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336 Arts and Entertainment

Dance

When people move in time to music, they are dancing. As they dance, they

organize their body movements into rhythmic and visual patterns. These

dance patterns may be formal, with structured steps and movements,

or informal, a natural style of dance known as. IMPROVISATION.

WHEN DID CONTEMPORARY DANCE START?

Contemporary dance began at the start of the 20th

century when the American dancer Isadora Duncan

(1878–1927) broke away from ballet and developed

her own, more natural style. Contemporary dance has

many different styles, some of them closely linked to

music, such as jazz, rock and roll, and hip-hop.

CAN ANYBODY DANCE?

Anybody can dance, no matter how young or old they

are, or how physically fit. People in wheelchairs can

move and spin in time to the music, while those who

are immobile can move their hands or heads. Deaf

people can feel the vibrations of music and respond.

IMPROVISATION

Unlike classical dance, improvised dance has no formal steps,

although it can be choreographed. Improvisation is the basis of

contemporary, or modern, dance. In it, dancers express their feelings

in their movements to create a highly personal, natural performance.

WHIRLING DERVISH 3

The Sufi sect of Islam uses dance

and music to worship Allah, or

God. Some dancers, known as

whirling dervishes, spin around in

a trance to empty the mind and

help them concentrate on God.

4 CONTEMPORARY DANCE

These contemporary dancers work closely

together, combining their body movements

to create interesting shapes and sequences.

Each time they perform this improvised

dance, it will be slightly different.

DANCE SHOES

BALLET SHOES

Pointe shoes are made

stiff with paper and

hessian (a plant fibre)

to allow ballerinas

to dance on tiptoe.

FLAMENCO SHOES

Flamenco dancers wear

shoes with hard soles

and metal on the heels

to stamp out the

rhythms noisily.

Each mudra, or hand gesture,

carries a specific meaning

WHY DO PEOPLE DANCE?

People have a natural urge to move in time to

music. They dance to celebrate an event, or for

entertainment and relaxation. Dance is an

important part of many religions. Around the

world many folk dances (popular, local dances)

mark the stages of life, such as birth and death.

WHAT IS CLASSICAL DANCE?

Classical dance is historic and takes many years to

learn. Western classical dance is called ballet and

combines dance with mime (silent acting). It began

in Europe in the 15th century. Countries such as India

and Thailand also have great classical dance traditions.

. CHOREOGRAPHY is used to create classical dance.

INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCE 3

Bharat natyam is a classical dance from south India. Most

Indian dances act out stories from Indian mythology. The

movements are often slow, graceful, and controlled.

Contemporary dancers often wear everyday

clothes and dance barefoot to feel natural

Feet and hands are

decorated with jewellery

and red henna, a plant dye

dance