Dance is a universal art form that’s used to celebrate, tell a story, express emotion, and much more. Some dances reach global prominence and then vanish into obscurity, while others endure for decades or even centuries, sometimes being reinvented with new moves or styles as times and music change. Some are fads that simmer in underground dance scenes before getting the spotlight from famous people, songs, or videos, while others are well-known to almost everyone who’s ever seen them.
Some dances are part of a specific style or genre, such as performance dance, which is choreographed and performed to set music, or ballet, a graceful dance form that’s been around for centuries. Others have reached popularity due to a specific time period or a particular type of music, such as jazz or hip-hop.
Depending on the genre, dances can also be either partner or solo, and may be of freestyle or structured style. Some are known for a single step pattern (like the Dougie or the Shimmy), while others are recognized by a full-length routine that is usually named after its creator (the Charleston, the Jitterbug, and the Suzie Q).
Other popular dances include swing dancing, which gained momentum during the ’20s thanks to the popularity of swing music and Charles Lindbergh’s historic transatlantic flight. A couple of other dances that came out of this era include the Lindy hop and the group-swinging conga line. The latter was particularly popular in the ’40s when Latin American stars like Desi Arnez and Xavier Cugat appeared in Hollywood musicals.
