Ballroom dancing

Romance at its best

Couple dancing

Ballroom dancing is a beautiful art form which is known to be a social dance form as it encourages social interaction between two people. It is a set of partner dances, which can be danced both socially (at evens or functions) and competitively at dancing competitions around the world. Ballroom dancing can’t be limited to specific steps and patterns as new dances and variations continue to be added. Therefore the beauty of ballroom lies in its constant change and development.

Ballroom dancing has been performed for centuries

Ballroom dancing dances follow a strict tempo which means the movements follow an even pattern of beats to music. The two main types of music you will be dancing to will either be in 3/4 or 4/4. The principles learnt in ballroom dancing can be applied to any type of music such as classical waltzes, disco or rock with the same beat you are looking for. 

Ballroom dancing subcategories:

Ballroom is a broad category of dance which can include most forms of social dancing, but it usually consists of the partner dances used in either International or American competition. The International competitive dance styles is regulated by the World Dance Council (WDC). The American competitive dance styles are used in the United States and Canada. The subcategories for both are similar as seen below. 

International competitive dances:

International standard dances:

• Waltz
• Tango
• Viennese waltz
• Foxtrot
• Quickstep

International Latin dances:

• Samba
• Cha-cha
• Rumba
• Paso doble
• Jive

American competitive dances:

Smooth section:

• Waltz
• Tango
• Foxtrot
• Viennese waltz

Rhythm section:

• Cha-cha
• Rumba
• East Coast swing
• Bolero
• Mambo

Other ballroom dances:

• Merengue
• Salsa
• Hustle
• West Coast swing
• Lindy Hop
• Swing
• Two-Step
• Rock-n-roll

Ballroom dancing can also consist of line dancing such as country line dancing in groups or other formations.

Love as always & forever, in dance
Mia xxx

Ballet

Point your toes and strike a pose!

Pointe - On the tip of the toes

In ballet technique is the most important as it is a highly technical dance form. It consists of techniques such as pointe work (dancing on the tip of the toes), turn-out of the legs, graceful flowing precise movements, soft arm movements, leaps and spins as well as its delicate qualities.

Subcategories of ballet:

• Classical ballet
• Neoclassical ballet
• Contemporary ballet

Each category has varying degrees of structure and rigidity.

A classical ballerina on pointe wearing a tutu

Ballet is taught in ballet schools all around the world, each adding their own culture to modernize the art.

Ballet is a formalized concert form of dance where the word ballet can be used to describe a story performed to music, using ballet dance techniques. Ballet performances include dance, music (usually classical music), costumes and scenery but no talking. Performances use dramatic expressions and dance movements in a storytelling format to tell the story.

Examples of the most popular ballets:

• Swan Lake
• Giselle
• The Nutcracker
• The Sleeping Beauty

Ballet training is hard work and the dancers must develop strength, balance, flexibility as well as grace. They learn a set of movements and gestures. All ballet students are taught five basic positions which form the basis for almost all ballet steps.

The 5 Basic ballet positions

The language of ballet: 

Ballet has its own vocabulary which consists of lots of French words. The steps were first named in France, and they have kept their French names. The rules and steps have been developed over centuries.

For example:

• When you spin on one foot, the step or movement is called a pirouette
• En pointe means on point - on the tip of the toes
• A pas de deux, meaning “step for two,” is a dance for two dancers 
• Barre, a railing that dancers use in warm up exercises to hold onto for support

Ballerina at a ballet barre

  

Pas de Deux: 

A dance done by two individuals (a ballet duet) is usually performed by a male and a female.

A Pas de Deux is made up of four main elements:

• The entree or entrance which is the introduction
• The adagio or slow combined section of the dance
• Variations, which is a solo performance given by each dancer or where one artist is the main focal point
• A coda which concludes the piece

Classical Pas de Deux: 

Classical ballet style dances where the choreographer chooses a story or theme for the ballet. The type of music danced to is classical music.

Two famous dances in this style are the Black Swan pas de deux from "Swan Lake" and the Nutcracker pas de deux from the Tchaikovsky ballet.

Classical Ballet

A classical Pas de Deux can be seen below choreographed by Thordal Christensen.

The classical ballet was performed by Ade Obayomi and Melissa Sandvig on pointe shoes to "Romeo and Juliet: Prokofiev's Suite (No.1 Op 64b, 6th Movement)" Orchestre De La Suisse Romande & Armin Jordan on Season 5 of So You Think You Can Dance.

A more modern form of a Pas de Deux performance can be seen below choreographed by Desmond Richardson and Dwight Rhoden who are co-founders of the Complexions Contemporary Ballet Company.

Katee Shean and William Wingfield dance to "Imagine" by David Archuleta on Season 4 of So You Think You Can Dance. 

Hope this has left you wanting to be as graceful as a ballet dancer.

Love as always & forever, in dance
Mia xxx

Afro fusion

When the music changes, so does the dance...

Afro fusion is a dancing style which blends the techniques of formal dance training with an African flavour and spirit from sacred and traditional African dances of West, Central and East Africa. 

Formal dance styles such as ballet, jazz, modern dancing and contemporary are combined with African tribal dances or free flowing loose relaxed movements. 

It has even been blended with belly dancing and samba (Latin American ballroom) routines. 

This truly combines different cultures to form a new dance style by fusing inspiration and wisdom of all styles of dancing from around the world. A huge part of this dance style movement is expression and rhythm.

Movements which are used in Afro fusion choreography

An Afro fusion dance (can be seen below) done by South African dancers, Ashley and Kim on South Africa's version of So You Think You Can Dance.  The choreography combines contemporary with African dancing. 

An African Jazz fusion creates a more upbeat example of Afro fusion which can be seen below. The dancers, Tadd Gadduang and Jordan Casanova, were contestants on So You Think You Can Dance, season eight.

Love as always & forever, in dance

Mia xxx

African traditional dancing

Moving to the rhythm of a drum beat...

Traditional African dances were formed within the tribes (communities) and taught to the children in the tribe from a young age. No formal dance training was required and it was past down from generation to generation.

Various dances were done for different reasons to reflect events or occurrences in life such as weddings, funerals, celebrations, rites of passage or coming of age, religious practices or warrior dances.

African tribal dance cartoon

“Traditional African dance is an essential element of Africa’s cultural heritage because it is the living expression of its philosophy, and the living memory of its evolution and cultural wealth over the centuries.” Alphonse Tierou, a traditional dancer, from “Doople: the Eternal Law of African Dance.” 

African warrior dance

African dancing consists of:


Energetic movements such as high kicks, leaps, wide and rapid swinging of the arms, stamping of the feet, shuffle steps and fast foot work. Dancers move different parts of their bodies simultaneously to a rhythm which often contains more than one beat. 

African woman playing the drum

Traditional African dancing characteristics:  

• Movements are done in rhythm to the beat
• Dance along to African drumming and / or percussion instruments
• Human voice – singing
• Dances often tell stories and show the feelings and emotions behind the dance
• Wear traditional African outfits

To see an example of African dancing I have chosen an up beat energetic Senegalese dance which was performed on the TV series, "So You Think You Can Dance". Watch below. A Senegalese dance is a dance originating from Senegal, a country of western Africa. This clip truly captures the energy and fast movements of the dancers moving along to the rhythm of a drum beat. 

Showcasing true African spirit.

Love as always & forever, in dance

Mia xxx

Acrobatic Dance

Form of dance which blends acrobatic stunts with dance!

Acrobatic dance, also known as Acro dance or just Acro, is a challenging dance style which combines classical dance techniques with acrobatic stunts (tricks) in such a way that the movements flow in and out of one another – not robot like. It combines the suppleness of a contortionist with the gracefulness of a dancer.

The distinction between plain acrobatics and acrobatic dance:

Acrobatics is basically stunts and tricks set to music. Acrobatic dance is fundamentally dance with its acrobatic movements performed in a dance context. Dance elements from ballet, jazz, modern, or even tap are used as the foundation for dance movements in the choreography. The most common tricks or stunts consist of tumbling, back bends, hand-stands, cartwheels, various splits and many more complicated exercises.

Dancers who perform this style of dancing must:  

• Be very fit
• Be flexible
• Have upper body strength to be able to hold your body weight
• Have good balance and muscle control 
• Strong back muscles and stomach (abdominal) muscles

The above are necessary as it is a physically demanding activity and it is important when performing tricks to prevent injuring yourself. A high degree of discipline and concentration is also required for performing the stunts.

Acro dancers.

Acro has been taught and performed in South Africa for more than 50 years. It is also recognized as a sport and is a registered discipline with the South African Gymnastics Federations. It is a popular dance style which can be seen in professional dance theater, such as Cirque du Soleil. 

American dance company - Pilobolus.

An example of a dance group who performs acrobatic dance is Pilobolus, an American dance company. They include acrobatics, body contortions and a mix of humor and invention in their choreography. Watch them perform in the clip below.

Love as always & forever, in dance
Mia xxx