Editing Dance (section)

== Cultural traditions ==

=== Africa ===
[[File:Kuduro - One of the Angolan National Dances.webm|thumb|"[[Kuduro]]" (Angolan dance)]]
[[File:Cultural celebrations resumed with the end of the LRA conflict in Northern Uganda (7269658432).jpg|thumb|right|[[Uganda]]n youth dance at a cultural celebration of peace]]
{{main|African dance}}

Dance in Africa is deeply integrated into society and major events in a community are frequently reflected in dances: dances are performed for births and funerals, weddings and wars.<ref name="WelshHanley2010">{{cite book|author1=Kariamu Welsh|author2=Elizabeth A. Hanley|author3=Jacques D'Amboise|title=African Dance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eXDWJiRr0PYC|date=1 January 2010|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-1-60413-477-3}}</ref>{{rp|13}} Traditional dances impart cultural morals, including religious traditions and sexual standards; give vent to repressed emotions, such as [[grief]]; motivate community members to cooperate, whether fighting wars or grinding grain; enact spiritual rituals; and contribute to [[structural cohesion|social cohesiveness]].<ref name="Hanna1973" >{{cite journal|last1=Hanna|first1=Judith Lynne|title=African Dance: the continuity of change|journal=Yearbook of the International Folk Music Council|date=1973|volume=5|pages=165–174|jstor=767501|doi=10.2307/767501}}</ref>

Thousands of dances are performed around the continent. These may be divided into traditional, neotraditional, and classical styles: [[folklore|folkloric]] dances of a particular society, dances created more recently in imitation of traditional styles, and dances transmitted more formally in schools or private lessons.<ref name="WelshHanley2010" />{{rp|18}} African dance has been altered by many forces, such as European [[missionaries]] and [[colonialist]] governments, who often suppressed local dance traditions as licentious or distracting.<ref name="Hanna1973" /> Dance in contemporary African cultures still serves its traditional functions in new contexts; dance may celebrate the inauguration of a hospital, build community for rural migrants in unfamiliar cities, and be incorporated into Christian church ceremonies.<ref name="Hanna1973" /><ref>{{Cite book|last=Utley, Ian.|title=Culture smart! Ghana customs & culture.|date=2009|publisher=Kuperard|oclc=978296042}}</ref>

=== Asia ===
{{See also|History of dance#Asia}}
[[File:Nandini Ghosal.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.75|An Indian classical dancer]]
[[File:Mintha Theater 2.webm|thumb|In the Mintha Theater ([[Mandalay]]) a master teacher of the Inwa School of Performing Arts demonstrates traditional hand movements.]]
All [[Classical Indian dance|Indian classical dances]] are to varying degrees rooted in the ''[[Natyashastra]]'' and therefore share common features: for example, the ''mudra''s (hand positions), some body positions, leg movement and the inclusion of dramatic or expressive acting or [[abhinaya]]. Indian classical music provides accompaniment and dancers of nearly all the styles wear bells around their ankles to counterpoint and complement the percussion.

There are now many regional varieties of [[Indian classical dance]]. Dances like ''"Odra Magadhi"'', which after decades-long debate, has been traced to present day Mithila, [[Odisha]] region's dance form of [[Odissi]] (Orissi), indicate influence of dances in cultural interactions between different regions.<ref>[http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/dance Exoticindiaart.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060514235542/http://www.exoticindiaart.com/article/dance/ |date=2006-05-14 }}, Dance: The Living Spirit of Indian Arts, by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet.</ref>

The [[Punjab region|Punjab]] area overlapping India and [[Pakistan]] is the place of origin of [[Bhangra (dance)|Bhangra]]. It is widely known both as a style of music and a dance. It is mostly related to ancient harvest celebrations, love, patriotism or social issues. Its music is coordinated by a [[musical instrument]] called the 'Dhol'. Bhangra is not just music but a dance, a celebration of the harvest where people beat the dhol (drum), sing Boliyaan (lyrics) and dance. It developed further with the Vaisakhi festival of the [[Sikh]]s.

The [[dances of Sri Lanka]] include the devil dances (''yakun natima''), a carefully crafted ritual reaching far back into Sri Lanka's pre-Buddhist past that combines ancient "[[Ayurvedic]]" concepts of disease causation with [[psychological manipulation]] and combines many aspects including Sinhalese cosmology. Their influence can be seen on the [[classical dances of Sri Lanka]].<ref>[http://www.lankalibrary.com/rit/yakun%20natuma.htm Lankalibrary.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070309222614/http://www.lankalibrary.com/rit/yakun%20natuma.htm |date=2007-03-09 }}, "The yakun natima&nbsp;— devil dance ritual of Sri Lanka"</ref>

[[File:Bali-Danse 0729a.jpg|thumb|upright|An [[Indonesia]]n [[Balinese dance]]r]]
[[Dances in Indonesia|Indonesian dances]] reflect the richness and diversity of Indonesian ethnic groups and [[Culture of Indonesia|cultures]]. There are more than 1,300 [[ethnic groups in Indonesia]], it can be seen from the cultural roots of the [[Austronesian people|Austronesian]] and [[Melanesian peoples]], and various cultural influences from [[Asia]] and the west. Dances in [[Indonesia]] originate from ritual movements and religious ceremonies, this kind of dance usually begins with rituals, such as war dances, shaman dances to cure or ward off disease, dances to call rain and other types of dances. With the acceptance of dharma religion in the 1st century in Indonesia, [[Hinduism]] and [[Buddhist]] rituals were celebrated in various artistic performances. Hindu epics such as the [[Ramayana]], [[Mahabharata]] and also the [[Panji tales|Panji]] became the inspiration to be shown in a dance-drama called "Sendratari" resembling "[[Ramayana Ballet|ballet]]" in the western tradition. An elaborate and highly stylized dance method was invented and has survived to this day, especially on the islands of [[Java]] and [[Bali]]. The Javanese [[Wayang wong]] dance takes footage from the Ramayana or Mahabharata episodes, but this dance is very different from the Indian version, indonesian dances do not pay as much attention to the "[[mudra]]s" as Indian dances: even more to show local forms. The sacred [[Javanese people|Javanese]] ritual dance [[Bedhaya]] is believed to date back to the [[Majapahit]] period in the 14th century or even earlier, this dance originated from ritual dances performed by virgin girls to worship Hindu Gods such as [[Shiva]], [[Brahma]], and [[Vishnu]]. In Bali, dance has become an integral part of the sacred Hindu Dharma rituals. Some experts believe that [[Balinese dance]] comes from an older dance tradition from Java. Reliefs from temples in [[East Java]] from the 14th century feature crowns and headdresses similar to the headdresses used in Balinese dance today. [[Islam]] began to spread to the [[Indonesian archipelago]] when indigenous dances and dharma dances were still popular. Artists and dancers still use styles from the previous era, replacing stories with more Islamic interpretations and clothing that is more closed according to Islamic teachings.<ref name="Folk Dances Indonesia">{{cite web |url=http://www.indonesia-tourism.com/general/theatre.html |work=Indonesia Tourism |title=The Indonesian Folk Dances |access-date=30 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124083455/http://indonesia-tourism.com/general/theatre.html |archive-date=24 November 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[Middle Eastern dance|dances of the Middle East]] are usually the traditional forms of [[circle dance|circle dancing]] which are modernized to an extent. They would include [[dabke]], [[tamzara]], [[Assyrian folk dance]], [[Kurdish dance]], [[Armenian dance]] and [[Turkish dance]], among others.<ref name="Badley 2000. pp 391-395">Badley, Bill and Zein al Jundi. "Europe Meets Asia". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), World Music, Vol. 1: Africa, Europe and the Middle East, pp. 391–395. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books.</ref><ref>Recep Albayrak Hacaloğlu. Azeri Türkçesi dil kilavuzu. Hacaloğlu, 1992; p. 272.</ref> All these forms of dances would usually involve participants engaging each other by holding hands or arms (depending on the style of the dance). They would make rhythmic moves with their legs and shoulders as they curve around the dance floor. The head of the dance would generally hold a [[Walking stick|cane]] or [[handkerchief]].<ref name="Badley 2000. pp 391-395"/><ref>Subhi Anwar Rashid, Mesopotamien, Abb 137</ref>

=== Europe and North America{{anchor|Europe}} ===
{{Main|Concert dance}}
{{See also|History of dance#Europe}}

[[File:Dance-At-Bougival.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.75|''[[Dance at Bougival]]'' by [[Pierre-Auguste Renoir]] (1883)]]
[[Folk dance]]s vary across Europe and may date back hundreds or thousands of years, but many have features in common such as group participation led by a [[Caller (dancing)|caller]], hand-holding or arm-linking between participants, and fixed musical forms known as caroles.<ref name="lee">{{cite book|title=Ballet in Western Culture: A History of Its Origins and Evolution|pages=10–11|year=2002|isbn=978-0-415-94257-7|author=Carol Lee|publisher=Psychology Press }}</ref> Some, such as the [[maypole]] dance are common to many nations, while others such as the [[céilidh]] and the [[polka]] are deeply-rooted in a single culture. Some European folk dances such as the [[square dance]] were brought to the [[New World]] and subsequently became part of American culture.

[[File:NutcrackerSnowPas.JPG|thumb|right|Two classical ballet dancers perform a sequence of ''[[The Nutcracker]]'', one of the best known works of classical dance.]]
[[File:Buffalo Dance (1894).webm|thumb|right|Sioux ''[[Buffalo Dance (film)|Buffalo Dance]]'', 1894]]
[[Ballet]] developed first in Italy and then in France from lavish court spectacles that combined rhythm, drama, poetry, song, costumes and dance. Members of the court nobility took part as performers. During the reign of [[Louis XIV]], himself a dancer, dance became more codified. Professional dancers began to take the place of court amateurs, and ballet masters were licensed by the French government. The first ballet dance academy was the Académie Royale de Danse (Royal Dance Academy), opened in Paris in 1661. Shortly thereafter, the first institutionalized ballet troupe, associated with the academy, was formed; this troupe began as an all-male ensemble but by 1681 opened to include women as well.<ref name="lecomte"/>

[[20th century concert dance]] brought an explosion of innovation in dance style characterized by an exploration of freer technique. Early pioneers of what became known as [[modern dance]] include [[Loie Fuller]], [[Isadora Duncan]], [[Mary Wigman]] and [[Ruth St. Denis]]. The relationship of music to dance serves as the basis for [[Eurhythmics]], devised by [[Emile Jaques-Dalcroze]], which was influential to the development of Modern dance and modern ballet through artists such as [[Marie Rambert]]. [[Eurythmy]], developed by [[Rudolf Steiner]] and [[Marie Steiner-von Sivers]], combines formal elements reminiscent of traditional dance with the new freer style, and introduced a complex new vocabulary to dance. In the 1920s, important founders of the new style such as [[Martha Graham]] and [[Doris Humphrey]] began their work. Since this time, a wide variety of dance styles have been developed; see [[Modern dance]].

[[African American dance]] developed in everyday spaces, rather than in dance studios, schools or companies. [[Tap dance]], [[disco]], [[jazz dance]], [[swing dance]], [[hip hop dance]], the [[lindy hop]] with its relationship to [[rock and roll|rock and roll music]] and [[rock and roll (dance)|rock and roll dance]] have had a global influence. Dance styles fusing classical ballet technique with African-American dance have also appeared in the 21st century, including [[Hiplet (dance style)|Hiplet]].<ref name=kourlas>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/arts/dance/hiplet-an-implausible-hybrid-plants-itself-on-pointe.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/arts/dance/hiplet-an-implausible-hybrid-plants-itself-on-pointe.html |archive-date=2022-01-01 |url-access=limited|title=Hiplet: An Implausible Hybrid Plants Itself on Pointe|last=Kourlas|first=Gia|date=2016-09-02|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-12-03}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

=== Latin America ===
{{main|Latin American dance}}
[[File:HK TST night 柏麗購物大道 Park Lane Shopper's Boulevard 巴西 Brasil 森巴舞娘 Samba female dancers Nov-2010 02.JPG|thumb|left|upright=1.1| [[samba school|Street samba]] dancers perform in carnival parades and contests.]]
Dance is central to [[Latin America]]n social life and culture. Brazilian [[Samba (Brazilian dance)|Samba]], Argentinian [[tango]], and Cuban [[salsa (dance)|salsa]] are internationally popular partner dances, and other national dances—[[merengue (dance)|merengue]], [[cueca]], [[plena]], [[jarabe]], [[joropo]], [[marinera]], [[cumbia]], [[Bachata (dance)|bachata]] and others—are important components of their respective countries' cultures.<ref name="Chasteen2004">{{cite book|author=John Charles Chasteen|title=National Rhythms, African Roots: The Deep History of Latin American Popular Dance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yBvvvrydCNwC&pg=PR8|date=1 January 2004|publisher=UNM Press|isbn=978-0-8263-2941-7|pages=8–14}}</ref> Traditional [[Carnival]] festivals incorporate these and other dances in enormous celebrations.<ref name="MusmonHanley2010">{{cite book|author1=Margaret Musmon|author2=Elizabeth A. Hanley|author3=Jacques D'Amboise|title=Latin and Caribbean Dance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qIZq7jgqXE8C|year=2010|publisher=Infobase Publishing|isbn=978-1-60413-481-0|pages=20–23}}</ref>

Dance has played an important role in forging a collective identity among the many cultural and ethnic groups of [[Latin America]].<ref name="DelgadoMuñoz1997">{{cite book|author1=Celeste Fraser Delgado|author2=José Esteban Muñoz|title=Everynight Life: Culture and Dance in Latin/o America|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gefjk07Y9kEC&pg=PA3|year=1997|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=978-0-8223-1919-1|pages=9–41}}</ref> Dance served to unite the many African, European, and indigenous peoples of the region.<ref name="Chasteen2004"/> Certain dance genres, such as [[capoeira]], and body movements, especially the characteristic ''[[quebrada (dance)|quebrada]]s'' or [[pelvis]] swings, have been variously banned and celebrated throughout Latin American history.<ref name="DelgadoMuñoz1997"/>{{clear}}