Interesting facts about Russian dance. Erudite

• The word "dance" comes from the German "Tanz", but since it was borrowed from Polish language, the characteristic suffix “-ets” was added to it. The word “dance” entered the Russian language only in the 17th century. Until then, the common Slavic word “dance” was used.
• The Christian religion initially recognized and allowed sacred dances. Even the Old Testament said: “Glorify the Lord with the sound of trumpets, glorify him with harps and timbrels, glorify him with songs, glorify him with dancing!” Initially, Christians performed mysteries in churches, danced in honor of God, and even danced in cemeteries, wanting to honor the memory of the dead. But gradually most religious dances disappear, although some of them still exist.
• Renaissance dances were often performed during feasts and were closely related to the menu. For example, a dance telling about ancient Greek hero Jason and the Golden Fleece, preceded by roast lamb.
• The first Academy of Dance in Europe was opened in Paris by King Louis XIV, who was a passionate dancer, in 1661. And it was at that time that the first professional dancers. At the same time, ballet also received its full development, despite the fact that its birth occurred in the 15th century in Italy.
• In the XVI – XVII centuries universally recognized example of salon dance art was a minuet, the main features of which were ceremoniality, gallantry and solemnity. Dance historians consider the minuet to be the dance of kings and the king of dances.” At the turn of the 18th century, in aristocratic society it was believed that whoever dances the minuet well does everything well.
• Polonaise - a ceremonial dance-procession in moderate pace of Polish origin. It was usually performed at the beginning of balls, emphasizing the sublime nature of the holiday. In the 17th century, polonaise became popular throughout Europe and received its current name. It was the polonaise that was the first European dance that existed in boyar Rus'. It also became the first dance that Peter I learned in the German settlement.
• Polka dance has nothing to do with Poland. This Czech dance, and its name comes from the Czech word for “half”, since the size of a polka is 2/4.
• In Italy, the tarantella dance was considered the best and even the only cure for “tarantism” - madness caused by a tarantula bite. In this regard, in XVI-XVII centuries There were even special orchestras traveling around Italy, to whose playing those suffering from tarantism danced.
• The cha-cha-cha dance is called the “coquette dance” because it is characterized primarily by expressive movements of the hips.
• Michael Jackson did the dancing important element modern pop music. Jackson's moves have already become standard vocabulary in pop and hip-hop dances.
• Hip-hop originated in the South Bronx, New York in the 1980s. TO musical direction Hip-hop includes rap, funk and beatbox, fine art includes graffiti, and dance includes breakdancing, krump, C-Walk and waving.
• First World Championship ballroom dancing, organized by Camille de Rinal, took place in 1909 in Paris.
• Modern competitive ballroom dancing has two main programs: European and Latin American. Each of them contains five standard dances. IN European program(standard) includes five classical European dances: slow waltz, tango, Viennese waltz, slow foxtrot and quickstep.. In Latin American program includes samba, cha-cha-cha, rumba, paso doble and jive.
• Among wedding traditions In many countries there is a “money dance”. In Greece, for example, during the “money dance” guests, dancing with both the bride and groom, attach money to their clothes; in other countries there is a custom to dance with the bride, having first put money in the exposed shoe.
• Dancing and dancers are also depicted on banknotes and coins.

  So in 2011, a series of new banknotes was issued in Sri Lanka, called “Development, Prosperity and Dancers of Sri Lanka”. The dancers are also depicted on the 1997 Portuguese 1000 escudo coin. A group of three dancers is depicted on the Cambodian 50,000 reais coin (1974). Coins are also issued with images of ballet, for example, Ukrainian mint released gold coin"Ukrainian Ballet" There is a similar coin in Belarus. A series of coins “Russian Ballet” was issued in Russia. And this is far from full list…

• In the operetta “Wedding in Malinovka,” one of the characters playfully distorted the name of the two-step dance, calling it “To that steppe.” Hence, the expression “to the wrong steppe” spread among the people, meaning “to go in the wrong direction” or “to speak out of place.”
• The twist dance appeared in 1961. Chebby Checker shown on television new dance, invented by him personally. This dance did not require a partner, you could dance alone, and the movements seemed simple and easy to do. Chebby Checker's hit "Let's Twist Again" eclipsed all other American rhythms with its appearance, and after a while it hit European countries.
• The Sirtaki dance, which symbolizes Greece for us, is not a Greek folk dance at all. He appeared only in 1964 during the filming of the film “Zorba the Greek.” The music was composed by composer Mikis Theodorakis.
• The world record for the longest line of conga dancers was set in Miami in 1988 when 119,986 people lined up. Conga - fiery Cuban dance. The dancers line up in a long line.
• In 2008, the world's first unusual dance floor opened at the Watt Club in Rotterdam, Sweden. Springs were built into the floor tiles, connected to generators. How stronger people danced, the more the springs compressed, generating energy that fed into the LED lights in the floor.
• The largest pillarless dance hall Europe is located in St. Petersburg.
• According to dream books, seeing a dance hall or being in it in a dream means good news or a pleasant meeting. Seeing a study hall in a dream or being there during classes means news.
• One of the most important divisions of the French Cinematheque is the Cinematheque of Dance. The formation of the dance section began in the late 30s, the official opening took place in 1982 on the wave of rapid development modern dance in France. The Cinematheque of Dance has a unique collection of films and video documents, from the earliest images of dance and movement in silent films to the video dance films that appeared in the late eighties and early nineties. The Cinematheque of Dance not only collects film archives, but also creates new projects in the field of dance in collaboration with French television.
• Silent disco or silent disco has become popular, that is, a disco where people dance to music in wireless headphones, and the music itself is broadcast via an FM transmitter to wireless receivers built into the headphones.
• In Russian there is catchphrase“the second part of the Marlezon ballet”, indicating an unexpected development of events, or a development that is spoken of with irony. This expression arose from TV movie"D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers." Sometimes the expression “Marlezon ballet” is used in figuratively to denote a series of events of a grotesque nature. This expression is sometimes used to denote a long and boring event.
• Opened in 1953 in Stockholm, Sweden Museumdance. Now there are several dance museums, including museums of tango, flamenco, belly dance, Irish dance etc.
• April 29 is celebrated International Dance Day. Other dances also have their own holidays - International Tango Day, Paneurhythmy Dance Festival, etc.
• Every year on International Stage Dance Day Bolshoi Theater awarded the Benois Dance Prize, established in 1991 International Association figures of choreography.
• At the beginning of 2006, the project “Dancing with the Stars” was launched on the Russia channel. Russian version British BBC program “Strictly Come Dancing”, and in the same year the dance show became very popular and received a TEFI award.
• World Dance Meetings (INTERNATIONAL DANCE GAMES) are held annually. The competition takes place once a year, moving from country to country. In June 2012, the World Dance Meetings started in Spain on the famous La Siesta stage. In 2013 the competition was held in Italy, in 2014 the competition will be held in Paris, France.
• In online role-playing game World of Warcraft trolls, after commanding to dance, begin to perform the movements of capoeira, a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of acrobatics, dance and games.

1. It was officially presented in the Guinness Book of Records, such a world record as the 37-year-old Kalamandalam Hemalente dancer from India danced folk dance 123 hours and 15 minutes. As the dancer Hemalente herself said, she set such a record because national dance her country was in a worthy place and would always be remembered.

2. Such a dance appeared in the Middle East thanks to the same India; around the 10th century, the Ghawazi gypsies brought it there. And today there are already more than 50 different styles of oriental styles.

Interesting facts about a variety of dances.
They say that if you have never danced bachata, then you have not danced at all. The main goal in this dance is the closest contact between partners. There are few turns in the dance, but side passages and “throwing” the lady from side to side are often used. They say that you need to see it at least once, or better yet, try it.
Salsa is almost a complete improvisation of the partner. The partner is only required to obediently follow her man and have fun. According to legend, Casino salsa began to be danced after the Cuban revolution in closed by the authorities gambling establishments.
Hip-hop originated in the South Bronx, New York in the 1980s. The musical direction of hip-hop includes rap, funk and beatbox, the visual direction includes graffiti, and the dance direction includes breakdancing, hip-hop, popping, krump, flexing, C-Walk, turfing, locking, waacking, dancehall.
Tango spread from African communities in Buenos Aires. The word "tango" comes from the Ibibio language of Nigeria, where it meant dancing to the sound of a drum. Initially, tango was danced only by men seeking the attention of women.
Reggaeton originated in Panama and Puerto Rico. To perform it you need to be in good physical shape. For some, reggaeton resembles the courtship behavior of certain animal species.
The cha-cha-cha dance, which was popular in many Soviet schools, is called the “coquette dance” because it is characterized primarily by expressive movements of the hips.
The basic movement of the merengue dance resembles a limping gait. The main highlight of the dance is the presence of light erotic movements. You can learn to dance merengue right on the dance floor.
Belly dancing was brought to the Middle East from India by the Ghawazi gypsies around the 10th century. Now there are more than 50 styles of oriental dance.
To attend the famous Viennese Christmas ball or ball noble assembly, you must be able to dance the waltz. Knowledge is confirmed at special rehearsals.
Barn dancing - dancing in a barn - has never gone out of fashion in the USA. You can get a visual idea of ​​what Barn dancing is, at least from the video of the group Rednex Cotton Eye Joe.

This article provides Interesting Facts about dancing. I'm sure you've never even heard of some!

Interesting facts about dancing:

Is Capoeira a dance form or a martial art?

Capoeira is martial arts, which combines dance, music, singing and acrobatics.

There are 2 versions of the origin of Capoeira:

1. Capoeira originated in Africa;
2. Capoeira was developed 3-4 hundred years ago in Brazil. Since slaves were not allowed to practice any form of fighting or self-defense, they eliminated direct contact between opponents and made the movements more like dance.

Why does an Indian classical dancer wear jingling bells on her ankles?

In Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Odissi, the dancer wears heavy bangles, which consist of a huge number of bells - gungru or ghungroo. Ghungroo bells highlight and emphasize the movements of the dancer's legs.

Interesting Facts: the number of bells on one ankle can reach 100 pieces. Total 200 bells in total.

Can people with disabilities dance?

Currently, people with disabilities all over the world actively participate in amateur and professional dancing. For example, in professional modern dance groups(Axis Dance Company in California and CandoCo in the UK) mixed choreography (disabled person and dancer).

What were the first pointe shoes?

The first pointe shoes were soft slippers, heavily darned on the toes. Today, pointe shoes are made from several layers of burlap, paper and glue.

How many calories are burned during dance classes?

After conducting a series of studies, it was found that in 1 hour of energetic dance a person can burn from 500 to 700 calories.

Interesting Facts: ballet performance, which lasts for 3 hours, is equal to a 30-kilometer run or two football matches 90 minutes each.

Is dancing a traumatic art form?

Dancing is not without injury. Fractures are one of the most common problems among dancers.

Interesting Facts: approximately 31% of all ballerinas broke something.

Is dancing an expensive art form?

Yes. Clothes, shoes, dance attributes - all this costs a lot of money, despite the fact that the dancer's uniform does not last forever! For example, every week almost every ballerina wears out 2-3 pairs of pointe shoes.

Interesting to know!

Did you know that on average a dancer lifts 1 ton of ballerinas per ballet performance?!

Dancers also have better developed peripheral vision. Even if the ballerinas do not turn their heads, they can clearly see what is on their sides.

See you soon!

Best regards Katya Breeze

Sports clubs can offer quite a few dance styles, but before you choose something specific, you need to understand what awaits you and whether you have.

How to start

Standard set: strip dance, belly dance, Latin American social (salsa, bachata, mamba, kizomba) and classical dancing(rumba, cha-cha-cha, jive, samba), Broadway, jazz-funk, hip-hop and contemporary. In addition, to dance styles This includes step dance (step choreography, or step dance) and dance aerobics.

Typically, classes are divided by difficulty level: for beginners and advanced. First, you should try a lighter option and understand whether such a load is suitable for you or if you are capable of more.

In addition to standard classes, there are so-called preparatory classes that will help you master the basic elements and learn (or remember) elements of classical choreography - body ballet and Port de Bras.

Port de Bras is an original technique created by choreographer and coach Vladimir Snezhik. No preliminary choreographic preparation is required. Here you can find elements of yoga, Pilates, strength aerobics and stretching. The program combines strength and aerobic exercise, classes are held to relaxing music. The classes are safe for people with spinal problems and are aimed at rehabilitation rather than serious muscle training.

If you still think the benefits of dance training are dubious, we bring to your attention interesting facts backed by research.

Facts and scientific research about the benefits of dancing

Fact No. 1. The muscle effort and respiratory rate of competitive dancers are equivalent to those of Olympic-level swimmers, cyclists and 800m runners.

Fact No. 2. During dancing, the joints are better lubricated, which is a good prevention of arthritis.

Fact No. 3. In one minute of dancing, depending on the intensity of the workout, you burn from 5 to 10 kcal. Swing and mambo burn more calories than a slow waltz.

Fact No. 4. Dancing helps our body manage lipids. As a result, the level of “good” cholesterol in the blood increases and the amount of “bad” cholesterol decreases. This type of activity will also benefit diabetics, as it helps control blood sugar levels.

Fact No. 5. Dancing improves memory by forcing us to remember complex steps, which are then combined into entire sequences. The load is such that our brain has no time to get bored, and at the same time getting rid of extra centimeters we develop mental abilities. This allows us to maintain a quick reaction and helps our consciousness remain young, flexible, and open.

Fact No. 6. Maintaining balance in one static position is quite simple. It's another matter when you have to freeze for a split second in the most incredible positions. Dancing strengthens stabilizing muscles and helps avoid injuries in Everyday life. In addition, this type of physical activity improves coordination and reflexes - it is a great way to maintain central and peripheral nervous systems in a good shape.

Fact No. 7. Seniors who take dance classes are three times more physically fit than those who follow a standard senior health program. Fifty-seven participants aged 65 years were recruited for the study. Some of them were engaged in dance program(salsa, bachata, meringue, etc.) for 4 months, twice a week (hour classes). The rest went through the standard program physical activity for pensioners. At the end of the experiment, tests were carried out, as a result of which it turned out that a dancing group surpassed her opponents with a regular training program in terms of physical condition.

Fact No. 8. Dancing can be considered a cure for depression and anxiety. Analysis Effects of dance movement therapy and dance on health-related psychological outcomes: A meta-analysis. 27 studies on dance showed that dance can indeed be prescribed to people suffering from depressive states and excessive anxiety.

Fact No. 9. Tango can be equated to meditation. In one of the studies Argentina tango dance compared to mindfulness meditation and a waiting-list control: a randomized trial for treating depression. compared physical and psychological condition volunteers who practiced meditation and subjects who practiced tango. As a result, the researchers concluded that both types of activity help fight depression, but tango also reduces stress levels.

Examples of workouts

Port de Bras

Body ballet

Jazz funk

Step choreography

Dance aerobics

Zumba

Bachata

Samba (solo)

Strip of plastic

Belly dance

Contemporary

Hip-hop

Personal experience

I've always liked to dance. As a child, I tried not to miss a single ballroom dancing competition and watched them with my grandmother. But I didn’t manage to get into these classes for a number of reasons that didn’t depend on me at the time. As a substitute in adolescence Sports aerobics was chosen. At the university, I continued training in the sports aerobics team. And even if it wasn’t exactly dancing, but still!

After finishing my studies, I tried, whenever possible, to attend any classes that included elements of dance (step aerobics, Zumba, dance-mix, and so on). Due to the busy work schedule, it turned out poorly, but going to Latin American dances there was no point without a couple. Then I didn’t yet know that in Latin there was such a thing as a solo performance.

The most interesting thing is that I learned about all this in the simplest way. sports club. I accidentally wandered into a Latin class, where the girl trainer was energetically encouraging her group: “Come on, girls! Work your hips! I’ll definitely teach you, and in the spring we’ll all go dancing in the park together!” It was difficult to ignore her ringing voice, so I decided to try.

Then there was the first attempt at classical Latin. It was much more difficult than the social one. Straight knees, chest forward, elongated neck, straight back and at the same time retracted stomach, sharp fast movements, which were immediately replaced by pauses and smoothness, the look “you are all plebeians, I am the only queen” - all this was quite difficult for me. But I still decided to bring the matter to the end (perhaps to the parquet floor).

Then I changed the club following my dance coach, and there, in addition to Latin classes, they added jazz-funk and contemporary, as well as choreography classes (body ballet). I used to think that they were like this different styles the dance will only get in the way. I will start to get confused and won’t be able to finish what I set out to do. It turned out that this does not interfere, but, on the contrary, helps me develop in different directions and improve your dancing skills.

Gradually, I added strength and dance classes to the usual ones. When it turned out that it was difficult for me to keep my body in full tone and control all parts of the body for clear movements for some unfortunate one and a half minutes (the duration of a standard session), the trainer sent me to.

It turned out that I went to dance, and learned a lot of other skills. My body finally began to develop harmoniously, without any distortions. My back and hands stopped hurting (working at the computer and typing texts). a huge number). Along with back and neck pain, the headaches went away and my posture improved significantly. I stopped feeling dizzy after three quick turns.

But all of the above is not the main thing.

Dancing doesn't just reveal physical abilities bodies. They show his beauty and harmony of movements. They teach you to be graceful, feel your body, accept and love it.

Dancing is incredible therapy! Even if you go to class in a terrible mood, with every beat of music it will disappear and after just 10 minutes there will be no trace of irritability, despondency and stress.

Latin is a light flirtation (cha-cha-cha and jive), passion (samba) and tenderness (rumba). Jazz-funk is a blast positive emotions and slight foolishness. Contemporary is practically theatrical performance, which allows movements to express all emotions, from joyful to negative. Strip plastic helps to relax, gets rid of complexes, teaches sensuality and sexuality.

And never say that dancing is too easy and that it will never replace the “real” physical activity. Just go to one of the classes, for example, on practicing the technique of the basic step of the cha-cha-cha, samba or acrobatic elements contemporary Believe me, after this you will have pain in muscles that you didn’t even know existed. ;)