There are the classical styles, such as jazz and world, with their own repertoire and history; they are the styles that the classical dancers at any class will remember most fondly. Next to jazz, there are world dance, the music from Africa, Asia, and Latin America; it’s usually the music of the people who were born in that region, and it’s very different from jazz.
Then there are the hip-hop styles, such as hip-hop, that were popular in the 80s and early 90s, when people like the Notorious B.I.G. and Rakim were making music; there are also the dance styles, such as Afro-Jazz and Latin Dance, made popular in the 2000s; this dance is similar to jazz but it’s very different; it’s not the same style of dance as jazz, but it’s more like a hybrid; and, of course, there are dance routines like the One Dance and the Hip-Hop Dance Party, and in the same vein there are dance styles that are very much the new dance trend, like dancepunk, which is definitely a modern dance style (there’s a good article on dancepunk here); it’s still very much influenced by hip-hop; it’s just that you don’t have the music videos and videos on the internet like on classic hip-hop music like “Suge.”
Now that we’re in the new era of dance and dance music, why do we continue to dance?
The old school dance is very important because it’s the one that most people can relate to. This may not be a bad thing because it gives us the chance to be able to dance in front of thousands of people; they have a place to sit, there are people to dance with; it’s a safe place to learn how to dance. If you dance in public, or even in the comfort of your home, you’re going to have a tendency to mess up. If you’re dancing in the comfort of your living room, there’s less chance of embarrassment; no-one’s going to get mad if you don’t know how to do a dance, and it’s much different from how a classic dance is performed.
What are some of the factors that help in developing one’s dancing?
I want to stress the importance of your physical strength. You absolutely, positively need to be able to do a variety of different moves; don’t have too high of a back foot, a