introduction to a dance essay

Essay on Dance

500 words essay on dance.

Dancer refers to a series of set of movement to music which we can either do alone or with a partner. Dancing helps us express our feelings and get active as well. If we look back at history, dance has been a part of our human history since the earliest records. Thus, an essay on dance will take us through it in detail.

My Hobby My Passion

Dance is my favourite hobby and I enjoy dancing a lot. I started dancing when I was five years old and when I got older; my parents enrolled me in dance classes to pursue this passion.

I cannot go a day without dance, that’s how much I love dancing. I tried many dance forms but discovered that I am most comfortable in Indian classical dance. Thus, I am learning Kathak from my dance teacher.

I aspire to become a renowned Kathak dancer so that I can represent this classical dance internationally. Dancing makes me feel happy and relaxed, thus I love to dance. I always participate in dance competitions at my school and have even won a few.

Dance became my passion from an early age. Listening to the beats of a dance number, I started to tap my feet and my parents recognized my talent for dance. Even when I am sad, I put on music to dance to vent out my feelings.

Thus, dance has been very therapeutic for me as well. In other words, it is not only an escape from the world but also a therapy for me.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Hidden Language of the Soul

Dance is also called the hidden language of the soul as we use it to express ourselves when words fall short. The joy which comes with dancing helps us get over our sorrow and adversity sometimes.

Moreover, it is simply a translator for our hearts. What is most important to remember is that dance is not supposed to be perfect. There is no right way of dancing, as long as your heart is happy, you can dance.

When we talk about dance, usually a professional dancer comes to our mind. But, this is where we go wrong. Dance is for anybody and everybody from a ballet dancer to the uncle dancing at a wedding .

It is what unites us and helps us come together to celebrate joy and express our feelings. Therefore, we must all dance without worrying if we are doing it right or not. It is essential to understand that when you let go of yourself in dance, you truly enjoy it only then.

Conclusion of the Essay on Dance

All in all, dance is something which anyone can do. There is no right way or wrong way to dance, there is just a dance. The only hard part is taking the first step, after that, everything becomes easier. So, we must always dance our heart out and let our body move to the rhythm of music freely.

FAQ of Essay on Dance

Question 1: Why is Dance important?

Answer 1: Dance teaches us the significance of movement and fitness in a variety of ways through a selection of disciplines. It helps us learn to coordinate muscles to move through proper positions. Moreover, it is a great activity to pursue at almost any age.

Question 2: What is dancing for you?

Answer 2: Dancing can enhance our muscle tone, strength, endurance and fitness. In addition, it is also a great way to meet new friends. Most importantly, it brings happiness to us and helps us relax and take a break from the monotony of life.

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1.17: Introduction to Dance

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Learning Objectives

With this chapter, you will begin working toward:

Demonstrating a culturally informed dance aesthetic.
Identifying the purposes of dance.

“Dance evaporates—everything goes…we just have this little hint. The deterioration actually adds to the meaning of it.”—dancer and film director Connie Hochman on trying to capture the ephemera

Introduction

There are many definitions of dance, with people defining dance in their own way. In this chapter, you will consider your personal definition of dance. You will learn the purposes of dance. You will reflect on your experiences and upbringing to determine their influence on your dance aesthetic.

Poetry, prose, and music are arts that exist in time. It is through the manipulation of rhythm and tempo that these arts are created.
Painting, sculpture, and architecture are arts that exist in space. It is through the design of space that these arts are created.
Dance is the only art that is a creation in both time and space.

How do you define dance?

Elements of Dance

Dance can be studied in terms of its raw materials. We can describe movement thoroughly by breaking dance down into its basic components. A complete understanding of the building blocks of dance allows us to analyze, interpret and speak about dance in a thorough and understandable way. To increase dance literacy and appreciate dance as an art form, we must look at the elements of dance. Through the manipulation of these elements by the human body, dance happens. The elements of dance will be discussed in more detail later in Chapter 2. To describe dance, it is useful to analyze it in terms of these Elements of Dance:

Purposes of Dance

Color iamge of two dancers working together.

Dance can be studied in terms of its purpose and function within a culture. Cultures impact how people engage with the world, as environmental influences, societal behaviors, and attitudes are intertwined within the development and shaping of dance forms. In this respect, dance is a carrier of culture. The purposes of dance include:

Religious Dance / Dance to Please the Gods
Social Dance / Dance to Please Ourselves
Performance Dance / Dance to Please Others
Protest Dance/Dance to Affect Social Change

Religious Dance

The earliest dances were likely religious in nature. Some religions embrace dance and use it as a part of their rituals. Other religions have eschewed dance or banned it for a number of different reasons.

The Ancient Greeks and Africans used to dance to solidify their community. Ancient Greek dance, as well as ancient African dance, was divinely inspired. Everyone participated in religious ceremonies as cultivated amateurs and up-standing citizens. A big part of the program was processions and circle dances. The realities of the cosmos ruled the symbolism of the dances, and references to the sun, moon, and constellations figured into the movements.

Types of Religious Dance

Dances of imitation, medicine dances, commemorative dances, dances for spiritual connection.

Particularly in primitive and indigenous cultures, dances of imitation are performed. Dancers imitate animals and natural phenomena to embody specific qualities, like channeling the prowess of an animal. The dances serve various purposes, often promoting favorable outcomes, such as good weather and hunting.

Shamans, as spiritual leaders, serve as intermediaries between the human and spirit worlds. Both men and women may be Shamans. The religion is animistic (attributes a spirit to all things), and rituals address medicine, religion, a reverence for nature, and ancestor worship. On the summer solstice, Shamans perform a fire ritual at night. The Shaman drums carry the ancestral spirits of the Shaman.

Dances are created to remember a special day, event, and meaningful moment. Some commemorative dances are very old. Maypole dances have early pagan roots. It is a celebration of the rebirth of spring. The Second Line is a West African form of dance that is a ritual to celebrate the life of the recently departed. After the slaves were brought to the new world, this dance became more of a celebration for parties and Mardi Gras festivals.

In some cultures, the dancers seek to suppress their ego to find oneness with God. In others, dance may be used to connect with dead ancestors spiritually. Some religions use dance to tell their origin stories and preserve their heritage.

Social Dance

Color photograph of a couple casually dancing.

In social dance, we establish a connection with others. Social dance can be sorted into four general categories based on the purpose of the dance.

Types of Social Dance

Courtship dances, work dances, communal dances.

In cultures where marriages are arranged, men and women do not engage in courtship dances. In other cultures, dance may serve as simple flirtation or involve more complex rituals.

Some dances are centered around the work that groups perform. Dances that mimic work routines were used in past times to help build unity and continuity among the crew.

Color image of a a war dancer from South Nias

Dance has always been used in conjunction with training for war. Several cultures throughout history used dance as grounds for war preparation. The Greeks participated in pyrrhic dances and used weapons to mimic war tactics in preparation for battle. Capoeira was created by enslaved Africans in Brazil, using dance as a guise for practicing fighting. The Māori of Aotearea/New Zealand dance the Haka as an intimidation tactic that instills warriors with ferocious energy. In South Africa, the Indlamu dance was inspired by Zulu warriors during the Anglo-Zulu wars, was derived from the war dances of amabutho (warriors), and was mainly used to motivate the men before they embarked on their long marches into battles barefoot. Today, cultures continue to pass down these traditions to new generations as tradition.

Communal dances are often a part of festivals and parties. Dances like springtime’s Maypole dance and the Jewish hora bring a whole community together to share happy times. Communal dances also can be a way for a community to share grief and memories, like the Table of Silence performed at Lincoln Center every year to commemorate 9/11.

Performance Dance

Performance dances are presentational and often are entertainment for an audience. Some amateur dancers put on shows, but there are also professional dancers who attain highly polished technique.

Types of Performance Dance

Musical Theater

Protest Dance

Protest dance is a response to social situations and the human condition. For slaves of the American South, the cakewalk was a way to mock their white oppressors. Kurt Joos created the modern dance The Green Table after World War 1. It reflected hard truths about society and the price of war. Bill T. Jones creates ensemble dances that reveal realities of social injustice. Jo’Artis “Big Mijo” Ratti uses krumping to express his rage and frustration in response to the killing of George Floyd.

Dance Aesthetic

Your aesthetic is that which you find pleasing or beautiful. It is your tastes and preferences, your “likes” and “dislikes.” Your perception of dance will be informed by your aesthetic, which might result in subjective judgments about the dances you see. Therefore, it is essential to acknowledge when these biased opinions emerge to be receptive to the dances you are witnessing and objectively respond to them. By keeping an open mind, we can better our understanding of the uniqueness of each dance as an art form.

Cultural Traditions

Culture is shared values, beliefs, and customs shared amongst a group of people that contribute to a person’s dance aesthetic. The rhythms of West Africa or Argentina that you grew up listening to can also play a part in shaping rhythmic tastes. Dance is an important way that the lore and traditions of a culture are preserved over time as it is passed down from generation to generation.

Different religions incorporate dance into their worship. Some religions include it as an intrinsic part of their ritual, and even link dance to the spiritual experience. Other religions eschew dance altogether. Your religious upbringing and experiences may influence your dance aesthetic.

The program on Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in formal and non-formal education is a UNESCO initiative, which recognizes that:

Education plays a key role in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.
Intangible cultural heritage can provide context-specific content and pedagogy for education programs and thus act as a leverage to increase the relevance and quality of education and improve learning outcomes.

UNESCO considers dance an intangible cultural resource. UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage division recognizes the following in its Summary Report on education : “The creative process of inter generational transmission is at the center of intangible cultural heritage safeguarding.”

Family Influence

Different generations may prefer different dances. The dances your parents and their friends do is probably different from what you and your friends like. Maybe you have a grandparent who can teach you some older dances.

Do you watch dance on television, in movies, online, in live concerts and shows, at half-time? The many factors of your experiences influence your dance aesthetic.

Personal Response

You will also have a personal response to dance. Do you prefer to move fast or slow, bouncy or gliding, all over the room or just a little bit? Do you want your dance to demonstrate emotion, or do you prefer a show of virtuosity?

Kinesthetic

Grey scale image of traditinoal costumed dancers.

Consider your physical response to dance as you think about your dance aesthetic. Dance is capable of eliciting joy, sorrow, and a wide spectrum of emotions. What aspect of the dance spoke to your personal experiences?

Dance is a beautiful and meaningful stand-alone art. It can be performed without any ancillary arts. But it is also an art that partners successfully with other arts. Costume, scenery, poetry, drama, and music are often a part of the spectacle. As you watch dances this semester be aware of the music, costumes, and staging that help to lend color and meaning to the dance.

In preserving a culture’s dances one is able to preserve its stories and other art forms as well.

People have different ideas about how to define dance. One way to understand dance is to analyze its movement elements: body, energy, space, and time.

We can also study dance in terms of its purpose. Religious dances serve to imitate animals or natural elements, to achieve healing, to commemorate an occasion, or to reach spiritual connection. Social dances can serve in courtship, to find unity in work, unity in war, or camaraderie in the community. Performance dance is created and practiced for presentation to an audience. Western performance dance forms that have developed include ballet, modern, tap, jazz, musical theater, and hip hop. Protest dance can be created to effect social change.

One’s dance aesthetic is shaped and influenced by numerous factors. Family, media, personal response, and kinesthetic response are all contributors to a personal aesthetic.

Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in education; UNESCO; https://ich.unesco.org/en/education-01017

Essays About Dance: Top 5 Examples Plus Prompts

If you are writing essays about dance, see our essay examples and prompts below to inspire and guide you for your next essay.

Dance refers to a sequence of rhythmic body movements, usually in sync with a beat or music. The earliest historical dance records can be found in cave paintings and are suggested to be associated with religious purposes. Today, one can dance for several reasons. It can be a channel to express their emotions and ideas, release energy, conduct a ritual, celebrate a tradition, or simply exercise.

Check out our round-up of five great essays that can inspire you in writing your piece about dance:

1. Are Humans The Only Species That Enjoy Dancing? by Jason Goldman

2. ballet and modern dance: using ballet as the basis for other dance techniques by helen kantilaftis, 3. bollywood dance explained by lucy townsend, 4. essay: when i broke up with ballet by stephanie wolf, 5. explained: breaking rules, moves and format by aarish ansari, 1. dance as a passion., 2. types of dances. , 3. health benefits of dancing., 4. preserving traditional dance., 5. the most iconic dance moves of all time. , 6. protecting choreographic works., 7. dance as an expression of culture., 8. animals that dance., 9. dance as a source of livelihood., 10. life values learned from dancing..

“Snowball became famous on the internet when videos were uploaded of the twelve-year-old cockatoo appearing to dance to a Backstreet Boys song. He seems to bob his head up and down in sync with the beat of the song… Could it really be that humans aren’t unique in their abilities to dance?”

The article amusingly explores certain animals that are proven to have a beat for dancing. While videos of dancing animals are a rave on social media, the article reveals that the discovery of dancing animals may have been as early as the time of Charles Darwin. The naturalist discovered and theorized that birds use dance to pick their mates, a process that a study showed is more common in humans than we thought.

“Ballet is like the mother of all dance techniques. Most Western dance styles today can be traced back to ballet, and its codification has been extremely influential in all styles of dance.”

Ballet can improve one’s musicality, awareness, tempo, strength, and agility. Kantilaftis explains that other dances borrow many techniques and moves from ballet. For example, if you take hip-hop or jazz class, chances are there will be movements that could be enhanced by learning ballet first. The author then provides tips on how dancers can incorporate ballet to enhance their routines and be well-rounded dancers overall. You might also be interested in these essays about color .

“Bollywood dance is easy on the eye. Dramatic facial expressions and cinematic pizzazz mean any viewer, dance aficionado or not, can follow the story. But beneath the fizz is a series of historic symbols and traditions, which originate in India’s numerous traditional dance forms.”

No good Indian film is complete without the famous Bollywood dance. In this article, the author uncovers the symbolisms behind the hand gestures, facial expressions, neck movement, footwork, and vibrant costumes in Bollywood dance. It turns out that each movement and accessory contribute to telling a story with themes ranging from weather to animals and destinations.

“After 12 years of fighting for my dance career, it became clear this was not an injury from which I could bounce back. My body had already been through too much, and I felt fatigued from chasing my dreams. While I had always had outside interests, I was now forced to really look at what life would be like post-dancing.”

A former ballet dancer talks about her heartbreaking story of ending a dance career over two decades ago. The breakup was the inevitable consequence of an irreversible injury, causing emotional shock over a loss of identity. Several years forward, Wolf admits that she remains to grieve over the end of her dancing chapter but continues to find new sources of hope to continue living.

“From the streets of New York in the 1970s to the grand stage of the Olympic Games, breaking has charted a course not many would have thought was possible… breaking has evolved into a proper dance sport, with a fixed set of rules that make for fair competition.”

The article celebrates breakdancing’s breakthrough to be part of the Olympic 2024 as a silver medal event. In addition, the article dives into the signature moves that define breakdancing and judges’ criteria for selecting the winning breakdancers.

10 Prompts On Essays About Dance

For more essay ideas, take a pick from one of our prompts below:

If you have a passion for dancing, write your story about how you have discovered this passion. Describe what dancing does to your mind and body. Write about your dance style, how often you dance and what kinds of music you love dancing to. If you’re not into dancing but know others who are passionate about this art form, interview them instead.

Research about the different kinds of dances. There are many popular ones, such as ballroom, ballet, contemporary, hip-hop and jazz. To narrow down the scope of this prompt, pick five that interest you the most. Then, describe each and elaborate on their influence on art, culture, and society.

Dance can strengthen cardiovascular health, reduce stress and improve balance and flexibility. Cite other physical and mental health benefits of dancing. Explain how each of these contributes to one’s overall well-being. For example, some communities have been promoting dance to fight obesity and strengthen heart muscles. You can also add how your community encourages dance in its health programs.

Modern dance is so pervasive that it is feared to bump off folk dance from the stage. Recount the ways your country or community is preserving its traditional dances. Describe these dances and provide a brief historical overview of their importance to your country or community’s culture. Finally, think and write about what other efforts should be taken to allow traditional dances to share the spotlight with modern dance.

Many of us have witnessed different dance crazes, from the moonwalk popularized by Michael Jackson to the shimmy dougie and the fierce hair whip. Analyze what makes this dance move iconic enough to bring the whole world to dance to one beat and movement.

Choreography is protectable copyrighted work. Provide dancers with a guide on how they can best protect the copyright of their dance masterpieces. Outline copyright protection issues, such as cross-border jurisdictions and digital piracy. Then, provide tips on how performers can best enforce their copyright. For example, one way is to register their work at the intellectual property office of their country.

Waltz across several traditional dances and show how each of these dances helps express a community’s culture, identity, and belief system. Research the kinds of dance that are deeply embedded in a tradition. Describe the movements involved in this dance and how they symbolize the community’s beliefs and ideals. Then, add how communities pass on the dance to preserve it from generation to generation.

Build on our essay example on dancing animals. List down the animals that studies are found to possess some dancing prowess. Describe their dancing styles and discover the factors that entice them to dance. For example, is dancing for them mere entertainment, or does it serve a more practical purpose, as with birds?

Find out what the average income of a dancer or choreographer is. Interview dancers and ask about their level of satisfaction with their current income. Dive deep into the barriers that prevent their incomes from rising and what reforms they would like to see in choreographers’ and performers’ livelihoods. You can also write about how entertainment platforms have expanded the industry’s earning opportunities.

Dancing is not just a skill or a hobby. It could be a way to learn essential life lessons that will help you get ahead and conquer challenging experiences. Enumerate the lessons one can learn from dancing. Discipline, determination, and creativity are just a few. Explain how one develops these traits from dance and why it makes for a great extracurricular activity for children.

For help with this topic, read our guide explaining how you can achieve persuasive writing .

If you’d like to learn more, our writer explains how to write an argumentative essay in this guide.

Yna Lim is a communications specialist currently focused on policy advocacy. In her eight years of writing, she has been exposed to a variety of topics, including cryptocurrency, web hosting, agriculture, marketing, intellectual property, data privacy and international trade. A former journalist in one of the top business papers in the Philippines, Yna is currently pursuing her master's degree in economics and business.

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124 Dance Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Dance is a captivating art form that allows individuals to express themselves creatively through movement. Whether you are a dance student, a professional dancer, or someone who simply enjoys watching dance performances, writing an essay about dance can be a rewarding and exciting task. To help you get started, here are 124 dance essay topic ideas and examples that can inspire and guide your writing process.

The evolution of dance throughout history.

How does dance reflect the culture and traditions of a society?

The impact of technology on contemporary dance performances.

The influence of ballet on other dance styles.

The role of dance in storytelling.

Analyzing the dance techniques of prominent choreographers.

The importance of dance in physical fitness and well-being.

The portrayal of gender roles in dance.

The connection between music and dance.

The influence of social media on the popularity of dance.

Examining the cultural appropriation in dance.

The therapeutic benefits of dance for individuals with mental health issues.

The role of dance in religious ceremonies.

The challenges faced by professional dancers and how they overcome them.

The impact of dance on self-confidence and body image.

Analyzing the role of dance in musical theater.

The representation of emotions through dance.

The influence of different dance styles on each other.

The portrayal of identity and ethnicity in dance performances.

The role of dance education in schools.

The influence of dance on fashion trends.

The challenges faced by male dancers in a predominantly female industry.

The relationship between dance and architecture.

The impact of dance competitions on the dance community.

The portrayal of social and political issues through dance.

Analyzing the use of props and costumes in dance performances.

The portrayal of love and relationships in dance.

The impact of globalization on dance styles and techniques.

The representation of historical events through dance.

The role of dance in preserving cultural heritage.

The portrayal of masculinity and femininity in dance.

The influence of different dance cultures on each other.

The impact of dance on cognitive development in children.

The challenges faced by dancers with disabilities and how they overcome them.

The portrayal of fantasy and imagination in dance performances.

Analyzing the role of improvisation in dance.

The representation of social justice issues through dance.

The influence of dance on popular culture.

The portrayal of power dynamics in dance.

The impact of dance on social bonding and community building.

The role of dance in promoting diversity and inclusivity.

The challenges faced by dancers in maintaining a work-life balance.

The portrayal of mythology and folklore in dance performances.

Analyzing the role of the choreographer in the creative process.

The influence of different dance techniques on each other.

The impact of dance on brain development and cognitive abilities.

The portrayal of spirituality and transcendence in dance.

The role of dance in promoting physical and mental well-being in older adults.

The challenges faced by dancers in dealing with injuries and how they recover.

The representation of social media culture in dance performances.

The influence of dance on the fashion industry.

The portrayal of dreams and aspirations in dance.

The impact of dance on the tourism industry.

The role of dance in promoting environmental awareness.

The challenges faced by dancers in navigating the competitive nature of the industry.

The portrayal of war and conflict through dance.

Analyzing the use of lighting and stage design in dance performances.

The influence of different dance genres on each other.

The impact of dance on self-expression and individuality.

The portrayal of spirituality and ritual in dance.

The role of dance in promoting social change and activism.

The challenges faced by dancers in achieving work-life balance.

The representation of fairy tales and folklore in dance performances.

Analyzing the role of music in dance choreography.

The influence of dance on body image and self-esteem.

The impact of dance on the rehabilitation process for individuals with physical disabilities.

The portrayal of cultural assimilation and identity in dance.

The role of dance in promoting empathy and understanding.

The challenges faced by dancers in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

The portrayal of historical figures and events in dance performances.

Analyzing the role of rhythm and timing in dance.

The influence of different dance traditions on each other.

The impact of dance on stress reduction and mental well-being.

The portrayal of spirituality and religion in dance.

The role of dance in promoting social cohesion and unity.

The challenges faced by dancers in dealing with rejection and criticism.

The representation of nature and the environment through dance.

Analyzing the role of partnering and lifts in dance choreography.

The influence of different musical genres on dance styles.

The impact of dance on body awareness and physical literacy.

The portrayal of cultural appropriation and misrepresentation in dance.

The role of dance in promoting teamwork and collaboration.

The challenges faced by dancers in maintaining a positive body image.

The portrayal of human rights issues through dance.

Analyzing the use of symbolism and metaphor in dance performances.

The influence of different dance movements on each other.

The impact of dance on self-discipline and perseverance.

The role of dance in promoting social justice and equality.

The challenges faced by dancers in dealing with performance anxiety.

The representation of fantasy and mythology in dance performances.

Analyzing the role of breath and energy in dance.

The influence of different cultural practices on dance techniques.

The impact of dance on emotional intelligence and empathy.

The portrayal of cultural diversity and inclusivity in dance.

The role of dance in promoting body positivity and acceptance.

The challenges faced by dancers in managing their mental health.

The portrayal of human emotions and experiences through dance.

Analyzing the use of space and dynamics in dance performances.

The influence of different dance aesthetics on each other.

The impact of dance on social skills and communication.

The portrayal of spirituality and mindfulness in dance.

The role of dance in promoting cultural understanding and appreciation.

The challenges faced by dancers in balancing artistic expression and technical proficiency.

The representation of social inequality and injustice through dance.

Analyzing the use of rhythm and musicality in dance choreography.

The influence of different dance traditions on contemporary dance styles.

The impact of dance on self-esteem and body confidence.

The portrayal of cultural identity and heritage in dance.

The role of dance in promoting emotional well-being and resilience.

The challenges faced by dancers in maintaining a healthy body image.

The portrayal of environmental issues and sustainability through dance.

Analyzing the role of lines and shapes in dance.

The influence of different dance cultures on each other's storytelling techniques.

The impact of dance on cognitive abilities and memory.

The portrayal of cultural appropriation and authenticity in dance.

The role of dance in promoting social integration and inclusion.

The challenges faced by dancers in managing performance pressure.

The representation of dreams and aspirations in dance performances.

Analyzing the use of improvisation and spontaneity in dance choreography.

The influence of different dance genres on body awareness and movement.

The impact of dance on self-confidence and self-expression.

The portrayal of cultural assimilation and diaspora in dance.

The role of dance in promoting physical and mental well-being in diverse populations.

These dance essay topic ideas and examples provide a wide range of options for you to explore and expand upon. Choose a topic that interests you the most and allows you to showcase your knowledge and passion for dance. Remember to conduct thorough research, provide supporting evidence, and present your ideas in a clear and concise manner. Happy writing!

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1 What Is Dance?

Learning Objectives

With this chapter, you will begin working toward:

Demonstrating a culturally informed dance aesthetic.
Identifying the purposes of dance.

Introduction

Poetry, prose, and music are arts that exist in time. It is through the manipulation of rhythm and tempo that these arts are created.
Painting, sculpture, and architecture are arts that exist in space. It is through the design of space that these arts are created.
Dance is the only art that is a creation in both time and space.

How do you define dance?

Elements of Dance

Purposes of Dance

Color image of two dancers working together.

Religious Dance / Dance to Please the Gods
Social Dance / Dance to Please Ourselves
Performance Dance / Dance to Please Others

Religious Dance

The ancient Greeks and Africans used to dance to solidify their community. Ancient Greek dance, as well as ancient African dance, was divinely inspired. Everyone participated in religious ceremonies as cultivated amateurs and upstanding citizens. A big part of the program was processions and circle dances. The realities of the cosmos ruled the symbolism of the dances, and references to the sun, moon, and constellations figured into the movements.

Types of Religious Dance

Dances of imitation, medicine dances, commemorative dances, dances for spiritual connection.

Dances are created to remember a special day, event, or meaningful moment. Some commemorative dances are very old. Maypole dances have early pagan roots. It is a celebration of the rebirth of spring. The Second Line is a West African form of dance that is a ritual to celebrate the life of the recently departed. After the slaves were brought to the New World, this dance became more of a celebration for parties and Mardi Gras festivals.

Social Dance

In social dance, we establish a connection with others. Social dance can be sorted into four general categories based on the purpose of the dance.

Types of Social Dance

Courtship dances, work dances, communal dances.

In cultures where marriages are arranged, men and women do not engage in courtship dances. In other cultures, dance may serve as simple flirtation or involve more complex rituals.

Some dances are centered around the work that groups perform. Dances that mimic work routines were used in past times to help build unity and continuity among the crew.

Color image of a war dancer from South Nias

Performance Dance

Performance dances are presentational and often are entertainment for an audience. Some amateur dancers put on shows, but there are also professional dancers with highly polished techniques.

Types of Performance Dance

Musical Theater, Film, and Television

Dance Aesthetic

Your aesthetic is that which you find pleasing or beautiful. It includes your tastes and preferences, your “likes” and “dislikes.” Your perception of dance will be informed by your aesthetic, which might result in subjective judgments about the dances you see. Therefore, it is essential to acknowledge when these biased opinions emerge to be receptive to the dances you are witnessing and objectively respond to them. By keeping an open mind, we can better our understanding of the uniqueness of each dance as an art form.

Cultural Traditions

Culture is made up of the shared values, beliefs, and customs among a group of people and contributes to a person’s dance aesthetic. The rhythms of West Africa or Argentina that you grew up listening to can also play a part in shaping rhythmic tastes. Dance is an important way that the lore and traditions of a culture are preserved over time as they are passed down from generation to generation.

Different religions incorporate dance into their worship. Some religions include it as an intrinsic part of their ritual and even link dance to the spiritual experience. Other religions eschew dance altogether. Your religious upbringing and experiences may influence your dance aesthetic.

The program on safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in formal and non-formal education is a UNESCO initiative that recognizes that

education plays a key role in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.
intangible cultural heritage can provide context-specific content and pedagogy for education programs and thus act as a leverage to increase the relevance and quality of education and improve learning outcomes.

UNESCO considers dance an intangible cultural resource. UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage division recognizes the following in its summary report on education : “The creative process of intergenerational transmission is at the center of intangible cultural heritage safeguarding.”

Family Influence

Different generations may prefer different dances. The dances your parents and their friends do are probably different from what you and your friends like. Maybe you have a grandparent who can teach you some older dances.

Do you watch dance on television, in movies, online, in live concerts and shows, at half-time? The many factors of your experiences influence your dance aesthetic.

Personal Response

Kinesthetic

Grey scale image of traditionally costumed dancers.

Dance is a beautiful and meaningful stand-alone art. It can be performed without any ancillary arts. But it is also an art that partners successfully with other arts. Costume, scenery, poetry, drama, and music are often a part of the spectacle. As you watch dances this semester, be aware of the music, costumes, and staging that help to lend color and meaning to the dance.

In preserving a culture’s dances, one is able to preserve its stories and other art forms as well.

People have different ideas about how to define dance. One way to understand dance is to analyze its movement elements: body, energy, space, and time.

We can also study dance in terms of its purpose. Religious dances serve to imitate animals or natural elements, to achieve healing, to commemorate an occasion, or to reach spiritual connection. Social dances can serve in courtship, to find unity in work, unity in war, or camaraderie in the community. Performance dance is created and practiced for presentation to an audience. Western performance dance forms that have developed include ballet, modern dance, tap, jazz, musical theater, and hip-hop. Protest dances can be created to effect social change.

One’s dance aesthetic is shaped and influenced by numerous factors. Family, media, personal response, and kinesthetic response are all contributors to a personal aesthetic.

Check Your Understanding

What is your definition of dance? Explain your response. How does your definition differ from those in the textbook?
What factors influence your dance aesthetic?

Safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in education, UNESCO, https://ich.unesco.org/en/education-01017

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Essay On Dance

Dance Essay

500+ words essay on dance.

Dance has occupied an important place in Indian culture throughout history. Dance is most commonly defined as a way of human expression through movement. People have seen dance as a performing art on stage, on-screen and in the media. Dance can also be a form of physical fitness or a prime means of expressing cultural heritage and identity. Historically, dance was often performed in rituals, worship, social celebrations, and as a means of entertainment and self-expression. Nowadays, dance has become a part of traditional events and also an element of new innovative performing experiences. This essay on dance will help students to understand the importance of dance and its different forms. For students’ convenience, we have also compiled a list of CBSE Essays on different topics to brush up on their essay writing skills.

Dance Is an Art

Dance connects us to society and culture in many universal and personal ways. It deepens our understanding of the world and ourselves. Synthesising personal knowledge and experiences with dance movements reinforces us to perceive the feelings and ideas evoked in a dance form. Dance makes us feel happy. When we dance, all our worries and stress go away. We get lost in pleasure and joy. Dance is also an exercise that provides numerous benefits to our health, such as improving blood circulation, developing muscles, promoting greater flexibility, improving body posture etc. People who dance daily are always fit and cheerful. That’s why dancers are very less likely to fall sick.

Dance helps us to connect to our inner selves. It provides us with mental peace and awakens the consciousness of our inner beauty. It helps develop self-confidence and self-esteem in a stimulating environment. Dance makes us feel more energetic and enthusiastic. It makes the brain learn things faster, so our capability to grasp new things increases.

Different Dance Forms of India

Dance has a long history in India. A large amount of material related to dance, dating from as early as the 2nd century BCE up to the 21st century CE, is available. For example, we have a bronze ‘dancing girl’ figurine from Mohenjo-Daro and a broken torso from Harappa in a dance pose. The history of dance can be traced back to the classical, middle and modern historical periods.

Indian dance forms fall into two broad categories – classical and folk. The present-day forms of classical Indian dances are performed on the stage on various occasions. The classical dance forms include Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Manipuri, Kathak, Sattriya, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam etc. Whereas the folk dance forms include Bhangra, Lavani, Ghumara, Kathi, Nakata, Koli, Gadhwali, Lezim, Savari, Painka, Chhau, Munari etc.

The presentation of Indian dance in Hindi cinema has projected modern dances. Dance in early Hindi cinema was primarily modelled on classical Indian dance styles. Modern films often use a fusion of Indian dance styles with Western dance styles. It could be a combination of inter-mixing of Indian classical, Indian folk dance, belly dancing, jazz, hip hop and even folk forms.

Students must have found this “Essay on Dance” useful for improving their essay-writing skills. They can get the study material and latest updates on CBSE/ICSE/State Board/Competitive Exams at BYJU’S.

Frequently Asked Questions on Dance Essay

How many dance forms have indian origin.

About 15 dance forms are said to be of Indian origin, and all these are practised and learnt even today.

Some positive effects of dance and dancing?

Dancing can be a stress buster for many and helps in the relaxation of the body and mind. It also has several health benefits such as improved blood circulation, nervous system coordination, etc.

Who invented dance?

The origins of the dance are said to be in India (9000 years old) and in Egypt (5300 years old).

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Counselling

Dance Research Guide: Writing about dance; citing sources

Dance guide home
Dance encyclopedias+
Dance dictionaries
Using FrogScholar
Using the library catalog
Dance journals at TCU & beyond
Finding journal articles and other research materials in databases
Finding dance reviews, news and commentary
Writing about dance; citing sources
Videos from the TCU Library; Video guides
Online dance videos
Online videos from Universities and educational partnerships
Videos in special collections; video distributors
Costume info
Specialized catalogs
Research compendiums
Dance yearbooks
Directories
Education and career guides
Professional associations
Where/how to find...
Catalog browsing by call number or subject heading
Catalog subject searching; using catalog records

On this page ...

Writing dance reviews and papers.

1. Introduction -- 2. Research Methods and Problems -- Current Research and Issues -- 3. Dance Pedagogy -- 4. Practice-as-Research -- 5. Dance and Politics -- 6. Dance and Identity -- 7. Dance Science -- 8. Screendance Harmony Bench -- 9. Dance Ethnography -- 10. Popular Dance -- 11. Dance History -- 12. Dance and Philosophy -- 13. Digital Dance -- 14. New Directions -- 15. Annotated Bibliography -- 16. A to Z of Key Concepts in Dance Studies .

Researching Dance: Evolving Modes of Inquiry ( ebook , University of Pittsburgh Press, 1999) . Directed toward graduate or honors students, this work introduces readers to research methods in dance. Part I examines and defines the discipline

Digital craftsmanship; Copyright resources

Some selected resources are below.

TCU Center for Digital Expression - TCU's CfDE provides information and guidance for the use of many different types of materials, for students, faculty and staff, geared to a variety of academic assignments and professional purposes. Its copyright-related page, additionally, offers links and tools such as the Fair Use Evaluator .

On the Student Resources page , you can scroll down to Audio / Video / Images / Document design / Presentation design – for example, under Images: Tips and Tools is " Copyright Fair Use and How it Works for Online Images ."

Other copyright-related resources

The Art of Dance Composition: Writing the Body / Routledge, 2024 has a lengthy chapter on intellectual property, notably on the use of music in dance, but extends beyond that to include aspects such as movement.

Best Practices in Fair Use of Dance-related materials / Dance Heritage Coalition, 2009 (via the Center for Media and Social Impact)

What are the copyright guidelines for music, video and other multimedia items ? / TCU Library "LibAnswers" FAQ (links to online guides)

Transmission in Motion : the Technologizing of Dance [ ebook ] / Routledge, 2016 - chapter, Digital Dance : The Challenges for Traditional Copyright Law

The art of dance composition : writing the body [ ebook ] / Routledge, 2024 - chapters, What is not dance? and Intellectual property

Writing dance reviews and papers, cont'd

Dance criticism.

A "Subject heading" search for "dance criticism" leads to a number of works on the technique of dance criticism. Some examples are below.

Style/citation guides and other help

Citation and style

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing - searchable online

Owl Online at Purdue University offers A very handy online MLA Formatting and Style Guide .

Other style guides, plus citation tools, available from the Databases page ( faq )

Knight Cite

This handy tool from Calvin College, Michigan lets you select one of three style manuals (including MLA), select the type of resource (book, encyclopedia, etc.), and type the details into boxes, after which it produces the finished citation for you.

Searching, evaluating sources, writing (general)

MLA Guide to Digital Literacy

What Is Digital Literacy? / Understanding Filters and Algorithms, Bots, and Visual Manipulation / Understanding Online Searches / Conducting Online Research / Go to the (Primary) Source ! / Surveying the Conversation by Reading Laterally / Exploring the Credibility of Sources / Working with Your Sources / Additional Strategies and Resources / Customizing Your Online Experience / Appendix: Sample Lesson Plans

T CU FAQ: What are scholarly, peer-reviewed articles ?

A Writer's Reference

This Bedford/St. Martins book, 2011, covers important basic writing and researching procedures in chapters titled Composing and revising; Academic writing; Sentence style; Word choice; Grammatical sentences; ESL challenges; Punctuation; Mechanics; Researching; MLA, APA/CMS [style]; Basic grammar. Located in the Reference stacks by call number PE 1408 H2778.

--------------

The TCU Writing Center

The TCU Writing Center provides personal coaching on the entire process of writing a paper, from focusing your initial ideas to properly formatting a footnote. Its main office is located in Reed Hall, room 419. Online help is available through the Writing Center's website.

Citation tools

The TCU Library offers a number of tools for compiling and editing citations you compile for possible use in papers or other projects. Refworks is one, with a how-to video at https://libguides.tcu.edu/c.php?g=360387 ; also EndNote is available, with an instructional guide at https://libguides.tcu.edu/EndNote20 . Both citation apps can be chosen from the alphabetical lists on the Databases page - the Databases tab is on the library's home page at https://library.tcu.edu .

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Last Updated: Mar 7, 2024 1:46 PM
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319 Dance Essay Topics & Research Questions on Hip Hop, Ballet, & More

Dancing is a universal form of expression and movement. It has been an integral part of human culture for centuries. From traditional cultural dances to contemporary urban dance styles, this art form transcends language barriers and brings people together.

But dancing is not just about entertainment. It is significant in various aspects of society, from its role in expressing emotions to its impact on mental health.

In this article, our expert team delves into the diverse world of dance. Below, you’ll find interesting dance topics to write about and explore the cultural, social, emotional, and physical dimensions of dance. Read till the end to find a writing guide with examples.

🔝 Top 10 Dance Essay Topics

✏️ dancing essays: writing prompts, 🎓 dance essay titles, 💃🏻 argumentative essay topics about dance, 🕺🏾 hip hop research paper topics, 🔎 dance research paper topics, 📜 dance history research paper topics, 🩰 ballet research topics, ❓ dance research questions, ✍️ dance essay: writing guide, 🔗 references.

Cultural significance of dance.
Mental health benefits of dancing.
Gender roles in dance.
Dance as nonverbal communication.
Technological innovations in dance.
Social impact of dance activism.
Dance education in schools.
Emotional expression in dance.
Dance and cultural identity.
Politics of dance movements.

The picture provides ideas for dance essay topics.

Why I Love Dance: Essay Prompt

Are you passionate about dance and want to write about it? Consider including the following points in your essay:

Explain your deep-rooted passion for dance. Reflect on how dance has influenced your life, shaped your identity, and impacted your personal growth.
Describe the specific styles or dance genres you are passionate about and explain why they hold a special place in your heart. Share experiences that have strengthened your love for dance, such as memorable performances, challenges , or inspirational moments.
Discuss how dance has enriched your life and contributed to your overall well-being. Convey your dedication to dance and the importance of this art form in your life.

What Does Dance Mean to You: Essay Prompt

This essay is your chance to reflect on the place of dance in your life. Here are some ideas to include in your paper:

Express your understanding and connection to dance. Describe what dance means to you on a deeply personal and emotional level. Share your unique perspective on the effects of dance on your life choices and identity.
Discuss how dance has impacted your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Write about its contribution to your personal growth and development. Describe the emotions and sensations you experience while dancing and how they enrich your life. Discuss any memorable dance experiences, performances, or interactions with fellow dancers that impressed you.
Depict your passion and appreciation for dance. Articulate the role of dancing in your life. Consider how dance has allowed you to express yourself , connect with others, and navigate life.

Hip Hop Essay Prompt

Are you a fan of hip-hop dance? Then you might enjoy writing an essay about it! Consider the points below to cover in your paper:

Explore the art and culture of hip-hop. Discuss the origins and evolution of hip-hop dance, including its roots in African, Caribbean, and African-American dance traditions. Study the key elements of hip-hop dance, including its unique style, movement vocabulary, and musicality.
Discuss the impact of hip-hop dance on popular culture , including its influence on music videos, films, fashion, and the entertainment industry. Analyze the social and cultural significance of hip-hop dance, including its role as a form of self-expression, community-building, and activism . Discuss the diversity and inclusion within hip-hop dance, including its ability to bring people of different backgrounds together.
Describe any personal experiences or connections with hip-hop dance , and discuss how it has influenced your understanding of dance and culture. Convey your appreciation for hip-hop dance’s artistry, creativity, and cultural relevance. Provide insights into this dynamic and influential dance form.

Why Dance Is a Sport: Essay Prompt

There’s been a long-lasting debate about whether dance should be considered an art or a sport. You can present your opinion on this issue in your essay. Here is a prompt to guide you:

Study the arguments on both sides of the debate and articulate your stance. Discuss the physical demands of dance, including athleticism, strength, and endurance. Compare them to the criteria used to define sports.
Explore the competitive nature of dance , including competitions, rankings, and performance expectations . Discuss the training, dedication, and discipline required for dance and compare them to other recognized sports.
Examine the artistic and creative elements of dance and how they may differentiate dance from traditional sports. Discuss any challenges or controversies surrounding the classification of dance as a sport. It might be the lack of standardized rules, funding, and recognition.
Consider the cultural, historical, and societal factors influencing perceptions of dance as a sport. Present your argument supported by evidence and examples. Provide a nuanced perspective on this complex and debated topic.

Below, you’ll find plenty of ideas for a college essay about dance. Read on to find a suitable topic for your paper!

Modern Dance Essay: Topics

Modern dance significantly differs from traditional dance forms like ballet. Nowadays, dancers prioritize emotional expression instead of following rigid rules. Here are some interesting dance titles & ideas for your essay on modern styles:

The diversity of contemporary dance styles.
Psychological determinants of choosing a particular dance style.
Creative Movement and Dance in My School .
Sociopolitical concerns through the prism of dance.
Modern dance as a form of protest against classical dance.
Modern Black dance: race in motion.
Significant people who contributed to the modernization of dance.
Features of post-modern dance.
Art Therapy: Creativity as a Critical Part of Art Therapy .
The new American dance forms.
Modern dance in the US vs. Europe: differences and similarities.
Injuries in modern dance: career options for dancers.
The concepts of modernity, race, and nation in the early modern dance forms.
Oxygen uptake during a modern dance class.
Physical Therapy Services for Sports Injuries .
Socio-demographic correlates of modern dance genre preferences.
Indian modern dance and feminism.
Self-expression in modern dance.
National and transnational modern dance.
Principles of modern dance therapy.
Regular engagement in modern dance and depression treatment .
Modern dance pioneers who revolutionized this art: a case of Lester Horton.
Incorporating Physical Activity into Lesson Plans .
Mood changes of people attending dance classes.
Modern dance classes: can one learn to dance online ?
Evolving gay stereotypes in modern dance.
Dance as a reflection of culture.
Depression and Physical Exercise .
German modern dance during the Nazi rule.
Body image and modern dance engagement.
Eating disorders in professional modern dancers.
Significant elements of modern dance.
Dance as a hobby and professional activity.
Art Education, Its Role and Benefits .
Examples of popular modern dance styles.
Controversial dance practices.
Is folk dance considered modern dance?
Does modern dance come with serious choreography similar to classical dance?
Class and ethnicity reflected in dance.
Physical Activity and Sports Team Participation .
Modern dance in France.
The transformative power of flamenco dancing.

Dance Critique Essay: Topics

A dance critique essay requires you to evaluate carefully a particular dance performance or a specific aspect of this art form. Check out some dance titles for an essay to inspire your critical response :

Degradation of dance quality in the 21st century.
Passion versus physical characteristics in dance performance.
Racism and gender discrimination at the dance competitions.
Gender inequality in professional dance.
Subway dance – a subculture or simply a weird place for practice?
Dancing and Its Effects on Self-Esteem .
How did industrialization contribute to the departure from classical dance?
The rise of burlesque as a rebellion against ballet.
The Role of Music and Movement in Education .
The ideology and importance of radical dance.
The Wigman technique of dance.
José Limón’s contribution to contemporary dance.
The place and influence of the American Dance Festival in modern American dance traditions.
Art, Music, and Dance in Therapeutic Treatment .
Combination of choreography and multimedia in Alwin Nikolais’s works.
The flaws and loopholes of early modern dance.
Popularization of African American dance across the world.
Ballet elements in contemporary dance.
The Importance of Arts in the School Curriculum .
The contribution of Grete Wiesenthal to modern dance development.
What place does concert dance occupy in the dance typology?
Place of women in dance – now and then.
Differences between modern and contemporary dance styles.
Pole dance’s potential for inclusion in the Olympic Games list.

Dance Reflection Essay: Topic Ideas

Are you looking for thought-provoking dance topics to talk about in a reflection paper ? Check out the list below:

What features and character traits should a good dance teacher possess?
What does it mean to be a dance revolutionary?
What did modern dance pioneers do to create new dance types?
Should professional dance be taught in college?
Sports Psychologist: Working With Athletes .
The national dance of my country.
My first experience in a dance class.
My music preferences for dancing.
Dances with Wolves Essay – Movie Analysis .
Dancing as a personal form of relaxation and meditation.
Why do some people prefer dancing alone at home and others need an audience?
My favorite movie about dancing.
Ballet as my passion and my greatest disappointment.
My opinion of dancing as a profession.
Music in the Service of Social Movements .
Importance of dancing in my culture .
What I think makes a good and bad dancer.
My experience of participating in a dance contest.
The role of dance in my family.
My fascination with Indian dance.
My dream is to become a hip-hop dancer.
Benefits I see in regular dancing.
The pros and cons of professional engagement in dance.

There are some controversial issues related to dance you can explore in your paper. Below, you’ll discover a list of dance topics to express your reasoned opinion about.

Dance can be a tool for social change .
How can culture be reflected through dance?
Should College Athletes Be Paid?
The impact of the environment on dance perception.
The importance of dance styles and types for specific cultures.
Dance as an intangible cultural heritage.
Is dance a kind of sport?
Sports-Related Problems and Conflicts .
Why do people start to dance?
Why is the audience attracted to dance performances?
What is the motivation behind starting to dance at an early age?
Why is contemporary dance more popular than classical dance today?
The Cognitive Performance and Physical Activity Link .
Are modern dance styles, like hip hop, easier than ballet dancing?
Dance training is highly traumatic and shouldn’t be practiced at an early age.
The risk of trauma and permanent injury among professional ballet dancers.
Street dance is not serious dance.
Exercise – The Mind and Body Connection .
The impact of motivation and self-confidence on dance performance.
Dancing positively affects the physical and cognitive health of aging adults.
Dance is a tool against aging .
Different dance styles and genres require different physical endurance and energy expenditure.
Music Incorporation into Classes .
Importance of choosing your dance style according to your BMI and bodily peculiarities.
Partner dancing is healthier for motor control and coordination than solo dancing.
Benefits of ballroom dancing.
The economic effect of dance development.
What is the hardest dance style?
Cultural Appropriation in Music .
Ghost dance as a religious movement.
Electronic dance as a new subculture.
Techniques of dancing to jazz music.
Flamenco dance as a reflection of Spanish passion.
Students’ Motivation and Satisfaction of Music Festival .
Cultural significance of feminist dance films.
The impact of proper nutrition on dance performance.
The art of staging a dance performance.
The social significance of street dance.
Creative Art Therapy for Mental Illness .
What does dance have to do with math?
Belly dance as a recreational activity.
Interpretative dance as a strong therapeutic tool.
The use of dance therapy for individuals with Down syndrome .

Hip-hop dance is a popular street dance style that emerged in the second half of the 20th century. It encourages freedom of expression and is characterized by freestyle movements, particularly drops to the ground and sharp turns. If you seek to write a paper on hip-hop, here are catchy dance titles to inspire you:

The role of dance in hip-hop culture.
Chinese Hip Hop and Identity .
Hip-hop dance and body power.
Hip-hop as an African diaspora dance style.
Meanings and messages in hip-hop dance.
Genders, Sexuality, and Hip-Hop .
Origins of hip-hop.
Injury incidence in hip-hop training and performance.
Commercialization of hip-hop dance.
Core elements of hip-hop dancing.
The Uprising of Hip-Hop: Music History .
Hip-hop dance in modern ballet choreography.
Low back pain in hip-hop dancers.
B-boying in hip-hop.
Motivations of hip-hop dancers for professional engagement with this dance style.
The “breaks” concept in break dancing.
The Evolution of Hip-Hop Culture .
The roots of hip-hop choreography.
Battling among hip-hop crews.
Hip-hop scandals – sex and violence in hip-hop content.
Theorizing hip-hop dance.
Hip-Hop’s Response to Crime Analysis .
Hip-hop dance consumption: who is the target audience?
Globalization and hip-hop dancing.
Principles of hip-hop dance codification.
Hip-hop as a black social dance.
Metaphors in hip-hop dance moves.
Black feminism in hip-hop dance.
Concepts of Elite Culture and Popular Culture .
US Ebonics as the language of American hip-hop choreography.
Extreme kinematics in hip-hop performances.
What injuries are the most common among hip-hop dancers?
Can hip-hop be a professional career?
Basic rhythmic movements of hip-hop dance.
Hip-hop practice’s impact on the dancer’s mood.
Body poetics in hip-hop performances.
Standards for judging hip-hop contests.
Cultural Movement: Hip-Hop Related Films .
Le hip hop – a French hip-hop subculture.
The hip-hop culture in New York.
Perceptions of race in the hip-hop community: white vs. black dancers.
Hip-hop theater in London: a new level of dance style’s legitimization.

Do you want to learn more about dance? Then why not write a research paper on that? Below, you’ll discover a list of engaging dance topics to research.

Novel approaches to dance: a blend with architecture at the Barnes Foundation’s exhibition.
Dance from an anthropological perspective .
Politics and poetics in dance.
The biology of dance movements’ language.
Teaching dance: should it be art or sport?
Dance ethnology.
Women in dance since antiquity : the images of sylphs and sirens.
Philosophy of the dance: universal or nationally bound?
What is a dance movement?
Dancing and the brain.
Psychology of dance.
Dance as a mighty psychotherapeutic tool.
Should national dance be included in the school curriculum?
Living through psychological trauma in dance.
The role of dance improvisations.
Reform and revival of old dance styles.
The role of space and subjectivity in dance.
Shakespeare and the dance tradition of England.
The social anthropology of dance performances.
Theories and methodologies in dance research.
A Eurocentric approach to the study of dance.
Dance and the body.
Dance as a method of self-study .
Computer technology and dance.
The evolution of Irish dance.
The contribution of Merce Cunningham to modern dance.
How does dance stimulate social fantasy?
Partner dancing as a way to strengthen relationships in a couple .
Verbal language of dancers and choreographers.
The political side of national dancing.
Dance and physics.
The mind-body concept in dance.
What can be regarded as contemporary dance?
Dance imagery in various dance styles.
What makes people dance? The philosophy of bodily movement.
Dancing out one’s emotions: the dance of anger or happiness.
The neural basis of human dance movements.
Isadora Duncan’s revolutionary dance theory.
The challenges of the interactive dance genre.
Dance from the position of existential phenomenology.
Dualism and body-soul separation: a dance perspective.
Dance and embodiment.
Dance and self: a philosophical perspective .
Body as object vs. subject in dance.
Freedom and intention in body movements during dance.
Staged dance: the concept of created body.
A tension between the personal and the universal in dance.
Health benefits of recreational and professional dance.
Japanese dance as an embodiment of culture.
Turning body and identity into dance choreography.

The history of dance dates back millennia. So, there is so much to explore! Check out possible dance research project ideas for your history paper:

Approaches to rethinking dance history.
The elements of early European modern dance.
Feminist perspectives on dance history.
Dance at the dawn of history.
History of somatic education and its relationship to dance.
History of classic theatrical dancing.
New media use in dance history reconstructions.
The evolution of dance and sexuality relationship.
Tools for capturing dance from the past.
Dances in prehistory.
Early records of dance performances in historical manuscripts.
Ancient Greek dance traditions and forms.
Dancing in Ancient Rome.
Dance at court: the 16th-17th centuries in Europe.
Evolution of dance from royal court to theater in the 18th century.
The early dancing traditions in the 17th-century US.
Dancing genres in Medieval Europe.
The history of waltz: origin, evolution of dance elements, and traditions.
How did the tango dance emerge?
The emergence of belly dance.
Flamenco dance history: a style born in Andalusia.
Historical perspectives on dance research.
The Ojibwa dance drum: history of the practice.
Yoeme performs as a narrative of Yaqui history.
The evolution of African American dance.
The African roots of Latin American popular dance.
Ethnographic elements of modern dance performances.
The dance halls of Britain, 1918-1960.
A historical overview of social dance.
Global history of dance development.
Dance in the French baroque opera.
The history and meaning of tango dancing in Argentina.
What materials to use when studying dance history?
A cultural history of dance in the troubled areas: a case study of Palestine.
The hidden history of capoeira: intersections of battle craft and dance.

Ballet is a highly formalized dance form with rigid rules and predefined positions. If you’re interested in this classical type of choreography, check out the dance research topics below:

Is free dance a subtype of ballet?
The evolution of ballet traditions by Isadora Duncan.
Russo-American ballet at the start of the 20th century.
Emerging American ballet: the 1930s onwards.
Romantic and classical ballet traditions in the 19th century.
Classical ballet in Russia.
Classical ballet vs. modern dance: key similarities.
Injuries in professional ballet.
Static and functional balance in ballet dance.
Ballet as a form of ethnic dance.
The impact of ballet dance attire on female dancers’ self-perception.
Endurance of pain among ballet dancers.
The concept of the ideal ballet body.
Methods of preventing hip and knee injuries in professional ballet.
Physiological eligibility characteristics for classical ballet.
Evolution of ballet dancer identity in the process of training.
Incidence of sprained ankles in ballet dancers.
Physiological responses to active ballet exercise among dancers of different ages.
Importance of artistic performance ability in ballet dancers.
Disordered eating patterns among ballet dancers.
Management of stress fractures in ballet dancers.
Ballet dancer career: an international perspective.
Incidence of scoliosis in young ballet dancers.
Travesty dancing in the 19th-century ballet tradition.
Gender issues in ballet.
The cultural power of ballet.
Degenerative joint disease risks among female ballet trainees.
Hip arthrosis as a long-term consequence of ballet training.
History of the “Apollo’s Angels” ballet.
Sleep quality in professional ballet dancers.
Heteromasculinity images among male ballet dancers.
Postural stability before and after a ballet injury.
Dance classicism as an ideology.
Royal Ballet’s dancers and body perception.
How do professional ballet dancers perceive injury and aging?

Are you looking for research topics about dance in the form of questions? We’ve got you covered! Look through the list below to find good dance topics to research:

How does dance education foster creativity in children ?
How do feminists view belly dance?
What is the impact of technology on dance performances?
How to preserve indigenous peoples’ traditional dance forms?
How have traditional gender roles been challenged through dance?
What creative strategies do choreographers employ?
What is the impact of dance on community building?
What factors contribute to the commercialization of dance?
How does dance function as a means of storytelling ?
What is the link between dance and spirituality in different religions?
What is the role of costumes and stage design in dance performances?
What are the cognitive benefits of dance for older adults?
How has ballet adapted to modern artistic movements?
How has globalization affected the cross-cultural exchange of dance styles?
What dance styles have been influenced by flamenco?

Do you need help writing an essay on dance? Below, we’ve prepared a short guide with examples. Read on to learn how to write each section of your dance essay.

Dance Essay Introduction

The introduction is the opening paragraph of an essay that should engage the readers. Use a hook to grab the readers’ interest and introduce your topic. It can be a catchy quote, interesting question, or controversial statement.

Hook example : Imagine a world where bodies move in perfect harmony, telling stories without words. That’s the magic of dance, an art form that transcends language and culture, captivating audiences for centuries.

After that, you can provide some background information about the subject. End your introduction with a thesis statement .

Thesis Statement about Dance

The thesis statement outlines the central argument or purpose of the essay. It is the last sentence of your introduction, summarizing the whole paper. Your thesis should include all the main points mentioned in your writing in the same sequence.

Dance thesis example : Dance is not only a form of artistic expression but also a means of communication, a tool for personal growth, and a reflection of cultural identity.

Essay about Dance: Body Paragraphs

The essay’s body contains paragraphs that provide evidence and support for the thesis statement. Each section should begin with a topic sentence that presents a point related to your central argument.

Topic sentence example : One significant aspect of dance is its ability to convey emotions and stories through movement.

Evidence, such as examples, facts, or research, should support the topic sentence. The evidence should be analyzed and explained to show how it supports the thesis statement.

Evidence example : In classical ballet, dancers’ graceful movements and facial expressions can portray a wide range of emotions, from love and joy to sorrow and anger.

Dancing Essay: Conclusion

The conclusion is the final part that summarizes the main points made in the essay’s body. It should also restate the thesis statement in a paraphrased form without introducing new information. The conclusion should leave a lasting impression and a sense of closure.

Conclusion example : In conclusion, dance is a powerful form of expression beyond mere movement. It is a universal language conveying emotions, facilitating personal growth, and reflecting cultural identity.

How to Describe Dancing: Words & Tips

When describing dancing in an essay, use vivid and sensory language to convey the experience. Words such as “graceful,” “rhythmic,” “expressive,” and “dynamic” can capture the movement and style of dancing.

Emotive words like “joy,” “passion,” “energy,” and “freedom” can convey the emotional impact of dancing. Describing the physical sensations of dancing can make the description more immersive. You can write about the feeling of one’s body in motion, the sound of feet tapping, the swish of skirts, or the rush of adrenaline.

Metaphors or similes, such as “floating like a butterfly,” can add depth and creativity. Overall, using vivid language that engages the senses and emotions will benefit your paper.

We hope you found a perfect essay topic in this article. Use our free online title generator to get even more creative topics about dance and writing inspiration.

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History and Development of Dance Essay

The history of dance can be traced back to the very beginnings of humankind history. Dance is ultimately a social event and signalizes occasions of social interaction: not incidentally, therefore, elements of dance can be observed even in such non-human societies as bee swarms and bird couples.

Initially bearing purely informative meaning in the animal world and the primitive society, dance gradually acquired a more complex meaning and became a means of self expression. Developing from symbolic religious activities, the practice of dancing evolved in a social activity and later obtained the status of performing arts.

As such, dance is movement, and movement is altogether natural to human body. It is observed that at moments of intense joy, people tend to perform an increased amount of movements in order to relieve the brain of the excessive amount of oxygen (Scott 1). Such behavior is especially noticeable about children, since they do not control themselves as much as adults; in this respect, primitive savages are not much different from children.

Those leaping movements of the body are the first prehistoric dance that can be observed both in people and in animals expressing their happiness. But this disarrayed motion does not comply with the comprehensive definition of dance provided by Edward Scott, who interprets dance as “the art and expressing gracefully and intelligibly, by movement and gesture, every emotion and sentiment of which the mind is capable, and every incident possible in human life” (6).

Such was the vision of dancing practiced already among the Ancient Greeks, whose art of pantomime dance was compared by Aristotle to poetry, since it could express not only actions but also manners and passions. The art of dancing was connected by Greeks to the idea of harmony and perfection of human body: therefore, dancing ultimately had to be graceful in order to emphasize and not to destroy the natural human beauty (Scott 38).

Corresponding to the meaning behind them, religious dances, embodying the spirit of tragedy, were dignified and stately; while their opposites, the wild grotesque dance, were not to be danced in sober mind (Scott 41). Combining the features of those two extremes and concluding the three-partite order of dances was the vivid dance. In any case, both stately and wild Greek dances were inseparably linked with their religious practices and bore their peculiarities from the nature of the deity glorified by dance.

Historians state that the Greeks borrowed the art of mimic imitation from the dancing art of the Ancient Egyptians (Scott 21). Together with ritual dances performed at funeral of prominent people and at other religious ceremonies connected with worshipping the astronomic gods, Egyptians took pleasure in entertaining dances, mostly performed by graceful girls in light attire. The character of movements was varied by hired dancers according to the tastes of their employers, and therefore could sink from grotesque to mere buffoonery (Scott 23).

From the above it becomes obvious that the antiquity shaped three visions of dance: dance as ritual, as ecstasy, and as entertainment. The Middle Ages witnessed two applications of dance: in church (sacred dance) and in society (secular). Ceremonial in its nature, religious dance involved solemn movements and symbolic figures that corresponded to the accompanying hymns.

Though provoking controversy as to their appropriateness in the church, sacred dances enjoyed a large variation from May Dances to Dances of Death, each bearing a religious significance (Kassing 73–75). Due to the fact that secular and sacred spheres closely intermingled in contemporary life, dances often ‘migrated’ from church to the worldly life. In addition, the institute of chivalry which prospered at the time positioned dance as a way to express gentility and compliance with etiquette, as well as state the knight’s code of honor (Kassing 72).

Dance was more and more drawn into the sphere of entertainment, since amusements were scarce; travelling performers became especially popular, bringing new dances such as carole, farandole, pavane, and others from court to court. In the Renaissance dances increasingly drifted apart from the sacred sphere and became a token of position and manners for the upper society, and a way of celebrating social and life events for the lower classes.

From the Medieval tradition of Dance Dramas, which represented the lives of saints and martyrs, stemmed the idea of 16th and 17th century ballets, ranging from Ballet-Masquerade to Ballet Pastoral and Ballet-Comique (Kassing 101–105). Moving dance from the court into the theatre, the eighteenth century celebrated the onset of ballet art, mainly in the Paris Opera.

Moving away from the artificiality of court ballet, ballet d’action set the aim of imitating nature, which naturally fostered development of costume and decorations. In addition, the art of pointe-work was initiated as well as capacities of whole body were employed in dancing.

Court ballrooms also witnessed a refreshment of repertoire, with minuet being one of the most popular dances of the period and reflecting the national peculiarities of the places it was danced in: while the French envisaged it as a graceful unhurried dance, emphasizing the male gallantry and the female grace, the Italians imparted a brisk and lively character, as well as faster tempo to it.

The early nineteenth century in Europe was still experiencing the consequences of the French Revolution, and the slogan of freedom applies to women’s clothes as well. The unrestrictive design of the garments allow performing jumping and skipping movements, reflected in such dances as gallop and quadrille. However, the ballet stage witnesses a completely different situation.

The era of Romanticism dictated its ideals to the image of ballet-dancer: ballerina on pointes became a nearly deific, ethereal creature, soaring over the parquet in her magic movements. This fully reflected the tendencies towards fantasy, spiritualism, and emotional perception of world promoted by Romantic ideas. By the mid-1850s, female fashion was characterized by enormous hoop skirts, which in turn promoted changes in dancing techniques and made turning dances, such as waltz, rule the ballroom.

The twentieth century has brought about cardinal social change, which also reflected on the dancing styles. On the one hand, due to efforts of Russian ballet troupes, professional ballet was revolutionized, acquiring new techniques and virtuosic standards of dancing.

On the other hand, social dancing is more than ever the terrain for raving youth who possess enough energy to perform such active dances as Charleston, fox trot, shag, and others. In addition, black society influences the dance room and introduces such genre as swing dancing. By the eng of the century, classical dance is characterized by breath-taking technique and conceptual choreography, while popular culture is organized in the sphere of street-dancing, with hip-hop and break dance ruling the dance floors.

All in all, it appears obvious that the ritual character of dance inherent in it since the first days of its existence shapes itself into two directions: the “self-unconscious act without deliberate aesthetic concerns” that reveals itself in the culture of tribal dances, and the unique experience of individual transformed into the “metaphoric idiom known as art” (Highwater 14).

In the course of historical development, dance demonstrates a clear tendency from the former aspect to the latter, basing on the social influence that affect its development.

Works Cited

Highwater, Jamake. Dance: Rituals of Experience . 3rd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1996. Print.

Kassing, Gayle. History of Dance: An Interactive Arts Approach . Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2007. Print.

Scott, Edward. Dancing in All Ages — The History of Dance . London, Hesperides Press, 2006. Print.

Chicago (A-D)
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Bibliography

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Dance and the Visual Arts

Focusing on works by Trisha Brown, Lin Hwai-Min, Jonah Bokaer, and others, the onstage worlds of eight different dances are examined from a visual perspective.

Introduction: Convergent Histories—Dance and the Visual Arts

The experimental climate of the 1960s and 1970s in the United States is often cited as the midcentury apex for socially transgressive and politically progressive art. Allan Kaprow’s Happenings and the experimental performances of Judson Dance Theater were among the counterculture movements that energized and engendered social, aesthetic, and political challenges to the status quo, questioning formal properties of artmaking. Radical arts practices imploded the boundaries of movement and form, drastically reconfiguring aesthetic conventions in dance and the visual arts. During this period, artists expressed anti-authoritarian commitments by creating works that exposed exclusionary politics at institutional levels. Institutional critiques offered across places of production questioned the right of the establishment to define the limits and location of artmaking, and to determine who qualifies as being an artist. As visual artists began questioning the institutional stronghold of galleries and museums, choreographers challenged the so-called decontextualization of the proscenium stage. Social situations produced by artists in alternative spaces sought to blur art and the everyday, calling upon the energy of civic participation to collectively create and/or sustain the work, while simultaneously reconsidering how bodies within artistic contexts interact with their environments.

Stephanie Rosenthal, curator of the ground-breaking 2012 exhibition Move: Choreographing You, addresses these convergent histories writing, “The interest—shared by an entire generation of visual artists—in the unique event, in playfulness and an exploration of one’s own body, was reflected in the developments in postmodern dance.” Close Rosenthal, Stephanie, Susan Leigh Foster, André Lepecki, and Peggy Phelan. 2011. Move: choreographing you : art and dance since the 1960s . London: Hayward Pub. Visual artists like Robert Morris, Bruce Nauman, and Dan Graham, to varying degrees, rejected object-based practices, instead turning their bodies or the bodies of their viewers into the foundational material of artistic inquiry. Arguably, visual artists began making dances. And, as choreographers began developing work for museum settings and unconventional spaces, dancemakers like Yvonne Rainer, Trisha Brown, and Simone Forti developed installation pieces and site-specific works that explored pedestrian movement and everyday activity. The choreographies produced were de-theatricalized and task-oriented, which often resulted in the suppression of any clearly identifiable linear structure and an embrace of multiple meanings. As disciplinary boundaries began to deconstruct, new directions in the fields of dance and the visual arts multiplied.

Of course, the proliferation of interdisciplinary collaboration and creative cross-currents taking place between the visual arts and dance during the 1960s and beyond is not without precedent. Collaborations between choreographer Merce Cunningham, composer John Cage, and visual artist Robert Rauschenberg preceded and deeply informed the postmodern experimentations of Judson Dance Theater. The collaborative relationship between Cunningham-Cage-Rauschenberg began in 1954 with Theater Piece No. 1 , an untitled event organized by Cage at Black Mountain College. Rauschenberg would go on to design sets, costumes, and lighting for over twenty of Cunningham’s choreographies including Minutiae (1954), Summerspace (1958), Antic Meet (1958), and Travelogue (1977). A notable Cunningham-Rauschenberg collaboration that premiered at the Pillow was Nocturnes (1956). In addition to his long-term collaboration with Cunningham, Rauschenberg also designed sets and costumes for Trisha Brown and Paul Taylor. Set and Reset (1983), choreographed by Brown with designs by Rauschenberg, is indicative of the sensuous saturation that can take place when dance and the visual arts converse. The creation of the work was supported by Jacob’s Pillow through the Massachusetts Council on the Arts and has been presented at the festival several times.

Trisha Brown Dance Company

Set and Reset

For more information about the collaboration between Brown and Rauschenberg, explore Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive: Women in Dance essay on Trisha Brown by Maura Keefe.

The convergent histories between dance and the visual arts are extensive, yielding creative collaborations that continue to impress upon artmakers, audiences, and curators alike. For a deeper look into some of these iconic partnerships, see Dance Chronicle ’s “Kinetic, Mobile, and Modern: Dance and the Visual Arts.” Close Meglin, Joellen A., Karen Eliot, and Lynn Matluck Brooks. 2017. “Kinetic, Mobile, and Modern: Dance and the Visual Arts”. Dance Chronicle. 40 (3).

Given the shared creative cross-currents, this essay explores the interplay between dance and the visual arts through a discussion of Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival performances taking place between 2002 and 2017. The central works discussed—Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan’s Songs of the Wanderers (1994) and Jonah Bokaer’s CURTAIN (2012)—offer a particular lens to consider the relationship between dance and the visual arts. Each choreography crafts a stage design that incorporates natural elements as transformative agents in the space. Rice. River. Fire. Trees. Sand. These works bring the outside in to create a theatrical environment that makes the architecture stutter. In doing so, they converse with Jacob’s Pillow as a site deeply connected to the history of the land. As you journey through the select choreographies, consider how the interplay between movement and design stimulate the imagination, symbolically offering acts of transformation.

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan’s Songs of the Wanderers (1994)

Lin Hwai-min, Founder and Artistic Director of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan (hereafter referred to as Cloud Gate), choreographed Songs of the Wanderers after returning from his pilgrimage to Bodhgaya in Northern India, the location where the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama Sakaymuni, achieved enlightenment. Close Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. 2002. Songs of the Wanderers . Program. <http://archives.jacobspillow.org/index.php/Detail/objects/45023> The various sections that comprise the evening-length work reveal much about the human condition and essence of life.

In the program note “Journey to Bodhgaya,” Lin recalls his pilgrimage, writing “[o]n the bank of the Neranjra River, I for the first time in my life realized that Buddha was an ordinary mortal who also endured human confusion and struggle.” Close Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. 2002. Songs of the Wanderers . Program. <http://archives.jacobspillow.org/index.php/Detail/objects/45023> From this episode in Lin’s life, Songs of the Wanderers was birthed. The choreography theatricalizes quiet moments of reflection obtained by the side of Neranjra River, captures the grandeur of seeing the Mahabodhi Temple for the first time, and remembers meditative states gained under a Bodhi tree. Set designer Austin Wang and props designers Szu Chien-hua and Yang Cheng-yun collaborated with Lin to create visual effects that enliven the stage as the choreographic awakening unfolds. In 2014, Wang was awarded the National Award for Arts, one of the highest artistic achievements bestowed in Taiwan. Tagged the “magician of the theater” by Taiwan Today , he repeatedly establishes atmospheres that transport viewers to alternative realities. Close Her, Kelly. 2015. “Magician of the Theater.” Taiwan Today . Online. <http://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=20,29,35&post=26520> Together the stage and prop designs play a significant role in enacting the abstract representations of religious rituals present in the work.

Cloud Gate’s Songs of the Wanderers opens with a lone Buddhist monk standing still under a steady stream of golden colored rice. For nearly 70 minutes, a pool of amber lights bathes Wang Rong-yu—the performer who originated the part of the monk—as grains of rice cascade from the sky, falling upon his head. In an astonishing display of determination and concentration, Rong-yu remains seemingly motionless with hands held in a prayer position, eyes closed, and head slightly lowered. Gradually a mound of rice gathers around his lower body. The spatially isolated narrow stream of rice turns into an aggressive showering that covers every inch of the stage space. In fact, over 500 pounds of rice are used to create shifting landscapes throughout the work, forming mountains, deserts, and rivers through which the dancers enact a spiritual pilgrimage.

Commenting upon the cultural and personal significance of rice, Lin remarks “[r]ice is sacred in Asia. When we were children, rice was everything. Farmers would spread the rice in the courtyard or even on the road to let it dry. It held such a great fascination, but if you were caught playing with it you really got in trouble, because you were ruining the food.” Close Sims, Caitlin. 2000. “The Serenity Of Meditation On the Move”. New York Times. 150 (51556). Online. <http://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/29/arts/dance-the-serenity-of-meditation-on-the-move.html> In Songs of the Wanderers , the rice remains sacred, but the hesitation to handle it disappears as dancers playfully animate the grains, tossing them into the air in a manner that extends lines of energy infinitely into space. The video clip from Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive below elucidates the powerful partnership between the movement and design elements.

Songs of the Wanderers premiered in Taiwan in 1994 and was performed at Jacob’s Pillow in 2002. Founded in 1973, Cloud Gate is considered Taiwan’s first professional contemporary dance company.

Jonah Bokaer’s CURTAIN (2012)

A fortunate stroke of serendipity brought Jonah Bokaer and Daniel Arsham together. Bokaer, an alumnus of the School at Jacob’s Pillow, is a choreographer and media artist who became the youngest member ever to join the Merce Cunningham Company in 2000. During Bokaer’s seven-year stint with the company, Cunningham invited Arsham to create the stage design for eyeSpace (2007). Arsham would later go on to design for Cunningham’s Tour de Paris and Park Avenue Armory Events. The design for the latter was informed by the former. As audience members entered the cavernous space of the Park Armory’s Drill Hall, they were met with beams of white light that projected upward and fell upon Arsham’s installation looming in the sky; clusters of gray polyethylene balls hung in cloud formations. As described by Ted Loos of the New York Times , “The shape and color of the clouds, which took six months to construct, are based on pixelated photographs of clouds [Arsham] has taken around the world while on tour with the company.” Close Loos, Ted. 2011. “Cunningham Fostered Serendipity in Set Design.” New York Times , 161 (55634). Online. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/29/arts/dance/daniel-arsham-on-designing-sets-for-merce-cunningham.html> The shared sensibilities forged by these overlapping experiences and common histories, undoubtedly, continue to influence the collaborative partnership between Bokaer and Arsham.

The ghostly presence of Cunningham and Robert Rauschenberg, who served as resident designer of the Cunningham Company from 1954-1964, make it impossible to restrain oneself from projecting into the future, prematurely identifying Bokaer and Arsham as among the most influential collaborative partnerships of the twenty-first century. The two began collaborating in 2009 with the work Replica ; later creating Why Patterns (2010) and Recess (2010), each having their U.S. premieres at Jacob’s Pillow in 2011. With an interest in the intersect between movement, visual arts, and architecture, this collaborative pair reconfigures theatrical spaces through innovative experimentations with form and matter. For Why Patterns , seen below, the artists incorporate over 10,000 ping-pong balls that pour from above, imposing their own random design onto the work.

Jonah Bokaer

Why Patterns

For Bokaer, “[t]he act of combining visual arts and dance has initiated [his] entire oeuvre. This is a life-long project which continuously questions and challenges the role of a choreographer’s participation in fine art.” Close Bokaer, Jonah. <http://jonahbokaer.net/> With CURTAIN , Bokaer and Arsham continue to probe the potential of incorporating fine art and physical objects into choreographic structures.

CURTAIN commences with a curious image—Bokaer stands with his back to the audience opposite a decaying human-sized figure rising out of a sand pile. There is something defiant about Bokaer’s stance. His right arm hangs straight with fist clutched, as his left arm caresses his lower back to grasp the other elbow. Despite the energy of resistance, the movement that unfolds is tender with Bokaer using self-touch to explore the architecture of his body. The atmospheric composition by Chris Garneau lulls the audience into a meditative state as fellow performers James McGinn and Adam H. Weinert enter the space, intriguingly wearing headphones. For fleeting moments, the trio’s movement overlaps and yet they seem to exist in disparate worlds.

Bokaer dispenses a moment of shock when he circles the human-like figure, delivering an aggressive blow which brings the statue to its knees. He assumes the empty void left by the fallen creature. Stepping into the pile of sand, Bokaer once again turns his back to the audience and extends his arms stiffly to the side. A mysterious white substance begins a slow descent from the ceiling. In a review for the Miami Herald , contributor Jordan Levin contemplates this curious moment writing, “ CURTAIN sets up all sorts of fascinating questions about the way we define the qualities of things. The white stuff moves, but it’s not alive. Is it fluid or solid? How can it be both?” Close Levin, Jordan. 2015. “Bokaer and Arsham’s Curtain —Mater meets Movement.” Miami Herald. Online. < http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/ent-columns-blogs/jordan-levin/article13023851.html> Throughout its duration, the work encourages spectators to question the relationship between agents—liquid and solid, human and non-human, organic and inorganic—in manners that challenge any clear distinction between perceived dichotomies. Even the dichotomous relationship between nature and culture seems to be challenged as the entirety of this performance event seeps beyond the theater walls after enormous barn doors situated upstage open to the wooded world yonder.

The following clip from Jacob’s Pillow Dance Interactive captures the quality of contemplation established through Arsham’s design and Bokaer’s movement vocabulary.

Arsham and Bokaer returned to Jacob’s Pillow in 2017 to present their newest work, Rules of the Game (2016). As scholar-in-residence Maura Keefe discusses in the PillowNote for the production, Luigi Pirandello’s 1921 absurdist play Six Characters in Search of an Author inspired this collaboration. An original score by GRAMMY Award-winning artist Pharrell Williams, arranged and co-composed by David Campbell, accompanies the choreography. Bokaer considers his work to be a “cross-over” between dance and the visual arts. With this collaboration, might there also be room to consider a cross-over between the avant-garde and popular?

Outside/In: Four Examples

The Inside/Out performance series at Jacob’s Pillow has a long history of presenting dance against the natural landscape of the Berkshire mountains.

Choreographies like Cloud Gate’s Songs of the Wanderers (1994) and Bokaer’s CURTAIN (2012) offer an inverse to this experience, bringing elements of the outside into the performance space. Both works combine dance and the visual arts through scenography that harkens to life-giving sources. Compagnie Jant-Bi’s Le Coq est Mort ( The Rooster is Dead , 1999), Company Wang Ramirez’s Monchichi (2011), LeeSaar The Company’s Grass and Jackals (2013), and MadBoots’ Beau (2015), among other works, join Songs of the Wanderers and CURTAIN through their incorporation of natural elements as transformative agents in the space.

An intercultural collaboration between Germaine Acogny’s Senegal-based company Jant-Bi, German choreographer Susanne Linke and her assistant, Israeli Avi Kaiser, Le Coq est Mort ( The Rooster is Dead ) fills the stage with sand.

Company Jant-Bi

Le coq est mort (The Rooster is Dead)

Designer Ida Ravn helps establish the environment for Honji Wang and Sebastian Ramirez’s Monchichi by creating a barren birch tree that the dancers partner with throughout the work.

Company Wang Ramirez

When asked “What will we see in Grass and Jackals?,” Israeli choreographers Lee Sher and Saar Harari respond stating, “I think life. You know. Our life. Our sensation or wills, or desires.” Close The Dance Enthusiast: Dance Up Close. 2014. “ Grass and Jackals w/ LeeSaar The Company.” Online. < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT2Bky3zA3M> Visions of isolated and lonely creatures resolve in the work’s concluding moments with lighting and stage designer Bambi’s curtain of rain.

LeeSaar The Company

Grass and Jackals

Choreographers Jonathan Campbell and Austin Diaz’s MadBoots stages “[m]an’s alienation from the sources of life—nature, earth, water—[as] an analogy for his alienation from his own physicality” in the work BEAU . Close MadBoots. 2015. BEAU. Program. <http://archives.jacobspillow.org/index.php/Detail/objects/53997> A neatly assembled arrangement of fallen flowers contained within the confines of a square box outlined on the floor slowly exceeds their boundaries in a gesture of sweet release.

MADBOOTS DANCE

Choreographies that use space in unconventional ways, in these instances by opening the theater to the outside, not only make the architecture stutter, they cause all those contained within it to stutter too. Following philosopher and scholar Elizabeth Grosz, these dances ask: “What is it to open up architecture to thought, to force, to life, to the outside?” Close Grosz, Elizabeth A. 2001. Architecture from the Outside: Essays on Virtual and Real Space . Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press. In these choreographies, the partnership between dance and the visual arts renders visible energetic forces that bodies and environments possess, highlighting the transformative capacities of each.

PUBLISHED April 2019

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Home — Essay Samples — Arts & Culture — Ballet — Dance inspiration: Misty Copeland

Dance Inspiration: Misty Copeland

Categories: Ballet Dance Inspiration

About this sample

Words: 636 |

Published: Dec 5, 2018

Words: 636 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Works Cited

DePrince, M., & DePrince, E. (2015). Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina. Random House Books for Young Readers.
Copeland, M., & Greenburg, L. (2014). Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina. Touchstone.
Copeland, M., & Mistretta, C. (2018). Firebird. G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers.
Richardson, J. (2016). Misty Copeland: Ballet Star. Capstone Press.
Kirk, C. (2016). Misty Copeland: Power and Grace. Creative Company.
Nelson, V. (2016). Badass Black Girl: Questions, Quotes, and Affirmations for Teens. Mango.
Thomas, H. M., & Hopkins, M. (2016). Misty Copeland (Remarkable People). Creative Paperbacks.
Maizner, D., & Copeland, M. (2016). Misty Copeland (Superstars! (Crabtree Publishing Company)). Crabtree Publishing Company.
Kaplan, A. H. (2020). The Diary of Anne Frank. Anchor.
Copeland, M. (2015). Firebird. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

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Essay on Dance in English for Students
FAQ of Essay on Dance. Question 1: Why is Dance important? Answer 1: Dance teaches us the significance of movement and fitness in a variety of ways through a selection of disciplines. It helps us learn to coordinate muscles to move through proper positions.
153 Dance Topic Ideas to Write about & Essay Samples
Benefits of Dancing Essay. Dance is an art that refers to the movement of part of the body, some of the parts or the whole body while keeping rhythmical to music. What Is Dance: Definition and Genres. Jazz dancing is a unique dance as it consists of dancers interpreting steps as well as moves in their own way.
1.17: Introduction to Dance
Introduction. There are many definitions of dance, with people defining dance in their own way. In this chapter, you will consider your personal definition of dance. You will learn the purposes of dance. You will reflect on your experiences and upbringing to determine their influence on your dance aesthetic.
Essays on Dance
Among the sample papers of dance essay topics listed below, you are likely to find the perfect essay (or even several) covering the desired content but also written after some good research, having a sound structure with all main sections included: introduction, conclusion, an outline (if needed).
Free Dance Essay Examples & Topic Ideas
First of all, we recommend looking at the samples. You need to read some dance essay examples and pay attention to their structure. It also gives you an opportunity to polish or change the topic to write about. We will write a custom essay specifically for you. for only 11.00 9.35/page. 809 certified writers online.
Essays About Dance: Top 5 Examples Plus Prompts
For more essay ideas, take a pick from one of our prompts below: 1. Dance As A Passion. If you have a passion for dancing, write your story about how you have discovered this passion. Describe what dancing does to your mind and body. Write about your dance style, how often you dance and what kinds of music you love dancing to.
124 Dance Essay Topic Ideas & Examples
The influence of different dance genres on body awareness and movement. The impact of dance on self-confidence and self-expression. The portrayal of cultural assimilation and diaspora in dance. The role of dance in promoting physical and mental well-being in diverse populations. These dance essay topic ideas and examples provide a wide range of ...
What Is Dance?
Dances are created to remember a special day, event, or meaningful moment. Some commemorative dances are very old. Maypole dances have early pagan roots. It is a celebration of the rebirth of spring. The Second Line is a West African form of dance that is a ritual to celebrate the life of the recently departed.
Dance Essay for Students in English
This essay on dance will help students to understand the importance of dance and its different forms. For students' convenience, we have also compiled a list of CBSE Essays on different topics to brush up on their essay writing skills. Dance Is an Art. Dance connects us to society and culture in many universal and personal ways.
What Is Dance Essay: Definition of Dance and Its Genres
Introduction. Dancing is an art that refers to the movements of body parts and especially to rhythmic and to music. Dancing is taken as a form of nonverbal communication that is used to express emotions, ideas or tell a story. Dances are social, participatory or performed for an audience. Moreover, dancing can also be ceremonial, erotic as well ...
Dance Research Guide: Writing about dance; citing sources
Writing About Dance (ebook, Human Kinetics, 2010) guides students through the various processes of writing about dance, from the informal (journal writing and free writing) to the formal (critiques, essays and research papers). A print copy of this. book is available in the main stacks by call number GV1594 O45 2010.
Dance
Native American dance. dance, the movement of the body in a rhythmic way, usually to music and within a given space, for the purpose of expressing an idea or emotion, releasing energy, or simply taking delight in the movement itself. Dance is a powerful impulse, but the art of dance is that impulse channeled by skillful performers into ...
319 Dance Essay Topics & Research Titles: Hip Hop, Ballet, & More
319 Dance Essay Topics & Research Questions on Hip Hop, Ballet, & More. UPD: Nov 2nd, 2023. 1,378. 2. Our Experts. can deliver a custom essay. for a mere 11.00 9.35/page 304 qualified. specialists online Learn more. Dancing is a universal form of expression and movement.
Dancing: The Essentials & Why It's Important to Take It More Seriously
Rhythm is the partner of dance, so in order to perform the dance correctly, the dancer has to move to the correct beat of the music (BAM, 2017).3. It's also important to know that the rhythm can change within one dance. Whether it's the choreography that changes or if the song changes its tempo, it's crucial to be able to adjust to either.
My First Experience in the Dance Class: [Essay Example], 878 words
The essay titled "My First Dance Experience and Lessons Learned" is a good attempt at describing the author's experience in a dance class. The organization of the essay is well done with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. The author's voice is engaging, and the use of descriptive words and imagery is well done.
History and Development of Dance
The history of dance can be traced back to the very beginnings of humankind history. Dance is ultimately a social event and signalizes occasions of social interaction: not incidentally, therefore, elements of dance can be observed even in such non-human societies as bee swarms and bird couples. We will write a custom essay on your topic.
Dance and the Visual Arts
Set and Reset. For more information about the collaboration between Brown and Rauschenberg, explore Jacob's Pillow Dance Interactive: Women in Dance essay on Trisha Brown by Maura Keefe. The convergent histories between dance and the visual arts are extensive, yielding creative collaborations that continue to impress upon artmakers, audiences ...
How to write a Dance Extended Essay [2022 Ultimate Guideline]
An extended dance essay must therefore focus on the dancer's gesture. Students have the chance to concentrate on a dance subject that is particularly interesting to them by writing an extended essay about dance. A specific dance or a specific dance genre could serve as the main topic of the dance extended essay.
Final Dance Essay
Varela Leslie Varela Introduction to Dance Online December 15, 2021. Final Dance Essay Throughout history, dance has evolved to fit our always-changing world. Whether religious or for entertainment purposes, dance has gone through numerous changes.
Dance inspiration: Misty Copeland: [Essay Example], 636 words
Misty Copeland is more than just an inspiration in dance, but an inspiration because of her passionate personality. Many times she faced difficult situations and turned them to successes instead of defeats. She like many other dancers have struggled with body image, confidence, self-doubt, and harsh critiques.
(PDF) An Introduction to Dance and Gender
Abstract. Chapter 1 introduces the relationship between dance and gender, inquiring into the ways dance is gendered in Western society today and the significance of these findings. An extensive ...
How to Write an Essay Introduction
Table of contents. Step 1: Hook your reader. Step 2: Give background information. Step 3: Present your thesis statement. Step 4: Map your essay's structure. Step 5: Check and revise. More examples of essay introductions. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about the essay introduction.
Why I Want to Be on the Dance Team Essay
Cite this essay. Download. Dance transcends being a mere pastime, evolving into a fervor that fuels one's spirit. The dynamism, cadence, and motion of dance serve as a global means of articulating emotions and uniting individuals. As an avid dancer, the prospect of joining a dance team represents the realization of a long-held aspiration.

Essay on Dance

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1.17: Introduction to Dance

Learning Objectives

Introduction

Elements of Dance

Purposes of Dance

Religious Dance

Types of Religious Dance

Social Dance

Types of Social Dance

Performance Dance

Protest Dance

Dance Aesthetic

Cultural Traditions

Family Influence

Personal Response

Kinesthetic

Essays About Dance: Top 5 Examples Plus Prompts

1. Are Humans The Only Species That Enjoy Dancing? by Jason Goldman

10 Prompts On Essays About Dance

1 What Is Dance?

Introduction

Elements of Dance

Purposes of Dance

Religious Dance

Types of Religious Dance

Social Dance

Types of Social Dance

Performance Dance

Types of Performance Dance

Dance Aesthetic

Cultural Traditions

Family Influence

Personal Response

Kinesthetic

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Dance Essay

Dance Is an Art

Different Dance Forms of India

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Some positive effects of dance and dancing?

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Dance Research Guide: Writing about dance; citing sources

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319 Dance Essay Topics & Research Questions on Hip Hop, Ballet, & More

🔝 Top 10 Dance Essay Topics

Why I Love Dance: Essay Prompt

What Does Dance Mean to You: Essay Prompt

Hip Hop Essay Prompt

Why Dance Is a Sport: Essay Prompt

Modern Dance Essay: Topics

Dance Critique Essay: Topics

Dance Reflection Essay: Topic Ideas

Dance Essay Introduction

Thesis Statement about Dance

Essay about Dance: Body Paragraphs

Dancing Essay: Conclusion

How to Describe Dancing: Words & Tips

414 Proposal Essay Topics for Projects, Research, & Proposal Arguments

History and Development of Dance Essay

Works Cited

Dance and the Visual Arts

Introduction: Convergent Histories—Dance and the Visual Arts

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan’s Songs of the Wanderers (1994)

Jonah Bokaer’s CURTAIN (2012)

Outside/In: Four Examples

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