THE dance it is a type of artistic expression that uses the body as a creative instrument.
This form of expression is usually accompanied by music. However, it is also possible to dance without musical support.
In dance, people perform rhythmic movements, following their own or choreographed cadence, giving rise to bodily harmonies.
dance history
Dance was one of the first expressive demonstrations of the human being. It also appeared in prehistory, as a result of bodily experiments, such as tapping the floor and clapping.
From the discoveries of new sounds, rhythms and sound intensities, people began to combine body movements. are the calls primitive dances.
Therefore, it is very likely that dance emerged at the same time as music, also as a form of communication. Furthermore, it was closely related to ritualistic and spiritual ceremonies.
There are records of cave paintings from the Paleolithic period that depict human figures performing movements that were interpreted as dances.
At ancient dances are those that occurred in ancient civilizations such as India, Egypt, Greece and Rome. For these peoples, dancing had a sacred character and its main objective was to revere the deities.
In the Middle Ages, dance was not so prominent due to the morality imposed by the Catholic Church. In this context, bodily manifestations were considered profane, that is, immoral. Anyway, the population of the countryside continued to exercise the peasant dances.
In the Renaissance, dance regained its importance, being valued by the nobility. At that moment, it becomes more complex and studies and organizations emerge in order to systematize it; that's when the ballet.
Then appears the modern dance, a freer and more spontaneous style, more related to real and everyday life.
This trend gained momentum with the work of an American dancer named Isadora Duncan (1877-1927). Another great name in modern dance is dancer Martha Graham (1894-1991), also born in the USA.
Over time, other ways to express yourself bodily were created and today we have the call contemporary dance.
In this style there is no clear structure, the ideas, concepts and emotions being more important than the aesthetics.
types of dance
There are different types of dances and ways to dance. We can classify this artistic expression based on some criteria, namely:
| Form | Origin | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Solo dances - when the dancer performs unaccompanied. | Folk dances - such as Bumba meu boi, frevo, maracatu, carimbó. | Performance dance - such as ballet, contemporary dance, tap dancing, flamenco, etc. |
| Dances in pairs - dances by couples, such as tango, samba, forró, waltz, among others. | Ceremonial dances - such as some circular dances, indigenous dances, etc. | Social dance - like ballroom dancing. |
| Group dances - when several people compose a choreography, such as circular dances, tap dancing, etc. | Ethnic dances - when they are from a specific place. | Religious dance - like Sufi dance. |
There are several aspects of dance in the world. This is a brief summary of dance in the West.
To learn more about the subject, read:
- dance history
- Folk Dances in Brazil
- African Dances
- Circular dance: origin, benefits and symbology
- Flamenco
- Tango: origin, characteristics and artists
