Styles of Dances

There are many different forms and styles of dances that have all originated from various locations and time periods throughout history. Each style of dance has its own influences, some of which have merged together and some which remain drastically diverse. After reading the chapter's "Social Dance: A Portrait of People at Play" and "And 'All That Jazz' Dance" from Myron Nadel's The Dance Experience, I have found everyday dance to be a unique, artistic style that is developed and inspired through cultural influences which link different dances and dance qualities to certain places over specific periods of time.

Everyday dance is a unique, artistic style through the way it blends different dance forms together to produce a new product entirely. The greatest example of this is seen through modern dance. It combines theatrical jazz, classical ballet technique and contemporary dance in order to form a product unseen before by the world of dance. Modern dance is so unique and diverse, which makes it incredible that it has so many influences. This is only one of many dance forms that shares a combination of influences. Having several different origins allows dance the ability to become unique because no other dance form shares that specific combination of influences. Everyday dance is a stylized art form because the use of dance evolves through specific movements that range from formal to bizarre to simple every day routines. Dance mixes various forms together, which manipulates it into a unique, artistic style.

Everyday dance is developed and inspired through cultural influences. Nadel talks specifically about this in the theatrical fusion of Broadway. He believes white Broadways seems to imitate black dance. "Many of these dances drew on the African- and African American-influenced jazz and tap rhythms of the black performers themselves."1 Broadway dance took the African and African American culture and used it to create what is now seen in a white Broadway theatre. Without the inspiration of other cultural influences we wouldn't have many of the dances we use today. I take jazz dance, which would not exist without the ethnic styles that influenced its creation. This is the case with most forms of dance, especially the ones we are most familiar with today. The inspiration cultural influences have had on dance has played a large role in the development of everyday dance.

Everyday dance links different dances and dance qualities to certain places over specific periods of time. This is true for the waltz, American social dance, the one-step and two-step, rag dance and many more. Each one linked to a specific place and period in time that has given it the dance qualities it possesses. An example of this is seen through social dance. Each social dance acquires a specific character or style. "These characteristics evidence themselves in 'period' dances because