Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the
body, usually rhythmic and to music,[1] used as a form of
expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or
performance setting.
Dance may also be regarded as a form of nonverbal
communication between humans, and is also performed by other
animals (bee dance, patterns of behaviour such as a mating
dance). Gymnastics, figure skating and synchronized swimming
are sports that incorporate dance, while martial arts kata are
often compared to dances. Motion in ordinarily inanimate
objects may also be described as dances (the leaves danced in
the wind).
Definitions of what constitutes dance are dependent on social,
cultural, aesthetic, artistic and moral constraints and range
from functional movement (such as folk dance) to virtuoso
techniques such as ballet. Dance can be 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.
Dancing has evolved many styles. Breakdancing and Krumping are
related to the hip hop culture. African dance is
interpretative. Ballet, Ballroom, Waltz, and Tango are
classical styles of dance while Square and the Electric Slide
are forms of step dances.
Every dance, no matter what style, has something in common. It
not only involves flexibility and body movement, but also
physics. If the proper physics is not taken into
consideration, injuries may occur.
Choreography is the art of creating dances. The person who
creates (i.e., choreographs) a dance is known as the
choreographer.
