Dance
The Department of Physical Education and Dance
is committed to providing student and community populations with a fundamental
knowledge of the lifelong benefits of physical exercise and to developing an
understanding of physical activity as a part of a total
education.
Dance seems to be a lot like ice cream
flavors...it's so hard to choose just one. If you are thinking of trying out a
new dance style, there may be a few you haven't even considered. Check out this
list of dance genres and see which one appeals to you. There are many fun types
of dance, you may need to sample a few to find your favorite.Ballet serves as a
backbone for many other styles of dance, as many other dance genres are based
on ballet. Ballet is based on techniques that have been developed over
centuries.
Ballet uses music and dance to tell stories. Ballet dancers
have the ability to transport an audience to another world.Jazz is a fun dance
style that relies heavily on originality and improvisation. Many jazz dancers
mix different styles into their dancing, incorporating their own expression.
Jazz dancing often uses bold, dramatic body movements, including body
isolations and contractions.Tap dancing is an exciting form of dance in which
dancers wear special shoes equipped with metal taps. Tap dancers use their feet
like drums to create rhythmic patterns and timely beats.
Hip-hop is a
dance style, usually danced to hip-hop music, that evolved from the hip-hop
culture. Hip-hop includes various moves such as breaking, popping, locking and
krumping, and even house dance. Improvisation and personal interpretation are
essential to hip-hop dancing.
Modern dance is a dance style that rejects
many of the strict rules of classical ballet, focusing instead on the
expression of inner feelings. Modern dance was created as a rebellion against
classical ballet, emphasizing creativity in choreography and
performance.
Swing dance is a lively dance style in which couples
swing, spin and jump together. Swing dancing is a general term that means
dancing to swing music, or music that "swings." How can you tell if a song
swings? Swing dancers know when a song swings because when they hear it, they
can't stand still.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.
Contra dances
are relaxed with family-like atmospheres. The dancing is excellent exercise,
and dancers can set their own pace. Contra dancers are usually friendly, active
people with a love of dance.
Country and western dance includes several
dance forms, usually danced to country-western music. If you've ever been to a
country and western club or tavern, you've probably seen a few cowboy
boot-wearing dancers twirling around the dance floor with big smiles on their
faces.
Flamenco dance is an expressive dance form that mixes percussive
footwork with intricate hand, arm and body movements. Flamenco is a Spanish art
consisting of three forms: Cante, the song, Baile, the dance, and Guitarra,
guitar playing.
Latin dance is a fast-paced, often sensual, partner
dance characterized by sexy hip movements. However, hip movements are not
intentional in any of the Latin dances. The hip motion is a natural consequence
of changing weight from one foot to the other.
Folk dance refers to a
variety of dances developed by groups or communities, as opposed to being made
up by a choreographer. There are several types of folk dance including
clogging, English country dance, international folk dance, Irish dance, Maypole
dance, Morris dance, Nordic polska dance, square dance, and many more. Folk
dances are often performed at social events.
The Department of Physical Education and Dance
is committed to providing student and community populations with a fundamental
knowledge of the lifelong benefits of physical exercise and to developing an
understanding of physical activity as a part of a total
education.
Dance seems to be a lot like ice cream
flavors...it's so hard to choose just one. If you are thinking of trying out a
new dance style, there may be a few you haven't even considered. Check out this
list of dance genres and see which one appeals to you. There are many fun types
of dance, you may need to sample a few to find your favorite.Ballet serves as a
backbone for many other styles of dance, as many other dance genres are based
on ballet. Ballet is based on techniques that have been developed over
centuries.
Ballet uses music and dance to tell stories. Ballet dancers
have the ability to transport an audience to another world.Jazz is a fun dance
style that relies heavily on originality and improvisation. Many jazz dancers
mix different styles into their dancing, incorporating their own expression.
Jazz dancing often uses bold, dramatic body movements, including body
isolations and contractions.Tap dancing is an exciting form of dance in which
dancers wear special shoes equipped with metal taps. Tap dancers use their feet
like drums to create rhythmic patterns and timely beats.
Hip-hop is a
dance style, usually danced to hip-hop music, that evolved from the hip-hop
culture. Hip-hop includes various moves such as breaking, popping, locking and
krumping, and even house dance. Improvisation and personal interpretation are
essential to hip-hop dancing.
Modern dance is a dance style that rejects
many of the strict rules of classical ballet, focusing instead on the
expression of inner feelings. Modern dance was created as a rebellion against
classical ballet, emphasizing creativity in choreography and
performance.
Swing dance is a lively dance style in which couples
swing, spin and jump together. Swing dancing is a general term that means
dancing to swing music, or music that "swings." How can you tell if a song
swings? Swing dancers know when a song swings because when they hear it, they
can't stand still.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.
Contra dances
are relaxed with family-like atmospheres. The dancing is excellent exercise,
and dancers can set their own pace. Contra dancers are usually friendly, active
people with a love of dance.
Country and western dance includes several
dance forms, usually danced to country-western music. If you've ever been to a
country and western club or tavern, you've probably seen a few cowboy
boot-wearing dancers twirling around the dance floor with big smiles on their
faces.
Flamenco dance is an expressive dance form that mixes percussive
footwork with intricate hand, arm and body movements. Flamenco is a Spanish art
consisting of three forms: Cante, the song, Baile, the dance, and Guitarra,
guitar playing.
Latin dance is a fast-paced, often sensual, partner
dance characterized by sexy hip movements. However, hip movements are not
intentional in any of the Latin dances. The hip motion is a natural consequence
of changing weight from one foot to the other.
Folk dance refers to a
variety of dances developed by groups or communities, as opposed to being made
up by a choreographer. There are several types of folk dance including
clogging, English country dance, international folk dance, Irish dance, Maypole
dance, Morris dance, Nordic polska dance, square dance, and many more. Folk
dances are often performed at social events.