Dance Style Resource
Check here for brief overviews and definitions of everything from acro to zumba!
Hip Hop
Today’s Hip Hop dance integrates break dancing of the 1970s/1980s with newer styles including crumping, clowning and contemporary work, leading to a style known as “lyrical hip hop”.
Highland Dancing
Highland Dance is the most popular form of Scottish folk dancing. The form of Highland dance as it is known today dates from the 18th century, when it was viewed as a classical dance. Highland dances are often performed as solos, danced to bagpipe music.
Horton Technique
Lester Horton (1906-1953) was an American dancer and choreographer, whose teaching career developed in Los Angeles from the 1930s until his death in 1953. Horton based his technique on his knowledge of human anatomy, and has developed the principles of body correction. This approach aimed to articulate the dancing body into a flexible and strong natural movement resource. Horton developed his class exercises through collaborative and improvisational work with his students. The resulting method was a multitasking approach to movement, where various body parts were employed simultaneously, and the body ultimately gets ready to perform extremely versatile patterns. Some of the exercises and body actions unique to Horton include ‘flat back’ exercises, deep lunges and ‘primitive squats’ and ‘T positions.’ One of the most brilliant examples of the Horton’s technique is obvious in the performances and choreographies of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and in the impressive abilities of its company performers.
Sources: The International Encyclopedia of Dance. (1998) Selma Jeanne Cohen (ed.). Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press And Techniques on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre website www.alvinailey.org
Han folk dance
Han folk dance, like Peking Opera, features many stylized character types that are performed all by men.
Hula Dance
The Hula originated in Hawaii, as the dance tradition of Polynesian settlers. The foot movements involve stepping side to side, or stepping in place, integrated with the circular pelvic shifts and tilts.