Year 7 Dance · Responding — Analyse and Evaluate · 8m read

Introduction to Dance Styles

Dance comes in many styles, each with its own history and movement vocabulary.

Learning objective: Recognise features of different dance styles.

By the end of this lesson you can:

• I can describe ballet, contemporary, hip hop and cultural dances.
• I can identify styles by movement features.
• I can perform simple steps from a style.

Dance styles are languages. Ballet, hip hop, contemporary and cultural dances are like different languages — each with its own vocabulary, accent and history. Learning several makes you a fluent mover.

Many ways to move

STYLES:
• BALLET — turnout, pointed feet, lightness, French terminology.
• CONTEMPORARY — floor work, release, weight, expression.
• JAZZ — isolations, energy, kicks and turns.
• HIP HOP — grooves, popping, locking, breaking; street origins.
• CULTURAL DANCES — Bollywood, Irish, Pacific Islander, First Nations dances (shared within cultural protocols).

| Style | Origin | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Ballet | European courts, 1600s | Turnout, pointed feet, lightness |
| Jazz | African American, 1900s | Isolations, syncopation, energy |
| Hip hop | New York, 1970s | Grooves, breaking, popping, freestyle |
| Contemporary | 20th century | Floor work, release, expressive |
| Tap | African and Irish roots | Rhythmic sounds with metal taps |
| Cultural dance | Many communities | Tells community stories |

Key ideas at a glance

• Respect origins: Every style has history.
• Learn the vocabulary: Plié, isolation, top rock.
• Notice the music: Style and music go together.
• Try everything: Builds versatility.

Worked example (Easy)

Which style uses popping and locking?

1. Answer. Hip hop.

Answer: Hip hop.

Worked example (Medium)

Compare ballet and hip hop.

1. Energy. Ballet: light and lifted; hip hop: grounded, rhythmic.
2. Body. Ballet: turnout, extension; hip hop: bent knees, isolations.
3. Origin. Ballet: European courts; hip hop: Bronx street culture.

Answer: Ballet is light and lifted from European courts; hip hop is grounded and rhythmic from the Bronx.

Common mistakes

• Treating cultural dances as costumes or entertainment only They carry cultural meaning. Fix: Learn their context respectfully.
• Calling a style "easy" Disrespects its technique. Fix: Recognise each style's skills.

Practice questions

1. Turnout and pointed feet are features of:

   1. Hip hop
   2. Ballet
   3. Breaking
   4. Jazz

   (1 marks)

2. Give one feature of contemporary dance.

   (2 marks)

3. Isolations and syncopation are features of:

   1. Ballet
   2. Jazz
   3. Tap only
   4. Folk only

   (1 marks)

4. Hip hop began in:

   1. Paris
   2. New York
   3. Tokyo
   4. Sydney

   (1 marks)

5. Describe two features of contemporary dance.

   (2 marks)

Summary

• Ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip hop, cultural.
• Each has distinct vocabulary.
• Respect cultural context.
• Each style has its own history and vocabulary.