You think there are too many changes in our dance world? Most of us realize that it has always been that way.
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
The term "ballroom dancing" originates from the dancing in a ballroom, which was a large room specially designed for such dances. And ballrooms continued their existence until well past WWII. Then something began to happen and most of us are well aware of this.
In times past, ballroom dancing was social dancing for the privileged, leaving folk dancing for the lower classes. And there have always been the "lower classes." These boundaries have since become blurred, But the higher levels have always regarded the others as the "hoi polloi." This has been normal social behavior. Even though it should be noted that in times long gone, many ballroom dances were really elevated folk dances.
"On A Wonderful Day Like Today" by Johnny Mathis
Toward the latter half of the 17th century, Louis XIV founded his 'Académie Royale de Musique et de Danse. "Correct" rules for the execution of every dance and the "five positions" of the feet were formulated for the first time by members of the Académie. I believe they are still taught as part of International style of dance. The Academie would continue to dominate ballroom from that time until the close of the 18th century.
Eventually, the first definite cleavage between ballet and ballroom came when professional dancers appeared in the ballets, and the ballets left the Court. They went to the stage and developed a large "spectator" division.. Ballet technique such as the turned out positions of the feet, however, lingered for over two centuries and past the end of the Victorian era. And they developed their own rules of the "correct" way to dance ballet which in turn inspired the spin off of the Modern Dance style.
There is more? Yes.
Pub's Side Note: Blogs are whatever we make them. Exact definitions of a "blog" is a fool's errand.
0 comments:
Post a Comment