Social dance

Social dance is a category of dances that have a social function and

context. Social dances are intended for participation rather than
performance and can be led and followed with relative ease. They are
often danced merely to socialise and for entertainment, though they
may have ceremonial, competitive and erotic functions.

Many social dances of European origin are in recent centuries

partner dances (see Ballroom dance) but this is quite rare elsewhere,
where there may instead be circle dances or line dances, perhaps
reserved for those of a certain age, gender or social position.
A Social Dancing or Ballroom
Dancing group class taught at the
Contents Arthur Murray Dance Studio in The
Woodlands, Texas.
Social dance in the west
20th century America

References Further
reading

Social dance in the west

Eighteenth-century social dance. Translated caption: A
cheerful dance awakens love and feeds hope with lively Khigga is the most common social folk dance
joy, (Florence, 1790) among Assyrian people.

The types of dance performed in social gatherings

change with social values. Social dance music of the
14th century has been preserved in manuscript, though
without proper choreography, for dances such as the
ballo, carol, stampita, saltarello, trotto and roto. The 15th
century is the first period from which written records of
dances exist. A manuscript from Brussels highlights the
Burgundian court dance, which spread all over Europe,
referred to as the basse dance in which a large group
perform a series of steps in triple time. Italian courts
danced balli, with a wide array of choreographed
rhythms, steps and positions for the dancers. These were
documented in instruction books written by the dance masters who choreographed them for the courts.

Social dances of lower classes were not recorded until the Late Renaissance. According to Richard Powers,
courtiers in the late 16th century continually had to "prove themselves through their social skills, especially
through dance." Recorded social dances of the late 16th century include the pavane and the Canary dance.
Thoinot Arbeau's book Orchésographie describes peasant branles as well as the 16th century basse danse and
la volta. The peasants from the countryside supplied new dances to the court as the old ones' novelty wore out.
During the Baroque Era court balls served to display social and the Gavotte gained popularity. Balls often
status. A formal ball opened with a branle in which couples ended with an English country dance. France
stood in a line in order of their place in the social hierarchy, gained a pre-eminence in dance, but the
the most highly regarded couples dancing first. The Menuet French Revolution created a shift away from
 formality.

During the Regency Era, from 1811 to 1830, the Quadrille

Play media Scottish country dancing

became the most popular dance in England and France.

The Quadrille consisted of a large variety of steps that
skimmed the ground, such as chassé and jeté. Most other
dances of this era, such as the Mazurka, were performed in
lines and squares.

The waltz, which arrived in Britain toward the end of the Napoleonic Wars, was a partner dance in which
partners danced more closely than had previously been considered acceptable. In the waltz, neither partner led.
Individuals danced as equals, which was new at the time. The Polka was another dance that arose during this
time in which partners were scandalously close. According to Powers, the dances of this time were "fresh,
inventive, youthful, and somewhat daring," which mirrored society at the time.

20th century America

Towards the end of the 19th century, Americans

were tiring of the court dances of their
grandparents' era. In the early 20th century,
Americans began pairing Victorian dances such
as the Two-Step with Ragtime music. Other
dances included the African American
Cakewalk, and animal dances such as the Turkey
Trot. The most popular social dance of the time
was the One-Step. The dance consisted of
couples taking one step on each beat of the
music, so even beginners could participate.
Play media Contra dancing in the
Rock 'n' roll in the 1950s brought about a shift in United States
social dancing toward rebelliousness. This shift
was seen especially in teenagers who did not want to dance the same steps that their parents did. The dancing
was mostly swing based but had a variations in different regions. Couples began dancing as individuals for the
first time, sending the message that there did not have to be a leader and a follower.

Questions and Answers

1. Which ballroom dance was thought to stand for freedom of expression and movement?
A. Waltz
B. Swing
C. Cha-Cha
D. Fox Trot
 
2. Which ballroom dance has forms such as "traveling", "social" and "on the spot"?
A. Belly Dance
B. Foxtrot
C. Tango
D. Rumba
 
3. What century did Jazz dance originate in?
A. 8th
B. 19th
C. 21st
D. 16th
 
4. In Medieval times, how was music for English circle dances produced?
A. Dancers Sang
B. Audience Clapped
C. Audience Sang
D. Guitar
 
5. Where did Bhangra dance originate?
A. Northern Europe
B. Eastern South America
C. Southeast Asia
D. Southwest United States
 
6. In primitive dance, body and hand gestures were primarily used for what purpose?
A. To Show Affection
B. To Demonstrate Inner Struggle
C. To Pray For Rain
D. To Pass Down Stories
 
7. How were moves from ancient Egyptian dances named?
A. For Various Gods
B. For The Person Who Made Them
C. For The Gesture They Imitate
D. For Political Leaders
 
8. Which of the following is not a Viennese Waltz step, or figure?
A. Backwards Twirl
B. Forward Change Step
C. Left Whisk
D. Natural Turn
 
9. In the early 20th century, how did belly dancing evolve to meet Western and European expectations?
A. Became More Sexualized
B. Incorporated Singing
C. Dancers Wore More Clothes
D. Incorporated Musical Instruments
 
10. How was the Samba first officially introduced in the United States?
A. By Street Musicians
B. By Radio Broadcast
C. It Was Born In New York
D. In A Play
 
11. Which of these was not one of the principal Irish dances during the 16th century?
A. Irish Hey
B. Rinnce Fada
C. Trenchmore
D. Veil Dancing
 
12. What type of reception did "swing", particularly the "Lindy", receive from dance teachers?
A. Very Positive
B. Negative
C. Neutral
D. Mostly Positive
 
13. Who created the dance called "Western Swing"?
A. Bob Wills
B. Sharon Stone
C. Harrison Ford
D. Martha Stewart
 
14. What type of dance was introduced by Merce Cunningham in the 1960's?
A. Clogging
B. Jitterbug
C. Line Dance
D. Postmodern Dance
 
15. How did missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands view Hula dancing?
A. As Interesting
B. As Boring
C. As Evil And Wrong
D. As Fun To Watch

References
1. Origins (http://www.earthlydelights.com.au/history2.htm) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/
20071121061353/http://www.earthlydelights.com.au/history2.htm) 2007-11-21 at the Wayback
Machine
2. Dance Terminology Notebook. Skippy Blair. 1994. Altera Publishing. page 65. ISBN 0-932980- 11-2.
3. Jonas, Gerald. Dancing (1 ed.). Abrams Books. pp. 108–126. ISBN 9780810927919.
 4. Powers, Richard. "Brief Histories of Social Dance" (https://socialdance.stanford.edu/Syllabi/da
nce_histories.htm). Social Dance at Stanford. Stanford University. Retrieved 2015-04-29.

Further reading
Wallace, Carol McD.; et al. (1986). Dance: a very social history (http://cdm16028.contentdm.ocl
c.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15324coll10/id/58994). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of
Art. ISBN 9780870994869.

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