Dancing Around the World ~
Western Europe
Western Europe
Medieval Dance
Western European Dance can trace its roots back to Medieval Times. The farandole, or chain dance was performed by the elite upper classes. Today, it is still seen in many celebrations worldwide. Take a look at this farandole at a recent French festival.
Renaissance Court Dance
As we move into the Renaissance, court dances become popular with the upper classes and stay popular until the mid- 19thC. Take a look at various court dances below and then compare their direct influence on American square dancing.
The Waltz
After studying court dances, once clearly sees the same steps used in waltzes but now we see dancers moving with the strong rhythm of the usual 3/4 time signature. The waltz was also performed by the cultured upper classes.
Irish Dance
While court dances and waltzes dominated the upper class ballrooms of Western Europe, a completely different dance style was developing amongst the working class, especially in deeply traditional Ireland. Check out the video below that introduces us to Irish step dancing, then watch how popular society embraces this particular dance style.
Irish step dancing became very popular in America in the early 1990s but it had been around long before that. Watch the videos below and see how Irish step dancing directly influences Appalachian Clogging and tap dancing.
The Age of Jazz
If you have to ask what jazz is,
you'll never know.
~ Louis Armstrong
As society becomes more risqué with the World Wars shattering social rules, we see formal dances give way to a high energy dance to accompany the newly accepted Jazz music. Jazz dance moves are clearly influences by the African culture. The music, dance and literature of the Harlem Renaissance washed over all young generations regardless of race. Jazz dominates the social and pop scene from the 1920's through the mid-1930's.
If a guy's got it, let him give it. I'm selling music, not prejudice.
~ Benny Goodman
Swing Dance
Around the early 1930's Jazz music begins to evolve; it develops a strong syncopated rhythm, becoming what we now refer to as Swing Music. Jazz dance moves had to accommodate the "swing" now heard in the music. Orchestras dropped string instruments and focused on wind and brass instruments and allowed for more improvisation with up to three players improvising at one time. This allowed the dancers to improvise as well. Swing dance is simply a bunch of different steps put together in an improvised way. Swing steps, like Jazz remained lively and the center of gravity was kept low but partners had to keep more contact with one another to allow for the "whipping" action of the moves. This lead the older generations to dislike Swing Culture even more than the previous Jazz Age which, of course, solidified its popularity with the youth of the day. Swing music quickly developed its own dance, style of clothing, even lifestyle. The Swing Youth was, in essence, the first hipster generation.
I wasn't making it with the violin because I was playing all of the "long hair stuff."
~Louis Prima
Swing and the Nazis
The Third Reich had no place for jazz music, dance not culture and this included Swing. Yet, despite this, many young Germans, including German Jews, became avid Swing fans. They were called, Swingjugend, The Swing Youth. Swing to them meant more than music and dance; it stood for a life full of freedom, choice, peace and multiculturalism, exactly what Hitler and the Nazis stood against.
To read more about how the Swingjugend presented a front against the Nazis, click HERE.
Swing music and dance remained popular through World War II. However, it was difficult to gather an entire band as many men were fighting, besides the fact that money was scarce and spending it on band ensembles was considered frivolous. The Swing culture continued with 3- and 5-man bands but even that was difficult because in 1942 and 1948 there was a muscisians' strike that prevented musicians from recording. By the time the strike ended, Swing had lost popularity as the new sound of blues and bebop were ushering in rock and roll.