Introduction New Types of Dances

Dancing is something we all do, however it is different around the world. I'm going to explore the geography and history of dance. Each country has a different type of dance whether religious or social, thanks to you tube we can all invent and show new types of dances, here is my favorite new dance; it's done on treadmills. With over 2 million views over the world, this is one of the most popular dance video.

Brazil The Samba

The Samba is a fun and energetic dance, it originated from street festivals in Brazil. The dance we know today was called the Carioca Samba, from the River Carioca that runs through Rio de Janeiro. People from Rio are sometimes called Cariocas.

However the dance is said to be brought over by the Africans Slaves who were shipped over to work on large Sugar and Coffee Plantations. There is proof to this theory, as there is a use of heavy African Drums in the dance. It is odd to think that this happy and energetic dance was formed from the slave trade.

Kenya The Adumu

The Maasai tribe in Kenya and Tanzania have a famous welcoming dance called the Adumu. It is a warrior's jumping dance, the warriors have to jump as high as they can without letting their heels touch the ground. It is a dance to show off power and strength. The hard ground in Kenya is very dusty, and the Masai don't like their feet to get dirty, this is why the dance says you can't put your heels on the ground. The dance is done by males with women chanting in the background.

New Zealand The Haka

New Zealand is famous for one dance, the Haka the tribal dances of the Maori people. There are many types of Haka, however the most known is the War haka (peruperu). It was originally performed by warriors before a battle, proclaiming their strength and prowess in order to intimidate the opposition. Now days it used by the New Zealand rugby team for the same reason. The Haka has brought tourists all over the world to New Zealand, to experience the Maori culture.

Indonesia and the Jaipongan

The islands of Indonesia are very religious as the islands came under the influence of Hindu priests for their remoteness in the first and second centuries A.D. Therefore the dances are mainly religious, for example the Jaipongan was performed in the villages for weddings, it is a very ancient dance. It consists of a female dancer who would improvise with drums in the background. The Jaipongan has again become very popular. Jaipongan was popularized largely by Dr. Gugum Gumbira, as a response to the Indonesian government’s ban in 1961 of Western music (specifically rock and roll).

Spain the Flamenco

The national dance of Spain has to be the Flamenco, this is a dance said to have origins in the gypsies of Andalusia.It is a very intense and dramatic dance which tells a story of love.The Flamenco was allowed to blossom due to the fact that The Pyrenees Mountains running along the Spanish-French border cut Spain off from the mainstream of European culture. However The Flamenco is influenced slightly by the Moors who were Arab settlers in Spain.

Flamenco Dance Show, Seville, Spain
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America and Breakdancing

America has many dancing styles, one of the most popular must be Break dancing. In the 1970s break dancing evolved as part of street culture among black youths in New York City. The term break dancing refers to dancing in the break of the music, it may have come from the Lindy-hop, Charleston and several moves are inspired from Kung-fu. The these dances were formed in the 1920s by blending of African rhythms and movements with European structured dance.