MUSIC - Teaching Music in the Elementary Grades

Week 3

TOPICS:
Different kinds of songs
 Classical
 Pop
 Rock
 Metal
 Country
 Soul
 Ballad
 Gospel
 RnB
 Reggae
 Musical
 Opera
Different kinds of Dances
 Ballet
 Jazz
 Tap Dance
 Hip-Hop
 Modern Dance
 Swing
 Contra Dance
 Country and Western Dance
 Belly Dancing
 Flamenco
 Latin Dance
 Folk Dance
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Identify and define the different kinds of songs and dances
2. Differentiate songs and dances.
3. Appreciate the use of songs and dances in a person’s life or in their life.
SONGS
Sorting out the types of songs according to definite factors is really difficult, as they can be classified into
many different and random categories. A song is a very, very important element in music, but is also one
of the most prominent elements in our lives! You will come across several different categories of songs
that have a unique mood and touch.
As a result of their uniqueness, they cannot be differentiated on the basis of any specific factors. The main
reason songs cannot be marked only in one class is because of the differences existing in the type of
music, lyrics, and its purpose. For instance, a rap song can also be a Christian song, and a ballad can even
have a metal feel to it.
However, we can still roughly classify songs as per the types of lyrics, the music, tone, culture, and other
similar factors. The next sections of this article will cover more information about these classifications,
along with a few examples to make things clearer for you.

Classical
It is art music produced or rooted in the traditions of western music, including both liturgical (religious)
and secular music. While a more precise term is also used to refer to the period from 1750 to 1820 (the
classical period), this article is about the broad span of time from before the 6th century AD to the present
day, which includes the classical period and various other periods.

The major time divisions of Western art music are as follows:

The ANCIENT MUSIC period, before 500 AD

The EARLY MUSIC period, which includes
 The MEDIEVAL (500-1400) including
 The ars antiqua (1170-1310)
 The ars nova (1310-1377)
 The ars subtillior (1360-1420)
 The RENAISSANCE (1400-1600) eras
 BAROQUE (1600-1750)
 The GALANT MUSIC period (1720s-1770s)
The common-practice period, which includes
 BAROQUE (1600-1750)
 The GALANT MUSIC period (1720s-1770s)
 CLASSICAL (1750-1820)
 ROMANTIC eras (c. 1780-1910)

The 20TH CENTURY (1901-2000) which includes

 The MODERN (1890-1930) that overlaps from the late-19th century
 The HIGH MODERN (1930-present)
 The IMPRESSIONISM (1875-1925) that also overlaps from the late-19th century
 The NEOCLASSICISM (1920-1950), predominantly in the inter-war period
  The POSTMODERN (1930-present) eras
 The EXPERIMENTAL (1950-present)
 CONTEMPORARY (1945 or 1975-PRESENT)

As the name suggests, classical songs are those in which traditional music plays a main role. These songs
were first composed by artists like Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van
Beethoven, to name a few.

These songs have had a substantial impact on the music we hear today. Every country has a culture, which
is clearly apparent in its classical and folk songs.
~ Canon in D major - Johann Pachelbel
~ Symphony No. 9: Ode To Joy - Ludwig van Beethoven
~ The Four Seasons - Antonio Vivaldi
~ Hallelujah - Katherine Jenkins
~ Heart of Courage - Two Steps From Hell

Pop
It is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form in the United States and United Kingdom
during the mis-1950s. The terms “popular music” and “pop music” are often used interchangeably,
although the former describes all music that is popular and includes many different styles. “Pop” and
“Rock” were roughly synonymous terms until the late 1960s, when they became increasingly
differentiated from each other.
Pop songs are those which have contemporary lyrics and an upbeat rhythm, basically meant for the youth
culture.
Some of the most popular artists of this genre are Michael Jackson, Madonna, Britney Spears, Backstreet
Boys, Justin Timberlake, and Cher. The composition of pop songs concentrates more on music technology
and recording than on live performances. Rhythm and effects are two important elements in pop songs.
~ Bye Bye Bye - N Sync
~ Beat It - Michael Jackson
~ I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys
~ Baby One More Time - Britney Spears
~ Every Breath You Take - The Police

Rock
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as "rock and roll" in the United States in the
early 1950s, and developed into a range of different styles in the 1960s and later, particularly in the
United Kingdom and in the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, a style which
drew heavily on the African-American genres of blues and rhythm and blues, and from country music.
Rock music also drew strongly on a number of other genres such as electric blues and folk, and
incorporated influences from jazz, classical and other musical styles. Musically, rock has centered on the
electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with electric bass and drums and one or more singers.

Typically, rock is song-based music usually with a 4/4 time signature using a verse–chorus form, but the
genre has become extremely diverse. Like pop music, lyrics often stress romantic love but also address a
wide variety of other themes that are frequently social or political.

By the late 1960s "classic rock" period, a number of distinct rock music subgenres had emerged,
including hybrids like blues rock, folk rock, country rock, raga rock, and jazz-rock, many of which
contributed to the development of psychedelic rock, which was influenced by the countercultural
psychedelic and hippie scene. New genres that emerged included progressive rock, which extended the
artistic elements; glam rock, which highlighted showmanship and visual style; and the diverse and
enduring subgenre of heavy metal, which emphasized volume, power, and speed. In the second half of the
1970s, punk rock reacted by producing stripped-down, energetic social and political critiques. Punk was
an influence in the 1980s on new wave, post-punk and eventually alternative rock. From the 1990s
alternative rock began to dominate rock music and break into the mainstream in the form of grunge,
Britpop, and indie rock. Further fusion subgenres have since emerged, including pop punk, rap rock, and
rap metal, as well as conscious attempts to revisit rock's history, including the garage rock/post-punk and
synth-pop revivals at the beginning of the 2000s.

Rock songs are the most popular among teenagers and youngsters. They consist of clear pieces of lead
guitar, bass guitar, drums, and keyboards as some of the main instruments. When the instruments are
played in sync, they sound energetic along with the vocals. Most popular rock artists are Europe, Creed,
Def Leppard, Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bryan Adams and many other good ones.
~ The Final Countdown - Europe
~ Jump - Van Halen
~ Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple
~ Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
~ Sweet Child o' Mine - Guns N' Roses
Metal
Heavy metal (or simply metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s,
largely in the United Kingdom. With roots in blues rock and psychedelic/acid rock, the bands that created
heavy metal developed a thick, massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended
guitar solos, emphatic beats, and overall loudness. Heavy metal lyrics and performance styles are
sometimes associated with aggression and machismo.
In 1968, three of the genre's most famous acts, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple were
founded.
Though they came to attract wide audiences, they were often derided by critics. During the mid-1970s,
Judas Priest helped spur the genre's evolution by discarding much of its blues influence; Motörhead
introduced a punk rock sensibility and an increasing emphasis on speed. Beginning in the late 1970s,
bands in the new wave of British heavy metal such as Iron Maiden and Saxon followed in a similar vein.
Before the end of the decade, heavy metal fans became known as "metalheads" or "headbangers".
Metal songs are a bit more hard-sounding than rock songs. These songs have high pitches and screaming
vocals, heavy guitar leads, and solid drum work. In a majority of metal songs, power chords and riffs are
used. They may consist of random lyrics, as the primary focus is on the music. Some of the metal music
legends are Whitesnake, Metallica, Dokken, Winger, Dio, Yngwie Malmsteen, Scorpions, etc.
~ Fear of the Dark - Iron Maiden
~ Rainbow in the Dark - Dio
~ Still of the Night - Whitesnake
~ Enter Sandman - Metallica
~ Rock You Like A Hurricane – Scorpions

Country
Country (or country and western) is a musical genre that originated in the southern United States in the
early 1920s. It takes its roots from genres such as folk music (especially Appalachian folk music) and
blues. Country music often consists of ballads and dance tunes with generally simple forms, folk lyric and
harmonies accompanied by mostly string instruments such as banjos, electric and acoustic guitars, steel
guitars (such as pedal steels and dobros), and fiddles as well as harmonicas. Blues modes have been used
extensively throughout its recorded history. According to Lindsey Starnes, the term country music gained
popularity in the 1940s in preference to the earlier term hillbilly music; it came to encompass Western
music, which evolved parallel to hillbilly music from similar roots, in the mid-20th century. In 2009, in
the United States country music was the most listened to rush hour radio genre during the evening
commute, and second most popular in the morning commute.
The term country music is used today to describe many styles and subgenres. The origins of country
music are the folk music of working class Americans, who blended popular songs, Irish and Celtic fiddle
tunes, traditional English ballads, and cowboy songs, and various musical traditions from European
immigrant communities.
Country songs are suitable for easy listening. They mainly consist of clean lyrics with music pieces using
classical guitars and other traditional instruments. Occasionally, solos of instruments like the banjo,
mandolin, fiddle, and harmonica can also be heard in country songs. You can listen to songs by Keith
Urban, Taylor Swift, Chris Young, Garth Brooks, and Shania Twain for a better idea.
~ Mean - Taylor Swift
~ If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away - Justin Moore
~ Somewhere Else - Toby Keith
~ Without You - Keith Urban
~ Just Fishin' - Trace Adkins
SOUL
Soul music (often referred to simply as soul) is a popular music genre that originated in the United States
in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It combines elements of African-American gospel music, rhythm and
blues and jazz. Soul music became popular for dancing and listening in the United States, where record
labels such as Motown, Atlantic and Stax were influential during the Civil Rights Movement. Soul also
became popular around the world, directly influencing rock music and the music of Africa. According to
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through
the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of funky, secular testifying". Catchy rhythms,
stressed by handclaps and extemporaneous body moves, are an important feature of soul music. Other
characteristics are a call and response between the lead vocalist and the chorus and an especially tense
vocal sound. The style also occasionally uses improvisational additions, twirls and auxiliary sounds. Soul
music reflected the African-American identity and it stressed the importance of an African-American
culture. The new-found African-American consciousness led to new styles of music, which boasted pride
in being black.

Soul music dominated the U.S. R&B chart in the 1960s, and many recordings crossed over into the pop
charts in the U.S., Britain and elsewhere. By 1968, the soul music genre had begun to splinter. Some soul
artists developed funk music, while other singers and groups developed slicker, more sophisticated, and in
some cases more politically conscious varieties. By the early 1970s, soul music had been influenced by
psychedelic rock and other genres, leading to psychedelic soul. The United States saw the development of
neo soul around 1994. There are also several other subgenres and offshoots of soul music.

The key subgenres of soul include the Detroit (Motown) style, a rhythmic music influenced by gospel;
deep soul and southern soul, driving, energetic soul styles combining R&B with southern gospel music
sounds; Memphis soul, a shimmering, sultry style; New Orleans soul, which came out of the rhythm and
blues style; Chicago soul, a lighter gospel-influenced sound; Philadelphia soul, a lush orchestral sound
with doo-wop-inspired vocals; Psychedelic soul, a blend of psychedelic rock and soul music; as well as
categories such as Blue-eyed soul, which is soul music performed by white artists; British soul; and
Northern soul, rare soul music played by DJs at nightclubs in Northern England.

Ballads
A ballad /ˈbæləd/ is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval
French chanson balladée or ballade, which were originally "danced songs''. Ballads were particularly
characteristic of the popular poetry and song of the British Isles from the later medieval period until the
19th century. They were widely used across Europe, and later in Australia, North Africa, North America
and South America. Ballads are often 13 lines with an ABABBCBC form, consisting of couplets (two
lines) of rhymed verse, each of 14 syllables. Another common form is ABAB or ABCB repeated, in
alternating 8 and 6 syllable lines.
Many ballads were written and sold as single sheet broadsides. The form was often used by poets and
composers from the 18th century onwards to produce lyrical ballads. In the later 19th century, the term
took on the meaning of a slow form of popular love song and is now often used for any love song,
particularly the sentimental ballad of pop or rock. The ballad derives its name from medieval French
dance songs or "ballares" (L: ballare, to dance), from which 'ballet' is also derived, as did the alternative
rival form that became the French ballade. As a narrative song, their theme and function may originate
from Scandinavian and Germanic traditions of storytelling that can be seen in poems such as Beowulf.

[4] Musically they were influenced by the Minnesinger. The earliest example of a recognizable ballad in
form in England is "Judas" in a 13th-century manuscript. This means that the two words, ballad and
ballet, are both derived from the French language.

Ballads are songs which include a narration of a story in a musical way. These are basically slow songs,
but may contain heavy components as well. Generally, ballads have an emotional touch to them, owing to
the lyrical content. This is why they are a great hit during live shows. Ballads can be composed by artists
from any genre of music. Power ballads are those which combine heavy music with emotional lyrics.
~ Is This Love - Whitesnake
~ Carrie - Europe
~ Tears In Heaven - Eric Clapton
~ In Your Eyes - John Norum
~ Please Forgive Me - Bryan Adams
Gospel
Gospel music is a genre of Christian music. The creation, performance, significance, and even the
definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is composed and
performed for many purposes, including aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, and as an
entertainment product for the marketplace. Gospel music usually has dominant vocals (often with strong
use of harmony) with Christian lyrics. Gospel music can be traced to the early 17th century, with roots in
the black oral tradition. Hymns and sacred songs were often repeated in a call and response fashion. Most
of the churches relied on hand clapping and foot stomping as rhythmic accompaniment. Most of the
singing was done a cappella. The first published use of the term "gospel song" probably appeared in 1874.

The original gospel songs were written and composed by authors such as George F. Root, Philip Bliss,
Charles H. Gabriel, William Howard Doane, and Fanny Crosby. Gospel music publishing houses
emerged. The advent of radio in the 1920s greatly increased the audience for gospel music. Following
World War II, gospel music moved into major auditoriums, and gospel music concerts became quite
elaborate.
Gospel blues is a blues-based form of gospel music (a combination of blues guitar and evangelistic
lyrics). Southern gospel used all male, tenor-lead-baritone-bass quartet make-up. Progressive Southern
gospel is an

American music genre that has grown out of Southern gospel over the past couple of decades. Christian
country music, sometimes referred to as country gospel music, is a subgenre of gospel music with a
country flair. It peaked in popularity in the mid-1990s.

Bluegrass gospel music is rooted in American mountain music. Celtic gospel music infuses gospel music
with a Celtic flair, and is quite popular in countries such as Ireland. British black gospel refers to Gospel
music of the African diaspora, which has been produced in the UK. Some proponents of "standard"
hymns generally dislike gospel music of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, with historical
distance, there is a greater acceptance of such gospel songs into official denominational hymnals.
Gospel songs contain lyrics taken from Bible verses or are just written out of Christian belief. Usually, the
lyrics are made out of a personal experience with God. They are sung in churches all around the globe.
Gospel songs may be from any music genre such as country, rock, rap, or metal. World-renowned artists
to compose gospel songs are Don Moen, Petra, Sonicflood, Michael W. Smith, and Hillsong.
~ God is Good - Don Moen
~ Awesome God - Michael W. Smith
~ We Want To See Jesus Lifted High - Petra ~ How Great Is Our God - Chris Tomlin
~ Mighty to Save – Hillsong

Love
Love songs are slow songs whose lyrics concentrate on the feelings of love and relationships. These songs
are largely played in marriages. There are sad love songs whose lyrics relate to breakups, too. They are
mostly composed by pop and rock artists. Some of the artists who have composed the best love songs are
Elton John, Bryan Adams, Richard Marx, Mariah Carey, and George Michael.
~ (Everything I Do) I Do It for You - Bryan Adams
~ I Just Called to Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder
~ Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx
~ My Heart Will Go On - Celine Dion
~ It Must Have Been Love - Roxette
RnB
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated as R&B or RnB, is a genre of popular African-American music that
originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings
marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music
with a heavy, insistent beat" was becoming more popular. In the commercial rhythm and blues music
typical of the 1950s through the 1970s, the bands usually consisted of piano, one or two guitars, bass,
drums, saxophone, and sometimes background vocalists. R&B lyrical themes often encapsulate the
African-American experience of pain and the quest for freedom and joy. The lyrics in this genre of music
focus heavily on the themes of triumphs and failures in terms of relationships, freedom, economics,
aspirations, and sex.

The term rhythm and blues has undergone a number of shifts in meaning. In the early 1950s it was
frequently applied to blues records. Starting in the mid-1950s, after this style of music contributed to the
development of rock and roll, the term "R&B" became used to refer to music styles that developed from
and incorporated electric blues, as well as gospel and soul music. In the 1960s, several British rock bands
s uch as the Rolling Stones, The Who and The Animals were referred to and promoted as being RnB
bands; posters for The Who's residency at the Marquee Club in
1964 contained the slogan, "Maximum R&B". This tangent of RnB is now known as "British rhythm and
blues". By the 1970s, the term rhythm and blues changed again and was used as a blanket term for soul
and funk. In the 1980s, a newer style of R&B developed, becoming known as "Contemporary R&B". It
combines elements of rhythm and blues, soul, funk, pop, hip hop and dance. Popular R&B vocalists at the
end of the 20th century included Michael Jackson, Prince, R. Kelly, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston,
and Mariah Carey.

REGGAE

Reggae (/ˈrɛɡeɪ/) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the
modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. [1] A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the
Reggay" was the first popular song to use the word "reggae," effectively naming the genre and
introducing it to a global audience. While sometimes used in a broad sense to refer to most types of
popular Jamaican dance music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that was
strongly influenced by traditional mento as well as American jazz and rhythm and blues, especially the
New Orleans R&B practiced by Fats Domino and Allen Toussaint, and evolved out of the earlier genres
and rocksteady. Reggae usually relates news, social gossip, and political comment. Reggae spread into a
commercialized jazz field, being known first as ‘Rudie Blues’, then ‘Ska’, later ‘Blue Beat’, and ‘Rock
Steady’. It is instantly recognizable from the counterpoint between the bass and drum downbeat, and the
offbeat rhythm section. The immediate origins of reggae were in ska and rocksteady; from the latter,
reggae took over the use of the bass as a percussion instrument.
Stylistically, reggae incorporates some of the musical elements of rhythm and blues, jazz, mento (a
celebratory, rural folk form that served its largely rural audience as dance music and an alternative to the
hymns and adapted chanteys of local church singing), calypso, African music, as well as other genres.
One of the most easily recognizable elements is offbeat rhythms; staccato chords played by a guitar or
piano (or both) on the offbeats of the measure. The tempo of reggae is usually slower paced than ska but
faster than rocksteady. The concept of call and response can be found throughout reggae music.
The genre of reggae music is led by the drum and bass. Some key players in this sound are Jackie Jackson
\ from Toots and the Maytals, Carlton Barrett from Bob Marley and the Wailers, Lloyd Brevett from The
Skatalites, Paul Douglas from Toots and the Maytals, Lloyd Knibb from The Skatalites, Winston
Grennan, Sly Dunbar, and Anthony
"Benbow" Creary from The Upsetters. The bass guitar often plays the dominant role in reggae. The bass
sound in reggae is thick and heavy, and equalized so the upper frequencies are removed and the lower
frequencies emphasized.

The guitar in reggae usually plays on the off beat of the rhythm. It is common for reggae to be sung in
Jamaican Patois, Jamaican English, and Iyaric dialects. Reggae is noted for its tradition of social criticism
and religion in its lyrics, although many reggae songs discuss lighter, more personal subjects, such as love
and socializing.

Reggae has spread to many countries across the world, often incorporating local instruments and fusing
with other genres. Reggae en Español spread from the Spanish speaking Central American country of
Panama to the mainland South American countries of Venezuela and Guyana then to the rest of South
America. Caribbean music in the United Kingdom, including reggae, has been popular since the late
1960s, and has evolved into several subgenres and fusions. Many reggae artists began their careers in the
UK, and there have been a number of European artists and bands drawing their inspiration directly from
Jamaica and the Caribbean community in Europe. Reggae in Africa was boosted by the visit of Bob
Marley to Zimbabwe in 1980. In Jamaica, authentic reggae is one of the biggest sources of income.

MUSICAL
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and
dance.

The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through
the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an integrated whole. Although
musical theatre overlaps with other theatrical forms like opera and dance, it may be distinguished by the
equal importance given to the music as compared with the dialogue, movement and other elements. Since
the early 20th century, musical theatre stage works have generally been called, simply, musicals.

Although music has been a part of dramatic presentations since ancient times, modern Western musical
theatre emerged during the 19th century, with many structural elements established by the works of
Gilbert and Sullivanin Britain and those of Harrigan and Hart in America. These were followed by the
numerous Edwardian musical comedies and the musical theatre works of American creators like George
M. Cohan. The Princess Theatre musicals and other smart shows like Of Thee I Sing (1931) were artistic
steps forward beyond revues and other frothy entertainments of the early 20th century and led to such
groundbreaking works as Show Boat (1927) and Oklahoma! (1943).
Some of the most famous and iconic musicals through the decades that followed include West Side Story
(1957), The Fantasticks (1960), Hair (1967), A Chorus Line (1975), Les Misérables (1985), The Phantom
of the Opera (1986), Rent (1996), The Producers (2001), Wicked (2003) and Hamilton (2015).
Musicals are performed around the world. They may be presented in large venues, such as big- budget
Broadway or West End productions in New York City or London. Alternatively, musicals may be staged
in smaller fringe theatre, Off-Broadway or regional theatre productions, or on tour. Musicals are often
presented by amateur and school groups in churches, schools and other performance spaces. In addition to
the United States and Britain, there are vibrant musical theatre scenes in continental Europe, Asia,
Australasia, Canada and Latin America. Comparisons with opera Musical theatre is closely related to the
theatrical form of opera, but the two are usually distinguished by weighing a number of factors. First,
musicals generally have a greater focus on spoken dialogue. This is not a hard and fast rule; some
musicals are entirely accompanied and sung through, while some operas, such as Die Zauberflöte, and
most operettas, have some unaccompanied dialogue. Second, musicals also usually include more dancing
as an essential part of the storytelling, particularly by the principal performers as well as the chorus.
Third, musicals often use various various genres of popular music or at least popular singing and musical
styles.

Finally, musicals usually avoid certain operatic conventions. In particular, a musical is almost always
performed in the language of its audience. Musicals produced on Broadway or in the West End, for
instance, are invariably sung in English, even if they were originally written in another language. While
an opera singer is primarily a singer and only secondarily an actor (and rarely needs to dance), a musical
theatre performer is often an actor first but must also be a singer and dancer. Someone who is equally
accomplished at all three is referred to as a "triple threat". Composers of music for musicals often
consider the vocal demands of roles with musical theatre performers in mind. Today, large theatres that
stage musicals generally use microphones and amplification of the actors' singing voices in a way that
would generally be disapproved of in an operatic context.

Some works (e.g. by George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim) have been made into
both "musical theatre" and "operatic" productions. Similarly, some older operettas or light operas (such as
The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan) have been produced in modern adaptations that treat
them as musicals. For some works, production styles are almost as important as the work's musical or
dramatic content in defining into which art form the piece falls.[11] Sondheim said, "I really think that
when something plays Broadway it's a musical, and when it plays in an opera house it's opera. That's it.
It's the terrain, the countryside, the expectations of the audience that make it one thing or another."
Although this article primarily concerns musical theatre works that are "non-operatic", there remains an
overlap in form between lighter operatic forms and more musically complex or ambitious musicals. In
practice, it is often difficult to distinguish among the various kinds of musical theatre, including "musical
play", "musical comedy", "operetta" and "light opera".
Like opera, the singing in musical theatre is generally accompanied by an instrumental ensemble called a
pit orchestra, located in a lowered area in front of the stage. While opera typically uses a conventional
symphony orchestra, musicals are generally orchestrated for ensembles ranging from 27 players down to
only a few players. Rock musicals usually employ a small group of mostly rock instruments, and some
musicals may call for only a piano or two instruments. The music in musicals uses a range of "styles and
influences including operetta, classical techniques, folk music, jazz [and] local or historical styles [that]
are appropriate to the setting." Musicals may begin with an overture played by the orchestra that
"weav[es] together excerpts of the score's famous melodies."

The Broadway League announced that in the 2007–08 season, 12.27 million tickets were purchased for
Broadway shows for a gross sale amount of almost a billion dollars. The League further reported that
during the 2006–07 season, approximately 65% of Broadway tickets were purchased by tourists, and that
foreign tourists were 16% of attendees. The Society of London Theatre reported that 2007 set a record for
attendance in London. Total attendees in the major commercial and grant-aided theatres in Central
London were 13.6 million, and total ticket revenues were £469.7 million. Also, the international musicals
scene has been particularly active in recent years. Stephen Sondheim commented in the year 2000:
You have two kinds of shows on Broadway – revivals and the same kind of musicals over and over again,
all spectacles. You get your tickets for The Lion King a year in advance, and essentially a family ... pass
on to their children the idea that that's what the theater is – a spectacular musical you see once a year, a
stage version of a movie. It has nothing to do with theater at all. It has to do with seeing what is familiar.
... I don't think the theatre will die per se, but it's never going to be what it was.... It's a tourist attraction."
However, noting the success in recent decades of original material, and creative re-imaginings of film,
plays and literature, theatre historian John Kenrick countered:
Is the Musical dead? ... Absolutely not! Changing? Always! The musical has been changing ever since
Offenbach did his first rewrite in the 1850s. And change is the clearest sign that the musical is still a
living, growing genre. Will we ever return to the so-called 'golden age', with musicals at the center of
popular culture? Probably not.

Public taste has undergone fundamental changes, and the commercial arts can only flow where the paying
public allows.

This is just a random list of the most common types of songs sung and played in the music industry along
with some examples. Remember, one song can even belong to two or more categories, which is why the
classification becomes difficult. However, it is commonly considered that song types can be classified as
per the genre of music.
 12 COMMON DANCES

Humans have been dancing to express themselves since the dawn of time, and from those earliest
gatherings spring the many types of dance we know today. Some, like folk dancing, have roots that go
back centuries; other styles, like hip-hop, are decidedly modern. Each form has its own style, but all of
them are united by their common goal of artistic expression and the celebration of the human body.
Discover more about 12 of the most popular dance types.

Ballet originated in the 15th century, first in Italy and then in France. Over the centuries, ballet has
influenced many other styles of dance and become a fine art form in its own right. There are three basic
styles:
 Classical: This form reached its peak in 19th-century France and Russia. It is often
story-driven and orchestrated ("The Nutcracker" is a great example), with fantastical sets and costumes.
The movement emphasizes pointe work (dancing on toes), graceful expressions, and symmetry among
dancers.
 Neoclassical: This is an evolution of classical ballet, which emerged in the early to mid-20th
century. Movements are faster and more urgent, with less emphasis on symmetry, and simple sets and
costumes. Plot is often nonexistent. Orchestras, bands, or soloists may accompany the dancers.
 Contemporary: Like neoclassical, plot is cast aside in favor of pure movement and physical
expression, which may not appear to be dancelike at all. Costumes and set designs are frequently simple
or abstract. Music or sound work, if used, is often contemporary or experimental in nature.
As a beginner in ballet, you are probably wondering what it takes to become a ballet dancer. Whether
your goal is to actually dance ballet or just learn all about it, here you will find detailed information about
one of the most beautiful and graceful of all dance styles. If you've ever seen a live ballet on stage, you
are aware of a ballerina's amazing ability to transport an entire audience into another world.
Ballet dancers must be highly trained and disciplined, but their hard work and dedication is evident in
their ability to glide effortlessly across a stage. Learn all about the fascinating dance genre of ballet.
BALLET SHOES AND DANCEWEAR
Probably the most important part of a ballet dancer's equipment is ballet shoes.

After several years of proper training, some female ballet dancers wear pointe shoes to make them appear
lighter and more delicate. Ballet dancers wear tights and leotards to class and rehearsals, as tight,
form-fitting clothing is best for dancing. Tutus, or ballet skirts, are usually reserved for performances and
recitals.

THE BASICS OF BALLET

The basic positions and techniques of ballet were developed long ago. Over the centuries, choreographers
have revised the classical techniques, but the basic positions have remained the same. When you begin
learning the steps and poses of ballet, you will realize that most of them have French names. King Louis
XIV of France started the first ballet school, the Royal Academy of Dance, in 1661. Most of the French
terms have been carried throughout the years.

BALLET DANCING ON YOUR TOES

Ballet dancing is known for its grace and elegance, as ballerinas seem to glide across the stage almost
effortlessly. Ballet dancers strive to appear tall and light on their feet. Female dancers raise themselves
even higher by going up on their toes with pointe shoes. Pointe shoes make it possible for ballerinas to
dance on the tips of their toes.

BALLET CHOREOGRAPHY
Choreography is the art of developing routines by linking together several moves or techniques, often set
to music. Ballet choreographers may spend hours on a single dance, fine-tuning each step until it fits
precisely with the music.
Many young dancers don't realize that they are also amateur choreographers, creating routines and dances
while practicing to their favorite music.

BALLET PAST AND PRESENT

The first ballet was performed over 500 years ago. Men traditionally danced the leading roles, as women
were considered too weak to perform the challenging and sometimes daring choreography. Female
dancers didn't take the stage until years later. Many of the most famous ballets were adapted from fairy
tales and folk stories. Some ballets are based on historical events and bible stories. If you've never been to
a ballet, you may be surprised by how emotional and moving ballet dancing can be.
Jazz is a lively dance style that relies heavily on originality and improvisation. This style often uses bold,
dramatic body movements, including body isolations and contractions. Jazz dance has its roots in African
traditions kept alive by slaves brought to the U.S. Over time, this evolved into a style of street dance that
soon moved into the jazz clubs of the early 20th century.

During the big-band era of the 1930s and early '40s, swing dancing and the Lindy Hop became popular
expressions of jazz dancing. In the mid- to late 20th century, choreographers like Katherine Dunham
incorporated these improvisational, physical expressions into their own works.

Most jazz teachers begin with a thorough warm-up, then lead the class in a series of stretching exercises
and isolation movements. Isolations involve moving one part of the body while the rest of the body
remains still. Jazz dancers also practice the art of suspension. Suspension involves moving through
positions instead of stopping and balancing in them.

Most jazz teachers will end the class with a short cool down to help prevent muscle soreness.

JAZZ STEPS
You will be taught a variety of jazz steps by your teacher. However, you will want to try to make each
step your own. In a jazz class, dancers are encouraged to add their own personality to make each step
unique and fun. Jazz steps include basic turns including chaines, piques, pirouettes, jazz turns, and some
ballet turns, to name a few. Leaps include grande jetes, turning jumps, and tour jetes. Signature to jazz
dancing is the "jazz walk." Jazz walks can be performed in many different styles. Another popular jazz
move is the "contraction." A contraction is accomplished by contracting the torso, with the back curved
outward and the pelvis pulled forward. Learning jazz dance technique takes a lot of practice.
JAZZ DANCERS
Many famous dancers have helped shape what we know as jazz dance today. Considered the father of jazz
dance technique, Jack Cole developed techniques that are used today in musicals, films, television
commercials, and videos. His style emphasized isolations, rapid directional changes, angled placement
and long knee slides. Winning eight Tony awards, Bob Fosse was a musical theater choreographer and
director, and a film director.
Characteristic of his dance style are inward knees, rounded shoulders, and full-body isolations.
Considered a founder of jazz dance, Gus Giordano was a master teacher and gifted choreographer. His
dance style has influenced modern jazz dancing. Many jazz teachers employ his methods in their own
classes.

Like jazz dancing, tap evolved from the African dance

traditions preserved by slaves in the U.S. In this exciting
dance form, dancers wear special shoes equipped with metal
taps. Tap dancers use their feet like drums to create rhythmic
patterns and timely beats. Music is rarely used.

After the Civil War, tap evolved into a popular form of

entertainment on the Vaudeville circuit, and later a staple of
early Hollywood musicals. Some of the most notable masters
of tap include Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Gregory Hines, and Savion Glover.

Tap dance is an exciting form of dance that involves dancers wearing special shoes equipped with metal
taps.

Tap dancers use their feet like drums to create rhythmic patterns and timely beats. The term "tap dancing"
is derived from the tapping sound produced when the small metal plates on the dancer's shoes touch a
hard floor or surface.
TAPPERS AND HOOFERS
A common style of tap dancing is called "classical tap." Classical tappers use their arms and upper bodies
to blend movements of ballet or jazz into their tap routines.
"Hoofers" try to use every part of their shoes to make their feet sound like drums.

Clogging is similar to tap dancing but it is a different form of dance. Cloggers perform with an
up-and-down body motion and tend to make the most sounds with their heels. Tap dancers stay light on
their feet and tend to dance to the melodies of music, rather than to the beats. Cloggers often dance in
groups, such as in Riverdance. Learn more about tapping versus clogging and the benefits of tap dance.

TAKING DANCE CLASSES

Typical tap classes last about an hour, beginning with a warm-up to stretch the muscles of the legs and
feet.
Dancers practice a series of basic steps, adding more difficult combinations as they become more
proficient. Tap dancing is a vigorous form of dance, requiring a great deal of physical fitness. It builds
aerobic fitness as well as muscle control.

TAP DANCE SHOES

Tap shoes are available in several different styles.
Some dancers prefer flat shoes while some feel more comfortable with a heel. The most popular colors for
tap shoes are black, white and beige. The shoes should fit well and be comfortable. Snug-fitting shoes are
preferred over loose ones. The taps, two on each shoe, should be the same width as the heels and the toes
of the shoe.

BASIC TAP STEPS

Beginning tap dance classes focus on learning single tap steps, then incorporating the steps into series of
combinations. A few of the basic tap steps include the brush, flap, shuffle, and ball change. Tap dancers
strive to produce clean tap sounds with each step. Tap teachers will roam the studio during classes,
listening for extra taps.

TAP DANCING TECHNIQUE

The goal in tap dancing is to produce clear, clean sounds with various levels of tone. Body weight should
be held slightly forward, allowing most of the dancing to be done on the balls of the feet. The knees and
ankles should be relaxed at all times. Beginning tap dancers are sometimes told to dance as if they were
dancing on a glass floor.
Hip-Hop

Another descendant of jazz dance, hip-hop emerged from the streets of New York in the 1970s in the
city's African-American and Puerto Rican communities at the same time as rap and DJing.
Breakdancing—with its popping, locking, and athletic floor movements—is perhaps the earliest form of
hip-hop dance. Often, "crews" of teams of dancers would hold competitions to see which group had
bragging rights as the best.

As rap music flourished and diversified, different styles of hip-hop dancing emerged. Krumping and
clowning took the physical exuberance of breakdancing and added narrative and comic expression in the
'90s. In the 2000s, jerkin' and juking became popular; both of these take the pop-lock movement of classic
breakdancing and add wild fashions.

Hip-hop is a dance style, usually danced to hip-hop music, that evolved from the hip-hop culture. The first
dance associated with hip-hop was break dancing. While breakdancing consists primarily of moves
executed close to the ground, the majority of hip-hop moves are performed standing up. What is hip-hop
dance, exactly? Let's begin by learning about the roots of this form of dance.

HIP-HOP CULTURE
Hip-hop developed from several cultures including jazz, rock, tap, and American and Latino cultures.
Hip-hop is a very energetic form of dancing. It is unique in that it allows its dancers to perform with
freedom of movement, adding in their own personalities. The hip-hop culture is influenced by the
following four elements: disc jockeys, graffiti (art), MCs (rappers), and B-boys and B-girls.

GET MOVING WITH HIP-HOP DANCE

Hip-hop dance steps require skill and experience to perfect. Hip-hop dancers practice a lot in order to
master basic steps and movements that appear simple when performed. Dancers with a good sense of
rhythm find it easier to learn hip-hop steps.
BREAKDANCING
Breakdancing is a form of hip-hop that many people enjoy watching, as it has cool moves and quick
spins.
Breakdancing moves take a lot of time and practice to master, particularly the ones performed near the
ground, called "down rock" moves. "Uprock" moves, which are performed standing up, give break
dancers a chance to incorporate their own styles. The roots of this dance form began in the 1970s in New
York City -- the South Bronx to be exact.

Keith "Cowboy" Wiggins, who belonged to Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five is said to have come
up with the term in 1978.

LEARNING HIP-HOP
Hip-hop classes have popped up in dance studios around the country. In fact, most offer hip-hop dancing
along with ballet, tap, jazz, and modern dancing. Teens are particularly interested in learning how to
dance like dancers they see on MTV and in music videos. Dance teachers have capitalized on this interest
and have started incorporating hip-hop and break dancing classes into their curriculums. Many people
with roots in hip-hop culture feel that hip-hop dancing should not be formally "taught." They feel that
teaching specific moves takes away from the originality factor that hip-hop possesses.

Modern dance is a dance style that rejects many of the strict rules of classical ballet, focusing instead on
the expression of inner feelings. It emerged in Europe and the U.S. in the early 20th century as a rebellion
against classical ballet, emphasizing creativity in choreography and performance.

Choreographers including Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, and Merce Cunningham developed intricate
methodologies for their dances, often emphasizing wild or extreme physical expressions performed to
avant-garde or experimental musical accompaniment. These choreographers also collaborated with artists
working in other fields such as lighting, projection, sound, or sculpture.
Born in the early 20th century, modern dance is a dance style that focuses on a dancer's own
interpretations instead of structured steps, as in traditional ballet dancing. Modern dancers reject the
limitations of classical ballet and favor movements derived from the expression of their inner feelings.

During the 1900's, European dancers began rebelling against the rigid rules of classical ballet. Turning
against the structured techniques, costumes, and shoes of ballet, these dancers favored a more relaxed,
freestyle form of dancing For example, modern dance pioneers often danced in bare feet and revealing
costumes. In the United States, several dance pioneers paved the way for American modern dance,
including the legendary Martha Graham.

MARTHA GRAHAM, AMERICAN MODERN DANCE PIONEER

Martha Graham is considered one of the foremost pioneers of American modern dance. In order to
express the passion, rage, and ecstasy of humans, she developed her very own language of movement.
Graham created a new dance technique similar to classical ballet, but with several differences. She
focused heavily on basic human movement, concentrating on the movements of contraction and release.
Instead of striving for long, fluid movements, Graham's movements were sharp and jagged. Her dancing
aimed to expose basic human emotions through movement, and her brave vision for modern dance earned
her several awards and honors.

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF CONTEMPORARY DANCE

Modern dance encourages dancers to use their emotions and moods to design their own steps and
routines.
It is not unusual for dancers to invent new steps for their routines, instead of following a structured code
of technique, as in ballet.

Another characteristic of modern dance, in opposition to ballet, is the deliberate use of gravity. Whereas
classical ballet dancers strive to be light and airy on their feet, modern dancers often use their body weight
to enhance movement.

This type of dancer rejects the classical ballet stance of an upright, erect body, often opting instead for
deliberate falls to the floor.

MODERN DANCE ROUTINES TODAY

Modern dance has become a huge genre in the dance world today and is typically listed as a class offered
on the schedules of most dance studios. Some dancers feel that modern dance gives them a chance to
enjoy ballet dancing without the strict focus on their technique and turnout.
Many dance competitions throughout the nation judge dancers on their modern dancing ability and
dancers take this opportunity to use their dancing to express their innermost emotions and get closer to
their inner-selves. Watching a modern dancer can sometimes become emotional, especially if the dancer is
trying to convey a series of sad emotions, such as death or grief.
Here are some of the steps that dancers take when developing a routine:
Before attempting to choreograph a routine, the modern dancer decides which emotions to try to
convey to the audience.
Many modern dancers choose a subject near and dear to their hearts, such as a lost love or a personal
failure.
The dancer then chooses music that relates to the story they wish to tell or choose to use no music at
all, followed by a costume to reflect their chosen emotions.

TAKING LOCAL DANCE CLASSES

For dancers attending their first modern dance class, there are certain types of shoes and clothes to wear.
While some studios have strict dress requirements, most dancers will be safe showing up in tights and a
leotard underneath a top or skirt. As for shoes, many modern dancers prefer to wear leather or canvas
ballet slippers, and some like the feeling of bare feet.

Swing dance is yet another offshoot of traditional jazz dance that became popular as swing bands became
the dominant form of popular entertainment in the late 1930s and early '40s. Unlike other forms of jazz
dance that emphasize the individual, swing dance is all about partnership. Athletic couples swing, spin,
and jump together in syncopated time to the beat of the band, usually with a fixed number of
choreographed steps repeated in a specific sequence.

Swing dance is a lively style of social dancing in which a dancer often lifts, spins and flips his or her
partner.
Considered both hip and cool, swing dancing is a favorite among social dancers of all ages.
SWING STYLE
It's not difficult to spot swing dancers...look for the couple with the biggest smiles having the most fun.
Swing dance is characterized by lots of swinging, flipping, and throwing of dancers.
Because it is a non-progressive dance style because it is mostly performed in one spot, it is a popular
dance for a crowded dance floor. Swing is a quick, fast-paced dance. Couples hold hands as opposed to
placing hands on the shoulders or around the waist, as ballroom dancers do. Swing dancing takes a little
practice, but once you learn the steps, you may never want to stop swinging.

SWING DANCES
The term "swing" refers to a variety of unique partner dances.
 Lindy Hop: Perhaps the most popular swing dance, this dance originated in Harlem.
 East Coast Swing: Seen often on club or tavern dance floors, this dance was influenced by the Foxtrot.
 West Coast Swing: A slotted dance in which the follower travels back and forth along a rectangle, or
slot.
 Jitterbug: An umbrella term generally referring to swing dancing.
 Jive: Jive is a fast-paced variation of the Jitterbug.
 Boogie-woogie: This dance is usually danced to rock music or blues.
 Carolina Shag: A dance performed to beach music.

SWING MUSIC
Many musicians say that there is no such thing as swing music, there is only music that "swings." Swing
dance music is as varied as the many styles of swing dance. The development of swing dance styles was
heavily influenced by the popular music of the time.

Swing music may include styles such as jazz, hip-hop, blues, rock-n-roll, ragtime, R&B, funk and pop.
The chosen music style typically determines which swing dance should be danced. Swing dancers enjoy
dancing to many different rhythms, as slower beats allow them to have a break from the fast-paced
swinging.

SWINGIN' FUN
Swing dancing is energetic and lots of fun, and a great way to meet people. One of the main reasons why
swing dance is so much fun is because dancers have the chance to add their personal style and expression.
If you attend swing classes, you will be taught basic steps and patterns, but your teacher will encourage
you to add your own special touches.
Contra dance is a form of American folk dance in which the dancers form two parallel lines and perform a
sequence of dance movements with different partners down the length of the line. It has its roots in similar
folk dances from colonial-era Great Britain. Although contra dancing is partner-based, it's a communal
arrangement; you don't need to bring your own partner, because you'll be dancing with everyone down the
line at some point. Dancers are led by a caller, who calls out specific steps and directions to change
partners. Folk music from the British Isles or the U.S. is the most common form of accompaniment.
Contra dance, square dance. Are they the same thing? There are some slight differences, but they two
forms of dance do have some similarities.

CONTRA DANCE VS. SQUARE DANCE

Contra dancing and square dancing both originated from the same basic roots, both drawing some of their
fundamental elements from traditional folk dancing. Contra dancing and square dancing are both
group-oriented dances, designed to be enjoyed by several people at once.

The goal of both types of dances for the groups to complete a series of figures set to music.

Contra dance is a folk dance where lines of couples participate. It incorporates English country dances
with
Scottish and French dance styles from the 17th century but it also has influences of African dance and the
Appalachian Mountain region of the U.S. In fact, it is sometimes referred to as New England folk dance
or Appalachian folk dance, as it is popular in the United Kingdom and North America. Contra dance
includes everything from Irish tunes to French- Canadian folk tunes; the music almost always features a
fiddle, but banjo and bass can be included. In fact, it is sometimes referred to as New England folk dance
or Appalachian folk dance, they are popular in the United Kingdom and North America. In those areas,
regular dance events are common.

Square dancing involves eight dancers put into four couples arranged in a square.

They seemed to have been first documented in England during the 17th century but were popular in other
European countries including France. Square dance is also known as folk dance, but is largely associated
with the United States; in fact, 19 states refer to it as their official state dance.

DISTINGUISHING SQUARE DANCE FROM CONTRA DANCE

Contra dancing and square dancing share many of the same basic steps, including swings, promenades, do
si- dos, and allemandes.

As mentioned, there are some differences between the types of dancing. A square dance set comprises
only four couples., while the number of couples participating in a contra dance set is unlimited (usually
determined by the length of the dance hall).

During a square dance, the participants are prompted or cued through a sequence of steps throughout the
entire set. In contra dancing, however, the caller uses choreographed dances. The caller explains the steps,
walking the dancers through the sequence before beginning the dance. The dancers begin to remember the
sequences after running through them a few times, requiring less direction from the caller. Contra dancers
claim they are able to concentrate less on the caller, enabling them to listen and enjoy the music more than
in square dance.

In square dancing, it is almost always set to live music. It can also be set to music from the 1930s, 1940s
and 1950s, and incorporated instruments such as the saxophone, drums and electric guitars. Modern
square dance can be performed to just about any tunes, including songs from the techno and hip-hop
genres.

Country and Western

Country and western dance is a broad category of many dance styles, incorporating influences from
contra, folk, and even jazz, set to country- or western-themed dance music. Waltzes and two-steps are the
most common forms of partner-style dancing, but you'll also find variations on polkas and other folk
dances brought to the U.S. by German and Czech immigrants. Square dances and line dances, where
people dance in tight, choreographed movements with a number of partners or as part of a group, have
their roots in contra dancing. Clog dancing, a form of footwork-heavy dance rooted in the jigs of Britain
and Ireland, is most frequently associated with bluegrass music.
Known as "kicker dancing" by Texans, country dancing refers to a variety of dance styles, techniques, and
moves that are set to country-western music. Country and western dancers practice in country western
dance bars, clubs, and ballrooms. If you enjoy listening to country-western music or country music -- and
wearing cowboy boots, of course – you may get a kick out of country western dancing maybe literally.

Keep in mind that it's different than simply dancing to country music. We're talking about line dancing at
its finest.

COUNTRY DANCING BASICS

Country and western dance can be broken into two categories: partner and group dances. Partner dances
include both lead and follow dances (in which one partner leads and the other follows) and pattern dances.
Group dances include line dances and square dances.

Known to be an informal and relaxed style of dance, country dancing is not meant to be sloppy. Country
dancers emphasize smoothness on the dance floor, and often scoot or glide around the dance floor. Some
movements are exaggerated. Most hip movement is discouraged, as is bouncing or jumping in time to the
music. Check out these line dancing beginner tips. Once you begin to learn country dancing, you will
probably start by learning moves such as the two-step. From there, it's easy to get into the pretzel, the
basic dip, and the sweetheart.

Advanced moves include trust fall and even a backflip. The moves may seem similar to line dancing, but
pairs dancing is different from line dancing. Line dancing follows distinctive patterns and is a
choreographed dance with people moving in lines or rows while facing each other. They don't make
physical contact in line dancing.

COUNTRY DANCING ATTIRE

You don't have to dress like a cowboy to enjoy country dancing, but many people feel more comfortable
wearing cowboy boots or hats on the dance floor. Country western attire varies by region, but one
suggestion seems to be universal: dress for comfort. Dancers wear jeans, slacks, skirts, cotton or silk
shirts, boots, sneakers, and cowboy hats

Try to stick with informal clothes that allow freedom of movement. Lightweight clothing is also
recommended, as crowded dance floors tend to become a little stuffy.

LEARNING HOW TO LINE DANCE

Country dancing is enjoyed worldwide in country and western dance bars, social clubs, dance clubs, and
ballrooms. Many western dance halls offer free lessons for beginners, usually early in the evening. Check
with local colleges and universities for country dance or line dance lessons, as most schools have dance
clubs on campus. Once you get a few lessons under your belt, you will have enough confidence for a
night of dancing. Relax and have fun...you've chosen a dance style that's fairly easy to learn, great
exercise and lots of fun.
Belly dancing emerged from the folk traditions of the Middle East, but its precise origins are unclear.
Unlike most forms of Western dancing, which emphasize complex footwork and partner choreography,
belly dancing is a solo performance that focuses on the torso and hips. Dancers combine a series of fluid
movements to emphasize rhythm, isolated flourishes like a hip twists for percussive punctuation, and
shimmies, spins, and torso vibrations to add variety and detail.

Besides being fun, belly dancing has several health benefits. Belly dancing was one of the first forms of
exercise.

Many people believe that belly dancing tones the body, both inside and out. Following are the top four
benefits of belly dancing.

Belly Dancing Improves Fitness and Builds Muscle

Belly dancing is vigorous and will make you break a sweat. The fast movements of the hips and shoulders
are enough to really get your heart pumping, offering tremendous cardiovascular benefits. When
performed as exercise, belly dancing can be compared to any other aerobic workout.

Belly dancing is also a wonderful way to strengthen the major muscles of your body. When performed
correctly, belly dancing can also stretch and release tension in the back. Because it is a low-impact form
of exercise, belly dancing won't jolt or jar your body.

Belly Dancing Reduces Stress

If you want to try a type of dance that helps to relax your mind as well as your body, try belly dancing.
Belly dancing requires tremendous relaxation and concentration, as you must focus on isolating various
parts of your body.

Many people say that the melodious, flowing movements of belly dance help to calm and soothe the
mind.
Belly Dancing Aids Weight Control and Improves Self Image Belly dancing can have a positive impact
on your weight, improving your self image. If performed regularly, belly dancing can actually encourage
weight loss, as it burns calories as well as increases your metabolic rate.

Belly dancers come in a variety of body types and sizes. Belly dancing will make you more aware of your
posture, grace, body language and facial expressions, all helping to improve your self image. If you attend
a belly dancing class, you will probably see several different sizes of bodies, all just as beautiful as the
others.

Belly Dancing Is an Internal Massage

Belly dancing can be very beneficial to the health of your internal organs. It is sometimes said that belly
dancing was developed as a way to prepare the body for childbirth. Since belly dancing centers around
controlling the muscles of the abdomen, it may make carrying and delivering a baby easier on your body.
Also, many women notice that belly dancing helps to relieve menstrual cramping.

Flamenco dance is an expressive dance form that mixes percussive footwork with intricate hand, arm, and
body movements. It emerged from the cultures of the Iberian Peninsula in the 1700s and 1800s, though its
precise origins are unclear.
Flamenco consists of three elements: cante (the song), baile (the dance), and guitarra (guitar playing).
Each has its own traditions, but the dancing is most often closely associated with flamenco, with its
flamboyant gestures and rhythmic foot stamping that calls to mind tap dancing.

Flamenco dance (baile) is a highly-expressive, Spanish dance form. The flamenco is a solo dance
characterized by hand clapping, percussive footwork, and intricate hand, arm and body movements.

FLAMENCO TECHNIQUE
With roots in Indian, Arabic, Spanish cultures, flamenco dance is known for its sweeping arm movements
and rhythmic feet stomping. Flamenco dancers spend a great deal of time practicing and perfecting the
often difficult dance. Although there is no single flamenco dance, dancers must follow a strict framework
of rhythmic patterns. The steps a dancer performs are dependent on the traditions of the song being
played. Perhaps the greatest joy of flamenco dancing is watching the personal expressions and emotions
of the dancer, which change many times during a single performance.

THE FLAMENCO DANCER

Flamenco dancers, known as bailaores and bailaoras, are serious and passionate. Typical of flamenco
dance, a dancer will often stand motionless and free of expression for the first few moments of a song. As
he or she begins to feel the music, the dancer might begin a steady beat of loud hand clapping. Then, as
emotion builds, the dancer will begin a passionate dance. The dancing often involves fierce stomping,
sometimes made louder with percussion attachments on the shoes, and graceful arm movements.
Castanets are sometimes held in the hands for clicking, and folding fans are occasionally used for visual
impact.

LEARNING FLAMENCO
Probably the most important thing you will need to start flamenco dancing is patience. The art of
flamenco dance is often difficult to master. Besides learning intricate steps and movements, you will also
need to learn how to nonverbally communicate with a musician or a singer. You will be taught how to
properly display your innermost emotions and feelings to an audience.

However, with a good instructor and a bit of patience, even an inexperienced dancer can learn.
When looking for a place to learn flamenco, begin your search in the yellow pages. Narrow your search to
a professional school with experienced teachers.
Latin dance
Latin dance is a broad term for any number of ballroom and street-style dance forms that evolved in the
19th and 20th centuries in the Spanish-speaking Western Hemisphere. These styles have roots in
European, African, and indigenous dance and ritual.

Many styles of Latin dance have their origins in a specific region or country. Tango, with its sensual, close
partnerships, originated in Argentina. Salsa, with its hip-swaying beat, evolved in the Puerto Rican,
Dominican, and Cuban communities of 1970s New York City.

Other popular forms of Latin dance include Mambo, which originated in 1930s Cuba; bomba, a folk-style
of rhythmic dance from Puerto Rico; and meringue, a Dominican style of close partner dancing with tight
hip movements.

Known for its sensual hip action and sexy flair set to upbeat music, Latin dance is gaining popularity on
dance floors everywhere. Movies about Latin dancing -- specifically ones that portray the beauty of the art
of Latin dancing -- seem to be favorites among dancers and non-dancers alike. Besides being a staple in
the ballroom, many Latin dances are also being taken to country-western dance floors.

Learning Latin dance is fairly easy, as most of the dances are made up of the same basic foot steps.

LATIN DANCE BASICS

The term "Latin dance" may be used in two different ways: to denote dances that originated in Latin
America and to name a category of International style ballroom dances. Latin dance incorporates Native
Latin, European and African influences. This style of dance goes back to early documentation during the
fifteenth century.

Many popular dances originated in Latin America, and so are referred to as Latin dances. International
Latin is the name of a category of International style ballroom dances. International Latin consists of the
following five dances: Cha- Cha, Rumba, Samba, Paso Doble, and Jive. These dances are now performed
all over the world as Latin-American dances in international DanceSport competitions, as well as being
danced socially.
INTERNATIONAL LATIN DANCES
These are the five basic international Latin dances:

 Cha-Cha: Energetic and sassy, the Cha-Cha is dance to authentic Latin music or Latin Pop. It is an
offshoot of the Mambo.
 Rumba: The Rumba is known as the "dance of love." Danced to romantic Latin love songs, it is fun
and quite easy to learn.
 Samba: Often difficult to master, the Samba is a lively Brazilian dance consisting of many jumps and
turns. The Samba is an extremely fast dance.
 Paso Doble: Meaning "two step" in Spanish, Pasa Doble is a lively, march-like dance with
significantly less hip movement.
 Jive: A variation of the Jitterbug, the Jive consists of dance steps derived from country dancing.
Additionally, there are social Latin dances or street dances. These include the Salsa, Merengue, Rumba,
Bomba, Plena, Mambo, and Argentine Tango among others.

LATIN STYLE DANCING

Compared to other ballroom dances, Latin dances are generally faster-paced, more sensual and have more
rhythmic expression. The Latin dances are for couples, typically a man and a woman. Partners sometimes
dance in a closed, tight positions and sometimes hold only one hand. Latin dancing, as Latin music, is
sultry and physical. Quick- paced rhythms and playful movements make the various Latin dances
endlessly entertaining, and sometimes even breathtaking to watch.

The Latin dances are derived from the music to which they are danced. The component of the music that
most differentiates the dances is their fast or slow tempo. There's a mood that goes with Latin dance, and
it is almost often very passionate, and very engaging.

Folk dance is a generic term that can refer to a variety of dances developed by groups or communities, as
opposed to being made up by a choreographer. These forms often evolve over generations and are learned
informally, usually at communal gatherings where the dances are performed. Music and costuming often
reflect the same ethnic traditions of the dancers. Examples of folk dances include the rigid uniformity of
Irish line dancing and the call-and response interplay of a square dance.
When someone says "folk dance," do you think about, say, folks in country western garb dancing to fiddle
music?

Or do you think about persons from another country wearing traditional clothing of a particular time and
place and dancing to music made on instruments you don't know the names of?

What if both these concepts are right? Doesn't that suggest that the term "folk dance" is a little slippery --
that its meaning seems at first obvious, but becomes less obvious the more you think about it.
At turns out that folk dance historians are also puzzled by the term, which, they note, has any number of
different meanings, not all of them compatible with others.

FOLKLORIC DANCES
Ron Houston, one of the founders of The Society of Folk Dance Historians, a research group informally
affiliated with The University of Texas at Houston, considered the question in a 2012 issue of the group's
newsletter. He concluded that there really is no one answer to the question, but in the process of doing so
he made some interesting distinctions between different kinds of dancing that are often grouped together
with the term "folk dancing.' He begins with what is probably the narrowest of "folk dance" categories:
folkloric dances. These, he proposes, are dances originally performed for "metaphysical purposes" --
religious rites and related ritual behavior. They persist in the present day as atavistic remainders of a way
of life that no longer exists; in that sense, recreated folkloric dances can be almost anything, from
scholarly reenactments to dances under entirely different auspices and with very different meanings that
retain the flavor of a folkloric dance.

Vassal Nijinsky's "Rite of Spring," (Le Sacre du Printemps) with music by Igor Stravinsky is a well-
known example of a recreated and radically redirected version of a supposedly primitive ritual dance.

FOLKY DANCES
Houston proposes another related kind of "folky dance" that originates in pre-industrial, often agricultural
societies.

He proposes that folky dances are folk dances that used to be folkloric dances -- until over time the
original meaning of the dance was lost. At that point, the dance remains but the original purpose does not.

POPULAR, ELITE AND MASS DANCES

Houston next proposes three kinds of "folk" dance that are somewhat related and that may have folkloric
origins.

One is popular dance, by which he does not mean dancing to pop music, but rather dance that is enjoyed
primarily by what he calls "the lower classes," -- peasant dances, for example. A related kind of folk
dance is the elite dance which may have originated as court dance and was practiced primarily by
mobility or a defined upper class. Mass Dances, as Houston considers them, are dances that allude to folk
origins, which may or may not be spurious. He gives the Hokey Pokey and the Lambada as examples.

ART DANCES
Houston considers the folk origins of such dances as the waltz and the flamenco. These, he proposes, have
become traditions of their own, but somewhat divorced from folkloric or even folky origins. They're
popular dances that have become, if not elite dances, then somewhat elitist. Few night clubbers would
dream of stepping out on a dance floor and attempting a flamenco.
Such dances, he argues, are professionalized folk dances.

TRADITIONAL DANCES
The last category of legitimate folk dance that Houston considers are traditional dances -- a broad
category that overlaps several others. He divides traditional dances into those that have been deliberately
fixed (by the Board of Highland Dancing, for example) and those that are still evolving. He points to the
Swedish folk dance, for instance, that has offshoots in Mexican and German folk dance. Evolving
traditional dances are perhaps the closest thing in the modern world to pre-industrial "folky dances."

EVALUATION

Test 1: Essay Writing. (10 points each)

Content 6 points
Organization 4 points
Total 10 points

1. Do you like listening to songs?

 Why or why not?
 What type of genre do you like to listen?
2. Do you think, listening to music make life wonderful or boring? Why?
3. Do you think music is a therapy? Why?

Test 1: Identify what genre of dances are the following pictures.

1.
2.

3.

4.
5.

6.

7.
8.

9.
 10.

Test 3: Essay Writing. (10 points each)

Content 6 points
Organization 4 points
Total 10 points

1. Do you like listening to dance? Why or why not?

2. Do you think the gift of dancing is a curse or a talent? Why?
3. If you have the chance to be a dance what kind of dance you will be?
4. If you will compare your life to a dance, what would it be and why?