Social dancing: why “go away” is gaining more and more fans. Beyond Social Dancing Etiquette

Dance is not just a set of movements. This is a kind of game whose rules are dictated by music. The rhythm of the composition creates the mood and tells you how to move. A dancing person is truly happy, because he knows how to express his emotions and share them with others.

Perhaps someone now sighed sadly and regretted that he could not dance. No problem! Social dancing will come to the rescue. What is it, where is it taught, and is it possible to start practicing if you have never danced in your life? - “Easy Useful” will tell you.

What dances are called social?

Social dances are pair dances that have main goal communication and interaction with a partner. You probably already guessed that the language of communication here is movement.

This type of dance came to us from America, where social dance, or “descended”, as they are called for short in Russia, became widespread since the 20s-30s of the last century. The emergence of this trend was due to the fact that young people became bored with ballroom dancing, because achieving mastery required a lot of time and effort. In addition, young people did not want to limit their freedom to a certain set of movements, so they began to be attracted to ethnic Latin American and African dances, which allow improvisation and do not require precise movements.

Young people gathered at dance parties, where there was a lot of communication and fun. The warm atmosphere was conducive to relaxation; no one monitored the correct movements of neighboring couples, because the main goal was relaxation, making new acquaintances and enjoying the movement.

Social dance is directed not outward, but inward; it is performed not for the audience, but for oneself.

Where to begin?

Social dance, as we have already noted, is a pair dance. However, this does not mean that you need to come to class with a partner. The first thing you need to do is gather your thoughts, cast aside all doubts and come to a dance studio class. They definitely won’t leave you there without a partner.
Learning to dance is not difficult. You just need to learn the basic steps and a couple of movements, the rest is a matter of improvisation. The main thing is consistency and regularity of classes. At your first training session, it may seem like nothing is working, especially if you compare yourself to experienced dancers. However, already the second or third time you will “catch the wave” and be able to relax, enjoying the movement.

4 Interesting Facts About Social Dancing

To better understand the essence of the descendant, it is worth revealing in more detail some of its interesting features.

Where to go to dance

Amateur clubs social dancing open in all major cities. However, residents of small towns also have the opportunity to try the new kind recreation. You can start dancing came down:

• Group classes in the studio. This best option, since lessons with a specialist in a group provide invaluable experience in dancing with new people.
• On individual lessons. Their cost is higher, but this training option is also available and is gaining popularity.
• At home, watching videos on the Internet or on DVD. The advantage of this form of training is that you don’t have to go or travel anywhere. This is also suitable for those who are embarrassed to dance in front of other people. But there are also disadvantages: no one evaluates your progress from the outside and points out possible mistakes. And most importantly: you are deprived of communication, and this is no less important component came down better than the dance itself.

No matter how you begin to learn social dancing, learning the basic movements will take from a week to a month, depending on your diligence.
And then the fun begins! In a city where there is at least one studio, they definitely hold dance parties certain types of dance. The most common of them are Latin American. At such parties you can relax, dance to your heart's content and relieve stress for the benefit of your body.

Popular social dance styles

The dance styles of the descendants are very diverse, but the most common among them are the following styles:

What are the benefits of social dancing from a psychological point of view?

Social dancing is not just about entertainment - it is actively used to solve some psychological problems:

• help to gain self-confidence;
• allow you to establish communication, including with the opposite sex;
• promote personal growth;
• relieve stress;
• develop initiative and creativity.

If you want to relax, meet new people, get in shape or forget about your problems, take up social dancing. Life will definitely begin to play with new colors!

And what is it?

Is social dancing something about social security and pensioners?

Of course not.

Nowadays it is customary to call “social” large group dances of different origins, which are danced for communication, relaxation and maintaining social connections.

The peculiarity of paired social dances is that they can be performed by non-professional dancers with any partner. In this case, the problem of improvisation and leading-following becomes especially important.

The term “social dance” (social dance, in the Russian version – “soushl”, sometimes “social”) has been used in the works of English-speaking researchers since the 60s of the 20th century.

What types of dances are there, besides social ones?

• Ritual – most often it’s about religion;
• sports - this is about various competitions, including championships in ballroom dancing and acrobatic rock and roll;
• stage - ballet and performances on stage;
• others.

Social dancing – what exactly is it and how to understand it?

There are many social dances, so there are different classifications. Most often they are divided

by number of performers.

And then they can be

solo– such as club solo dances,

paired– like the vast majority of social dances,

collective– Rueda de Casino, Square and others.

by origin dances are very different.

European– country dance, waltz, polka, Irish set dances, Spanish flamenco.

North American— West Coast swing, Lindy hop, street dance, house dance, break dance, hustle, twerk.

Latin American— salsa, bachata, merengue, Cuban types of rumba, Brazilian samba, Argentine tango.

Zouk and kizomba, popular in Portuguese-speaking countries, have African roots.

We have not listed all genres here.

Isn't this ballroom dancing? What's the difference?

In Russia, ballroom dancing is considered a sport. Their peculiarity is clearly developed rules for performing individual elements, the presence of categories that are awarded to athletes depending on the results of competitions and age, as well as a dense network of tournaments in which they must constantly participate. The life of a person who is seriously involved in ballroom dancing is similar to the schedule of a tennis player: missing one or more tournaments can lead to the dancer dropping out of the elite forever.

At the same time, ballroom dancing, studied in the format of a hobby club, that is, not for competition, but “for oneself,” can be classified as social. But at the same time, you need to understand that in the studios where they teach “ballroom Latin”, they will study exactly those genres that are provided for in the ballroom program. But salsa, and even more so various American street genres in ball program never entered and never enter. And, for example, sports tango - on the competitive floor - and social tango - at milonga parties - look very different.

The task of a dancer-athlete is to move according to the rules, demonstrate speed and range of motion. The task of a social dancer is to enjoy dancing, moving beautifully, safely and competently - so as not to get injured himself or inflict it on his partner.

IN last years In Russia, various competitive forms are appearing - championships, marathons - in social genres. But where we are talking about truly social dancing, such events are one-time in nature and are used for popularization. Such competitions are not at all similar to the dense grid of ballroom tournaments, when competitions are held almost weekly.

In addition, in American street genres (hip-hop, house, breakdancing) there is a special competitive form - dance battles - a competition between groups in improvisation with victory awarded by the decision of the audience. Sometimes they try to conduct battles in other dance genres.

You mentioned tango there. How can you tell the difference between soul and sport?

At the place of execution. Competitions or preparation for them means sport. Rest means soul.

In most countries where the tradition of performing social dances is original, it is something like modern folklore. If not everyone, then many people dance them, more often since childhood. Social dancing is performed in cafes, on the streets, at concerts, and at special parties.

By the way, for those who don’t remember, there were dance floors in the USSR, and back in the 50s our grandmothers danced quite en masse - in the villages they danced square dances, and in the cities - waltzes, and even tangos with foxtrots.

There are no championships. What instead of them?

In addition to regular activities in dance school, as well as parties, social dances, festivals or congresses are organized.

A typical dance convention schedule is several days (a weekend or more) of workshops during the day and parties at night. Sometimes parties begin with concerts with live performances of music from relevant genres.

Unlike the usual concerts of classical or pop music, during which the audience sits passively in the hall, on dance festivals under live music dancing.

Information about some Russian dance congresses can be found in articles from the Salsa Encyclopedia.

When did this all start?

Encyclopedia Britannica uses the term social dance to refer to European court dances (court dances) as well as later Spanish salon dances (los bailes de salon). Thus, the ability to dance, which was prescribed to the nobility by social etiquette, high society balls, etc., can also be classified as social dancing.

Is it true that you don’t need to learn social dancing?

Alas, it is necessary. Since we are not Spanish or Latin American and have not danced since childhood, we still have to study.

We can only be glad that these are not old times and we don’t need dancing for balls, where the whole society can discuss “how he gave his hand”, “how she placed her foot”, and who is not keeping score.

And then, you know, in Pushkin’s times in Moscow there were famous classes of the dance master Karl Ivanovich Yogel. And you could study there for ten years.

Okay, we convinced you. Where to find a partner?

Is it necessary to search? In paired social dancing there are no permanent pairs, and the teaching is set up to teach you how to dance with any partner.

Yes, in some schools, especially in small towns, where boys are still reluctant to go to dances, the rule “sign up for classes as a couple” remains, but it is not universal.

If you were not warned about the need for a pair, just come to school. Even if there are a little more girls, the pairs in classes still change periodically. And sometimes (shhh!) there are even more boys in classes than girls.

Social dances are now called pair dances, in which the main thing is communication between partners. In fact, this is another language in which you can talk to each other - not with words, but with movement.

Initially, when they arose, all dances were social in one way or another - even those that now belong to. So there is no impassable border between them, especially since in social dances, shows of pre-prepared dance numbers are now held and staged.

But still, first of all social dance is a dance not for the audience, but for oneself, born spontaneously and sometimes even unexpectedly, as a way to relax and express oneself, to enjoy music, movement and communication with each other.

social couple dances

Social dancing is usually fairly easy to get started with - you just need to learn the basic step and basic movements, although if you wish, you can continue to improve throughout your life: they never get boring because they are never repeated.

Even the same set of movements, but performed with a different partner and to different music, will generate new dance, unlike all the others.

Apparently, all this taken together contributed to the great popularity of social couple dances
Over the past hundred years, a huge number of styles, directions and forms of social pair dances have been born.

What do different types of social couple dances have in common?
• all of them are created primarily for partners to enjoy dancing together;
• they are danced at any holidays, discos, parties and generally anywhere where suitable music is played;
• they can be danced with anyone trained this style a partner (and sometimes even an untrained one);
• The dance is based on improvisation from an existing set of elements;
• dance can arise spontaneously and exists only “here and now”, for this partner, to this music, with this mood;
• this dance cannot be repeated.

What's different about various directions social couple dances?
• music;
• history of occurrence;
• the main step and components of the dance;
• the nature of the dance and the social context.

social couple dances

social dancing on the island

You can go to one group or several, just go basic course or practice constantly - in general, any path into the world of social dancing that you choose is open to you.

But since social dancing is not only dancing, but also communication - then your stay on the “Island” will probably not be limited to classes: after all, there are also trips to clubs and discos,

Modern social dancing is not just a beautiful action, but also a hobby, useful exercise stress And great wayпознакомиться. In this collection we want to tell you about the nine most popular social dances that anyone can learn.

1. Swing

Swing originated in the southern United States in the 1920s during the popularity of jazz - it was often danced to the compositions of Louis Armstrong. At that time in America there were no original musical and dance styles, and jazz with the swing that grew out of it became the first manifestations of native American culture. It was first danced in Harlem, the first swing dance was called the Charleston and was performed without a partner - the dancers simply sharply kicked their legs out with their heels, which was reminiscent of traditional dances of African peoples. Little by little, the Charleston transformed directly into swing: the figures became smoother, they danced in pairs - the partner held the partner’s hands.

Dynamic and beautiful swing danced in clubs all over the country, and own style was in almost every city. The figures and techniques of dancing changed over time, new trends gradually appeared: Lindy Hop, Bilboa, and much later - boogie-woogie and rock and roll.

Modern swing is characterized by very fast and smooth kicking, high plasticity and emotionality. The partner plays a “leading” role; he directs the movements of the partner, who is required to be sensitive and able to adapt to the partner. The dance is based mainly on improvisation - freedom of movement is not limited by practically anything except jazz musical rhythm. The swing is usually rehearsed only before competitions.

There is a swing school in almost everyone big city peace. There are international competitions where the so-called “ballroom swing” is most often performed. It is characterized by clear, smooth, interconnected movements and bright dance composition, as in the video below.

2. Argentine tango

Argentine tango first appeared in Argentina and Uruguay in the late 19th century. Oddly enough, it was danced in brothels and gambling establishments, where men spent their time searching for affordable entertainment, women and dubious romance.

The morals of that time were quite strict, so decent women could not even allow their partner to put his hand on their back - this was already considered reprehensible. Therefore, prostitutes were the first to dance tango. Tango was characterized by close embraces, intertwining legs, grabbing, stroking and flirtatious glances, all of which contained an overt hint of obscenity. Of course, women did not dance for free, and soon men began to get together and practice on their own.

Tango gained widespread popularity almost half a century after its inception. The young men taught dance, although less explicit, to their girlfriends and relatives. From Latin America tango came to Europe, where it acquired its modern form.

Nowadays, dance is characterized by passion, close contact between partners, and fast movements. The main role is assigned to the woman - all complex figures such as throwing out legs, turns and steps fall to her lot, the partner for the most part only supports. Argentine tango is popular all over the world. There are a huge number of styles, the most common of which are milonga, salon and liso. Improvisation plays a very important role in this dance. However, at international competitions held in all parts of the world, it is considered that a truly beautiful and professional dance must be rehearsed.

3. Viennese Waltz

Contrary to its name, the Viennese waltz did not appear in Vienna, but in Germany, and a very long time ago - the first mention of it dates back to the 12th century. It is believed that it was then that Bavarian peasants began to dance a similar dance. Later, the fashion moved to France - the appearance of the waltz was described in the Parisian newspaper La Patrie in 1559. Beautiful dance very soon gained popularity among the aristocracy - there are engravings and paintings depicting couples dancing the Viennese waltz, the most famous of which shows the young Queen of England Elizabeth I flying above the floor in the arms of the Earl of Lancaster.

The main difference between the Viennese waltz and the classical one is that it is somewhat more dynamic and is performed to faster, albeit smoother, music. Like all waltzes, this dance is performed in three quarters, that is, there are three steps per measure. The man plays the leading role - he serves as support and support for his partner, whose back is slightly tilted back in the shape during the dance. Viennese Waltz- the dance is smooth, without sharp turns and tilts - it creates the feeling that the dancing couple seems to be soaring above the ground.

The dance is not so easy to perform, at least to learn how to dance it beautifully, you will need long training and good plastic. The Viennese Waltz is one of the five dances in the European program, which says a lot.

4. Zouk

Zouk originated in the Caribbean in the 1980s. The word “zouk” is translated from the French Creole language as “party” - initially zouk was danced at parties and discos. As dance developed, numerous schools opened and new directions emerged. The music to which the zouk is danced can include African, Brazilian motifs, elements of flamenco and other musical styles. Zouk gained the greatest popularity in French-speaking countries.

Unlike most Latin American dances, zouk does not have overt eroticism and sharp dynamic movements; it is performed to slow “dramatic” music, the dancers move smoothly and very plastically. Zouk is characterized by tenderness, humility, slight sadness and sensuality. In principle, dancing it is quite simple, no special preparation is required, and anyone can take part in the competition by simply submitting an application. Of course, a couple of “masters” who practice zouk professionally will benefit, but this area is also accessible to beginners.

5. Merengue

Merengue, both music and dance, originates from the Dominican Republic. The ancestor of the merengue is considered to be the tumba dance, which is not encountered so often - it is very complex and is not suitable for the main purpose of social dancing - entertainment and communication. A relatively simple merengue, which does not require memorizing and reproducing complex figures, quickly fell in love with young people and soon penetrated most Dominican parties. Now merengue is most popular in Latin America and the USA. Most of the performers live there.

Merengue is performed to fiery dynamic music, where the main accompanying instrument is the accordion. The contact of partners in the dance is minimal - both men and women dance it “solo”, rarely touching and mostly with their hands. Close physical contact is not typical for merengue - both partners make a large number of movements: rotation of the body, movement of the shoulders at a stunningly fast pace, circular movements of the hips.

Merengue is quite easy to learn on your own - the dance is characterized by improvisation, and you only need to be able to withstand the frantic rhythm. As with all other dances on our list, merengue competitions are held for everyone. Of course, it will be difficult to get into international competitions as a participant, but at amateur competitions it is quite possible to have fun and learn something from others dancing couples.

6. Reggaeton

Reggaeton first appeared in Puerto Rico. Based on the name, the basics musical direction and dance originate from reggae music. Over time, very little remains of classic reggae in reggaeton, but you can hear echoes of techno music, rap, bomba, plena and hip-hop.

This dance is relatively young - it was first danced in the 1990s at discos and parties. The main thing in reggaeton is a strong rhythmic beat; moving to this dynamic, fiery music is extremely easy. This dance also has no obligatory figures, but is characterized by very fast rotation of the hips and stomach and movements of the shoulders at an incredibly fast pace, and these movements are performed by both partners. Another feature of reggaeton is its provocativeness - obvious sexual overtones, challenge, and passion are noticeable in the movements of the partners.

Reggaeton is especially popular in Argentina, where it even hosts and broadcasts friendly competitions.

7. Hustle

Hustle is another disco dance style. It first appeared in Europe and America in the 1960s and immediately gained popularity among young people because it did not require special preparation, was simple to perform, and at the same time beautiful and romantic. Almost any music is suitable for hustle - you just need to feel the rhythm a little, and you can whirl with your partner. The dance appeared in the USSR in the late 1980s. By the way, it is he who is shown in the film “The Beloved Woman of Mechanic Gavrilov.”

In hustle, unlike many of the above dances, there is nothing provocative. His movements are simply six-count steps, inside and outside single turns and not too much contact between his partners. Despite the fact that the hustle was originally a social dance and was invented as a way to have fun and get to know each other, it is currently held sport competitions. There are many in Hustle different directions, but the most interesting is the jack-n-jill hustle: a couple in competition goes out onto the floor and dances an impromptu dance to music unknown to them. The dancer's level is determined by one of five classes - to get the next one, you must participate in competitions and win prizes.

8. Irish set dances

Irish set dancing originated in the 18th century. The cheerful Irish liked the classic French quadrille, which perfectly suited their folk melodies. Quadrille mixed with Irish dances like the reel, hornpipe and jig, and the result was something unimaginable. Over the next two centuries it was danced everywhere: at village festivals, weddings, and in pubs. Gradually, set dances replaced even traditional Irish ceilidhs.

The most amazing thing is that the movements are mainly done only with the legs: all kinds of turns and jumps, sliding steps, sweeps and rapid throws of the legs. At the same time, the body remains calm and hardly moves, and the hands, as a rule, lie on the belt. Irish dancing is a mixture of pride, hot temperament and mischief.

Nowadays set Irish dancing is no longer so popular - you are unlikely to see them at discos - the music is not the same. But there are many championships held around the world, the largest of which are the All-Ireland Championship, the British Championship, the National American Championship and the World Championship. All you need to learn Irish dancing is the ability to keep the rhythm and breathe correctly.

9. Rumba

Rumba was invented, oddly enough, by African slaves who lived in Latin America. Their own culture During the years of slavery, it became closely intertwined with the culture of the Spanish invaders. The word "rumbo" means "fun" in Spanish. Initially, the dance was really dynamic, the music was similar to the famous melody “Cucaracha”. But over time, rumba was divided into two directions - rumba itself and cha-cha-cha.

The dance is characterized by smooth, erotic movements and wide steps of both partners. Rumba is considered a ballroom dance. The main thing here is emotional content, light eroticism and drama. The music is slow and smooth. Sometimes the rumba is even danced at weddings as the first dance of spouses in Latin America - the dance symbolizes family responsibilities and reverent love.

Of course, you can’t dance rumba at discos either, but this dance is popular everywhere modern world. It belongs to ballroom dancing and is one of the five standard Latin American ballroom dancing programs.

Corbis/Fotosa.ru

It is believed that social Latin American dances finally formed by end of the 19th century century. The rhythms of African drums merged with the sound of the Spanish guitar, giving rise to cha-cha-cha, salsa, bachata, merengue and more. The first foreigners to experience the charm of the new styles were American soldiers who landed in Cuba in 1898 during the Revolutionary War. And during Prohibition (1919-1933), when alcohol was banned in the States, Americans became frequent guests on the island. This is how Latin American dances turned from purely Cuban fun into an international cultural phenomenon that is associated with drinking and passions. By the way, this is why they are prohibited in Muslim countries.

“Latin American dances are divided into two camps: ballroom and social,” explains 5 Life school teacher Anastasia Sazonova. “Ballroom is a sport, social is complete freedom.” According to Nastya, social Latin is good first of all because anyone without even minimal physical training can dance it. “These styles are based on pure improvisation,” she explains. - And this means that two strangers can dance together without really caring which of them dances better.” Nastya Sazonova herself has not used dance as a way to make new acquaintances for a long time: she has been friends with her partner Alexander Shcherbakov for many years. At the same time, she has school behind her classical choreography, and Sasha is self-taught. They do not invent new movements, but dance as best they can: son, salsa, merengue, bachata and cha-cha-cha.

The dream is a kind of improvisation of African rumba. For this reason, until the 1910s, the white population of Cuba disdained to perform it. Over time, the main advantage of dance is enough slow pace and a simple rhythmic pattern - appreciated by the broad masses. Now this is one of the most popular dances from a social Latin family.

SALSA

Translated from Spanish, salsa means “sauce.” In essence, salsa is a mix of different music and dance genres from Central and Latin America. The cradle of the sauce, however, is New York, where in the 1960s and 1970s, Cuban immigrants took the son dance as a basis and mixed it with jazz. The authorship of the name is attributed to the king of mambo, the famous American percussionist and vibraphonist Tito Puente.

When performing salsa, you must remember that the upper body is always motionless, only the legs work. But the most important thing is to dance with feeling. In truth, it is impossible to remain indifferent here: the partners are literally pressed against each other, and the dance automatically becomes part of a fleeting (the composition lasts about three minutes), but passionate relationship.

CHA-CHA-CHA

The origin of this dance still raises questions. According to one version, it is related to the ancient guaracha dance, widespread among the peoples of the Caribbean; according to another, it is the fruit of the experiments of the Cuban composer Enrique Horrin, who lived in the middle of the last century. According to the third version, the Englishman Pierre Lavelle created this dance by accident in the 1950s: he saw how the rumba was danced in Cuba and began teaching it in England. However, not really understanding the rumba technique, he taught the English not it, but a completely new dance.

Cha-cha-cha is a very energetic dance. The knees should be straightened with each step, accompanying it with high-amplitude movements of the hips. If you practice cha-cha-cha at least once a week, after a month the result will be noticeable: your legs will become slimmer and disappear. In a programme ballroom dancing It also has its own cha-cha-cha, but it differs from the social version in its more athletic technique.

BACHATA

The word bachata translated from Spanish means “noisy fun.” So in the 1930s they called all holidays indiscriminately in poor neighborhoods of the Dominican Republic. Later they began to call it bachata couples dance, based on the Spanish bolero and Cuban son and performed to sad songs about unrequited love.

Dancing bachata is much easier than, say, salsa or cha-cha-cha: you just need to rhythmically step left and right and back and forth. Close contact with your partner is the main goal of dance. Bachata is performed practically hugging each other, without opening your arms.

MERENGUE

Latin American dance with black roots for a long time was considered bad manners in Cuba's aristocratic circles. In the 19th century they even tried to ban it. The rise of merengue was largely facilitated by the dictator of the Dominican Republic, Rafael Trujillo, who came to power in 1930. For his countless sexual relationships, people nicknamed him El Chivo, that is, “the goat.” Trujillo really liked merengue, during the performance of which no one and nothing stopped him from grabbing his partner by different parts of the body.

There is a saying: “Can you walk? So you can dance the merengue.” As in the case with, it is based on one movement - transferring body weight from foot to foot. Performing the dance does not require a large space - a patch of one square meter is enough.