Nonan, Alyana Rose T.

Bs Psych I1B

13 December 2018

Different Types of Dances Across The Globe

Before we delve in to the different types of dance, we must first find out how
humanity has been so attracted to it. Dance is a type of Visual Arts; it gives pleasure
not only for one’s eyes but also one’s soul and heart. Dance has the ability to provide its
audience an almost transcendence-like experience; emotions would run high; shivers
can be felt running down through one’s spine during the performance. Another reason
why we cannot help but be immersed into it is the sole fact that dance is everywhere.
There is no escape from it. We humans are movement. We are the movement that is
making us able to think and feel and act at all.  Sometimes the movement that we are
erupts in a spontaneous burst and assumes a new pattern that takes the form of dance.

The first dance that we will be discussing originated from our very own mother-
land - The Philippines. Tinikling is a dance that is believed to have emerged from the
colonial era. Danced around the tapping bamboos, the dance imitates the movements
of the local bird called ‘Tikling’. The locals mimic the graceful actions that the bird
makes in order to escape the bamboo traps set by the farmer and is danced around
Bamboos that are tapped on the ground in order to create patterns of beats. The dan-
cers then navigate between the bamboos in pairs.

3,010 kilometers away from the Philippines, Japan has their own unique dance
to show off to the world. From the upbeat and folksy to the downright theatrical, bizarre
and yet splendid, Kabuki. A heady concoction of Dancing and Singing, Kabuki is starkly
colourful because of its costume and techniques used for make-up. It was nearly
erased in history, however, thanks to the dancers and their regeneration of the concept,
it is now a staple to the country.

 A great example of a story-telling dance is the Barong dance. Barong is believed

to be a lion like creature in the mythology of Indonesian culture specifically Bali region.
The leader of the good, Barong, battles against the enemy Rangda who is considered
as the demon queen and mother of spirit guarders. The dance initially begins with a
peaceful environment but soon is followed by the “Keris Dance” where Rangda appears
and cast a black magic on the men of Erlangga, the king of Bali. The dance ends with a
fight between Barong and Rangda where Rangda runs, depicting that good always
wins over evil. The masks of Barong and Rangda are considered scared and thus are
worshipped before being used in the dance. Barong is an extremely dangerous form of
dancing as somebody can die or get injured during the dance. This dance is a beautiful
blend of bravado, mythology and art.

A 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 nar-
rative and comic expression in the '90s. In the 2000s, jerkin' and juking became popu-
lar; both of these take the pop-lock movement of classic breakdancing and add wild
fashions.

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 hip twists for percussive punctuation, and shimmies,
spins, and torso vibrations to add variety and detail.

All the way over to the West, we have Fandango. This lively, dance belongs to
the passionate land of Spain. Usually performed in triple meters by couples, the dance
is fast paced and embodies raw passion. This colourful dance form originated in this
very land and has since spread to Portugal and other parts of the world. Characterized
by the sounds of Spanish guitar, the beauty of the dance comes alive with the rhythmic
patterns created with the tapping beats and clapping of hands, called ‘palmas’ in Span-
ish. The rich red flowing gowns of the dancers make the dance form even more spec-
tacular.

One of the most romantic dances till date, Waltz is one of the most popular Ball-
room dances and is also considered by some as the ‘Mother of all present dances’.
Originated in Germany, this pleasantly flowing dance gradually escalated to one of the
most popular dances all over Europe and USA. This beautiful dance follows a ‘rise and
fall pattern’ where the dancers swing their shoulders smoothly in parallel with the floor.
The movement of the feet throughout the dance are stretched out steps, the first step is
usually taken on the heel, the entire dance includes rising toes gradually in rhythm with
the music. The music follows a ‘123-123’ beat, the whole dance and music together
appears as a free flowing, swayed action. Compared to the rest of the ballroom dance
forms, Waltz is an easy dance and simple to learn but nonetheless entertaining.

A dance that is performed to perfection after several gruelling years of practice

and dedication, where every move is intricate and professional, like a handicraft woven
with love. That dance is the world famous Ballet, which originated during the Italian
Renaissance and slowly found its way into classrooms for young aspiring ballerinas.
Countries around the world have their own interpretations of ballet and trained artists
choreograph and educate youngsters on the different acrobatic moves of this sophist-
icated art. There are different versions of dance all over the world, a few being the ro-
mantic ballet, the neoclassical ballet, the contemporary ballet and the classical ballet.
The dancers move in slow and quick steps to classical music with dramatic interpreta-
tions that are high in their emotional appeal.

The examples mentioned above are just one of the few of diverse dances that
are performed all over the world. Many more exists within countries, communities, and
tribes. Dancing is a universal movement, albeit not standardised, it still resonates with
all of us.