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Dance
Dance is a rhythmic set of steps and body movements that matches the speed and flow of music. Dance exists in many forms, including tap, ballet, hip-hop, jazz, ballroom, and contemporary (Franks, 2021). The thrill that comes along with various types of dance captivates me. The liveliness that is brought by the dance that is absent when music is played without dance is another source of captivation. Dance has also constantly evolved while changing the styles and tricks of movement.
The evolution of dance is vivid when comparing the body movements of the 1950s and that of the 21st century. In the 1950s, dancing styles were very basic and common while lacking creativity (Franks, 2021). Today’s dancing styles involve creative steps and body movements enabled by the rhythms of contemporary music. The 21st dance performance and choreography are more personalized because it is intended to be outstanding, especially for commercialized music (Franks, 2021). I am charmed by various dances but mostly by tap dance which is rooted in a specific culture. The evolution of cultures is also attributed to changes in dances as well as the discovery of others.
Tap dance was started by the American slaves but later grew into a widely performed dance by people from different cultures. Unlike most traditions, dance evolves to accommodate the emerging trends in lifestyles. Consequently, the collaboration of dance with contemporary music gives me the urge of wanting to learn more about the same. I often turn to YouTube to learn more about specific dance types. Learning for me requires paying attention to specific performers, such as tap dancing groups. For example, Riverdance, an Irish theatrical dance group, performs some of the most thrilling tap dances in the industry. I also learn more about dance from the community, dancing friends, and also self-realization.
Realization of Growth
When I first discovered the fun and thrill of tap dance is when I realized my passion for dance. When I was growing up, I knew very little about tap dance, but my love for music led me to discover more about it. All I knew was that dancing was fun, and as long as I could move my body, I could dance to any type of music. Upon learning about the thrill of tap dance, my level of love for dance went high, and my life was never the same again. Before that, I never knew the importance of choreography and creative dance movements. However, with my new interest in tap dance, I realized the need to learn choreography, and I learned a few moves for specific music.
This particular accomplishment led to self-discovery that sparked and changed my life forever. The need to learn more about dance also changed my social circles because I started spending more time with dancers. Learning more dancing skills also requires me to be fit, and so the urge for exercise comes along. I started living a healthier lifestyle filled with happiness from the dance. Tap dancing fits almost all types of music, especially those with the least established beats (Schroeder, 2018). That aspect makes it easy to dance along to songs from various genres and times.
Reflection
After discovering the fun and joy associated with tap dance, I questioned its popularity. When I knew little about tap dance, I had this theory that dance is for older people. I later discovered that younger people perform tap dance across various cultures. However, I wondered why it was less popular compared to other dances, such as ballet. The fact that I did not know the thrill of tap dance for so long prompted the thought of its popularity. After realizing the fun of the dance, I could not keep track of time because I was always glued to devices while watching YouTube videos of different tap dancers. I wondered why I did not discover this fun earlier enough or why I didn’t my friend know about it too.
The outcome of this investigation was that contemporary music has made tap dance less popular. According to tap dancers, tap dancing is about making different sounds to make musical beats (Schroeder, 2018). Unfortunately, contemporary music is created with loud beats, which makes it impossible for the spectators to listen to taps. Tap dance was popular until the 1950s when there was swing music that went well with taps on the floors (Schroeder, 2018). The songs of the time paid much more attention to acoustic than amplification. Today’s music, on the contrary, involves more electrical amplification of sounds, thus reducing the chances of hearing tap sounds.
The sad discovery had me thinking about the contemporary generation with an unimaginable level of creativity. The competition in music today requires outstanding performance, especially for music dance; hence that is a chance to bring back tap dance. As much as today’s dance platform is based on what sells more, less loud music can be made for tap dance. Although such an idea may not be thrilling to most modern musicians, the creativity that comes along with tap dance can make a trend in the music industry.
References
Franks, A. H. (2021). Social dance: A short history. Routledge.
Ethnic and racial formation on the concert stage: A comparative analysis of tap dance and appalachian step dance (Publication No. 1542702604510984) (Doctoral dissertation, The Ohio State University). The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.
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