Social dance:

• appears in some form in almost every society.
• For many groups it is a part of religious and secular celebrations.
• Serves as a way to perpetuate rituals and customs may be seen as a way for people to express and control their sexuality.
• Provides a way for young people to learn about the behavior expected of them
• A way for people of given society to practice the roles their society has assigned to men and women.

• As universal as moving and dancing are to music, social dancing varies greatly from society to society.
• In some cultures, the movements may be strictly regulated and required extensive training to learn.
• In the Polynesian islands, students spend two hours of their school day receiving instruction from a dance master in the traditional dances of their culture.
• In other cultures certain movements are associated with specific dances, such as the Twist.
• In some cultures an individual’s performance may be free-form, requiring no special training

• In some societies social dance is strictly segregated.
• In some cultures men and women not only dance apart, but in separated places.
• In some cultures men and women dance as couples yet never touch.
• In other cultures, a couple dancing in an embrace is the accepted standard.

• Dances that once scandalized when they first appeared were later viewed as proper in light of new mores.
• The waltz was introduced in the early 19th century and shocked the refined upper classes, who thought that men and women embracing while whirling around the ballroom scandalous.
• In many respects changes in social dancing parallel changes in a society.
• The liberation of women and the increased freedom of individual expression can be seen in changes in social dance.

Nearly every dance on the ballroom floor today was ushered in with wild hysteria and daring, but throughout history those dances that were once shocking have, with time and refinement, evolved into an acceptable mode of expression.

Social dance had its start with the Court Dances when, during the Renaissance period, all the Courts of Europe were trying to outdo each other for the most elaborate ball. Dance masters were hired to dignify many of the peasant dances and teach them to the aristocracy. Even the great masters, Beethoven, Brahms, Strauss, and others wrote special music for these great Court occasions. Exquisite dress and polished manners were the ultimate for any lady and gentleman of the Court. These same elements were part of the military balls and elaborate cotillions of early social dancing in America, and they still appear on a limited scale in the high school proms and formal dances of organized clubs today, although the earlier dances--Polka, Two-step, Waltz, and Minuet--have been replaced by a long line of changing forms in the 20th century.

Parallel with the development of Ballroom Dance in early American was the spread of dance in the tavern and the honky-tonk during the trail-blazing period. Coexistence with alcohol and dance-hall girls give Social Dance, and all levels of society are represented by dancers in those night clubs.

PHASES OF SOCIAL DANCE

Since the 1900s seven periods mark the progress of Social Dance, and each was stimulated or motivated by a new style of music.

• The Fox-trot Period. The Fox-trot had its beginning in the early 1900s as a fast, trotting step to a new jazz beat called "ragtime," and it was destined to undergo numerous transitions as it developed. Novelty dances like the Bunny Hug and the Grizzly Bear rocked the population in an early dance revolution around the time of World War I.
• The Charleston Period. Ushered in by Dixieland jazz was a huge dance fad accompanying the short haircut, the shorter skirt, and the whole flapper style of the Roaring Twenties--the Charleston. Although strenuous and tricky to do, it reappears frequently due to its blend of syncopated beat and action, which has tremendous natural attraction for all ages.
• The Swing Era. The Swing was spearheaded by the big band music of 1930-50, bringing in thousands of tunes that have become classics. During this period, the Fox-trot changed to a beautiful, smooth dance with a multitude of variations. The Waltz took on a new sophistication, and the Lindy, often referred to as the Jitterbug and later as the Swing, found its way deep into the hearts of a dancing public. The Big Apple, the Shag, and the Lambeth Walk were the big fads of the college crowd in 1937, while the new Latin-American dances were setting off still another trend in Social Dance. Everybody was humming a tune. It was a time when song and dance became the milestones for marking important events in people’s lives. Dance studios sprang up everywhere, and large public ballrooms held thousands who were captivated by these toe-tapping, swinging, and swaying melodies.
• The Latin Dance Craze. Although the Tango was a fad in the 1920’s, it has been restyled several times and remains a favorite, even though other Latin dances have overshadowed it at times. In the 1930s, the Cuban Rumba started a whole new trend toward Latin-American dance, simulated by electric Latin melodies. It was followed by the Samba from Brazil, and these two became a sort of slow-fast partnership. During World War 11, the Mambo stirred up the dancing population but was soon replaced by the Cha Cha Cha, the calypso, the Meringue, and a few others that had only brief periods of popularity. Finally, in 1960, came the Bossa Nova, a slower and easier for of the Samba. All during the period of rock that followed, one had to belong to a dance club to have the opportunity to dance the Latin dances to any extent. Now with the big band music back again, the Latinos may see a revival, particularly the Rumba, the Cha Cha Cha, the Bossa Nova, and the Tango, which remained firmly established within the repertory of standard ballroom dances.
• Rock and Roll. The military draft of World War 11 reduced the big bands to small combos of from three to five instrumentalists and a vocalist. The tiny dance floors of the smaller night clubs were crowded, and the mood was rhythm and blues. Later, the younger set began a new style of dance at the coffeehouses and discotheques. The disc jockey and recorded music reigned at these establishments. Rock and Roll was a more syncopated version of the lindy but with greater freedom of the torso, a dropping action in the knees, and numerous swing out patterns. This hysterical fad led, in the 1960’s, into a whole new feeling about dance, which was spread throughout the world. Whereas the body in social dance had generally been used in a single movement with most action in arms an legs and with an emphasis on morals and manners, the active beat of rock music began to demand a freer and more energetic response. Dance from the black culture brought an explosive movement from the pelvic area and the center of the body. Television was the vehicle for disseminating a wide variety of rock variations, starting at first with the low-down, gusty deliverance of Elvis Presley carrying through to the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys. With Rock and Roll dancing the dress code disappeared. A series of dances came and went, starting with Twist, the Slop, the Mashed Potato, the Swim ,the Monkey, the Pony, the Bug, the Frug, the Hitchhiked, the Watusi, the Hully Gully, and the Jerk. Between 1965 and 1975, young people in the US rebelled against the Vietnam War, the establishment, and the traditional values. Small single moving groups performed with a booming beat, discordant effects, and strobe lights. The trend manifested itself through swinging hair, hippie clothing, and a new wave of social mores. The "free" dance , unencumbered by pattern or partner, reflected an age of anxiety, confusion, and affluence. The popularity of Rock and Roll is still strong today.
• Country Western. Songs from the cowboys after the Civil War lingered. Country Western music grew from this beginning and was reinforced with music and folk songs from Appalachia and the Southwest. By the 1930’s this music became wide-spread through the use of radio and became known as country or country western. Country Western dance has developed with the country western music.
• On the dance floor in the 1980’s. With the return of the big bands and partner dancing, popular taste has become full circle. Not too many people can name the step, but they like the rhythms and are comfortable propelling their partner around the dance floor. The 1980s was a period of eclectic dance. Ballroom dancing reflected a national mood, a yearning for order and the " glamour of romance." Young people were interested in what they perceived as a more gracious way of living. Relationships were different. Once again people were dressing the nines and dancing till dawn. The changes in dance styles are intricately connected to the changes in music that people want to hear. The desire for more variety is shown by the greater number of people back on the dance floor. Disco brought back in vogue partners dancing together and it lowered the decibels. Country singer Willie Nelson and rock singer Joe Jackson produced albums that featured the sound of swing. Swing is back, danced to country western, big band sound, rhythm and blues, and rock. Salsa music and the Broadway dance revue El Tango Argentino rekindled an interest in Latin dances. Country western has an array of dances based on ballroom and folk forms. Line dances have also become popular: they offer the opportunity for everyone to dance without a partner. Dance movements stimulated by the musical A chorus line and aerobic and jazzercize classes are seen on the social dance floor too. Break dancing , and acrobatic form coming from the south Bronx, is also a product of the 1980s. The dance soon took off across the country. The rock Steady Crew Breakers had a brief spot in the movie flashdance. Break dancing was a part of the Hip Hop culture that also included graffiti art , rapping, and scratching. The Hip Hop culture was a positive force in staving off boredom and channeling hostilities for black and Hispanic teenagers in the Bronx. It was warmly received because of its antidrug and antiviolence approach. Break dancing comes in three forms: 1.) Breaking, which consists of flashy gymnastics, moves close to the ground such as windmills, head spins, and hand glides; 2.) Electric Boogie--Boogie for short --which looks more like dancing, making fun in a comical way, combining mime, comical positions, and dance steps such as the wave, King Tut, the Pop; and 3.) Uprock, a dancing fight in which dancers are close but do not touch. At first, it was a means of competition between gangs, as opportunity for the macho male to perform a spectator dance. Although it appears improvisational, the moves are well thought out and choreographed; they want the dance to look "smooth." A familiar scene in the big cities is someone carrying large pieces of cardboard or linoleum and the "box" ready to set up on a busy corner. The music is electronic funk, HIP Hop sound with its Machine gun-style chanting.

PHENOMENON OF SOCIAL DANCING

• Strangely enough, in spite of the term Social Dance, it may be and usually is a way of actually being asocial. It is the form of dance where one does not have to mix with others. One can go out for an evening of dancing, perform every dance with the same partner, and remain completely disassociated and private from the others in the crowd
• Unlike what happens in Square or Folk Dance, there is no obligation to be part of the total group. The atmosphere is completely unstructured. One can sit and listen to the music or dance. The movement of any one couple is the interpretation of the man who is leading. His only concern for other dancers is that he tries to make his way around the floor without bumping anyone else. It is perfectly fascinating how hundreds of couples can maneuver in and out and around the dance floor with almost no contact with others, either physically or mentally. Subconsciously, there is a pattern of general consideration for others that exists to keep the atmosphere serene and pleasant.