As the name suggests, belly dancing is a dance form with emphasis on the midriff. Complex movements of the torso are performed in time to the music and, depending on the country and region, will differ in both style and costume. Originally a folk dance from the Middle East, belly dancing has boomed in recent years and can now be taken as a class in many countries.
Bollywood dancing is a mixture of moves taken from many different dance disciplines, including Bhangra, Bharatnatyam and Katak. Bollywood dancing is a whole body experience, where facial expressions, hand gestures, head movements and foot placement are all integral to the dance. Bollywood dance is widely found across the West now as a favoured dance fitness workout.
Also known as b-boying or breaking, break dance is a form of street dance. Taking its inspiration from hip-hop and funk music, break dance uses four key movements to build the dance; toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes.
Capoeira is a martial arts that originated in Brazil. It combines elements of dance, fighting, acrobatics and musical interpretation. Capoeira is known for it’s complex routines and lightning fast moves; the kicks, speed and power of the dance creates a visual spectacle. In 2014, capoeira was given a special protected status by UNESCO as ‘intangible cultural heritage’.
Commercial dance refers to dancing done in concerts, live shows, music videos, movies, and adverts. There are many different styles of dance that can be worked into the commercial category, such as hip hop, jazz, locking, popping, breakdancing, krumping, and more.
Contemporary dance is a performance discipline developed in the mid-1900s. Originally taking inspiration from classical, modern and jazz disciplines, contemporary dance now borrows from a wide range of forms. Contemporary dance is a strong and controlled, expressive dance form and can include floor work, contract-release, fall and recovery, plus others.
Originally purely a genre of music, the culture, rhythm and energy of dancehall gave way to dance moves. It is considered that many dance moves seen in hip-hop videos are variations of dancehall moves.
Voguing is a type of dance where you imiate the charateristics of a model on a catwalk. Just think of Madonna’s vogue video and it’s exactly that!
As the national governing body for group exercise we are dedicated to achieving our vision of healthier communities through group exercise. We work with instructors, operators and organisations across the sector to provide help, support and advice and to ensure that group exercise continues to inspire people of all ages and abilities to take part in physical activity.
EMD UK
HPB49, Standby Business Centre,
Foundry Lane, Horsham
RH13 5PX
hello@emduk.org
Fancy a little career boost?
Join us today as a free member to gain access to an instructor support library boasting over 250 resources.
Accessibility help?
