Conclusion

As you can now see, many many dances are considered controversial when they first emerge. But with some time and distance we can now see how innocent and fun these dances can be (like the waltz, or the twist).

However, fairly recent dance styles, such as pole dancing and twerking, are yet to be socially accepted. If you paid attention, you might've noticed that on those 2 particular blog entries I put a warning before you start reading the actual blog post. This is because they're still controversial topics and I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable.

But I'm sure in a few years we'll look back on twerking and just say to ourselves: "hmm, it's actually not as racy/provocative as it seemed back in the day". Probably because in the future new dances will emerge and we'll think they're 'worse' than any other dance invented before, as has happened to all the dances previously mentioned in this blog.

Hope you enjoy reading this blog as much as I enjoyed making it!

Twerking

Warning: content and language may be inappropriate for underage people.

Twerking is a type of dancing in which an individual, usually a female, dances to music in a sexually provocative manner involving thrusting hip movements and a low squatting. Though the term seems to be of uncertain origin with common assumptions suggesting it represents a contraction of "footwork" or a portmanteau of the words "twist" and "jerk".

A user on UrbanDictionary.com defined twerking as "basically a sl*tty dance. derived from strip clubs". Another user described it as "when a girls' as* moves like a bowl of Jell-O".

The dance move originates from West Africa (for instance the Mapouka dance) and has been around for several generations. It was then adopted by African American culture in the 1990s. The dance originally was not done with sexual intent until it hit the hip hop scene in America in the early 1990s, where it became sexualized as part of the hip hop industry performed by video models in rap videos. Twerking can carry both gendered and racialized connotations, given its origins and the dance itself it is often associated with Black women as the Samba dance is with Latino women.[9] In the United States, twerking was introduced into hip-hop culture by way of the New Orleans bounce music scene. In 1993, DJ Jubilee recorded the dance tune "Do The Jubilee All" in which he chanted, "Twerk baby, twerk baby, twerk, twerk, twerk."

Because twerking is fairly recent, there's much controversy surrounding it. For example, in the next video we can see how 33 high school students were suspended and banned from prom thanks to a twerking video they made.

I believe the twerking controversy started when Miley Cyrus decided to twerk on Robin Thicke at the VMA's (award show viewed by thousands of minors). I think it was major because of the fact that twerking was mainly known among African Americans, and Miley is a Caucasian.

Little by little, people are understanding of twerking. I'm not saying they like it or support people dancing it, but they understand is a dance style and there's always going to be people dancing it.

The Dougie

The Dougie is a hip-hop dance generally performed by moving one's body in a shimmy style and passing a hand through or near the hair on one's own head.

Here a video explaning the Dougie step by step:

The dance first originated in Dallas, Texas, where it took its name from similar moves performed by 1980s rapper Doug E. Fresh. In 2007, Dallas rapper Lil' Wil triggered the huge movement with his hit "My Dougie". Then, a person called C-Smoove who attended Texas Southern University returned home to Southern California and taught the future members of Cali Swag District the dance. Cali Swag District recorded the song "Teach Me How to Dougie" and filmed the music video in Inglewood, California during the summer of 2009. Subsequently, the video along with the dance went viral on YouTube.

If you want my personal opinion: I hate this dance. I think it's repetitive, and tasteless.

But oh well...

This dance is no longer controversial, but this is probably do because it's no longer as popular as it was when it first came out.

Pole Dancing

Pole dancing is a really good exercise. It is also called Pole Fitness.

Pole fitness today is a hybrid of athletic, and theatrical, male sports and female erotic dance and circus performing. The history of pole dancing can be traced back over two thousand years to dances that were performed by women for women and to an Indian sport called Mallakhamb, Chinese Pole, and also side shows in traveling circus’ and more recently “Gentleman’s Clubs”.

I started following Anastasia, after she went on Ukraine's got talent. She's an amazing pole dancer!

When you hear the words “pole dancing,” what comes to mind? For most, it’s probably an image of a strip club or topless strippers spinning around a pole in one such environment. But it's more than that, it's a sport, an art.

Pole dance requires significant strength, flexibility and endurance. Pole dance proper involves athletic moves such as climbs, spins, and body inversions using the limbs to grip. Upper body and core strength are required to attain proficiency, and rigorous training is necessary.

With all of the controversy surrounding conversations and events about pole dancing, the history of pole dancing gives us a good understanding of what different cultures and groups used the pole for.

Freak Dancing (Grinding)

WARNING: LANGUAGE AND CONTENT MAY BE INAPPROPRIATE FOR UNDERAGE PEOPLE.

Freak dancing is a style of urban dancing, usually performed to R&B, pop, rap, hip-hop, or Latin music. It involves two or more people making extremely close physical contact, and facial expressions and physical movements that are sexually provocative and/or that imitate sexual intercourse and foreplay. The "freak" designation is a synonym for "f*ck", due to the dance's highly sexual nature. 

While the dancers are usually clothed, freak dancing partners commonly slide or unbutton one another's clothing to reveal more skin. The hips are almost always tight against each other, and partners' hands massage and hold most parts of the other's body, including the neck, back, waist, butt, crotch, breasts, arms, and thighs.

Some common freak dancing positions include: standing upright face-to-face, one partner bent over forward with his/her butt against the other's crotch, a female partner with her arms around the other's neck and her legs wrapped completely around the other's hips, either partner slowly dancing downward with their lips against the other's neck, chest, and stomach until they are on their knees, and one partner (usually female) lying on the floor with the other partner on their knees straddling her. 

Many junior and senior high schools have outlawed freak dancing from school dances. Disobedient students are usually physically pushed apart or are removed from the dances by administrators or parent chaperones, which many believe is a violation of student rights.

As explained above, this dance is extremely controversial. Even today, maybe not as much.

It's a popular clubbing dance. People in their 20s and 30s have at least grinned once in a club.

Video mocking Freak Dancing:

Information from: Wikipedia.org,

Picture and gifs from: Google Images,

Video from: Youtube (user: Howcast)

The Lambada

Lambada is a dance from Pará, Brazil. The dance became internationally popular in the 1980s, especially in Latin America and Caribbean countries. It has adopted aspects of dances such as forró, salsa, merengue, maxixe and the carimbó.

Above is the "Llorando Se Fue" music video, the most popular lambada song.

This style is generally a partner dance. The dancers generally dance with arched legs, with the steps being from side to side, turning or even swaying, with a pronounced movement of the hips. At the time when the dance became popular, short skirts for women were in fashion and men wore long trousers, and the dance has become associated with such clothing, especially for women wearing short skirts that swirl up when the woman spins around, typically revealing 90s-style thong underwear.

The major thing about lambada was the clothing: super provocative and revealing.

It was also called 'The Forbidden Dance'.

This dance got even popular in 1990, when Miss USA Laura Harring starred in the drama film "The Forbidden Dance", film which focused primarily on the lambada.

My favorite part of the movie -->

This dance was viewed as extremely provocative, and mainly danced by 'cheap' women with 'no self-worth'.

Nowadays it's a classic Latin and Caribbean style dance you can hear at every dance club.

Personal favorite!!

Information from: Wikipedia.org, IMDB.com.

Pictures from: Google Images.

Videos from: Youtube (users: mrclabel, stevenhonse)

The Pogo (Slam dance or Mosh)

The pogo is a "form of dancing brought about by early punk and thrash bands, now mainly used in the presence of modern hardcore and metalcore. Unlike a general mosh pit, slam dancing actually shows signs of enjoying the music and having a brain. By using kicks and punches, the dance is a way to let off violent energy without actually hurting anybody", as a user on urbandictionary.com said.

I beg to differ... Slam dancing is a violent type of 1980s dancing. People push or slam into each other. It's usually associated with “aggressive” music genres, such as hardcore punk and numerous styles of heavy metal. It is primarily done to live music, but this doesn't prevent dancers from doing with recorded music.

Here, a video that explains a little bit of how this form of dancing is performed:

Variations of moshing exist, and can be done alone as well as in groups. Moshing usually happens in a "pit" (mosh pit) and is intended to be energetic and full of body contact. Variations of slam dancing exist, the most extreme being the "wall of death" that is typically done in the center of the crowd, closer to the stage.

Mosh Pit

While pogoing is seen as a form of expression of enjoyment, it has also drawn criticism over dangerous excesses occurring in performances. Injuries have been reported in mosh pits, and a few deaths have occurred in a "Wall of Death".

Stage Dive

The first dance identifiable as moshing may have originated in Orange County, CA, during the first wave of American hardcore (1980s). At the time California hardcore punk bands such as the Circle Jerks, Black Flag, Fear and Dead Kennedys were popular in OC.


In my opinion this dance is still viewed as dangerous and aggressive. But at the time of its appearance, this dance was only danced by 'rebels'.
Now, pretty much every guy (and girl) that attends a punk concert slam dances.

Information from: Wikipedia.org, UrbanDictionary.com, Punk77.co.uk

Pictures from: Google Images

Videos from: Youtube.com (users: Hind Kam, cropn1)

Breakdancing (B-boying)

Breakdancing, b-boying, or breaking, is a Hip-Hop street dance that originated among African American youth during the mid 70s in the cities of Bronx and Brooklyn. It was further developed by Puerto Rican youth in New York City in the late 1970s to the early 1980s. The dance spread worldwide due to popularity in the media, especially in regions such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Russia and South Korea.

This dance stretched the body to its limits.

The most basic moves are the 6-step and toprock. The rest of the dance is founded around these two elements. Dancers usually begin by toprocking, and then continue by going down to the floor and performing a 6-step or 4-step. The 6-step provides a base for other more complex moves to be formed.




After performing a 6-step to begin the dance, and then performing a power move, the breakdancer will usually end the dance with a 'freeze' which is when he contorts his body to a strange position and literally freezes, stopping all dance motion. The breakdancer will usually hold the freeze for a second or two. There are nearly infinite variations on freezes, and coming up with new freezes greatly enhances the breakdancers style.



Toprock is a major element of b-boying. It generally refers to any steps performed from a standing position, relying upon coordination, flexibility, and rhythm. It's usually the first opening display of style, and it serves as a warm-up for transitions into the more acrobatic maneuvers of downrock. 

Downrock

Toprock

Information from: GlobalDarkness.com, Break-dancing.net

Pictures from: Google Images

Video from: Youtube.com (user: GreyTiger)

The Bump

The bump was a primarily 1970s fad dance introduced by Johnny Spruce in which the main move is to lightly "bump" hips on every other beat of the music. As the dance (and the evening) progressed, the bumping could become more intimate, bumping hip to backside, low bending, etc. The idea was to bump gently, but some people got carried away and bumped a little too hard, sending their partners across the dance floor.

There were several songs that were inspired by the bump, such as "The Bump" by Kenny and "Lady Bump" by Penny McLean, but the song that is most remembered is "Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)" by George Clinton and Parliament, which was released in 1976.

Because the bumping became more and more intense as the dance became more popular, many viewed this dance as sexual and even obscene.

To our generation, it's just the predecessor of many other dances that we might tag as indecent. Such as grinding, or twerking (dances I will talk about in later blog entries).

Information from: Askville.Amazon.com, HowCast.com, Mix96Buffalo.com

Pictures from: Google Images

Video from: Youtube.com (user: fritz51357)

The Twist

The twist is a 1950's dance to a song of the same name covered by Chubby Checker. The Twist went on to become the most popular dance in its day, and the choreography was simple. Since the Twist was born right around the time of the popular beach movie fad, the dance fit right in on movie sets. Traditional dance styles, especially partner dancing that require glides and turns, were not performable in the sand. 

The twist is danced by standing with the feet approximately shoulder width apart. The torso may be squared to the knees and hips, or turned at an angle so one foot is farther forward than the other. The arms are held out from the body, bent at the elbow. The hips, torso, and legs rotate on the balls of the feet as a single unit, with the arms staying more or less stationary. The feet grind back and forth on the floor, and the dance can be varied in speed, intensity, and vertical height as necessary. Occasionally one leg is lifted off the floor for styling, but generally the dance posture is low and with the feet in contact with the floor with very little vertical motion.

The Twist was created during a carefree time in American history when young people revolutionized the dance world and replaced stuffiness with sexy, fun moves. This dance reigned in popularity with dancing teens and people in their 20s starting out as a song and becoming quite possibly the biggest dance craze of the 1950s and 1960s.

It was especially appealing to the young, because of its controversy and sexy/edgy connotations.
But, of course, now the Twist is just one more outdated, innocent dance that's part of rock n roll history.

Information from: Wikipedia.org, Dance.LoveToKnow.com, History1900s.About.com

Pictures from: Google Images

Video from: Youtube.com (user: 64downtown)

The Hip Thrust

One of the first to perform this move on stage was Elvis Presley, which was at the time quite controversial. Due to this, he would normally be shown (as seen on his third appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show) from the waist up on TV.
Elvis Presley was a 1950's rock 'n' roll sensation. With his first single 'Heartbreak Hotel', he became a national phenomenon. He was mostly known for his sultry looks, and specially his swinging hips.

His appearance on The Milton Berle Show on June 5, 1956, triggered the first controversy of his career. Elvis sang his latest single 'Hound Dog' with all the pelvis-shaking intensity his fans scream for. Television critics across the U.S. slam Presly's performance for its "appalling lack of musicality", "vulgarity" and "animalism."

In a piece headlined "Beware Elvis Presley", the Catholic Church criticized the young singer. Concerns about juvenile delinquency and the changing moral values of the young find a new target in the popular singer.

Al though back in the 50s and 60s this move was controversial and considered a sexual invitation, nowadays it's viewed as a 'classic' rock and roll move.
People don't really dance like that anymore, but it's a globally known dance move and is considered part of the music culture.

• Information from: entertainment.howstuffworks.com, lagrange.edu, wikipedia.org
• Pictures from: Google Images
• Video from Youtube (user: The Ed Sullivan Show)

The Jitterbug

The Jitterbug is a kind of swing dance that became popular in the United States in the 1930s. It is danced to upbeat music, by moving one's feet fast and jumping from side to side. Air flips are common in this dance, in fact it's the most popular thing about it.

The first time 'Jitter Bug' was recorded by the Oxford English Dictionary was in Cab Calloway's 1934 song "Call of the Jitter Bug". This song's lyrics clearly link the word jitterbug with the consumption of alcohol:

If you'd like to be a jitter bug,
First thing you must do is get a jug,
Put whiskey, wine and gin within,
And shake it all up and then begin.
Grab a cup and start to toss,
You are drinking jitter sauce!
Don't you worry, you just mug,
And then you'll be a jitter bug!


 Swing culture seemed to offer a youthful alternative to the stultifying conventions and restrictions of middle class life. Like many American popular cultures, swing crossed ethnic and racial lines freely.

White, black, and latin musicians and dancers shared instruments and switched partners. But with it came controversy. Benny Goodman, known as the 'King of Swing' was the child of Jewish immigrants. 

Billy Holliday, a white swing singer in a band of black men, was once asked to grease her face because 'she looked too white to be on stage with black men'. Despite such idiocies, swing music united both white and black audiences and musicians.



WWII eased the spread of the jitterbug across the Pacific and the Atlantic. There were nearly 2 million American troops stationed throughout Britain in 1944 when British Samoans were doing their own version of the jitterbug. Ballrooms that had been closed for lack of business reopened. Large part of the attendees were working class girls who had never danced before, along with American soldiers and sailors.

In 1944, while the United States was involved in World War II, a federal excise tax of 30% was imposed on dancing night clubs. "No Dancing Allowed" signs went up all over the country. Club owners, and promoters couldn't afford to pay the taxes, which is why dancing died out during that era.

• Information from: Wikipedia.org, StreetSwing.com, Chnm.gmu.edu
• Pictures from: Google Images, Wikipedia.org
• Video from Youtube (user: Nicklas Reinhardt)

The Charleston

The Charleston is a variety of foxtrot dance that originated in 1903.

It started in Charleston, South Carolina (hence the name) as a black folkloric dance.

It was really popular in the United States in the 1920s. It was a way of having fun, and a distraction post-war (WWI).

This dance was particularly popular among the Flappers, rebellious young women in the 1920s known for wearing short dresses and listening to Jazz music (all of which were considered scandalous). 

It was characterized by being upbeat and danced by kicking one's heels up, which at the time was outrageous, rebellious even.

Interesting fact: The Charleston was banned from many dance halls during the 1920s because it was exuberant and too scandalous.

I don't know about you, but kicking up one's heels at a fast pace isn't my definition of 'scandalous'.

• Information from: Wikipedia.org, CharlestonChallengeDownUnder.com.au
• Pictures from: Google Images, Pinterest
• Video from Youtube (user: Aaron1912)

The Waltz

As most people know, the waltz is a ballroom and folk dance performed in closed position (holding your partner while facing them).

It is not know exactly when the waltz arrived to the United States, but by the middle of the 19th century it was firmly established in U.S. society. It got the attention of socialites who started courting the lower classes, which led to new castes.

It emerged in the 16th century in Southern Germany when peasants started dancing the landler, a dance so fun that the upper class men would attend these lower class' gatherings just to enjoy it. Soon later the dance was given the name of walzer, which comes from the Latin volvere which means to rotate. But it wasn't only the spinning around the room that made people notice this dance, but rather the closed position you had to dance it in; face to face, holding your partner close. In 1825, the Oxford dictionary defined the waltz as "riotous and indecent."

But nowadays, the waltz is a classic and seems totally innocent. We even have multiple ballroom dance competitions where the waltz is the star of the show. Here, my favorite:

• Information from: Wikipedia.org, Dance.LoveToKnow.com, DanceLovers.com, SocialDance.Stanford.edu
• Videos from YouTube (users: Aaron1912, 37even)
• Picture from Pinterest (user: Sidorela Peraj)

Introduction

Since 'traditional' History isn't my strong suit, I decided to take this blog and make it about the History of dance, the impact, and controversies that came along. Even though I'm passionate about dance and music, I don't know much about late 1800s / early 1900s dances, so most of the information in this blog will be new for me, and probably for most of you as well. This blog's entries will contain information, videos and pictures that will discuss how dances can impact societies by seeming scandalous when they first emerge, but with time and distance they're viewed as quaint and even innocent. So join me in this interesting, but fun experience.