Dance Styles

Commercial dance pulls moves from jazz, hip hop, breakdance, popping, krumping, and street dance, but for entertainment purposes might also include ballet or even musical theatre.

Clogging, or clog dance, originated in the foothills of Appalachia around the mid-1700s, and was adapted from a combination of the folk dances of the early American settlers of the area, who came from England, Ireland, Scotland and Germany. Each of these cultures had their own rich history of folk dancing and folk music, which all included some form of percussive footwork, personal expression, and upbeat music.

Burlesque dance is a sensual, sometimes bawdy and comedic dance style reserved for adults. Historically, burlesque dance was a part of variety shows as early as the late 1800s that featured lewd comedy, suggestive dancing, pantomime, and later, the striptease. One famous example of early 20th century burlesque can be seen in the movie “Gypsy” starring Natalie Wood as Gypsy Rose Lee, a real burlesque dancer, whose gimmick was to strip down to nearly nothing but never reveal anything more than an arm or a leg.

Broadway jazz, or theater jazz originated in the 1920’s.  It was the first time dance was an important part of a play’s plot, and viewers fell in love. It is a unique blend of ballet, modern, and jazz and is distinguished by its emphasis on exaggerated movements, high energy, and story-telling. It is almost always performed by a troupe of dancers, with few solos. 

The BrainDance is not a dance style, but a “flexible framework” that was developed by Anne Green Gilbert and heavily informed by Bartenieff Fundamentals. It is a somatic exercise that can be performed in a myriad of ways. 

The Bournonville method, created in the Romantic era of ballet, was created by the Danish dancer and choreographer, August Bournonville in the mid-1800’s.  This style of ballet is known for small, fast footwork (bravura), emphasized by movements of the torso, arms, and head in the direction of the feet (epaulement).  Additionally, Bournonville ballets require a lot of acting and mime work.

Belly dance (or Oriental dance) is possibly the most ancient form of dancing.  It started in the Middle East, and, contrary to popular belief, was not performed as a way for women to entertain men.  Instead, belly dance is traditionally performed by men and women of all ages at celebrations such as weddings and festivals. 

A heels class can be one of two things depending on the dancers it’s intended for. A heels class in the context of a children and teen’s dance studio will be a class that includes jazz, street jazz, theatre dance and/or commercial dance styles that utilize character heels. 

rican dance describes a wide range of dance styles that originated in sub-Saharan Africa. These dance styles are known for having a driving rhythm.  The steps frequently involve the entire body, and often dancers must rely on musical signals rather than strict counting.

Ballet is a formalized set of movements performed with skill, technique, and grace. A ballet class anywhere in the world will follow a consistent pattern involving barre and centre work all developing strength, technique, and flexibility.