What styles of dance are there?

Styles of Dance: Matthew Bourne said ‘People strangely revere dance. They see it as another world, and dancers somehow mysterious – just because they don’t speak’

There are so many varying styles of dance from Ballet to Hip Hop to Tap! Here is a list of some of the many dance styles out there: 

• Ballet
• Tap
• Modern
• Jazz
• Street
• Hip Hop
• Lyrical
• Contemporary
• Latin (Jive, Salsa)
• Ballroom (Waltz, Tango)

… The list goes on. Here are some of our favourites and a deeper dive into what they are:

BALLET

Ballet is graceful, elegant, precise whilst also being powerful, strong and energetic. With classical European roots and vocabulary that is French, Ballet dancers will look weightless and effortless as they pull off difficult footwork, turns and elevation.

Ballet takes years to master and every professional Ballet dancer has a lifetime of intense training and dedication behind them.

We think Ballet is the core to all dancing. It builds solid foundations to create the best dancers. Most young dancers who go to ballet classes work towards exams with renowned exam boards such as the ISTD, RAD, BBO and IDTA (to name a few). As well as working towards performances. This is not compulsory for ballet dancers but gives a great sense of achievement and reward.

TAP

Tap dancing started with the relatives of African slaves who were sent to America to harvest and work, they had ways of dancing that came from tribal dances that included lot of stamping and jumps.  As this progressed they started to add different materials to the bottom of their shoes to make louder sounds and TA DA the tap shoe was born!! This has continued to develop to form the tap dancing we know and love today!  

In today’s dance classes there are 2 distinct styles of tap (although Tap can be performed in any style you want) 

Rhythmical & Broadway/ Theatre Tap. 

Rhythmical tap is all in the name, a more percussive style where the main focus is on the sounds you are making. And Broadway/Theatre tap again as you would expect focuses on dancing, travelling around the room more with use of the upper body! 

MODERN 

A very common question people have when starting dance classes is ‘What is Modern?’

And it is a very good question… The ISTD say: “Modern dance is a rhythmic dance style rooted in musical theatre, which originated in America. It is often seen in musical productions and is known for its dynamic theatrical qualities. The style uses travelling steps, high kicks, leaps and turns which all need strength and flexibility. Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing Modern Theatre also incorporates jazz, lyrical and contemporary dance styles into its examination syllabus. Modern Theatre Dance defies a single permanent definition. This is largely due to its ability to adapt, develop and evolve with the changing fashion in dance.”

As the name suggests Modern dance is constantly evolving in line with current music and choreography. 

STREET

You will have seen Street Dance everywhere, from music videos and reality TV and more recently probably on the popular app TikTok. But what is it exactly?

Street Dance is the umbrella term for a number of dance styles including, but not limited to; Break dancing, Hip Hop, Locking, Popping and House. These are all independent styles in their own right, each with their own history and foundations and all looking very different. The key elements in all to make street dance what it is are; groove, character, creativity and style.  Street dance famously is a competitive style of dance, with frequent battles and competitions. You can compete as a solo or duo or more commonly as a crew! Street dance crews have a strong family bond and learn teamwork skills as well as how to dance. 

Why not come and dance with us?

We would love to welcome you to Rise, so please ask if you have any further questions for us. We have a wide range of dance styles in varying abilities and ages from Baby ballet up to adult street. Check out our website for more information and to book a trial class https://www.rise-studios.com/classes/