With a wide range of styles and moves, there are endless possibilities when it comes to popular dances. Some are more complicated, while others are simpler and easy to learn. Many of the most well-known dances are accompanied by music, which adds to the enjoyment and allows people to express themselves through their movements.
The 1920s saw the rise of jazz and dance culture, with many iconic dances coming out of this era. The lindy hop, for example, is a couples dance that has many twists and turns. Another notable dance of the era is the Charleston, which has dancers stepping backward and forward while kicking one leg out to the side.
In the 1990s, country line dancing exploded, with songs like Billy Ray Cyrus’s Achy Breaky Heart inspiring young kids to form groups and strut their stuff on the dance floor. Other fads included the hand jive, which was probably invented out of necessity when dance floors got too crowded to do anything else. Developed around the same time as the spin and twirl, the hand jive is a series of circular strut-walking motions done with clapping hands and fist-rolling.
The Macarena became a huge hit in the 1980s, though it is widely believed that Los del Rio didn’t actually perform the dance they’re famous for in their video. But the latin clave beat-powered one hit wonder by Bayside Boys was still plenty of fun and had everybody from college students to soldiers doing their best version of the dance.
