This page covers all forms of dance except ballet and related
forms, for which see Classical Dance.
Slow rumba–style dance from Guadeloupe and Martinique, made famous by a Cole Porter song of 1935 |
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Beguine |
Originated among the African American population of the southern US states, becoming a national craze during the 1920s |
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Black Bottom |
Brazilian dance or music style – a blend of samba and jazz – popularised in the 1950s and 60s by
singer/songwriter/guitarist João Gilberto, composer Tom Jobim and lyricist Vinicius de Moraes; name is Portuguese for 'new trend'
or 'new wave' |
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Bossa Nova |
Dance troupe associated with the Folies Bergere, Paris, from 1932; founded by Margaret Kelly (d. 2005) |
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Bluebell Girls |
Type of dance originating in Spain (credited to a dancer from Cadiz, around 1780) and also associated with Cuba;
also the name of a short jacket with long sleeves |
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Bolero |
Passing back to back (in a square dance) |
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Do–si–do (dos–a–dos) |
Traditional Maori dance form – one type of which (a war dance) is performed with great relish by the New Zealand
rugby team (All Blacks) before each game |
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Haka |
1975 dance craze spawned by a Top 10 hit (US No. 1) for Van McCoy and the Soul City Symphony |
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Hustle |
Dance craze of the late 1980s: a dance for couples, originating in Brazil |
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Lambada |
Derived from the Charleston, named after a famous aviator (originated in New York around 1928) |
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Lindy Hop |
Named after a priestess in the Voodoo religion of Haiti |
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Mambo |
1960s dance craze, similar to the Twist: associated with James Brown, and mentioned (along with the Twist) in
Do You Love Me – a song written by Berry Gordy, which was a UK No. 1 hit for Brian Poole & the Tremeloes in 1963 |
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Mashed Potato |
Spanish dance where the man represents a bullfighter and the woman his cloak; name means 'double step' |
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Pasa Doble |
19th century Bohemian dance: three steps and a hop, in quick time |
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Polka |
Slow dance in ¾ time: name is the French adjective indicating its country of origin |
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Polonaise |
Historic name for a dance involving four couples in a square formation (precursor of the square dance) |
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Quadrille |
Originated in the 1920s, incorporating elements of the foxtrot, the Charleston, the shah and the peabody |
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Quickstep |
Originated in New York in the 1970s, influenced by various Latin American styles: name is Spanish for 'sauce' |
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Salsa |
Tempos in Scottish dancing |
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Strathspey |
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Jig |
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Reel |
French–born Argentinian singer and composer Carlos Gardel (Charles Gardès) is the most prominent figure
in the history of |
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Tango |
Group of folk dances that mimic a form of hysteria, once thought to be caused by the bite of a species of wolf
spider which is named after a city in southern Italy, and thought to act as an antidote to the venom. Variations include the Neapolitan,
Sicilian, Apulian and Calabrian
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Tarantella |
Name comes from the German word meaning to revolve |
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Waltz |
Style of dance music originating in Louisiana, influenced by blues and West Indian music, using instruments such as
accordion, saxophone, and washboard |
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Zydeco |
Described by both George Balanchine and Rudolf Nureyev as "the world's greatest dancer" |
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Fred Astaire |
US dancer, caused a sensation in Paris 1925 with a costume that included bananas and little else |
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Josephine Baker |
Principal female dancer of Riverdance |
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Jean Butler |
Husband–and–wife team, credited with reviving interest in dancing in the early 20th century; reached the
peak of their popularity in Irving Berlin's first Broadway show, Watch Your Step (1914); also appeared in silent movies; he died in
a plane crash in 1918; played in a 1939 musical biopic (based on her memoirs) by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers |
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Vernon & Irene Castle |
Creator, choreographer, and principal male dancer, of Riverdance |
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Michael Flatley |
Hollywood and Broadway dancer, choreographer and director; born Chicago 1927; directed the films Sweet Charity,
Cabaret, All That Jazz; died in 1987 |
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Bob Fosse |
British Music Hall act (1928–62): capitalising on the fashion for Ancient Egyptian imagery following the
discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb, they were best known for the Sand Dance and 'Cleopatra's Nightmare' |
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(Jack) Wilson, (Joe) Keppel & Betty (Knox) |