Dance is a form of creative expression through physical movement that includes rhythmic

movements that accompany music. Historically, dance has been used in celebrations and
religious observances. Dance has played an important role in human societies since ancient
times and continues to evolve and develop today.
The words "dance" and "dancing" come from an old German word "danson," which means "to
stretch." All dancing is made up of stretching and relaxing. The muscles are tensed for leaping
and then relaxed as we make what we hope will be a gentle and graceful landing.

What are the different genres of dance?

Although there are hundreds of dance styles, for simplicity, we categorize different types
of dance into a few large groups: ballet; modern and contemporary dance; hip-hop (or
street dance); Latin, ballroom and social dance; and folk dance. Sometimes a single
style of dance is fused with another style.

What is the dance genre in the Philippines?

The Philippines is home to several folk dances such as Tinikling, Pandanggo, Cariñosa,
and Subli. Dance has integrated itself in Philippine society over the course of many
years and is imbedded in Philippine culture.

Dance Genres

A dance style, or a dance genre, is simply a certain type of

dance. Different kinds of dance styles include ballet, modern dance, hip-
hop – and diverse folk dances from around the world, such as flamenco,
bhangra and samba.
Dance Dispatches sets itself apart from other publications by purposefully
showcasing the beautiful diversity of these world dance traditions.
Although there are hundreds of dance styles, for simplicity, we categorize
different types of dance into a few large groups: ballet; modern and
contemporary dance; hip-hop (or street dance); Latin, ballroom and social
dance; and folk dance.
Sometimes a single style of dance is fused with another style. Other times,
dance is simply one element of a larger piece of performance art.
These large hierarchical dance genres can be further divided into sub-
categories. For example, Graham and Horton are both types of modern
dance; and popping and vogueing are two different styles of hip-hop
dance.
While it is possible to find ballet classes in most cities, other dance forms
are less widespread. We have classified these types of dance as folk
dance. Depending on where you live, you are likely to have a harder time
finding dance classes and dance shows that feature Spanish flamenco,
Japanese butoh and Hungarian folk dance. Some of these traditional
dances have roots that date back centuries.
However, it is important to remember that all dance is art, created within a
culture; so, technically, every single type of dance is a folk dance –
even ballet.
Click through the different tabs below to learn about a variety of different
dance styles. You’ll find brief descriptions of the dance genre, and the
dance types it includes, followed by articles that feature that kind of dance.

Ballet
Ballet is one of the world’s most popular dance genres.
Ballet dancers are renowned for their grace, flexibility and athleticism.
Ballet isn’t often seen as a ‘cultural’ dance – but it began as a European
court dance, which looked drastically different from the art form we know
and love today. This widespread dance genre originated in Italy during the
Renaissance and was introduced to the French court by Catherine de
Medici, wife of King Henry II. However, the popularity of ballet didn’t really
flourish until a century later, when King Louis XIV of France standardized
the art form.
Nowadays, many companies are trending towards a more modern ballet,
which mixes modern and contemporary dance with ballet technique. And
ballet superstars have included modern dance in their solo programme
repertoire, as in Sergei Polunin’s Mixed Bill and Natalia Osipova’s Pure
Dance shows. However, classical ballet techniques are still practiced
around the world: Cecchetti in Italy, Vaganova in Russia, Bournonville in
France, Royal Academy of Dance (or RAD) in England and Balanchine in
the USA. All of these styles rely on the same basic ballet technique, but the
aesthetic and approach differs from one school to the next.
World-famous ballet companies include the Paris Opera Ballet (France),
the The Royal Ballet (UK), Bolshoi Ballet (Russia) and Mariinsky Ballet
(Russia), American Ballet Theatre (USA) and New York City Ballet (USA),
Dutch National Ballet (Netherlands), Teatro La Scala (Italy), Australian
National Ballet (Australia) and National Ballet of Cuba (Cuba). And the
hilarious cross-dressing Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (USA) is
another enduring favourite for dance die-hards and newbies alike.
Click here for more ballet articles.

Modern & Contemporary Dance

Today, modern and contemporary dance draw from many other dance
genres. However, modern dance was created as a new form of physical
expression – as distinct from ballet.
Modern dance pioneers include Isadora Duncan and Ruth St. Denis.
However, Martha Graham is known as the mother of modern dance
because she codified a new dance vocabulary in New York City.
Trademarks of Graham modern technique include contractions and
spiraling. Martha Graham’s dance contemporaries include Merce
Cunningham, Lester Horton and José Limón.
Post-modern dance followed modern dance as a sort of rebellion.
Oftentimes, choreographers included pedestrian movements such as
walking and sitting into their dances.
Modern dance continues to evolve, but rather than calling it post-post-
modern dance, the dance style is still called modern dance. You may hear
‘contemporary dance’ (as it’s categorized on the ‘So You Think You Can
Dance’ shows) or ‘lyrical dance’ in the commercial dance industry.
Contemporary dance can take inspiration from any number of other dance
genres or movement forms, such as martial art.
World-famous modern dance companies include Nederlands Dans Theater
(Netherlands), Cloud Gate Dance Theater (Taiwan), Tanztheater
Wuppertal Pina Bausch (Germany), Alvin Ailey American Dance
Theatre (USA), Rambert (UK) and TAO Dance Theatre (China).
Click here for more modern and contemporary dance articles.

Hip-hop & Street Dance

Hip-hop is a popular commercial dance style that originated in the streets
of New York City. It’s sometimes called urban dance or street dance.
However, this powerful form of expression has also been used to create
hip-hop theatre pieces.
Breakdancing is an incredibly athletic hip-hop dance style. It can be
broken down into top rocks and power moves.
Freestyle dance can be further broken down into more specific dance
styles or techniques, such
as popping, locking, waving, robotics, vogueing, tutting, krump and h
ouse dance. Many hip-hop artists will combine a range of these dance
technique into their choreography.
Hip-hop theatre is essentially a mix between street dance and modern or
contemporary dance.
Click here for more article about hip-hop and commercial dance.

Ballroom & Social Dance

Ballroom dance is typically a dance style shared between one male, who
acts as the ‘lead’, and one female, who acts as the ‘follow’. Ballroom dance
tends to be very formal and performed in competitions, whereas other
partner social dances are more casual.
Ballroom dance is sometimes referred to as dance sport, and ballroom
dance styles can be divided into two categories: smooth dances and Latin
dances.
Helpful hint: If you are watching professional ballroom dance and unsure of
whether the style is smooth or Latin, look at the ladies’ shoes. If you see
strappy high heels, the couples are performing Latin dances. If the front of
the shoes are closed, the pairs are dancing a smooth style.
Smooth dances include the foxtrot, waltz and Viennese waltz.
Latin dance include the rumba, samba and chacha (or chachacha).
Other social partner dances
include salsa, merengue, bachata, kizomba and zouk.
Click here for more ballroom and social dance articles.
Traditional & Folk Dances
Folk dance traditions can be found around the world. Every dance began
as a folk dance, but some have evolved into global dance styles.
Traditional folk dance forms tend to be less widespread and have been
passed down for generations in specific communities.
You may not even think of some dance forms as ‘folk dance’, but every
dance started somewhere. For instance, jazz and tap dance are both
types of folk dance from the USA. Native American tribes also have their
own dance traditions. During a Native American hoop dance, the
performer uses a series of hoops as props to resemble and mimic a variety
of animals.
Just south in Central and South America, many of the traditional folk
dances (such as Argentine tango) are covered in our ballroom and social
dance section. However, Mexico has its own folkloric dances, such as the
Jarabe Tapatío and Danza del Venado.
Irish dancing is sometimes performed in Irish soft shoes called ‘gillies’
(or ‘ghillies’), but it can also be performed in hard shoes. Common music
forms are reels and jigs. On the same island, you’ll also find Scottish
dancing and English Morris dancing. Mainland Europe is home to many
more folk dances with folklore ensembles that preserve these pieces of
intangible cultural heritage. (The Lindo Folklore Ensemble in Dubrovnik is
one such organization.)
India has a few famous dance forms. Ancient Indian dance traditions
include Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Odissi, while Bhangra and Bollywo
od are more current popular Indian dance forms.
Click here for to learn more about different folk dances around the
world.

Performance Art
Dance can be blended with other performance arts to create unique
performances. For instance, dance can play a large role in musical theatre
shows and operas. Dance can also be found paired with circus or in
dynamic physical theatre shows.
Like some dance shows incorporate a range of dance styles, some
performances weave different arts together. Although dance may not be
the main focus of these shows, it is still an important and complementary
component. For instance, we had a blast learning the Charleston during
Immersive LDN’s Great Gatsby production.

Dance can be featured in operas, musicals (also known as musical

theater), cabarets, circus acts and revues – as in the Royal Opera
House’s Carmen by Barrie Kosky or Fashion Freak Show by famed French
designer Paul Gaultier.
In screendance, the live dance choreography is filtered through a
videographer’s vision. Omari Carter, director of The Motion Dance
Collective screendance production company, explains that the dancers’
movement is further enhanced by the filming and editing processes.
Meanwhile, physical theatre takes the corporal element of dance.
However, these types of performances differ from traditional dance shows
by incorporating lots of dialogue and concrete actions that follow a plot.

Dance Fusion
Dance fusion occurs when two or more dance styles are integrated – or
when dance becomes intermingled with another type of physical practice.
The huge variety of dance makes it such a great way to learn about
different cultures.
That’s why we want to help you experience dance around the world – with
our free dance class finder. As it grows, it will help you discover dance in
your own backyard and wherever you may travel.