Asian dance, Martial Arts, East Indian dance, African dance, Middle Eastern dance, Flamenco dance, European folk dance, and Classical Ballet & a brief dance history

1. world dance
pictorial history
slide show

2. Tai Chi Pose
snake creeps down

3. Martial Arts have an ancient tradition of
body, mind and spirit training.
Various forms of martial arts have been practiced in
China, India and Japan since antiquity.
According to legend, Chinese martial arts
originated during the semi-mythical
Xia Dynasty ( ) more than 4,000 years ago
and include wushu, kung fu, qigong, and t’ai chi.
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5. In modern times, Chinese martial arts have spawned the genre of
cinema known as the martial arts film, with martial artists and actors
such as Jet Li and Jackie Chan.
http://www.everythingaction.com/2009/12/11/action-adventure-classic-who-am-i/
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6. The historical origin of
Japanese martial arts
can be found in the warrior
traditions of the samurai.
Japanese martial art forms
include gendai budō
and koryū types like jujutsu,
as well as sumo, judo, kendo,
aikido, kyudō, and karate.
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7. taekwando | karate
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8. Chinese
Ribbon Dance
worldartswest.org

9. "Spirit of the Peacock"
Chinese Dance
Yang Liping has woven
songs and dances
of her native
Yunnan Province
into a successful show.

10. modern dance company
Cloud Gate
Dance Theatre
of Taiwan
Photo by Lois Greenfield

11. Kalari payattu, an Indian martial art, originated in South India
and is one of the oldest fighting systems in existence.
http://jugalbandi.info/2010/01/martial-arts-vedic-style-kalaripayattu/
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12. Some of the choreographed sparring
in kalari payat
can be applied to dance.
Kathakali dancers
who knew martial arts
were believed to be markedly better
than the other performers.
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13. Some traditional Indian dance schools
still incorporate kalari payat
as part of their exercise regimen.
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14. India
Bharatanatyam
Bharata Natyam or
Chadhir Attam,
a classical dance form
from the South Indian state
of Tamil Nadu, is practiced in
modern times predominantly
by women.

15. bharata natyam
Mudras
are symbolic or ritual gestures
in Hinduism and Buddhism.
While some mudrās
involve the entire body,
most are performed
with the hands and fingers.

16. ...refers mainly
to the dances of
Sub-Saharan Africa.

17. African dances teach social patterns and
values and help people work, mature, praise
or criticize members of the community while
celebrating festivals and funerals,
competing, reciting history, proverbs and
poetry; and to encounter gods.
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18. Adowa, a funeral dance, from Ghana,
...graces the funeral with dignified walking movements and today is performed at festivals
and other special social events.

19. Throughout Africa, the sound
and the rhythm of the drum
express the mood of the people.
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20. 20

21. African
Ostrich Dance
Male Dancer
from Karamu House
by Gjon Mili (1949)
Taken from LIFE magazine
http://www.body-pixel.com/2009/07/30/e-learning-african-dance-for-beginners-part-2/

22. The drum is the sign of life; its beat is the
heartbeat of the community.
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23. 23

24. Such is the power of the drum
to evoke emotions, and to touch the souls
of those who hear its rhythms.
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25. However, nomadic groups such as the Maasai
do not traditionally use drums, but rather
use their human voice as musical accompaniment. 25

26. Middle Eastern dance (Arabic dance) or Belly Dance,
originated in Egypt and N. Africa,
and as a style is also quite popular in India, where it has deep cultural roots.
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27. Raqs baladi, (literally "dance of country", or "folk" dance)
is the folkloric style, danced socially by men and women of all ages
in some Middle Eastern countries, usually at festive occasions such as weddings.
from: afterwork.myfinejob.com
Nath Keo a Cambodian-Canadian, male belly dancer

28. Raqs sharqi (literally "Dance of the Near East") is the style
more familiar to Westerners, performed in restaurants and cabarets
around the world. It is more commonly performed by female dancers
but is also sometimes danced by men.
Sadie
American
belly dancer

29. Flamenco
Photo: Copyright 2006
lois greenfield

30. Rock Apes of Gibraltar, Andalusian Gypsy dance

31. Furia Flamenca's style is unique
in that it combines the traditional gypsy
with the more modern flamenco
http://www.joyofmotion.org/Resident%20companies/furiaflamenca.htm 31

32. Traditional Folk Dancing Ibiza, Spain
photo from SuperStock 1954-2097

33. The term "folk dance" is sometimes
applied to dances of historical
importance in European culture and
history; typically originated before the
20th century. For other cultures the
terms "ethnic dance" or "traditional
dance" are sometimes used, although
the latter terms may encompass
ceremonial dances.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_dance
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34. UKRAINIAN FOLK DANCE HOPAK
http://www.barynya.com/mp3/barynya_trio.stm

35. The term "folk dance"
is reserved for dances
which are to a significant degree
bound by tradition and originated
in the times when the distinction
existed between the dances of
"common folk" and the dances
of the "high society".
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_dance

36. Italian folk dancing revolves around the Tarantella, a quick dance
with dancers moving around, which is ofttimes finished at weddings.
It originated in southern Italia.
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37. Catalan French celebrating the French national holiday
with the traditional folk dance Sardana
in Laroque des Alberes, Pyrenees_Orientales, Languedoc_Roussillon, South France.
photo: SuperStock 1848-33075 37

38. Traditional English Morris Folk Dancing 38
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2098196/Traditional-English-Morris-dancing-faces-extinction.html

39. Most of the true Scottish Highland dances are connected with ancient folk customs.
The present form evolved through the centuries as refinement in the general form of dance
occurred, but the original basic steps and the themes were passed on through the years.
http://www.strathdonpipeband.com/LearningCenter/Dancing/HighlandDancing/tabid/65/Default.aspx 39

40. A number of modern ballroom dances
originated from folk dances.
Some dance forms are
Waltz, Polka, Mazurka, Marche, Scottish,
Rondeau and the Bourree.
Bourree is a French folk dance
with many varieties, characteristically
danced with quick, skipping steps.
Carols and Baroque dances
are other popular traditional dances found
in France and throughout Europe. 39

41. The Waltz, the oldest of the ballroom dances, is
considered by some as the “mother of present day dances”
and the “backbone dance” of the ballroom.
The Waltz is a truly romantic dance
and is comprised of soft, round, flowing movements.
http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/where-and-how-to-go-dancing-with-the-stars/2 41

42. The polka is a gay, fast-traveling dance
that is easy to learn, but requires lots of energy.
The polka was originally a Czech peasant dance.
http://www.nerdylorrin.net/jerry/WebLogs/Geoff/Krakow-DanceShow-Polka.jpg 42

43. The Mazurka is a sultry seductive couple dance
found in much of western, central and northern Europe.
The form most often danced in France is a variation
combining the basic mazurka step and the waltz step.
http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/50/10050-004-C68DBE5C.jpg 43

44. English Country Dance
is based on the Baroque Contredanses
from the French Court of Louis XIV.
In 1710, a French book,
Feuillet's Recuil de Contredanse first recorded
information about Country Dance footwork.
English Country dancing went to
North America with the colonists.
In New England especially, country dance was
extremely popular through the early 1800s.
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45. Traditional English Country Dance
http://www.strangegirl.com/emma/3music.php
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46. Ballet,
a formal dance form with roots
in the 15th century courts
of the Italian Renaissance,
began as a danced version of
the sport, fencing, and featured
very little choreography,
and absolutely no ballerinas.
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http://dance.lovetoknow.com/Who_Invented_Ballet

47. French Court of King Louis XIV
http://www.dancer.com/hist.php http://www.seahorse-design.com/wordpress/?p=173

48. After the death of King Louis XIV,
ballet continued to develop and evolve
over the remaining years of the
eighteenth century. The art form went
on to be developed in Russia and
France, and all variations found in
classical style are rooted in the original
French technique of King Louis XIV’s
royal court.
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49. Until 1681, ballets were danced
entirely by men!
Women weren’t introduced
to the opera-ballet stage
until the Paris Opera production
of Le Triomphe de l’Amour.
Featured in this production was
Mademoiselle de Lafontaine – who
is attributed as being the first
professional female ballet dancer.
http://californiaballet.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/triomphe.jpg
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50. Legendary French
ballerina Marie Anne
de Camargo was born
in Brussels in 1710.
Marie became the
darling of French ballet
audiences when she
debuted at the Paris
Opera ballet in 1726.
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