of swing
music encouraging faster, more rigorous movements.
Popular forms of swing dance include the Lindy

Charleston, the Jitterbug, Lindy Hop and the Balboa,
many of which are still performed today. Swing
dancing would commonly be accompanied by Big
Band musicians who often played upbeat melodies
which were smooth and easy to listen.

Popular Types of Dance: Ballet

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Popular Types of Dance

Here is a list of the most popular types of dance:

Top Dance Genres

Ballet dance developed during the Italian

Ballet productions vary between using elaborate

Ballet is now a widespread, highly technical form of

Ballroom dance is a type of partner dance originating

Dances within these categories include the waltz,

Ballroom is a popular form of competitive dance, or

Developed during the mid-twentieth century,

Drawing on classical, modern and jazz dance styles,

Known for its emphasis on strong torso and legwork,

Hip-hop dancing refers to a range of street dances

Main styles of hip-hop dancing include Breaking,

Jazz dancing has its roots in seventeenth-century

Known for its improvisational and dramatic body

Today, jazz dancing builds on African American

Tap dancing is a type of percussive dance

Often performed as part of musical theatre, tap

Tap dancing characterises a range of dances including

Folk dancing is celebrated worldwide with people of

Some well known types of folk dance include:

Folk dances are commonly held at public events,

Originating in Ireland, this form of traditional dance

Most Irish dancing events are traditionally

Whilst most people may recognise Irish dancing as

Considered as being a broad genre of dance, modern

Modern dance was initially born out of dislike for the

Currently, modern dance is enjoyed across the world

Swing is a variation of jazz dance which developed

Popular forms of swing dance include the Lindy

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