Dance Introduction

Many young people who are interested in dance as a career think about performing first of all but there are a wide variety of jobs that are connected to dance in some way. Dance is part of the UK's cultural industries who employ over 1 million people and generate over £100 billion a year and have a growth rate of 16% a year. So there are many opportunities within the dance sector. The main ones are performing, teaching, choreography, community dance and administration/ management.

However, there are many other types of jobs related to dance in areas such as costume, technical aspects of theatre, journalism, therapy and notation. It is also important to remember that there is a rich variety of dance styles in the professional dance world including classical ballet, contemporary dance, modern dance in musicals, African and Asian dance styles, street dance and they all appear on television, in videos as well as live in theatres.

Many dance specialists have a variety of dance related jobs through their careers or combine several at once in what is called a "portfolio" career. Some performers for instance, dance with a company, occasionally choreograph a dance piece, teach and work on projects in schools and colleges. Therefore, most people who make a living in the dance industry need to be very well trained in at least one aspect of dance and have a range of other skills that enable them to be flexible and adapt to varied work situations.

One of the most important elements though for a successful career in dance is commitment and determination to succeed. Most fields in dance are highly competitive and often just being talented is not enough. You need a thorough training, to know how to keep yourself up to date with the latest developments, be healthy and highly motivated. However, there is work for well trained professionals and good dance graduates.

WHAT IS DANCE

Dance (from French dancer, perhaps from Frankish) generally refers to movement used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting.

It is the expression of soul through lines of the body and pure movement. It's the visceral thrill of blood pumping faster and heart thumping harder -- leaping higher, reaching farther-- and by gum, it's a dad-burned way to keep a body fit!

Dance is also a road that can quickly lead to injury if the body is not treated properly. A dancer often dances for the love of the movement, for the quest after physical perfection, putting in long hard hours in order to become professional. However, one must care for the body and its needs and limitations, or too much practice can be too much of a good thing.

Different types of dance emphasize different movements and techniques. Ballet, which serves as a foundation for all types of motion, consists of a set of mandatory positions and steps; while there are various techniques and styles of ballet, exacting foot work and rigid posture are always required.

Modern dance, which emerged around the turn of the century, was created as a reaction against the artificial moldings of ballet, instead emphasizing the fluidity, (or lack of fluidity), of movement over set and static positions. Modern dance tends to emphasize the flexibility of the torso, along with the rest of the body.

Jazz combines the same strength and stretch of ballet with the non-traditional movements of modern. Other types of dance, such as tap and folk, use the body in even different ways, but the above three are the most likely to engage the entire body.

Though the various forms of dance may utilize different techniques and movements, there are certain laws governing the body which are universal and must be obeyed in order to reap benefits from dance, instead of pain.

This short write-up intends to demonstrate the positive aspects of dance from a health perspective, and dispel bad practices which could end the dancing days of both the amateur and professional dancer.

Dance can be directly participatory, social or performed for an audience. It can also be ceremonial, competitive or erotic. Dance movements may be without significance in themselves, such as in ballet or European folk dance, or have a gestural vocabulary/symbolic system as in many Asian dances. Dance can embody or express ideas, emotions or tell a story.

Choreography is the art of creating dances, and the person who does this is called a choreographer.


ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF DANCE

Dance does not leave behind clearly identifiable physical artifacts such as stone tools, hunting implements or cave painting. It is not possible to say when dance became part of human culture. Dance has certainly been an important part of ceremony, rituals, celebrations and entertainment since before the birth of the earliest human civilizations. Archeology delivers traces of dance from prehistoric times such as Egyptian tomb paintings depicting dancing figures from circa 3300 BC and the Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka paintings in India.

One of the earliest structured uses of dance may have been in the performance and telling of myths. Before the introduction of written languages, dance was one of the methods of passing these stories down from generation to generation.

Another early use of dance may have been as a precursor to ecstatic trance states in healing rituals. Dance is still used for this purpose by cultures from the Brazilian rainforest to the Kalahari Desert.

A Sri Lankan dance goes back to the mythological times of aboriginal yingyang twins and "yakkas" (devils). According to a Sinhalese legend, Kandyan dances originate, 2500 years ago, from a magic ritual that broke the spell on a bewitched king. Many contemporary dance forms can be traced back to historical, traditional, ceremonial, and ethnic dances.


DANCING AND MUSIC

Many early forms of music and dance were created and performed together. This paired development has continued through the ages with dance/music forms such as: Jig, Waltz, Tango, Disco, Salsa, Electronica and Hip-Hop. Some musical genres also have a parallel dance form such as Baroque music and Baroque dance whereas others developed separately: Classical music, Classical ballet.

Although dance is often accompanied by music, it can also be presented independently or provide its own accompaniment (tap dance). Dance presented with music may or may not be performed in time to the music depending on the style of dance. Dance performed without music is said to be danced to its own rhythm.