Dance

For alternative meanings, see Dance (disambiguation)

Dance is, in general terms, human movement with an implied purpose such as the communication of an aesthetic or emotional idea, participation with music, and/or the achievement of certain mind-body states, sometimes spiritual-mystical ones, sometimes as simple as physical fitness. In this way, dance is contrasted to utilitarian movement--such as walking, hammering, typing, lifting weights, etc.--that has a direct "materialistic" purpose. There are other forms of human activity that can be classified as not strictly utilitarian, such as pantomime and sports. However, dance differs from these other forms of activity insofar as the dancer's movement diverges from necessity--insofar as the dancer's movement is shaped primarily by an aesthetic or emotional concern rather than by the need to run faster, leap farther, or communicate a concrete, discursive idea.

A dance also refers to a specific form of this movement. Specific dances have names that are recognized, and the specifics of the dance may be formalized. Examples of specific dances or families of dances are waltz, jig and salsa. See List of dances for an index list of specific dances and families of related dances.

Some cultures have developed restricted codes of movement which describe specific dance styles such as Ballet, Bharata Natyam, etc. Indeed, from the sociological point of view, dance is usually considered to be a cultural rather than natural phenomenon. However, dance is fluid and thus the dances of one culture may be accepted and/or adapted by other cultures and turned to other purposes. For example, the social dances of one culture and time period might become the historical reenactment dances of another culture and time period.

Dancing can be done for the individual dancer's or for the dancers' own pleasure, or as pleasure for others, i.e. performance.

Dance elements can be found in a number of sports, such as gymnastics, figure skating, synchronized swimming, and are often seamlessly blended with other types of art and sports, such as pantomime or gymnastics. Some cultures have elaborate forms of art, e.g., Indian Kathakali, that include dance as one of several organically connected elements.

The principal element of dance is the motion of the dancer's body.

Another important element of dance is rhythm. Although dance movement is often rhythmic, it is not always so. It usually requires the rhythm of music, even if only imaginary, or produced by the dancers themselves. In some dance styles, the dancers produce music by stomping, clapping, ringing the bells attached to body or garments, or by tapping metal plates attached to the bottom of their shoes.

Many folk and ethnic dances use steps and movements that imitate important everyday activities: agricultural, fishing, hunting, etc. However the purpose of a harvesting dance for example is not harvesting, rather, it's a tale about harvesting or something similar. Some Indian dance styles use hand, face and eye movements to communicate meaning by the dancer.

Dance is found in every human culture. Dance scholar Alfred Gell has defined dance as "a stylized deformation of nondance mobility, just as poetry is a deformation or modulation of language, a deviation from the norm of expression that enhances expressiveness (Gell, Alfred. 'Style and Meaning in Umeda Dance' in: Spencer, Paul, ed. Society and the Dance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985)."

It is also said that dance is a form of nonverbal communication. In this sense, someone has said (bearing religious dance in mind) "Dance is the prayer of the feet".

There are numerous ways of classifying dances. Dances may be classified by their specific purpose, such as social dancing, performance dancing, or erotic dance. Dances may also be classified according to function based on specific spheres of cultural activity: religion, art, sport, recreation. Further, dances may be classified by number of participants, i.e. individually, as couples or in groups.

These classification are neither precise nor complete, and a dance may well be classified under several categories. For example, dance can be a form of therapy (choreotherapy) for some people, yet for others the same dance is simply a job.

A continuum of dance can be posited that stretches from the most extreme and solitary forms of non-technical, ritual dance (endurance/trance dancing) through a broad middle of folk dance (including everything from modern club dances to a medieval minuet), to extreme forms of performance dance such as neoclassical ballet or postmodern works employing decontextualized pedestrian movement.

Movement involving intricate step patterns unrelated to a form of expression, is sometimes referred to as dancing. Some examples:

Boxers and fencers are said to dance around each other.
Martial arts, especially Asian ones, are often rightfully compared to dancing.
It is said that certain animals dance as part of their mating rituals. There is still great mystery surrounding these patterns. An example is bee dance, a remarkably regular movement which a honeybee often performs in a hive. It has been a mystery since man first domesticated the bees. Its purpose has only recently been uncovered.

Dance choreography is the act of planning a dance so a dancer will move in a certain way. The term also refers to the result of this planning.

In the United States, dance is a new and popular college major, i.e., it is moved from special to general education.

History

Main article: History of dance

History

See also