With so many artists in AW I'd guess a lot of you are dancers of one sort of another, from just jumping up and down or "slow dancing" where couples embrace and just step from foot to foot, to near-pro level.
What do you think the dances of the future will be? A century, a millennia from now? And why?
Here are some of my guesses, but only a few dozen years from now. I'm not brave enough to go further out.
I'd guess that regional dances of different cultures will survive despite the success of any global dances. But they will likely change based on what their dancers see done in other cultures. And maybe travel across the globe far from their origins. As many regional dances have before.
One place where they've traveled to is Britain, which appropriated several, gave them a Brit makeover, and systemized them into the "International" styles. Which are set out in great detail in a set of books, hundreds of patterns with baffling titles. The patterns are organized into Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels. Each pattern has points assigned to them for doing them "right." This makes them ideal for competitions where couples are ranked by points. Several TV shows are based on them. The organization behind them wants to make them Olympic events.
An up-and-coming regional dance style is one I've devoted over a quarter of a century to. It is the Argentine tango (which is as much Uruguayan tango as Argentine, but the A name stuck). It is the exact opposite in many ways to the International styles, because it is completely improvisational. A couple embraces and walks to the music. There is no Basic pattern other than that, though teachers often give beginners a pattern that collects some common moves together. The most-used one is "The Eight-step Basic."
ArTango comes in two versions, show tango and social tango. The first is done by professional dancers in shows, people who are world-class acrobats. They do choreographed routines with lots of split second-timing and fake drama. A link below to a YouTube video shows a prime example of this, the preview of a show called Tango Fire. Social tango is done in a crowd so dancers stay close and don't intrude on other dancers with jumps and kicks and lifts. They do share a lot of common movements with show tango, because show tango grows out of social tango.
Why do I think Argentine tango has a big future? For one thing, it's easy to begin dancing and have fun. Embrace and walk. Add a bit of cat-like style, and you can actually look and feel as if you know what you're doing. Another is that there are lots of free online videos that teach tango, some of them very good. Too, there is a high ceiling of accomplishment if you are into learning more. Lastly, tango shows are beautiful and inspiring, and can easily hook people. I dare you to watch the following video and NOT want to do something like that!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03f7JBZmmqw
Another dance I see as having a big future is Salsa, a version of the Cuban mambo. It has many of the advantages of (what I think of as the REAL) tango. It's easy to pick up, though a little harder because swaying your hips takes a bit of alcoholic loosening up for many gringos. A slower version comes from Colombia - which Colombians will tell you came first. It's called cumbia (which is often done at tango dance parties between tango sets). Here's a link to salsa dancing - in India. Followed by salsa done by kindergartners!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkZoE29Rf4w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwGO_RNnYHc
Solo dancing is very popular and will continue in the future. People don't have to learn to coordinate with a partner as in couple dancing. All you have to do is walk in place, jump, spin, kick, gesture, thrust hips to the sides or front and back, and strike poses. You can do partner dances by mirroring each other, or challenging each other back and forth in "dance battles." There are many dozens of different styles which come into vogue and disappear, maybe to return or merge with other dance styles. Very young kids pick up solo dancing very early and easily. As you can see below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loV4y4uE--g
One popular form is the shuffle. It started with Michael Jackson's moonwalk and added moves. It began in Australia and traveled quickly to Europe, the US, Russia, and China. And even to Iran as seen in the first video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZVXhowPP_I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC5WkYbsw4s
YouTube and the like can spread dance forms and music almost literally overnight all over the planet. Where people buy dance shoes with LED multicolored soles or sides or tops. And in darkened night clubs wield light sticks to accent their dancing.
I'll not be surprised when dancing arrives in the Space Station. And later in the Moon after drones controlled from Earth have created big underground cities complete with power, water, and lots of greenery to help with air production and cleaning.
OK. Your turn to speculate!
What do you think the dances of the future will be? A century, a millennia from now? And why?
Here are some of my guesses, but only a few dozen years from now. I'm not brave enough to go further out.
I'd guess that regional dances of different cultures will survive despite the success of any global dances. But they will likely change based on what their dancers see done in other cultures. And maybe travel across the globe far from their origins. As many regional dances have before.
One place where they've traveled to is Britain, which appropriated several, gave them a Brit makeover, and systemized them into the "International" styles. Which are set out in great detail in a set of books, hundreds of patterns with baffling titles. The patterns are organized into Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels. Each pattern has points assigned to them for doing them "right." This makes them ideal for competitions where couples are ranked by points. Several TV shows are based on them. The organization behind them wants to make them Olympic events.
An up-and-coming regional dance style is one I've devoted over a quarter of a century to. It is the Argentine tango (which is as much Uruguayan tango as Argentine, but the A name stuck). It is the exact opposite in many ways to the International styles, because it is completely improvisational. A couple embraces and walks to the music. There is no Basic pattern other than that, though teachers often give beginners a pattern that collects some common moves together. The most-used one is "The Eight-step Basic."
ArTango comes in two versions, show tango and social tango. The first is done by professional dancers in shows, people who are world-class acrobats. They do choreographed routines with lots of split second-timing and fake drama. A link below to a YouTube video shows a prime example of this, the preview of a show called Tango Fire. Social tango is done in a crowd so dancers stay close and don't intrude on other dancers with jumps and kicks and lifts. They do share a lot of common movements with show tango, because show tango grows out of social tango.
Why do I think Argentine tango has a big future? For one thing, it's easy to begin dancing and have fun. Embrace and walk. Add a bit of cat-like style, and you can actually look and feel as if you know what you're doing. Another is that there are lots of free online videos that teach tango, some of them very good. Too, there is a high ceiling of accomplishment if you are into learning more. Lastly, tango shows are beautiful and inspiring, and can easily hook people. I dare you to watch the following video and NOT want to do something like that!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03f7JBZmmqw
Another dance I see as having a big future is Salsa, a version of the Cuban mambo. It has many of the advantages of (what I think of as the REAL) tango. It's easy to pick up, though a little harder because swaying your hips takes a bit of alcoholic loosening up for many gringos. A slower version comes from Colombia - which Colombians will tell you came first. It's called cumbia (which is often done at tango dance parties between tango sets). Here's a link to salsa dancing - in India. Followed by salsa done by kindergartners!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkZoE29Rf4w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwGO_RNnYHc
Solo dancing is very popular and will continue in the future. People don't have to learn to coordinate with a partner as in couple dancing. All you have to do is walk in place, jump, spin, kick, gesture, thrust hips to the sides or front and back, and strike poses. You can do partner dances by mirroring each other, or challenging each other back and forth in "dance battles." There are many dozens of different styles which come into vogue and disappear, maybe to return or merge with other dance styles. Very young kids pick up solo dancing very early and easily. As you can see below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loV4y4uE--g
One popular form is the shuffle. It started with Michael Jackson's moonwalk and added moves. It began in Australia and traveled quickly to Europe, the US, Russia, and China. And even to Iran as seen in the first video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZVXhowPP_I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC5WkYbsw4s
YouTube and the like can spread dance forms and music almost literally overnight all over the planet. Where people buy dance shoes with LED multicolored soles or sides or tops. And in darkened night clubs wield light sticks to accent their dancing.
I'll not be surprised when dancing arrives in the Space Station. And later in the Moon after drones controlled from Earth have created big underground cities complete with power, water, and lots of greenery to help with air production and cleaning.
OK. Your turn to speculate!
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