Dance of the United States facts for kids

The United States of America is a vibrant hub for many different types of dance! It's the birthplace of popular styles like hip hop dance, salsa, swing, tap dance, and Rock and Roll. Even the modern square dance is strongly linked to the U.S. because of how it grew here. In fact, twenty-three U.S. states have made it their official state dance or official folk dance!

The U.S. is also a major center for modern dance. You can find all sorts of social dance (dances done for fun with others) and performance dance (dances performed on a stage). There are also many traditional Native American dances.

Shows like So You Think You Can Dance, America's Best Dance Crew, and Dancing with the Stars have made dance popular with even more people.

African American Dance

African American dances are special because they developed in everyday places, like neighborhoods and community centers, not just in dance studios. These dances are often about social dance – people dancing together for fun and expression. However, they also influence performance dance on stage.

A key part of African American vernacular dances is improvisation, which means making up steps as you go. These dances are always changing and growing. They reflect the feelings, interests, and personalities of the people who dance them.

Alvin Ailey and his Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater are a very important example of African American artists in performance dance.

Swing Dance

Mia Goldsmith and Peter Loggins swing dancing at the 100th anniversary of the Moore Theatre in Seattle, Washington, 2007.

"Swing dance" is a name for a group of dances that became popular with jazz music in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s. The most famous swing dance is the lindy hop. It started in Harlem, New York, and people still dance it today! Most swing dances began in African-American communities as everyday social dances. But some, like Balboa, grew in Euro-American or other communities.

Dances such as the Black Bottom, Charleston, Shag, and Tap Dance moved north with Dixieland jazz. This happened during the Great Migration (African American) in the 1920s. Many African Americans moved from the South to cities like New York, Kansas City, and Chicago. They were looking for better opportunities and to escape hardship.

Swing jazz music uses syncopated timing. This means the rhythms are a bit off-beat, which comes from African American and West African music and dance. Many swing dancers feel this as 'triple steps' and 'steps'. The music also has a relaxed, slightly delayed feel to its timing.

Today, swing dance is popular all over the world. Dancers everywhere enjoy different styles of swing.

Modern Dance

Isadora Duncan

American modern dance started in the early 1900s, at the same time as American music. Some of the first modern dancers were Isadora Duncan, and the dance company of Ruth St. Denis and her partner, Ted Shawn. Their students, Doris Humphrey and Martha Graham, also became very famous.

These early modern dancers broke away from traditional European ballet. They used the pull of gravity, started movements from the body's center, and showed strong emotions in their dances. Many of Martha Graham's best works were created with famous American composers. For example, "Appalachian Spring" was made with Aaron Copland.

Later dancers like Merce Cunningham used chance to create their dances. Alvin Ailey added African dance styles and black music to his works. More recently, Mark Morris and Liz Lerman have shown that beautiful and exciting dance can be done by people of any age or body type.

Dance and Society

Dance is a big part of society. You can see it in events, on TV, and at awards shows like the Grammys, the Golden Globes, and the MTV Video Music Awards. These shows often feature amazing dance performances.

Popular TV dance competitions include Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, and America's Best Dance Crew. These shows let viewers vote for their favorite dancers, making dance interactive and fun for everyone.

Many popular songs have inspired dance moves that became trends. Think of Michael Jackson's "Thriller," The Harlem Shake, or "Teach me how to dougie." At social gatherings, people might dance folk dances, ballroom dances, casual dances, or modern styles like hip-hop.

American Folk Dances

Other American Dances

Noted Dancers

Companies

Ballet Companies

Other Companies

Former Dance Companies

• Merce Cunningham Dance Company

Dance Education

• The Juilliard School
• National Dance Education Organization
• The Conservatory of Dance

Festivals

• American Dance Festival
• Jacob's Pillow is a famous place for dance in the United States. It was started by Ted Shawn and Ruth St. Denis, who were a leading dance couple in America. It's a National Historic Landmark located in Becket, Massachusetts. Jacob's Pillow hosts an internationally recognized summer dance festival, which is the first and longest-running in the U.S. It also has a professional school, a huge collection of dance history, an intern program, and community programs all year long.
• Fall for Dance Festival
• DanceAfrica

See also

• Modern dance in the United States
• National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame
• Performing arts presenters
• List of U.S. state dances