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Tap Dance (1830s)
"Like many things American, tap dancing evolved from a mixture of cultures and peoples, specifically African American slaves and Irish indentured servants" ("NPS"). Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qYBAegjikE (fast foward to 00:30) -
Argentine Tango (1870s)
"However, at it's very beginning, it was a ballet-like dance between two men" ("Pfeffer").
"The tango became popular due to a shortage of women. The majority of immigrants came to Buenos Aires for economic purposes: to raise enough money to take back to their families, and thus they were mostly men" ("Smith"). Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic4PQ-tnwJw -
Jazz Dance (1900s)
"Jazz dance is an American form of dance that developed in the early 1900s as both African and European peoples began to mix their dance traditions. Africans focused on rhythms and torso movement and Europeans on musical harmonies, folk and social dances" ("Jazz-Dance.us"). Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-IOUOBhz_0 -
Acrobatic Dance (1900s)
"Acro is a type of dance that has been formed with the amalgamation of dancing acrobatic gymnastics" ("Buzzle").
"This dance form came into spotlight in Canada and the United States in the early 1900s in Vaudeville" ("Buzzle"). Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTP1kKFwy-Q -
Swing Dance (1920s)
"Lindy Hop (the original form of swing dance) is a mostly 8 count dance based partly on the Breakaway and the Charleston, with influences from many Jazz dances and other previous dances" ("AppalachianStateUniversity"). Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kkt1EL0XaQ (Fast foward 00:13) -
Jive (1940s)
"The Jive is a non-progressive dance which means that it doesn't move around the floor like other styles of dance" ("BBC"). Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdezBf-ibvc (Fast foward to 1:09) -
Fire Dancing (1950s)
"The first fire poi performances began in the 1950s in Hawaii as tourist attractions" ("ZenArts") Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUM98lM3ZBc (fast foward to 00:10) -
Square Dancing (1950s)
"A number of the terms used in modern square dancing come from France, including “promenade,” “allemande” and the indispensable “do-si-do”—a corruption of “dos-à-dos,” meaning “back-to-back" ("History").
"November 29 is Square Dance Day in the United States" ("History"). Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuaojjCV1Tk -
Cha-Cha Slide (1954)
"The dance is based on the Cha Cha step, with the "slide" adding a group element similar to the "Electric Slide" and its many variants" ("Songfacts") Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZv62ShoStY -
Ballroom Dancing (1960s)
"Ballroom dance has evolved into a serious competitive sport. About 30 countries regularly participate in international competitions" ("Clay")
"In earlier times, ballroom dancing was considered the social dances of the privileged and wealthy" ("Clay") Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bsdu57SFZc (fast foward to 1:00) -
The Robot (1967)
"On September 29, 2009, the Guinness World Record for the Largest Robot Dance was attempted by Robogals at the University of Melbourne, Australia" ("Sussle"). Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_T81uUeZcM -
Salsa Dancing (1970s)
"Salsa is similar to Mambo in that both have a pattern of six steps danced over eight counts of music" ("Pretell")
"Mambo moves generally forward and backward, whereas, Salsa has more of a side to side feel" ("Pretell") Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHugvZf-4g8 -
Breakdancing (1970s)
"It was meant to be a way for rival street gangs to fight for turf. The best dancer of one group would come out and "battle" the best dancer of the other gang." ("DanceClass") Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tVOH2R5rh0 (fast foward to 00:22) -
Voguing (1980s)
"Vogue is a form of modern dance characterized by photo model like poses taken from Vogue (magazine) integrated with angular, linear and rigid arm, leg and body movements" ("Stepanova"). Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGW6xK9SzxM -
Contemporary Dancing (1980s)
"Contemporary dance is the exploration of the total movement potential of the body" ("GrandsBallet").
"Unlike other forms of dance, it is not bound by set standards or defined styles. Instead, it seeks to express a personalized vision, often through experimentation and collaboration, in exploring new choreographic possibilities" (GrandsBallet"). Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_qSsnr52ks -
Krumping (2000s)
"Krumping was created by two dancers: Ceasare "Tight Eyez" Willis and Jo'Artis "Big Mijo" Ratti in South Central, Los Angeles during the early 2000s" ("DanceLessons").
"CBS news has compared the intensity within krumping to what rockers experience in a mosh pit. "If movement were words, krumping would be a poetry slam."" ("DanceLessons") Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVp-7nq0dTA -
Flash Mob (2003)
"The first flash mobs were created in Manhattan in 2003, by Bill Wasik, senior editor of Harper's Magazine" ("Sussle"). Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXSb9BDenjk -
Gangnam Style Dancing (2012)
"Gangham is an area of Seoul, Korea that can be likened to Beverly Hills. Thus, Gangnam style is meant connote high class" ("Kiplinger"). Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH1XGdu-hzQ
