Dance is a wonderful art that allows you to convey emotions, thoughts and feelings, talk about events through plasticity, movements and gestures to music. The list of dance styles is very large, allowing you to choose an activity depending on the character, tastes, and age of the person. And you don’t have to be a professional to feel the joy of dancing.

What are the dance genres?

All dance genres are divided into large groups:

• classical dance (ballet);
• folk or ethnic;
• ballroom - Latin American and European program;
• modern.

A separate group includes the historical movement - polonaise, ballo, contradance, etc. Not so popular today, they reflect the spirit of past eras.

Each genre includes a variety of types, interchanges from other directions, further development and complication of movements. Depending on the number of dancers, they can be individual, pair, or group.

Popular dance styles

Even the seemingly unshakable and unchangeable classic - ballet - is divided into separate styles:

• classical;
• modern;
• romantic.

Dance styles of ethnic group:

• African;
• Latin American;
• eastern;
• European.

The basis of the ballroom direction is standard European and Latin American programs, 5 types in each.

Of particular interest is the variety of modern genres. They are not so strict in relation to innovations and allow constant changes and improvements. The free style that appeared at the beginning of the last century became the basis for the emergence and development of modern, contemporary, and butoh.

Modern is the most popular, spectacular dance that appeared at the beginning of the century. He denies the canons of classical ballet and includes the most original movements. Contempo uses a number of styles at once, maximum improvisation, conveying the whole range of feelings and emotions on the dance floor.

Butoh is a recently emerged Japanese dance technique, magical and incomprehensible. It embodies Eastern philosophy, aesthetics and religious values, which makes the dance very complex for the Western world, but all the more spectacular and fascinating.

Sports and club dance genres

Breakdance, Go, Tectonic, Hip-hop, Crump are just some of the dance genres from a large list of club and sports genres. These genres are preferred by young people; they originated in poor neighborhoods around the world and have conquered the entire planet.

The art of dance is fragile and short-lived. It is impossible to repeat an improvisation exactly; even classical movements will differ with each performance. The more interesting and valuable this activity is. The variety of styles makes it possible to practice it at any age, regardless of preferences, social status and other parameters.

The most popular dance in the world

Hip-hop is both a dance style and an entire cultural movement, which many members of the older generation consider “uncultured.” The cradle of hip-hop culture is the outskirts of New York, where rebellious teenagers were looking for their own way not so much to declare themselves to the world as to express their attitude towards it - unfair, corrupt, cruel to the weak. But, having fallen into the trap of fashion, hip-hop became a part of the industry from a protest movement. Hip-hop dance style is a democratic mix of many techniques. There is a place for breaking, popping, locking, and flexing. Hip-hop also features dance duels called battles.

Argentine tango is popular in the square. After all, this is the most common style of one of the most recognizable dances in the world. Unlike ballroom tango, which requires serious physical and choreographic training, Argentine tango is accessible to everyone. There are no memorized connections in this dance; it is based on improvisation, built on the mutual understanding of the partners. This is a social dance that allows you to get to know each other and communicate, a beautiful way to spend your leisure time, to escape from the stress of ordinary life into the vibrant world of tango.

The gentle and romantic waltz dance, associated with the enchanting sounds of music, graceful movements, and high-society balls, was considered scandalous at the beginning of its “career.” High society was frapped by the fact that the partners danced too close, too fast, too frivolously. Centuries have passed and the waltz has become the embodiment of elegance, style and dignity. The waltz has several varieties, the most famous are the Viennese waltz, the figure waltz and the Boston waltz.

Belly dancing or belly dancing is sophisticated and sensual. He is associated with languid, long-eyed beauties, bayaderes and odalisques. However, belly dancing was invented not so long ago, at the beginning of the 20th century, when one Lebanese actress figured out how to combine exotic oriental movement with a technique familiar to Europeans. This is how a dance appeared, embodying the “white man’s” idea of ​​​​forbidden, harem dances. There are three schools of belly dancing: Egyptian, Arabic and Turkish. They differ not only in their movements, but also in their costumes. Particularly spectacular are belly dances, in which girls use various accessories - tambourines, fans, sagatas (an eastern type of castanets), a live boa constrictor and even a scorching flame.

Pole dance - pole dance, dance on a pole or on a pole - evokes unambiguous associations for some. But he “divorced” from strip shows a long time ago and has the same relationship to them as hot Latin American dancing. Pole dancing is as much about sex as it is about plasticity, artistry, and the ability to control your body. It is impossible to dance half-dance without serious preparation. The apparent ease of the dancers sliding and soaring along the pole is the result of long training and carefully developed techniques.

Rock and roll began with music. Stunningly new, having caught a whole generation on the hook of a frantic, overflowing rhythm, rebellious, sexy, it demanded expression in its movements and the same rebellious dance was born. Athletic and energetic rock and roll includes many acrobatic elements: somersaults, jumps, throws, turns. It requires good physical training and endurance, an excellent sense of rhythm, but leaves wide scope for self-expression and improvisation.

Hot, passionate, catchy booty dance is the dance of brave, self-confident women. Expressive movements of the hips and buttocks originate in the Latin American and African style of dance, where dancers are not at all shy to show off their “beautiful halves.” Don’t think that “shaking your butt” is such a simple matter. All these “beats”, “vibrations”, “waves” and “shocks” - the main elements of booty dance - require good coordination, the ability to move individual parts of the body while keeping the rest under control, and long training.

Dynamic, bright, sensual salsa grew out of a whole galaxy of Cuban and Caribbean dances. Like the spicy sauce of the same name, it combines various elements and ingredients from the cha-cha-cha, mamba, rumba, meringue and other dances. Salsa has very few conventions and a lot of improvisation. There is a place here not only for energetic movements of the hips, but also for stylish turns of the head, flirtatious winks, and intriguing plasticity of the hands. Salsa is a couples dance that allows you to get to know your partner better and learn to predict his movements.

Flamenco

Flamenco is not just a dance, it is a whole performance that includes playing the guitar, singing and “el bale flamenco” itself. Proud posture, thunderous stomp, expressive hand gestures, lightning-fast, polished movements, “boiling” frills of dresses - this is the outer side of flamenco. Dancers try to fully express the feelings embedded in the song. There is pain and delight, loneliness and love, despair and passion seething in the blood. An emotional, vibrant dance always ends with a rich chord, a cleansing catharsis that brings dancers and spectators out of the intensity of their emotions to calm joy. In Spain, the birthplace of flamenco, they believe that young people cannot perform this dance truly masterfully. And the point is not in technique, but in the fact that they do not yet have the proper life experience that allows them to embody the restless soul of flamenco.

Dance relaxes the body, makes the soul have fun, and puts thoughts in order. Even if you don’t have any dance skills or talents, you can always have fun by turning on music at home.

Each nation has a number of its own names and dance styles. Many countries organize entire festivals where smartly dressed participants demonstrate their skills.

Olympiads and competitions in this type of art are held annually.

To understand different styles and names, it is recommended to find out the benefits, find out the classical and modern styles, and also familiarize yourself with the list of names of the peoples of the world.

Any type of dancing, regardless of stylistic direction, represents physical activity for a person.

Some doctors advise spending at least 15 minutes on dance movements - this will strengthen the torso muscles, tighten the abs, and normalize the functioning of all body systems.

In order to bolster the confidence of your dance endeavors, here is a list of the beneficial qualities of this type of art for human health.

Consider:

1. Positive effect on joint tissue - a few minutes a day of moving your butt and buttocks will look much more beautiful.
2. Body and back muscle training. The formation of beautiful posture occurs through learning Spanish movements, for example, flamenco.
3. Dance gymnastics develops body flexibility: what are erotic maneuvers worth for girls - after a month of classes, the figure looks much slimmer.
4. The decrease in the incidence of colds is associated with a general strengthening, hardening effect: by actively moving, a person strengthens the immune system.
5. The skills of this art train the respiratory system, improve blood circulation, strengthen the vestibular apparatus and normalize coordination of movements.
6. Complex types, as well as active types, such as disco, improve cerebral circulation and human memory.
7. Dancing affects the mental state of men and women. Sports activities also improve your mood and help fight stress.

You can engage in this type of art at any age, there are only restrictions due to health reasons.

Classic styles

Dance, as a separate art form, appeared at the dawn of humanity. Artistic images were transmitted to other people through movements during the formation of tribes and communities.

Later, such “rituals” developed into real classes and types of dance movements.

Classical styles are presented in the list below, they are divided into Latin and European groups:

• Slow waltz.
• Tango.
• Viennese Waltz.
• Foxtrot.
• Quickstep.
• Samba.
• Rumba.
• Paso Doble.
• Cha cha cha.
• Jive.

The Latin American group is characterized by energetic movements, while the European group is characterized by smooth maneuvers.

Separately, it is worth highlighting ballet and ballroom dancing, which today are usually taught to girls from early childhood. Most classic options provide the opportunity to perform in pairs.

Important! The conditions for classical dance are combinations of certain movements: turn, jump, large dance step, flexibility, plasticity of the legs.

Having learned these types of art, in the future you can easily master almost any type of new dance in the studio.

Types of modern dances

Recently, a huge number of new dance styles have appeared.

Such options are chosen by modern youth: they organize flash mobs, participate in large-scale performances, striking with energy and innovation of movements.

Note! New species are characterized by unusual movements, often incomprehensible to people of the old generation.

To understand among the new stylistic trends and types, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with a selection of names:

Name	Description
Kizomba	An African type of street dance, a mixture of Angolan semba and Caribbean zouk
Vogue	Based on the model's walk on the catwalk
House	Speed, dynamism and drive are the main components
"On style"	Newfangled type to the song of the group “Time and Glass”
Filthy	Invented from the film of the same name, it is characterized by an abundance of hugs and cuddles
In the nude	Performed by professional pole dancers
Jazz funk	Emotional facial expressions and mannerisms clearly emphasize the expression of style
Contemporary	Art Nouveau look, characterized by storytelling through movement
Hip-hop	Formed in the 70s in America as a way of self-expression
Robot dance	Artistic imitation of the movements of a mechanized robot

List of dances of the peoples of the world

Each country has a unique calling card - folk dance. When organizing nationwide festivals, these types are necessarily performed by professional dancers.

The style of each country is unique and inimitable, and the movements themselves were formed at the dawn of the formation of the nationality.

Consider the list of the most common folk options:

1. Russian folk dances - Berezka, Bychok, Crane, Kalinka, Tanok, Round dance.
2. Irish style - Jig, Reel, Hornpipe, performed with a pipe.
3. Polish - Mazurka, Polonaise, Krakowiak.
4. Turkish - Halai, Hora.
5. Georgian - Kartuli, Lezginka, Shalakho.
6. Jewish – Chava Nagila, Chora, Jewish ballet.
7. Mexican - Volador, Tsapateado, Jarabe Tapatio - performed in full skirts with castanets.
8. Cuban - Casino, Danson, Contradance.
9. Eastern - Bellydance, Baladi, Geveyzi.
10. Japanese - Slam drama, Kagura, Para Para.

Ancient traditions are skillfully intertwined with modern innovations, forming new styles and types of dances.

Young people love to have fun with the music of such performers as Yegor Creed, Arkay, Pharaoh.

Dancing relaxes the mind, so a few minutes of activity will help you feel relaxed and clear your thoughts.

Useful video

Dance has always been associated with the spiritual side and mental state of a person. It is worth noting that even holidays and rituals were never held without a corresponding dance. Nowadays, there are a huge number of styles of this type of art, each of which has its own characteristics.

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A little about the history of dance

As mentioned above, dance is an art form that existed in ancient times. Literally everything had its own special style of dance: everyone rite, every holiday or event, not to mention individual peoples and tribes. In any case, it has always been important for a person, and earlier dances were more sacred character and in certain cases could only be performed by knowledgeable people who invested deep meaning in this action. Today, the art of dance is accessible to everyone, and the world knows a huge variety of dance styles and trends.

With the development of humanity, choreography also developed. Early with her help shamans they caused rain and performed rituals, then, era after era, it became more diverse and colorful, different peoples created their own trends and styles, selected appropriate outfits for them, and began to divide them into men's and women's. Each style acquired its own rhythm and movement.

For a long time, the most famous and popular style was folk dance, which was performed at all holidays and other events, but now this style is preserved only on stage, although in a number of countries it is still popular and performed at weddings and other celebrations. Today, modern rhythms and youth trends corresponding to modern music have gained the greatest popularity.

How modern dances appeared

Modern dance styles began to appear in the first half of the 20th century, gradually displacing ballet art into the background. At first they penetrated the masses unnoticed, but then various schools began to open that no longer adhered to the old rules. Thus, ballet, which had held a leading position for a long time, began to be relegated to secondary roles.

In general, that period was characterized by unpredictable changes not only in choreography, but also in music. First began to gain popularity free style, where all conventions were absent, and they were replaced by freedom and improvisation.

Styles Popular Today

It is worth noting that choreography never stands still, and even today the emergence and formation of new dance styles is proceeding at an active pace. But speaking more generally, it is worth highlighting several styles that emerged at the end of the 20th century and are still popular today. and here is their description:

Some of the dance styles presented are created primarily only for girls, but for the most part they can be performed by both sexes.

Today, choreography should be free, modern, permeated with improvisation, and street dance has all these qualities. It is interesting precisely because it is performed by non-professionals and includes movements from almost all dance styles, even classical ones. An interesting combination of one style with another, adapted to each other, filled with unusual beauty, so the well-known hip-hop, popping, and many others stood out here.

Dancing for girls

Due to the fact that choreography still attracts more female attention than male attention, among the various dance styles there are a number of specifically female ones:

• Bellydance, also known as oriental dance or belly dance. This style has gained unprecedented popularity among girls due to its color and incredible beauty. This is a truly feminine direction in choreography, which not only develops plasticity, but also strengthens women's health. Belly dancing can be soft and smooth and at the same time rhythmic and filled with many movements;
• Strip plastic is another popular style that develops the grace of the female body. Thanks to strip plastic, stiffness and complexes go away. This is a fairly frank dance, reminiscent of a striptease, but excluding the element of nudity;
• Go-Go dance is a club dance that combines rhythm and elements of strip dance;
• and, in fact, just a club dance, which includes elements from hip-hop, funk, go-go and many others. Here, both a combination of several styles and the separate selection of one of them is allowed.

In addition to these styles, such styles as modern, vogue, booty dance and many others are also popular. It is almost impossible to list all the styles, because there are very, very many of them, but they all have the right to be noticed, since each of them has its own beauty and grace, its own unique rhythm and accent. Dance has always been, is and will be an integral part of a person’s life, because emotions and state of mind are transmitted through it.

Allemande

(French allemand - “German”). The dance of the 16th–18th centuries, as its name suggests, is of German origin. Like the pavane, the allemande is a dance of moderate tempo and bipartite meter. This calm dance was usually followed by a lively three-beat chime. In the keyboard suite of the 18th century. the allemande comes first; it is followed by the courante, sarabande and gigue. At the end of the 18th century. an allemande was a “German dance” in 3/4 or 3/8 time – the predecessor of the waltz.

Argentine tango.
social couple dance. This story began in Argentina at the end of the 19th century. They say that tango was first danced by blacks, former slaves who lived in Argentina. This dance was accompanied by drum rhythms. When you dance Tango, don't get carried away with the steps, because the steps are the less important part of this dance. The most important part of Tango is the music and your feelings...

Bass dance

(French basse danse - “low dance”). a general name for sliding “jumpless dances” of the 16th century; they first appeared at the Burgundian court. “Low dance” was a contrast to the “high dance” (danse haute), for which high jumps and bouncing are typical. Bass dance was a ceremonial dance, similar to the polonaise, i.e. associated more with walking than with dancing as such. Bass dance is considered the predecessor of printmaking. The dance could be performed in either a bipartite (usually) or a tripartite size. Bass dance consisted of three parts: the bass dance itself, its repetition (retour de la basse danse) and tordion - a skipping dance. Bass dance disappeared in the 16th century, replaced by pavane.

Bachata

Merengue and bachata, two rhythms that originated in the Dominican Republic, have many similarities and just as many differences. Both genres have folk origins, both have not easily achieved public recognition, and both have gone beyond the borders of their small island homeland, becoming international genres. But, unlike the energetic and carefree merengue, which is perfect for fun parties, bachata is created for a slightly different pastime. It is not for nothing that it received the name “musica de amargue” - the music of bitterness. Its tempo is much slower, and the lyrics tell about the suffering of unrequited love. There is an opinion that it is good to drink alcohol while drinking bachata. Therefore, most often these melodic sad songs can be heard in bars and colmados (small shops where you can buy and drink a bottle or two on the spot in the company of several other visitors).

Bergamasca

Dance of the 16th–17th centuries. in 2/4 or 4/4 time, came from the Italian city of Bergamo. Shakespeare mentions the Bergamasca in the comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream. Shakespeare mentions the Bergamasca in the comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream, so this dance was known in England already in the 16th century. In manuscripts of the time, the bergamasca has a specific melody, which is often a basso ostinato (i.e., a constantly repeated bass) with variations. The Bergamasque melody is reminiscent of the later German folk song Kraut und Ruben, which was used by D. Buxtehude and then introduced by J. S. Bach in his keyboard Goldberg Variations. A modern bergamasca, not in any way connected with the ancient one, performed at a lively tempo, in 6/8 time and reminiscent of a tarantella, was used by Alfredo Piatti in Bergamasca for cello.

Bolero

Spanish national dance, believed to have been invented c. 1780 by Sebastian Cerezo from Cadiz. In the folklore version, the bolero is a dance for a solo couple; several couples can participate in public performance. The accompaniment of castanets or guitar is required if the dance melody is sung. The bolero is characterized by a bipartite and, occasionally, a tripartite meter; The dance consists of five parts: paseo, traversion, diference, traversion and finale. Excellent examples of bolero in professional music are the piano Bolero (op. 19) by F. Chopin and the orchestral Bolero by M. Ravel. Beethoven has Bolero a solo, and K.M. von Weber included the bolero in his music for the play Preziosa. Bolero motifs can be found in the operas The Blind of Toledo by Etienne Megul, Black Domino, The Mute from Portici by D. Aubert, as well as in the opera by G. Berlioz by Benvenuto Cellini. A quicker version of the bolero is the seguidilla (it is possible that it served as the basis for the bolero). The Cuban bolero and the similar Dominican bolero are characterized by a bipartite rhythm with syncopation and form a Spanish-American version of the dance.

Branle

A general name for dances of the 16th–17th centuries. Different provinces of France had their own versions of branle - Burgundy, Poitou, Champagne, Picardy, Lorraine, Aubrois, Brittany. In the 15th century branle completed the bass dance, in the 16th–17th centuries. became an independent dance, varieties of which were combined into suites. The order of the parts in the branle suite is as follows: double branle, simple branle, cheerful branle, montirande and gavotte; The order may vary, but the gavotte always comes at the end. Branle was often included in ballets of the Baroque era, even when the dance itself had already fallen out of use.

Break

Well, of course, American blacks came up with all this. Or, as they say now, African Americans. How else? With their innate sense of rhythm, flexibility and ability to move... And, of course, in the South Bronx - the most dangerous and hooligan area of ​​New York. And not just some time ago, namely in the late 60s, when young people of all colors throughout the Western world rebelled against... Yes against everything! Against routine, boredom, bourgeois values, money, property and classical art. And much more.

Bourret

French dance of the 17th–18th centuries, dating back to the pantomimic folk dance of the Auvergne province and in the 17th century. which became a court dance. The dance is characterized by dactylic meter, fast tempo, bipartite meter with a beat of two eighths. Bourret appears in ballets by Lully and Schmelzer and in instrumental suites, for example by J. S. Bach. Bourré is found in the works of G. F. Handel, Philippe Detouche, Andre Campra, C. Saint-Saens (Rhapsody of Auvergne), E. Chabrier (Fantastic Bourré), etc.

Waltz

Its origins are in the old folk dances of Austria and Southern Germany. The name comes from the German word walzen - “to spin”, “to spin”. The closest predecessors of the waltz can be considered the fast “German dance” and slow waltzes - landlers, which came into fashion ca. 1800. German dances are found in J. Haydn, W. A. ​​Mozart and L. van Beethoven. The first mention of the waltz itself dates back to around 1770. At first, this dance aroused strong resistance from both guardians of morality and dance masters. For some time, the waltz existed within the framework of English country dance (country dance), but soon gained independence and came out on top among ballroom dances, popular in Vienna, Paris, and New York. The classics of the waltz were Joseph Lanner (1801–1843), who introduced the cyclic form of the waltz, consisting of an introduction, several sections and a coda, as well as J. Strauss the father and J. Strauss the son. In the work of the latter, the waltz reached the peaks of its development (The Beautiful Blue Danube, Southern Roses, Tales of the Vienna Woods, etc.). Other waltz masters include Emil Waldteufel, F. Lehár, Oscar Strauss and Robert Stolz. There is a significant difference between the waltz as dance music and the waltz as a concert piece - in the second case, the waltz can be freer in tempo and more complex in form. G. Berlioz and P.I. Tchaikovsky introduced the waltz into their symphonic cycles; F. Schubert, F. Chopin, J. Brahms and other composers created excellent cycles of instrumental waltzes. At the beginning of the waltz era, K.M. von Weber's Invitation to Dance appeared (1819); at the end of the era - R. Strauss's opera Der Rosenkavalier (1911), permeated with waltzes, and M. Ravel's symphonic poem Waltz (1920). A true Viennese waltz is typical not only of the usual waltz rhythmic pattern (bass on the first beat of each measure, and then two lighter beats, like echoes), but also of a rhythmic shift that is difficult to describe, resulting from playing the second quarter in the accompaniment a little earlier than it should. Slow waltzes of the Boston type or hesitation waltzes (i.e., with a delay, pause), characterized by a less clear rhythmic pattern and more complex accompaniment, became widespread in America ca. 1915, and after the First World War also in Germany; here they were often used in professional works of pseudo-jazz style.

Viennese Waltz

Although the waltz was a huge success and created a real sensation in many European courts, at the very beginning of the 19th century the official attitude towards the waltz was very cautious - at balls in Vienna itself, the waltz was allowed to be danced for no more than 10 minutes: hugs between the gentleman and the lady during the dance were considered not entirely appropriate . But it was no longer possible to stop the waltz, and when in 1815, after the victory over Napoleon, the congress of the victorious allies was held in Vienna, the waltz was selflessly danced at all the balls - enchanting, magical, brilliant. It was then that the waltz acquired its specific feature - an accented rhythm, which made this dance more elegant and more romantic. Two remarkable composers who lived in Vienna - Johann Strauss the Father (1804 - 1849) and the even more famous Johann Strauss the Son, who wrote such widely known and popular masterpieces as “The Blue Danube” and “Tales of the Vienna Woods”, undoubtedly contributed the formation of the Viennese waltz, as well as the fact that in the 19th century this dance eclipsed all others. The waltz, having become an official ballroom dance, was in perfect harmony with the fashion of the time: narrow-waisted dresses with luxurious fluffy crinoline skirts emphasized the beauty of the lady’s movements.

Gavotte

A dance in a calm tempo and three-beat size, taking (from the Provençal word gavoto - “resident of the Auvergne region”). A graceful and joyful French dance from the 16th to 18th centuries, performed at a moderate tempo. Time signature 2/2 or 4/4, starts with a beat of 2/4 or 2/8. The gavotte consists of two parts of 8 bars. Originally it was part of the branle. In the 17th century was a round dance in the 18th century. turned into a pair dance with different figures. The popularity of gavotte was promoted by J.B. Lully. Gavotte is found in the suites of Couperin, Pachelbel and especially J. S. Bach.

Gallop

(from the French galoper - “to jump”). Fast circular dance of the 19th century. in a bipartite size, consists of rapid, spasmodic movements back and forth, similar in type to the polka. After 1825, the gallop came into fashion in Germany, where it was called the Rucher or Hüpfer. Galloping is common in professional music; an example is F. Liszt's Great Chromatic Gallop.

Galliard

A cheerful, lively dance of the 16th–17th centuries, at first quite fast, later performed at a more restrained tempo, in three-beat time. Originally bipartite, the galliard then changed its meter and became a “pair” to the pavane or passamezzo (performed after them). The galliard was one of the favorite European dances of the 17th century; it is repeatedly mentioned in Shakespeare, usually under the name “cinque-pace”.

Gopak

Fast Ukrainian dance in two-part time signature. A striking example is the hopak in M.P. Mussorgsky’s opera Sorochinskaya Fair.

Jitterbug (lindy).
An American dance that emerged between 1935 and 1940 and consisted of bouncing, skipping and vibrating - in the form of pure improvisation to swing music, especially boogie-woogie. The usual rhythmic pattern is solid eighth notes or alternating punctuated eighths and sixteenths. A development of the jitterbug was the Lindy Hop, where dancers count by six in four-beat music. A typical feature of this dance is the rotation of the partner around an axis while the partner holds his hand behind her back. The rhythm is emphatically syncopated with accents on the second and fourth beats.

Zhiga

English dance, common in the 16th century. The name comes from either the Old French word giguer ("to dance") or the Old English word giga (folk fiddle). At first, the jig was in 4/4 time; later, jigs began to be composed in 6/8 time with punctuated eighth notes. In the 17th and 18th centuries. The gigue (with the name in French – gigue) was included in the instrumental suite and became the finale in the sequence of the four main dances of the so-called. French suite. Often such gigs were composed in polyphonic form, with the second section developing a theme that was a reversal of the theme of the first section.

Quadrille

French dance that emerged at the end of the 18th century. and very popular until the end of the 19th century. Performed by two or four pairs, arranged in a quadrangle (quadrille), opposite each other. The quadrille developed from a rural dance and initially contained five figures with the following French names: Le Pantalon (The Pants, the name of a popular French song), Ete (Summer), La Poule (The Hen, probably the earliest tune in which the cackling of a chicken is imitated), La Pastourelle (Pastoral) and Finale (Final): the dance master Trenitz added a sixth figure to it, which began to bear his name. Square dancing often uses well-known tunes in 2/4 or 6/8; They are often borrowed from operas or operettas.

Kathak

is a classical dance style of North India. The term "kathak" comes from the word "katha", which means "story", "story". In ancient times, Kathaks were the name given to the caste of storytellers that existed at many temples in North India. They performed dance and drama performances on religious holidays. Later, dancers began to be invited to the palaces of the Hindu rulers of Rajasthan. Special dance schools appeared at the palaces, in which girls were taught music, poetry, and the refined art of dance.

Cancan

A frantic and not very decent 19th century French dance, with a fast tempo and bipartite meter (similar in type to the Spanish fandango), originated in Paris in the 1830s. Offenbach introduced the cancan into his operetta Orpheus in Hell; Nowadays, a suite from this operetta called Parisian Fun (arranged by Manuel Rosenthal, 1938) is more popular.

Quick step

The fastest and most dynamic of the “standard” dances. This is a fun dance, reminiscent of a game. Unlike waltzes and tangos, the foxtrot is a purely American work, and its author is famous - actor Harry Fox from California, who invented this dance in 1914 and performed it with girls from a variety show, filling the gaps between film screenings in a New York cinema - The mechanic needed a pause to have time to rewind the film. Invented in the rag time style, the dance became an incredible success. Rag time - a mixture of jazz and blues, and the cake that appeared a little later, always implied improvisation and a certain freedom. The cakewalk did not have any special turns and steps, so characteristic of European dances. In America at the beginning of the twentieth century, the so-called “animal dances” came into fashion. The translation of the names of such dances speaks for itself - “Camel walk” or “Donkey trot”. So, perhaps, Harry Fox was inspired to create the foxtrot by the fashion of the time and... his own surname - after all, fox means “fox” in English. At the beginning, the foxtrot was not a very restrained dance with a lot of jumps and swings of the legs - after all, it was created for the variety show stage. But once in England, he underwent a real reform and acquired two modifications: a faster quick-step and a slower slow-fox. And although the foxtrot technique is somewhat reminiscent of a slow waltz, all movements are performed in a completely different rhythm.

Conga

A modern Cuban dance performed in a line of dancers and originating from the so-called “comparsas” - parades. The rhythm of the conga is march-like, but in each measure the second beat is preceded by syncopation (lasting 1/16). Like the rumba, the conga often serves as the basis for political songs in Cuba; In the USA, this dance was popularized by the Latin American musician Javier Cugat.

Country dance

An ancient English folk dance. In country dance, the dancers form two lines, facing each other - male and female; a wide variety of movements are used, often from other dances. The word country (village) in France was transformed into the word contre (“opposite”); hence the German name Contretanz, Kontertanz, in which the original meaning has also been lost. Around 1685, country dance spread from England to the Netherlands and France and soon became one of the most beloved European dances. At first, country dance music resembled English gigs (as evidenced by Georg Muffat’s collection Florilegium secundum, 1698), but in the 18th–19th centuries. Contredance became characterized by a dotted rhythm. Country dance often used folk tunes and other popular melodies. The best collection of such tunes is John Playford's The English Dancing Master (1651), which was followed by numerous collections of the same type. Country dances from the operas Zoroaster by Rameau and Don Giovanni by Mozart are famous. A popular song from the French Revolution, Ca ira, is based on a country dance melody.

Cotillion

(from the French word cotillon - “petticoat”, found in a song popular at that time). A dance common in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. From France, the cotillion came to England and America, where it began to be performed as the final section of country dances or, later, quadrilles. A variety of steps and cotillion figures are performed by the first couple to almost any music, and then repeated by all dancers.

Cumbia

a dance that originated among the black population of the Atlantic coast of Colombia. It combines African rhythms and Spanish melody, complemented by Latin American harmonies. Cumbia is one of the most representative Colombian melodies, which combines the musical traditions of 3 cultures - Negro, Indian and European. The blacks brought their drum rhythm to the cumbia, the Indians brought flutes and pipes (made from millet stalks) that lead the melody, the influence of the Europeans (colonialists) was limited to only a few variations in musical performance, choreography and clothing of the dancers. Cumbia is distinguished from other well-known Latin American styles by its particularly pronounced hard rhythm. In this way, cumbia is more similar to Jamaican music - much more so than, for example, the more melodic and transparent salsa. However, as for the differences between cumbia and salsa, the issue is somewhat controversial. Currently, there are two points of view on what cumbia is: an independent dance or a type of salsa, such as Salsa Cubana (Casino), Salsa Portorriquena (Boricua), Salsa de Colombia and Rueda. So, according to the second point of view, cumbia is simply Salsa Sudamericana (South American salsa). Whether this is true or not is, in essence, not so important.
Cumbia is also interesting because, in addition to the cumbia itself, you can dance merengue and salsa to it. How this happens is difficult to say, but the fact, as they say, is obvious.

Kuranta

Dance in bipartite meter, originally pantomimic, known since the 16th century. It is mentioned by Thoinot Arbeau in his Orchesography (1588), as well as several times by Shakespeare (in particular, in Henry V). Gradually the chime acquired a three-part meter and in the 17th century. began to be performed in pairs with the allemande (after it). A characteristic feature of the 17th century chimes. are frequent changes of meter from 3/2 to 6/4 and back, which corresponded to the alternation of two main dance figures - pas de courante and pas de coupee. In the musical aspect, there are two types of chimes: the Italian corrente with fast movement of small durations and the calmer French courante with a transparent texture associated with the technique of French lutenists of the 17th century. Bach's chimes follow the French type. Around 1700 the chime became a solemn, dignified dance that preceded the minuet, but after 1720 the chime disappeared as a dance, surviving only as a genre model in professional music.

Landler

A general name for slow Austro-Bavarian dances in three-quarter time. The name probably goes back to the name of a town in Upper Austria - Landl. Ländler melodies already existed in the 17th century. (for example, Aire Viennesi by Schmelzer). The Ländler can be considered the predecessor of the Deutsch (“German [dance]”) and the waltz, but the Ländler was performed slower than the waltz and had a slightly different structure. It is typical for a landler to alternate between eight-bar and six-bar phrases. Its variants are the Steierische (Styrian [dance]) and the Schuplattler (Tyrolean wooden shoe dance). Melodies reminiscent of Ländler are found in J. Haydn, W. A. ​​Mozart, L. van Beethoven, F. Schubert and J. Strauss the Father.

Mazurka

Polish folk dance, as well as a piece in the rhythm of a mazurka, usually in 3/4 or 3/8, at a tempo slightly slower than a waltz. Originally a folk dance, the mazurka became a city and court dance in the 18th century, during the reign of King Augustus III. The three-beat rhythm of the mazurka is characterized by an emphasis on the second beat. The mazurka consists of an opening section similar to a polonaise, performed by several couples, and a series of dances with different figures. Particularly typical are the heel-to-heel strikes and the sharp movement of the feet (the so-called key) at the end of each figure. Although the mazurka appeared already in the musical literature of the 18th century, only F. Chopin was destined to make it an important genre of professional art. M.I. Glinka, P.I. Tchaikovsky, K. Shimanovsky followed his example. Variants of the mazurka are the Polish dances Kujawiak and Oberek.

Mamba

American dance originating from the rumba. The dance begins with swaying the hips on the count of “one”, the first step is taken on the count of “two”.

Minuet

Dance of the 16th–17th centuries, in moderate tempo and three-beat time; The name comes from the French word menu (pas menu - “step”, “small step”) or from amener (amener) - an old French dance, a type of branle. The minuet took the place of the chimes and was the main court dance from the mid-17th to the mid-18th century. Initially it was a rural dance, but then the minuet turned into an example of French court ballet. J.B. Lully was the first of the great composers to use the minuet, and it is believed that King Louis XIV was the first to dance the minuet at one of his balls. The characteristic features of the minuet are ceremonial bows, solemn passages forward, sideways and backward, graceful steps and easy gliding. From France, the minuet spread throughout Europe. In the 18th century it was included in the keyboard suites (in a three-part form: minuet - trio, the second minuet itself - minuet), occupying a place between a sarabande and a gigue. Providing a contrast to the allemande and chime, the minuet in the suite was interpreted as an active dance in a simple texture. Unlike most dances of the Baroque era, the minuet did not disappear in subsequent eras, but became part of the cyclic form in classical sonatas and symphonies of the 18th and 19th centuries. Authors of the pre-classical period, such as J. Stamitz, Georg Monn and Joseph Starzer, as well as classics J. Haydn, W. A. ​​Mozart, L. van Beethoven and F. Schubert, assigned the minuet the third position in the four-part sonata-symphonic cycle; Beethoven's minuet grew into a scherzo. The minuet of the classical period was strongly influenced by the Austrian peasant landler, as a result of which characteristic wide melodic moves and leaps appeared in the minuet. In Mozart's Don Giovanni, the minuet, symbolizing aristocratic society, is written at a slow tempo, but the minuet in symphonies and sonatas has always been more fluid.

Merengue

Latin American dance of Dominican origin, also adopted in the USA. Moving in bipartite meter, the dancers emphasize the first beat with a walking step, and on the count of “two” they make an inward movement with their knees pressed against each other. The cheerful, slightly syncopated dance melody consists of two periods of 16 bars each. A typical merengue consists of an introduction (jaseo) and an interlude (jaleo).

Milonga Tango

It is a conversation between a man and a woman through the language of dance. In this sense, a milonga is a party where men and women, divided into pairs, communicate with each other on a given topic - the melody that is playing at the moment...

Moresca (Morisco)

A pantomimic dance apparently of Moorish origin, known since the early Middle Ages. The dancers, in keeping with highly romanticized ideas about the Moors, wore grotesque costumes with bells at the ankles; the music was dominated by dotted rhythms and exotic timbres. Often the faces of one or more dancers were painted black. In Europe, the dance spread to those regions where there was contact between Muslims and Christians. European seaweed originates in Spain, where it was mentioned already in the 15th century. Moreska was often called the musical and dance scene and sometimes the final ballet scene - as, for example, in the opera Orpheus by C. Monteverdi (1607). In England, the morris dance was performed during the May games: here six dancers formed two opposing rows. Around 1900 in England there was a revival of sea painting, associated with a general interest in ancient art.

Pavana

The dance of the 16th–17th centuries that opened the balls, in a bipartite (sometimes in a tripartite) size, was a slow, majestic procession. Pavana comes from Spain, its name is related to the word pavo ("peacock"), perhaps the pavana is a later form of bass dance. In the 17th century The pavane was usually followed by a fast, jumping galliard. In Italy and Germany, padovana (from the name of the Italian city of Padua) was often synonymous with pavana. German composers in the period after 1600 (for example, I.G. Schein) wrote solemn, lush compositions, which were called “pavanes”. Pavanes were also composed by the English madrigalists W. Bird, J. Bull, O. Gibbons and J. Dowland; among modern composers, the pavane was revived by M. Ravel and Morton Gould.

Paspier

Lively French dance of the 17th–18th centuries, originating in Northern Brittany. Paspiers are characterized by a fast tempo, size 3/8 or 6/8; a lot of movements based on crossing the legs. Examples of paspiers can be found in the works of J. S. Bach, I. K. F. Fischer and in the ballets of Viennese composers of the 17th century, as well as in French opera of the early 18th century.

Polonaise (Polish)

Polish national dance at a moderate tempo, in 3/4 time. Unlike other Polish folk dances whose melodies are sung, the polonaise has always been an instrumental genre. The origin of the dance is usually attributed to the era when Henry of Valois (the future French king Henry III) was elected to the Polish throne (1573); Polish court ladies, when presented to the king, formed a procession, which was accompanied by majestic music; such a procession became a tradition and began to open all state ceremonies, and the procession itself grew into a dance. As a result of close ties between Poland and Saxony (the Saxon Elector Augustus became King of Poland in 1697), the polonaise came into fashion in Germany and from there spread throughout Europe. G. F. Handel and J. S. Bach included the polonaise in their suites, W. A. ​​Mozart once used this dance in a piano sonata; Polonaises can be found in the works of L. van Beethoven, F. Schubert, F. Liszt, K. M. Weber, R. Wagner. But the greatest master of the polonaise was, of course, F. Chopin.

Polka

Dance of Czech origin, fast tempo, bipartite. Appeared approx. 1830. The polka usually begins on a downbeat, and its rhythm is particularly characterized by abruptness. The dance quickly spread from the Czech Republic throughout Europe and was accepted with triumphant success in the ballrooms of New York. B. Smetana introduced this dance into professional music, composing several famous piano polkas. The polka is also widely used in Smetana's opera The Bartered Bride and Jaromir Weinberger's opera Schwanda the Piper. Polkas were written by A. Dvorak, Josef Labicki, J. Strauss and others.

Redova (private)

Czech (and generally Slavic) dance of peasant origin in a moderate tempo and three-beat size. In the middle of the 19th century. it became fashionable in Parisian dance halls and from there spread throughout Europe. One of the versions of the redova is performed in 2/4, like a polka. Redova was used by Rimsky-Korsakov in the opera-ballet Mlada.

Rigodon

Dance of the 17th–18th centuries, originating from French Provence, in a fast tempo and two-beat time, with one-eighth beat. Rigodon as a serious dance appears in Gluck's opera Iphigenia in Taurida (1779), and then in other operas; As a comic dance, the rigaudon is present in ballets and suites of the 17th century, including those by J.B. Lully, Andre Campra and J.F. Rameau. Purcell composed his rigaudon already in the mid-17th century; Among later authors, E. Grieg and M. Ravel wrote rigodons. In Spain, rigodon is often called quadrille.

Reel (eng. reel - “reel”)

An ancient dance of unknown origin, reminiscent of the Norwegian Halling and other Scandinavian dances. The name is associated with the Gothic word rulla - “tornado”. In Scotland the reel is usually performed by two couples, in England by three. A special feature of the rila is its circular pattern: the dancers face each other and perform a series of figures resembling a figure eight in outline; Reel is also characterized by constant repetition of movements and melody. The music consists of eight-bar phrases, mostly in bibeat time. In America, the most common variety of reel is called Virginia reel.

Rumba

Contemporary Cuban dance of African-American origin. Rumba is performed in four-beat time, and the rhythmic pattern changes almost in every measure; In general, the rhythm of rumba is characterized by syncopation and repetition. In the taverns of Havana, rumba is often performed to the accompaniment of ensembles using improvised materials - for example, bottles, spoons, pots. The main rumba theme is usually eight bars long, with a dominant rhythmic beginning, while the lyrics and melody are in the background. Rumba entered American pop music ca. 1930.

Salsa

A style of Latin American music, translated as "sauce", with Native American, Spanish and African ingredients. The term "salsa" was coined in the 20s by Chano Pozo, a Cuban percussionist and first-wave emigrant to America from Cuba. The boom of salsa came in the 70s, when huge salsa festivals that filled stadiums began to be held in the USA, Africa and Latin America, and a huge number of CDs were recorded. New York immediately made salsa more commercial and, thanks to the powerful broadcast radio stations of New York record companies and the active distribution of CDs, this product reaches us. Latin American root salsa is warmer and not so popular here.

Saltarello

Energetic Italian dance in a fast tempo, tri-beat, sometimes bi-beat. The name comes from saltare - “to jump”. Saltarello was especially common in the 16th and 17th centuries, but it appears in English and Italian manuscripts as early as the 14th century. In the 16th century saltarello was performed in pairs with bass dance and passamezzo (after them). Today the saltarello is danced in Italy and Spain in the same way as the tarantella.

Samba

Brazilian dance in two-part time signature; in an expanded sense, the word “samba” is applied to all dances of Brazilian origin. There are two different types of samba: rural samba, which is characterized by sharp syncopation, and urban samba, which has a smoother rhythm. Samba carioca (carioca is one of the names of a resident of Rio de Janeiro) is a stylized urban dance. Samba was introduced into professional music by E. Vila-Lobos and Camargo Guarniero.

Sarabande

Dance of the 17th–18th centuries. at a slow pace, in three-beat time. The name probably comes from the Persian word "sarband" - "ribbon fluttering around the head"; Songs of a certain genre also had a similar name. According to 20th century researchers, the sarabande, along with the chaconne, came to Spain from the American colonies. Initially it was a mischievous, riotous dance, but then, having arrived in France at the beginning of the 17th century, the sarabande turned into a slow and important dance. In operas, the sarabande usually appeared as a symbol of the greatness of Spain. In the suites of Jacques Champion de Chambonnières, Johann Jakob Froberger, J. S. Bach and G. F. Handel, the sarabande is placed between the courante and the gigue, creating a tempo contrast.

Seguidilla

A fast-tempo, three-beat Spanish dance, possibly originating in the province of La Mancha, from where it subsequently spread to other areas of Spain. The name means "continuation" and stems from the fact that the instrumental section of the seguidilla is followed by a section for voice with accompaniment of guitar and castanets. Variants of seguidilla are manchega, sevillana and murciana. Seguidilla manchega - a lively, cheerful dance; segedilla boleras – more measured and restrained; seguidilla gitana (“gypsy”, sometimes it is written - siguiriya) - the dance is slow and sensitive, with variable time signatures (3/4 and 6/8). The humorous poetic couplets of the seguidilla - coplas consist of each of four short lines, followed by refrain of three lines - estrebillo. The most famous is the seguidilla from Bizet's opera Carmen, although this music is not a seguidilla in the exact meaning of the word.

Siciliana

Dance or a musical form based on it, originating from Southern Italy or Sicily. Rhythmically, the siciliana resembles a gigue; size 12/8 or 6/8. The name “Siciliana” is more often applied not to dance, but to arias da capo (with reprise). Among the most famous are the Siciliana from the violin suite in G minor by J. S. Bach, as well as the aria “Erbarme dich” from his St. Matthew Passion.

Slow Fox

As the name suggests, slow fox is a slow version of the foxtrot. It reached its popularity in the 40s of the twentieth century. The tunes written by Frank Sinatra, Glen Miller and many other musicians have become true classics. The characteristic steps in slow fox are long and sliding. The partners’ heads are always raised, with a light, languid smile on their lips. Slow Fox is called the dance of lovers, so the lady’s face expresses both tenderness and sensuality. The rhythm of the dance is less than 30 beats per minute.

Belly dance

The mysterious east has become the birthplace of an amazing dance called belly dance or belly dance. Historians cannot say for sure the country where this dance appeared. There are several versions, for example, there is an assumption that this is Egypt, or maybe Mesopotamia, some believe that the origins of the dance should be sought in India. There are objective reasons for this scatter, which we will not delve into for now. I will only note that the territory of the dance’s distribution is vast: in ancient times, belly dance was danced in Egypt, Greece, Rome, Babylon and the Central Asian states. Nowadays, belly dancing is becoming increasingly popular not only in the East, but also in the West. In Russia, few people knew about this dance before, and associated it exclusively with the institution of harems in the East. Hence the negative assessment of the dance. Nevertheless, even here in Russia, interest in plastic surgery of this kind is growing.

Tarantella

Very lively dance in 6/8 time; its name refers either to the city of Taranto in Southern Italy or to the tarantula spider, which is found in the area. Legend has it that anyone bitten by a tarantula develops a disease (“tarantism”), which can only be cured by unrestrained dancing. For tarantella music, which is in many ways similar to saltarello, movement in solid triplets is typical. Well-known examples of tarantella in professional music can be found in F. Liszt, F. Chopin, K.M. von Weber, D. Ober; the finale of F. Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony also resembles a tarantella in style.

Trepak

Russian single male dance in a fast tempo and bipartite meter. A well-known example is the trepak from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker.

Fandango

Spanish dance of the 18th century. in 3/8 time, with a characteristic rhythmic accompaniment of castanets and guitar, originated in Southern Spain. Originally, fandango was a vocal and dance form, with love lyrics. Variants of this dance are known in Spain under different names (for example, in Malaga the fandango is called Malaguena). The earliest example of the use of dance in professional music is Gluck's ballet Don Giovanni; this melody was quoted by W.A. Mozart in Le nozze di Figaro. Fandango is found in the works of R. Schumann, N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, I. Albeniz and E. Granados.

Farandola

French dance in 6/8 time, originated in Provence. The dancers hold each other's hands, forming a chain, and, following the leader, move through the streets, performing a wide variety of movements to the accompaniment of the flute and tambourine. Examples of dance can be found in C. Gounod’s opera Mireille, and in J. Bizet’s suite from the music to L’Arlesienne. The Spanish farandula is also a folk dance, and its name was applied to the divertissements containing the dance, which were performed between the second and third acts of the Spanish traditional drama.

Foxtrot

By origin, a fast dance in a two-beat measure, performed somewhat slower than the one-step, after which the foxtrot gained popularity in the USA ca. 1912. After World War I, due to the spread of the “jazz style” in dance music, the term “foxtrot” began to refer to any jazz-like dance music in two-beat time signature (except for Latin American tangos and congas). In the 1920s, different types of foxtrot were popular, quickly replacing each other, among which are the Charleston and the black bottom. In the early 1930s, the calmer slow foxtrot appeared, but then, from about 1936, the swing style became increasingly popular, with its passionate obsession with dance, when the dancer was guided by just a few basic movements and practically complete freedom for improvisation. The very simple slow foxtrot remained in use throughout the 1960s.

Habanera

Cuban dance (name from the capital of Cuba, Havana) in a bipartite meter, similar in rhythm to tango. The difference between habanera and tango is the tempo: habanera is twice as fast as tango. Habanera was introduced to Cuba by the Spanish composer Sebastián Iradier, whose play El Arreglito, published in 1840 under the subtitle Chanson havanaise, is the first known example of habanera. This melody was used by Georges Bizet for the habanera in his opera Carmen. Another famous Iradier habanera is the Dove (La Paloma). Habaneras were also written by I. Albéniz, E. Chabrier and C. Debussy.

Hornpipe

English and Scottish dance, known throughout the 16th–19th centuries. and took its name from the ancient wind instrument that accompanied this dance. The hornpipe was performed in 3/2 or 4/4 time and had a characteristic dotted rhythm. Since the dance did not require much space, it was popular with sailors, who danced with folded arms and quickly moving their legs, with a straight body. Examples of hornpipe music that seemed “strange” to 18th century authors can be found in the works of H. Purcell and G. F. Handel. The earliest extant example is the Hornpipe for virginal, composed by Hugh Aston (d. c. 1525).

Chaconne

Spanish dance of the 16th–18th centuries, close to the passacaglia. According to descriptions by authors of the 16th and 17th centuries, the dance came to Spain from the West Indies. In its original form, sensual and temperamental, the chaconne in the 17th century. turned into a slow, stately dance, musically - with variation development based on basso ostinato. In the 17th–18th centuries. it often became the final part of a ballet included in an opera performance, and was performed to music in three-beat time. As a purely instrumental form, the chaconne is a variation on the basso ostinato. The most famous examples of chaconne: the finale of the partita in D minor for solo violin by J. S. Bach, in Handel’s keyboard suites and in the finales of Gluck’s operas Orpheus and Iphigenia in Aulis.

Czardas

Hungarian folk dance in a bipartite meter, consisting of two contrasting parts - a slow melancholy introduction (lassu) and the dance itself, fast and fiery (frisska). Famous examples of csardas are found in Liszt's Hungarian dances and Sarasate's Gypsy chants.

Charleston (Charleston)

A dance in the nature of a fast foxtrot, which originated in the city of Charleston (South Carolina) and in ca. 1925 conquered dance floors around the world. The dance is distinguished by a sharply accentuated rhythm, and when performing the dance, special emphasis is placed on syncopation. The dancers make sharp movements, turning inward and outward on the ball of the foot, and the risky side steps performed are slightly similar to the ancient galliard. The earliest authors of Charleston were North American blacks (Cecil Mack, James P. Johnson, etc.). Erwin Schulhoff, in his Jazz Etudes for Piano (Etudes de Jazz, 1927), introduced the Charleston into professional musical art.

Cha-cha-cha

The dance, which uses the rhythmic structure of the mambo or rumba, was first performed by the Cuban Orchestra América in 1953. The basic time pattern is slow, slow, fast, fast, slow and the last three rhythmic beats corresponding to the syllables "cha-cha-cha". In the first recordings of the dance on records, it was called mamba. The rhythmic section gradually grew in size and the dancers adjusted to the new slow rhythm, doubling the time signature on counts of 4 and 1 and replacing the light hip movements with three steps; after four years, the initial rigidity of the model was overcome, and three steps began to be performed with the typically Cuban sway of the hips. As with most Latin American dances, the charm of the cha-cha-cha lies not in the intricacy of the movements, but in their grace and naturalness.

Schottish (Scottish dance)

A 19th century dance reminiscent of a polka. Derived from the Scottish circle dance, which was famous in Germany. It is sometimes confused with the ecosaise (also a Scottish dance); At first the Schottish was 3/4 in size, and after 1800 it was 2/4.

Estampie, or estampida

Medieval instrumental form and dance from Provence. The medieval author Johannes de Groheo mentions a stantip, perhaps a Latinized name for an estampida. Each stantipa consisted of a number of “points” (puncti): each punctum (point - a term borrowed from rhetoric) consisted of two parts with the same beginning (apertum) and different endings (clausum). An addition to the stantipe, according to Groheo, was the ductia, which also consisted of “dots”, to which they danced. The most famous example of estampi is Rambautz de Vaqueiras' Kalenda Maya, a charming melody borrowed from an earlier estampi. Since most surviving estampies are dance examples, estampies can be considered one of the main dances of the Middle Ages.