Types of Dance - Categories

Here are some of the most popular dance categories and types:

Ballroom Dances
These dances started appearing first in Italy, during the early
years of Renaissance. Popularity of this kind of entertainment
quickly swept over the Europe, United States and the World.
Although many other simpler and more easily preformed types
of dances caused the ballroom dances to lose some of their
influence, modern worldwide dancing audience started
resurrecting these immortal dances in ever increasing pace.
 Waltz - This graceful and slow two person dance was first
introduced in mid-19th century and was greatly popularized
by the music of the famous composer Johann Strauss. Today
this dance represents gold standard and the most famous
dance of the ballrooms around the world.
 Viennese Waltz - Original form of waltz, first performed at
the Italian courts is today remembered as Viennese Waltz. It
differs from the much more famous "English Slow Waltz" by
having much faster 180 beats per minute and was the first
who introduced "closed hold" between performers.
 Tango - Originally created in the Argentinean region of Rio
de la Plata, this dance is today known by many of its
variations (Argentine tango, Uruguayan tango, Finish Tango
and two types of Ballroom tangos - standard and American)
and the fascinating sensual and energetic style.
 Cha-Cha-Cha - This incredibly rhythmic dance created in
Latin America managed to meld together both the slow and
very energetic movements, making it an instant hit among
the dancers around the world.
 Rumba - Popularity of this Cuban dance came from its focus
on sensual hip movements of dance partners. Since its
creation in 1930s many types of Rumba were created, most
notably Cuban Rumba (with the style of the African slaves
which created it), Catalan Rumba (with Spanish flavor),
Flamenco Rumba and African Rumba.
 Samba - Samba is a famous dance and musical genre that
originated form the coast of Africa and land of Brazil. Today
infectious rhythm of Samba is regarded as the national
dance of Brazil, and its famous Brazilian Carnival gathers
millions Samba dance fans every year.
 Mambo - This Cuban dance that accompanies the music of
the same name was introduced in 1930s, and quickly
managed to gain popularity with the exploits of famous
musicians and dancers such as Perez Prado, Benny Moré,
Tongolele, Adalberto Martínez, Rosa Carmina and Lilia Prado.
 Quickstep - Light-hearted and fast movement, powerful
forms and syncopations, represent the core style
characteristics of the Quickstep, one of the most popular
ballroom dances today in the world. Originally developed in
the 1920s dance scene of New York and the Caribbean, as
the combination of the dances such as Charleston, a slow
variation of Foxtrot, Peabody, shag, and one-step. The
smooth and glamorous version of quickstep that is danced
today across the world to 4/4 music beat of 48-52 measures
per minute was standardized in 1927.
  Jive - Jive is one of the five most popular Latin dances and
is also known under the names of swing, boogie or boogie-
woogie. It is considered to be one of the liveliest of all Latin
dances, promoting the happy and bloopy type of
performances, with lots of knee movement and hip rocking.
Its official ballroom jive variation that is commonly danced
at a speed of 176 beats per minute was formalized in the
1990s.
 Bolero - Bolero is an Argentine dance, but it also has
different international variations of the same name coming
from Cuba and Spain. Today’s popular ballroom version of
this dance is based on the Cuban bolero, and it is also
known under the name “rumba”. This 2/4 or 4/4 music with
a tempo of around 120 beats per minute that is well known
all around the world.

African-American and Traditional Jazz dances

 Charleston - This extremely popular dance type was
popularized by famous tune called "The Charleston" by
composer and pianist James P. Johnson. Charleston craze
soon took over the enthusiastic dancers of Prohibition era of
United States.
 Swing - This dance is today synonym for the jazz and swing
music of the 1920s-1930s.Because of the many styles of
Jazz music, Swing also comes in many flavors - Lindy Hop,
Jitterbug, Boogie Woogie, West Coast Swing and Rock and
Roll.
 Tap Dance - This extremely popular form of dance was first
introduced during 1920s Prohibition era in United States.
Originally created by the African slaves, tap dancing came
into the mainstream with the performances of Nicholas
brothers. Few short years later, tap dancing conquered
Hollywood and then entire world.
 Moonwalk - This extremely famous dance move that
emuates the illusion of walking backwards was first
 performed by pop icon Michael Jackson in March of 1983,
and ever since then it gained planetary fame. No single
dance move ever created managed to receive this amount of
popularity and recognition.
 Boogie-woogie - This quick and energetic style of dance
became widely popular during 1930s and 1940s.

Worldwide Dances / Latin dances

 Salsa - This Latin dance is today one of the most popular
dances in Latin America, North America, Europe and
Australia. It's very sensual form, energetic movement and
innovative choreography that was influenced by Mambo,
Changuyi and Rumba made it very popular all around the
world.
 Flamenco - This famous Spanish dance originated from the
region of Andalusia, and it gained its name only in
18th century. Its magical, passionate and energetic fusion of
singing (cante), guitar playing (toque), dance and handclaps
(palmas) made it famous in entire world and became one of
the accepted heritages of entire humanity.
 Argentine tango - Among many types of tango dance,
Argentinian dance strives to preserve original form of tango
that was first created in the region of Rio de la Plata.
 Lambada - This famous dance that originated from Para,
Brayil became internationally popular during 1980s. It
managed to successfully fuse aspects of Forro, salsa,
merengue, maxixe and the carimbó into unforgettable dance
style.
 Polka - Appearance of polka in mid-19th century created
one of the largest "dance crazes" that our world ever seen.
It managed to influence countless other dances, became
national dance of many European countries and is extremely
popular in entire Western hemisphere.
 Jive
 East Coast Swing - Swing dance has many variations, of
which one of the most popular is the East Coast Swing. This
social partner dance is known today under names of Eastern
Swing, Jitterbug, American Swing, East Coast Lindy and
Lindy originated between the 1940s and 1960s as the
alternative to the other types of harder-to-learn swing
dances.
 Capoeira - Capoeira dance is a unique dance that can be
found in the combat moves of the Afro-Brazilian martial art
of the same name that takes heavy inspiration from music,
dance, and acrobatics. Practitioners of this martial art are
famous for being highly athletic dancers who can take
advantage of dance-like moves to perform quick and
complex maneuvers that can deliver a wide variety of kicks,
spins, jumps and other techniques used in combat. Today,
Capoeira is famous as one of the most celebrated cultural
heritages of Brazil and South America.
 Country/ Western Dances - - The country dance style is a
social dance activity that is closely associated with American
country and its Western traditions. It is made not from a
single dance but encompasses many forms and styles of
dance that can be performed to country-western music. No
matter the type of music style or dance type, Country dance
gatherings employ strong dancefloor etiquette and even
ability to perform multiple dances styles on a dance floor at
the single time.
 Folk Dance - Folk dances represent musical, cultural
heritage, reflections of daily life or ethnic history of people
who live in a certain region or country. Popular all around
the world in hundreds of unique variations and styles, folk
dances (also known as traditional or ethnic dances) are
usually performed at dance gatherings with the
accompaniment of traditional music of the region. Majority
 of folk dances are not regulated, and they slowly morph
during the passage of time.
 Belly dance - Belly dance is one of the most famous
oriental folk dances in the world. It is an expressive form
dance that originated from Egypt, and it emphasizes the
complex movement of the torso and entire body utilizing
sudden percussive movements, unstopping fluid body
motions and presence of small and fast shimmies, shivers
and vibrations of the hips or the ribcage. Belly dance is
regarded as very sensual, emotional and captivating.

Professional performance dance

Professional dancing was first introduced in the early years of
Italian Renaissance when music, dance, arts and poetry started
to rise in popularity after the millennia of medieval stagnation.
Refined by the efforts of the France and Russia, ballet became
the premier technical concert dance. Hailed as one of the most
revered and most complicated dance of all time, ballet
continued its rise to worldwide domination. In the modern
times, many other professional dances came to be, such
as Contemporary dance, Modern Dance, Concert dance, but
none of them managed to surpass the complexity, physical
strain, and heritage of ballet.
 Ballet - Ballet is without any doubt one of the most highly
technical and famous of all performance dances. It was
originally created in 15th century Renaissance Italy, but it
received popularization in countries such as France and
Russia. It’s incredible popularity and influence has had a
profound impact on techniques found in many other dances,
and has even morphed the cultural histories of many
countries around the world.
 Contemporary dance - Contemporary dance is a highly
complicated type of modern performance dance that
originated in the mid-20th century as an alternative to
classical dance styles (such as ballet), modern styles (free
 dance) and Jazz dance. Its focus on free leg movement,
strong stress on the torso, disordered choreography,
unpredictability, multiple and simultaneous actions,
improvisation, and non-standardized costumes, sets, and
lighting has pushed this dance into the forefront of modern
art dance scene.

 Concert Dance - Concert dance (also known as stage

dance) is any choreographed dance that is performed for an
audience, usually at the theatre or an organized gathering
setting with the presence of set music. It is a polar opposite
of social or participation dances, where participants can
freely dance how and when they wish. Most popular concert
dances are Ballet, Acrobatic dance, tap dance, modern
dance, classical Indian or Persian dances and others.
 Modern Dance - Modern dance is an influential
performance dance that originated as a reaction against the
classical ballet and its movement style. Shaped by many
factors in late 19th and early to mid-20th century, modern
dance evolved into a popular free dance style that includes
elements of performance art, release technique,
improvisation and contact improvisation.
 Tap Dance - Among many types of popular dances around
the world, tap dance may be one of the most unusual
dances. Instead of focusing on body movements and
dancing with a partner, tap dance is characterized by the
creation of percussion-like musically-focused rhythm
performance using tap shoes striking on the floor in
accordance with the dancing music.

Modern Dances
Advancements in music technology brought the birth of many
new types of dances. Introduction of electronic and rock music
brought the era of House, Punk, Rave and Disco dance.
Faraway country of India did not cared much for those styles,
and in accordance to the deeply seeded religious beliefs, they
incorporated dance of their gods to everyday life and was and
profitable Bollywood movie scene.

 House dance - After the years of popularity of Disco, the

genre of House music and house dance became born in New
York and Chicago clubs. Built on top of subtler rhythms, riffs
of the music and influences of jazz, Latin, soul, funk, R&B,
and many other music styles, this social dance quickly found
its way into homes and clubs across the entire world.
 Punk dance - Born as an extension of 1960s garage rock,
the punk rock managed to attract fans who enjoyed not
traditional social dances of before, but more energetic and
sometimes violent dance style of moshing (sometimes called
slam-dancing) and headbanging. This dance styles were
characterized by the strong and full body contact of live
band audience, with frequent bumping and jostling both
alone and in groups.
 Rave dance - Fueled by the unending focus on pulsating
beats, loud volume and psychedelic music effects, dancers of
rave music are free to create their freestyle of movements,
with no rules about dance routines or synchronized moves,
usually in dark and crowded venues of dance clubs,
nightclubs, and festivals. Dancers are encouraged to find
inspiration in music, other people, and their mood.
 Disco dance - The popular disco music genre of the 1970s
would not found such popularity if it was not so easy to
dance with. Fans of this music often wore extravagant and
sexy clothing while dancing free form or structured versions
of various disco dances, such as Bump, (several variations
of) Hustle, Robot, Boogaloo, Watergate, and others.
 Bollywood dance - The cultural history of India and the
rest of southern Asia would not remain the same without the
strong influence of Bollywood movie industry which has
promoted Hindi dance music to the world. Created as the
mix of traditional Indian music, Hindi dance traditions of the
 Indian sub-continent, and Middle-Eastern techniques,
Bollywood dance is characterized by elaborate
choreographies, energetic movements, and dances that
involve a large number of participants.

Hip-hop & Funk dance

Dancing style of Hip-Hop evolved from the music style that was
first introduced during 1970s. Powered by the great popularity,
exposure in media, movies and television programs, hip-hop
dances found a great foothold in United States, France, United
Kingdom and South Korea. A very similar style called Funk was
also created during 1970s, and is today regarded as one of the
most influential pieces of Hip-hop dance styles.
 Breakdance (Breaking) - One of the most athletic dances
in the world, Breakdance, have originally found its popularity
in the 1970s as the street dance in the New York’s Bronx.
Since then it has spread all around the world where it was
viewed as one of the most unique dance styles ever made.
Usually danced solo, this dance requires talented dancers to
perform the series of either choreographed or freeform
dance and athletic movements alongside usually breakbeat,
hip-hop or funk music.
 Bounce - Born in the 1980s as a mix of New Orleans hip-
hop music and the traditions of the Mardi Gras Indian
chants, Bounce dance can today be danced both in its
common and hypersexual form. Since it is so closely
connected with the traditions of the Mardi Gras culture,
many forms of Bounce today remain to be highly regional
and can rarely be seen dancing outside of the music scenes
of New Orleans, Miami, Baltimore, and other music hubs.
 Electric boogaloo - Funk style of hip-hop was popularized
not only by its music but also by the worldwide acceptance
of the famous dance style called Electric Boogaloo, which
was originally promoted in the 1970s by the dance group of
the same name. Danced both by individuals and groups in
 both free form and choreographed manner, Electric
Boogaloo is filled with the wide variety of moves that
focused on the movement of legs, hips, knees and frequent
use of exaggerated robotic-like moves.
 Street Jazz - Created with the influences of African
American slaves, Jazz dance gained popularity in the early
20th century as any form of dance that was performed
alongside then new Jazz music. Highly improvisational and
freeform, Jazz dance quickly morphed into a performance
dance that emulated elements of ballet. Today, Jazz dance is
enjoyed in many forms which are collectively called “modern
jazz dance”.
 Jookin' - Jookin’ or so-called “gangsta waling” style of
dance is a street dance that originated quite recently in the
1990s on the streets of Memphis, Tennessee. The dance is
characterized by the movement set that tries to emulate the
“bounce” in the core beat of the crunk music that often
accompanies this dance style. Even though this dance has
found some popularity worldwide, it is still a regional dance
that can rarely be seen outside of the city of Memphis.
 Locking - Funk dance is incredibly diverse, and one of its
famous variations is “locking”. The core gimmick of this style
of hip-hop dance is to suddenly stop and hold the position
(or get locked) in the middle of dance routines for a short
while, and then suddenly resume the dance. It requires full
body motion, but most of the dance is focused on top half of
the body. Many Locking dancers prefer to use various
acrobatic and physically demanding moves to augment their
dance routines.
 Popping - Very close in style with popular Electric Boogaloo,
Popping is another variation of the funk-themed street dance
from the 1960s and 1970s that found popularity all around
the world. The technique that dancers need to master to
properly dance Popping is controlled and quick contrasting
and relaxing of muscles that will create the feeling of a jerk
throughout the body. This jerk is referred as “pop” or “hit”
and can be used to augment dance routines, movements
and possess.