Chapters
Fed up with jazz dancing, or Latin dancing that proves too tame for your fiery spirit? Would you like to diversify your repertoire? You have come to the right place!
Why not discover new styles of dance to enrich your musical culture?
Mastering several styles of dance is a major asset should you aspire to become a professional dancer, make your mark in musical theater or even take musical training at a conservatory. A dancer's tale is so rich that it will surely bring you magnificent rewards.
Believe it or not, your personality should match your dancing style: the rhythm, points of origin, level of difficulty...
So many criteria to take into account when learning a new style of dance!
Besides those fundamentals, you may have an expressed preference, say for tap dance, that might not suit your style later in your dance career.
Let us review the different types of dance taught in dance classes near me.
As perfection does not exist – in dance or in intellect, we will strive to make this list as all-encompassing as possible...
Taking Lessons in Traditional Dance Styles
Traditional dance is a part of the cultural DNA of 21st century civilizations.
Throughout the history of humankind, each style of music has its place and never disappears completely, evolving through generations.
For example folk music and folk dance that we know today would never have been established as a type of cultural expression without a distant ancestry in traditional dances and other forms of folklore.
For centuries, dancers used their art to communicate and encourage social cohesion within their cultural group.
Generally, dancers were grouped by age, gender, social status, and origin. Today's choreographers need make no such distinctions, yet they have a duty to impress upon their dance students these aspects of dance culture.
Learning traditional dances permits retention of classic choreography, as well as building upon it, to increase dancers' prowess and flexibility.
What a great way to discover the very soul of dance!
Social dance and country dancing is always joyful. That is why this style so often finds a place in more than one dance company, especially as it borders on folk dance, a musical genre at the source of several contemporary styles of dance – and music!
The convivial atmosphere, combined with the sense of discovery of something ancient and, traditional dance courses will surely appeal to young and old alike!
Through dance classes near me or in a dance school, neophytes would be able to learn:
- Renaissance dances
- Baroque dances
- How to dance a jig
- Moresca: a dance of pantomime
- Tresque – a medieval dance originated in Italy
- The Carole: a chain-type dance executed to ballads
- The Bacchanale
- The Gavotte
- The Bergamask
- Ballroom dances
Thanks to specialised dance classes and private tutoring, future professional dancers can discover Asian, South American or African cultures through those dances.
Music lovers and dance purists alike appreciate such distinctions, during performances and even dance competitions.
Witnessing such displays will give you the feeling of having stepped back to a time of resplendent opulence: perhaps the court of France's Sun King, or the imperial palace of Austria...
Even our own pre-Victorian monarchy was no stranger to vivacious, lush entertainment in the form of dance!
It is a fact that ancient civilizations often used dance during their religious rituals and official ceremonies, such as the Sword Dance practiced in Pakistan and Nepal.
The Basque region in the south of France is rich in codified dance.
Their dances' choreography above all reveals their historically sportive, even martial nature: each of the dancers' face offs calls for high energy acrobatics and militaristic displays.
Clearly, a period of warming up would be due form for these dances!
After mastering those, you may immerse yourself in the history of art with private dance lessons! Why not discover within you a passion for Brazilian dance, Cuban Zouk or Afro-American dance?
Start taking online belly dance classes today.
Need some inspiration? Read about famous sayings to do with dance.
Move Your Body with Rhythmic Dances
Two-step, three step or any high energy step dance: we dare you to move your body to the rhythm of the music!
Expressing your sensuality will come most naturally with such beats.
Rhythmic dances are ideal to develop musicality and improvisation, all while learning quick steps.
Warning: rhythmic dances are advised only to the most energetic dancers, since they require great stamina, physical prowess and an awareness of one's body.
To become a pro at rhythmic dancing, why not start with a kids and teens dance teacher?
Any dance school or dance studio offering lessons specially designed to accompany the youngest during their learning of this dance, whose tempo – seldom slow – is at the heart of this particular genre.
Should you have any doubt, imagine yourself dancing a Swing Dance: impressive when well-done, but exhausting!
Incidentally, you could try adolescent's courses to learn how to dance ballet, too!
Private dance tutors could instruct you on rhythmic dances at any level, from beginner dance steps all the way to advanced dance lessons.
You can find a dance instructor for all these rhythmic disciplines on Superprof:
- Samba dance classes
- Polka dance classes
- Paso Doble lessons
- Java dancing (you may be familiar with Edith Piaf's The Accordionist);
- Bachata dancing
- Cuban Salsa or Puerto Rican salsa (find salsa lessons in London!)
- dance the Charleston
- Madison dance courses
- Quicktep
- Cha-cha-cha
- Argentine Tango dancing
- Rock'n'Roll dancing
Mastering a rhythmic dance allows you to create your own choreography and even become a dance instructor in a national dance center. What's more, knowing rhythmic dance steps is a fine way to wow your audience during a dance recital, a dance party – in a club or at a ball!
Through precise movements and intricate steps, the ultra-rhythmic choreography of this dance technique borders mesmerizing.
Why not do a video search to see for yourself this art/dance, and how it produces a decidedly sensual effect. Perfect to impress your loved one!
Discover here our dance lessons in Birmingham...
Muscle Up by Learning to Dance
You can get fit though sports dancing! A good freestyle dance routine will cause you to burn fat and gain muscle mass.
Theres' nothing better than a little funk to carve yourself the bust or butt you've always dreamed of.
Lively orchestra music will lead you on a boogie-woogie of furious tempo, that will prevent you from ever getting bored with dancing, and will position you in a thousand leagues from any free style!
Say goodbye to improvised pantomime and make your whole body work: Left foot, right foot; arms, legs...
This particular style of seemingly improvised music seems to be native to the Bronx or the West coast of the United States where it appeared, much like the fitness craze and the various sports adapted to it.
Urban cultures, in particular, have produced truly athletic dances.
Which style would you favour? For example, you have hip-hop classes – more and more written as one word: hiphop, break dancing in all of its varieties - including popping, or even top rock.
Whether a gym member, a dance association member or just desiring to move your body, surely you can squeeze a lesson or two in per week.
Please don't worry: you won't be expected to perform publicly right off!
Learn the steps one by one, and soon you will be ready to dance in front of an audience, with your body taut and your muscles toned.
Let us not forget: besides being a form of artistic expression, dance is primarily a sport.
Lovers of dance who want to tone their bodies can learn to dance these particular disciplines, guided by a personal instructor or in a sports center.
At the end of the day, fitness itself is often only a form of dance, even if it is done with difficult choreography.
Besides toning up, dance, in general, is perfect for improving your heart health. Our advice: do a minimum of 30 minutes of cardio each day to perfect your dance skills and sculpt a healthy body.
In many aspects, any dance routine approximates rhythmic gymnastics, the only difference being that one is more often upright on the dance floor, rather than tumbling around on a gym mat.
Now we present you with a short list of sports dances that you may partake of:
- Zumba Course (find an online Zumba course!)
- if you like water, you might try Aquazumba
- Pole Dancing
- African dance classes
- Acrobatic rock lessons
- Postural stretching
- Ground barre – same as the ballet barre, but on the ground
- Sh'bam
- Pilates, a workout that gives new elan to middle agers
- Rumba course – for the especially energetic
- Bokwa
- Aero-Latino – despite its name, it is not reserved for Air Force pilots!
- Step-chorea: you will recognize the abbreviation for choreography
If none of these appeal to you, you could try fitness classes for the less musically inclined; the important part is just getting fit!
Professional dancers and every ballerina generally follows a specific diet.
Forget fast food! To eliminate fat from your body, it is best to eat fresh, only lightly cooked or raw products to make your metabolism work. In addition to a healthy and balanced diet, care must be taken to ensure good, restful sleep.
Get the body of your dreams through sports dancing, while making sure you feel good about yourself!
Interested in ballet? Take a look at our blog on the most world's most famous ballets.
See pole dancing classes that might interest you!
Discover Social Dances
The social dances are not obsolete; far from it! We often hear about ballroom dancing, whose rituals and choreography show their origins, as well as the future of such dances.
Ballroom dancing, and social dances in general were/are popular among the bourgeoisie and, in some places, the aristocracy.
Would you like to enter that refined world?
What you have to do to get accepted in that milieu: learn ballroom dance.
Although these dance styles peaked in popularity during the French Renaissance era, there is now a revival of interest in these upscale and distinguished dances.
As a wedding dance and at festivals, aficionados of fine etiquette and continental savoir-faire practice these and other social dances, as couples or in a group.
The ideal is couples dancing: aside from the formal aspect of social dancing, in general, lurks a yearning for romance that will surely seduce any dance partner!
The Dance of Society, also called ballroom dancing, is today an entertaining and convivial activity that does not demand refined technique. It could be more about finding one's soul mate...
Jane Austen novels regularly feature dance scenes, borrowing heavily from these styles of dance.
Beginners in dance can easily acquire the basics of ballroom dancing during their introductory dance lesson; these courses are among the most populated in the UK.
There are many dance classes devoted to social dances:
- Do the twist, even if this move is a bit out of fashion
- Revive the roaring 20s with the Charleston
- Ballroom Dance classes in general
- Classic ballroom: Slow Waltz or Viennese Waltz - different steps, but always in three-quarter time.
- The seductive Tango
- Foxtrot, or the gentler paced slow fox
- Quick Step
The advantage of this discipline? Ballroom dances do not usually require special equipment: it is therefore quite possible to revise dance steps alone and to learn its choreography on your own.
Moreover, the social dances helps maintain memory and improve joint flexibility.
It is for this reason that many senior dance classes teach ballroom dancing: to help older adults engage in social activity while practicing a sport.
Finally, most ballroom dances do not call for great athletic prowess: a minimum of physical conditioning is still required, but nothing too intense.
Uncover your inner duchy through ballroom dancing!
Travel the World Through Dance
Whether to express joy, sadness or longing, dance is one of the most elemental means of communication in the world!
Every civilization has, in the course of its own history, invented and perfected one or more ways of dancing.
Since the dawn of civilisation there have been dances; just as humankind has always used their body, in conjunction with speech, to express himself and make himself understood.
Do you have an affinity for any given country? You should then interest yourself in their dances to learn more about the spirit of its inhabitants.
In this regard, any tourist jaunt would be complete only if it gives the traveller the opportunity to familiarize himself with local music and dance.
Learning dances from around the world allows you to travel on the wings of music while exploring the traditions and customs of other countries and civilizations.
In recent years, the world's dances have become more accessible: in dance schools and clubs, and thanks to the popularity of dance films such as Slumdog Millionaire or programs such as Dancing with the Stars.
Globalisation has increased trade; not just in commercial goods but in culture and demographics.Those imports mean that people are more likely to move, whether for a visit or for work.
From there, cultural communities form in many cities, which is the best introduction to dances from Brazil, Portugal, Germany, the West Indies, China...
It is quite possible to take dance lessons in a cultural center in any city in order to become a pro of the discipline while sharing your own culture with other dance lovers.
Sharing, solidarity, and respect are on the agenda in any dance class!
Discover the many dance styles coming from elsewhere, some of which can be very amusing:
- Bollywood dances
- Capoeira: an intricate Brazilian dance style that incorporates martial arts moves
- Belly dancing
- Oriental dances
- Mapouka dance – for lovers of sub-Saharan Africa
- Flamenco dancing, to kiss the Andalusian sun
- Bharatanatyam – Indian classical dance
- Tap classes
- French Cancan
- Kabuki, or other courses in theatre art
- Irish dance classes, with or without beer
- Samba courses
Did you know that 92% of Superprof tutors offer their first lesson for free? That would be enough for you to try out a new style of dancing or hear a type of music you might never have heard before.
If you like dancing, you'll enjoy discovering new choreography!
Learn All of the New Dances
Latin dances, modern jazz dance and classical dance don't quite get it for you: why not learn the contemporary dance?
The material is abundant and new dance disciplines create themselves, these days.
Unparalleled enthusiasm for effusive expression causes the art of dance to evolve continuously: just a few decades ago, we called Modern Jazz dance contemporary!
Learning more recent dance steps makes it possible to update your fabulous footwork all while retaining essential choreographic elements.
Trust one of our super-teachers to provide instruction on any of these new dances:
- New Style
- Raggae
- Breakdance
- Sh'bam
- Krumping
- Street dance
- Hip Hop, in any of its varieties
- the ultra-sexy Kizomba
- Hiplet – danced nearly entirely en pointe
- Voodoo dancing
- Batuka – a box step with upper body movement
- Tectonic – movement to techno music
- Latinva
To learn new moves, dancers can enjoy group lessons, sign up for home courses, take online dance classes, or just focus on partner dance.
However, not all dances are within the reach of beginners.
In fact, new dance generally requires a good fundamental technique and, above all, motivation! Ideally, you should take classes with your mates, to maintain motivation and learn from one another.
Couples dancing, group dancing or individual dance: you will inevitably find happiness during an extraordinary course that teaches altered Mambo, updated merengue and contemporary Cha Chas...
Focus on originality by discovering new dance styles with special dance classes!
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