Modern Dance
Be it hip hop-inspired breakdancing or the theatrical dancing of Cirque Du Soleil, a lot of modern dance has its roots in ballet. However as music and culture has changed over the years so classically trained dancers have branched out into new areas. Some of the most famous street dance styles of today, such as breakdance, 'popping' and 'locking', began appearing across Europe around the 1970s, and hip hop 'new style' and 'house dance' around the 1980s.
In fact, all forms of modern music have influenced street dance including the electronic music that's so popular in Germany. The iconic band Kraftwerk founded the electronic body music scene or 'Körpermusik' to describe their danceable electronic punk. It built a tradition of dance or 'tanz' music in Germany that launched the famous Love Parade where DJs from across the world come to play off the back of trucks driving through the streets of Berlin. One famous picture from the Love Parade is people dancing on streetlamps, trees, and telephone booths, which gave the event's nickname 'the greatest amateur circus on earth.'
And talking of circuses, Cirque Du Soleil (or Circus Of The Sun) is perhaps the biggest brand of theatre dance in the world. It was started by a group of street dancers and performers from Quebec back in 1982 as a sort of entertainers' festival - and what a festival it's become. Cirque Du Soleil has toured the world from London to Latvia combining stunning freeform dance with traditional circus productions.
Ballet
Although ballet (from the Latin word ballere - 'to dance') was invented in France, it is actually Russia that gave us the best-known ballet shows like 'Swan Lake' or 'The Nutcracker.' In fact the golden age of ballet was in the late 19th century when Russian productions created ballet as we know it today: female dancers started wearing the short, layered 'tutu' skirts to show off their acrobatic legwork, and the 'en pointe' (using the point-of-the-toe) style became more commonplace.
In the last century it has been a combination of Russian companies and French schools that have pushed ballet in to the mainstream of popular culture. If dancers weren't stars in the Bolshoi or Kirov companies then they were in the 'Ballets Russes' (literally Russian Ballet) in Paris presenting huge shows to audiences of thousands.
In recent years the UK has had a huge ballet star in the form of Darcey Bussell. She was the youngest ever principle dancer at The Royal Ballet having played some of the leading parts in shows like The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty. Bussell also teamed up with singer Katherine Jenkins to create a stage show called 'Viva la Diva' which toured the UK showcasing ballet: it was also one of the highlights of last year's Royal Variety Performance.
However, no discussion of ballet would be complete without a brief look at the life of the man who took ballet in to the mainstream in the 1960s and 70s: Rudolf Nureyev. Thanks to his talent and knowledge of Russian, French and English, Nureyev became a star the world over and a friend of The Rolling Stones. The techniques he and his peers invented in classical ballet are now used as a framework for many other styles of dance. And let's not forget his 'Swine Lake' parody of Swan Lake for 'The Muppet Show' - one of the programme's most popular YouTube clips!
www.darceybussell.com
www.dance4it.com/ballethistory.htm
www.learntodance.com/online 20ballet 20lesson.htm
Latin Style
We've all seen celebrities on 'Strictly Come Dancing' in brightly coloured outfits trying to master the Salsa or Cha Cha Cha, but where do these dances come from and where do they get their fantastic names?
A lot of the dances have Spanish and Latin American roots: 'Salsa', for example, is a Spanish word for spicy sauce and it refers to a fusion of Cuban dance styles like Mambo, Danzón, and Guaguancó. You might think it is only danced with one partner but traditionally it was performed in groups with frequent exchanges of partner - referred to as 'Rueda de Casino'.
The one form of dance that seems to be the basis of a lot of these 'Latin' styles is the oldest Spanish style of all: the Flamenco. Still performed in theatres across the world Flamenco is a mixture of folk singing ('cante') accompanied by flamenco guitar ('toque'), rhythmic hand clapping ('palmas'), and rhythmic feet stomping ('zapateado'). Not that John Sergeant could even master the clapping when he had a go.
The results should be breathtakingly dramatic as you can see here
Clara Bajado
Paris born Clara Bajado is the talented dancer who appears in the advert for 'Try Life In Another Language' She has made a career out of combining her dance and language skills so we thought we'd speak to her about how she got started. Read our amazing interview below:
T4: Hello Clara! How did you get into dancing then?
Clara: Hello! Bonjour T4! I've always been into dancing. My dad was a former professional ballroom dancer who specialised in Latin dances. He taught me my first steps and took me to modern jazz dance classes for almost 6 years until I discovered the street dance culture I love now.
T4: Cool, we're very 'street' too, by the way. So what have been your best experiences so far?
Clara: There have been so many experiences! I have choreographed artists, won and lost competitions, done live shows. Bad or good they're all indispensable because they made me who I am today.
T4: What are the most difficult or easiest moves to learn?
Clara: As a passion, dance is not so difficult to learn. Of course techniques sometimes don't come so easily but with a bit of motivation, self-confidence and commitment, everyone can reach the 'top' of their art! As long as you realise that there's no real 'top' - just experiences that feed your motivation and your passion.
T4: How has being able to speak more than one language helped your career?
Clara: Oh it has definitely, 'definitivement' helped. I don't think that I could have done projects in other countries if I only spoke one language! And even if dance is a language understood by everyone you still need a bit more when you meet people. I'm lucky as my Mum used to speak to me in Philippino / French / English - sometimes in the same sentence - but for some, TV is their only way of learning a new language.
T4: Or you could study a new language at school?
Clara: Yes, do a course and one that's entertaining – you've got to be entertained at the same time, it's the best way to learn!
T4: We couldn't agree more. So what new styles of dance are entertaining you at the moment?
Clara: Styles of dance don't really change you know; there are just different forms of them. Street Dance has Old Skool and New Skool forms but it's still all hip hop. 'House dance' is new here in the U.K but came from 1980s New York right after disco fever. So nothing is really new, it just follows music's evolution...
T4: And finally, what advice would you give to people getting started in dance?
Clara: Welcome to the world of freedom and 'no rules,' so express yourself!