Essay On Western Dance

A Guide To Modern And Western Dancing

It is a common observation that western and modern dancing is considered to be the same dance forms. Though the meaning of either of the terms sounds similar, but the dance forms are completely different. Don’t worry if you aren’t familiar with the difference between the terms, this article is to guide every such person.

What is Western Dancing?

Western Dancing (also known as Country dance) encompasses different dance forms; typically danced to western music. The same is associated with American culture, and so is called the Western Dance style. Western dance is a kind of social dance form that includes:

1. Line Dancing

As the name suggests, line dancing is a form of western dance in which all the participants

perform the steps on the specified row or line. These participants execute the dance steps in a line at the same time and in the same direction. The collision between people is a rare sight as all of the participants perform the same steps at the same time and in the same direction.
2. Square Dancing
The Square dance is a kind of dance form, which is performed by couples arranged in the shape of a square; with one couple on each side, each of them facing the middle of a square. There are two types of dancing forms in the square dancing, they are:
 Traditional Square Dancing
 Modern Western Square Dancing
What is Modern Dancing?
Modern dance is a blend of western concert and theatrical dance that was originated in the United States. You are likely to see modern dance listed as a class offered on the schedules of most of the dance academies. Modern Dance houses other dance forms too, which are mentioned as below:
1.

Jazz: Jazz form of modern dance originates from African-American region. This form of dancing comprises of different movements like jumps, postural formations and much more. It is considered to be a very difficult dance form to master.

2. Contemporary: This also a common type of modern dance that is practiced by many people. This dance form requires a great physical strength as core muscles are used for performing sustainable movements. This dance form not only enhances the strength of the dancer but also helps to increase the flexibility of a dancer.

3. Postmodern Dance: In this dance form, little or no music is used as a playback. The dancer has to perform the dance steps without any beats or rhythms.

How they differ from each other?

 Popularity: Western dance is mostly taught in countries like America and is also performed there. Whereas, modern dance is being practiced by people all over the world.

 Degree of Strength: Modern dance requires greater strength as a person has to make poses with the help of their core muscle as compared to western dance.

There are a plethora of institutes across the world, offering dance training services to laymen. Without any age bar or gender classification, a person can enroll in such a dance academy in order to learn either the genre or any classification of the

genre.