Dance has been a part of human civilization and culture for centuries. It is one of the best tools for entertainment and communication. What’s more, people choose it as a way of self-expression, a hobby, or an occupation. There are many types of dances. Some are well-known (tango, hip-hop, salsa, ballet), while others are less familiar to most people (kathak, kabuki, electronic dance).
When writing an essay about dance, you can write about any type if the assignment allows doing so. Due to the variety of dances, topic selection can take a long time. However, even after choosing the right idea, it is not always clear how to start your essay on it.
First of all, we recommend looking at the samples. You need to read some dance essay examples and pay attention to their structure. It also gives you an opportunity to polish or change the topic to write about.
Besides, our team has prepared a small guide on writing a dance essay. We have listed several ideas which will help you to write it as well.
How to Write a Dance Essay
If you need to write an essay on dance, it will probably be a narrative or descriptive one or even a critique of some sort. However, even the most creative academic papers have a rigid structure. So, you have to write a 5-paragraph essay. In this section, we will tell you how to do it.
To write an exemplary dance essay, you should follow these rules:
Developing a solid structure is your goal. It is vital for the reader’s understanding and evaluation of your essay. You’ll need an introduction with a thesis statement, 2-3 paragraphs with arguments and examples, and a conclusion. Creating a good outline will help you to stay focused and follow the structure. Here is how you can do it:
At first, read some background information about the style that interests you. Take some notes when you are watching a dance performance. Try to focus on small technical details as well as on your impression.
Decide what you are going to describe in your body paragraphs. Each of them should highlight one idea. Remember that the first sentence of a paragraph is a basis for the supportive sentences after it.
Write down a short summary of your central paragraphs. Focus on the main thoughts and keywords. It will help you to create the introduction and conclusion. Look at your notes once again to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything.
Descriptions are vital for your paper. Note everything you notice about the movements, choreography, music, costumes, scenery, props, and performance. Think about your personal response to what you see. Even if you write a narrative essay, you should focus on these aspects.
Provide your interpretation of the dance. Identify all the people whose performance you describe and use examples to support your assumptions. Connect what you’ve seen with your previous studies or experiences.
The style of your essay should be on point:
Use descriptive language. Action words should describe the qualities of the movements. Use vivid adjectives to describe the qualities of the details you notice.
Describe the actions in the present tense. But if you have chosen to write using past forms, don’t mix tense in the essay.
Follow the requirements of your educational institution. They may include a specific font, margins, and title pages. And don’t forget to write from the third-person perspective.
Check your grammar and spelling. Exclude repetitive sentences or phrases.
Leave the paper for a couple of hours and reread it. It should help to notice the possible flaws.
17 Amazing Dance Essay Topics
Having figured out the basic rules, we can move on to ideas for an essay on dancing. In this section, we have collected topics that you can use for inspiration or practice.
We suggest the following dance essay topics for your consideration:
Why is dance a form of art?
What makes a good dance?
National dances among African ethnicities.
How folk dance reflects the culture of a nation?
The history of hip-hop dance.
The importance of dance in my life.
The origin of Waltz and its significance.
The influence of modern dance on society.
The theory of seven movements in dancing.
The best dance performances in history.
The benefits of dancing for older people.
Teaching dance to young children is beneficial to their development.
Contemporary types of dance in Asian countries.
What are the disadvantages of a dancing career?
How does dance appreciation vary among different generations?
Dance as a way of socialization in high school and college.
How to critique a dance concert?
Thanks for reading till the end! Below you will find dance essay examples. Studying them will help you look at the topic from different angles and understand how to start writing your own paper.
The inhabitants of the state believe that the dance dates back to the ancient times of Krishna. I have seen the live performance of Garba at a Navratri festival; both the dance and music were [...]
One of the most famous ballet scenes in Swan Lake is the dance of little swans. In terms of choreography and music, it is a good example of art, since each of the three central [...]
The art of dancing was connected by Greeks to the idea of harmony and perfection of human body: therefore, dancing ultimately had to be graceful in order to emphasize and not to destroy the natural [...]
Choreographers, in teaching dance techniques, can use knowledge of mathematics, the knowledge is also used to arrange dancers on the stage and control their movements.
Dance is and always shall be a form of expression where the movements performed speak volumes of the emotions and feelings that the dancer is trying to impart to the audience.
Ailey is the founder of the famous theater in New York and is known for popularizing modern dance and mixing it with ballet, jazz and elements of African culture.
The first performer adorns the head of the lion and the other moves the body of the lion. The Japanese Lion Dance is used in traditional and religious festivals.
The word samba is derived from the Angolan word "semba" which means the movement of the body which is described as the act of thrusting forward the body and which requires the contact of the [...]
In Brazil, just like in the USA and other nations that had African slaves, the slaves had a profound effect on the culture of Brazil and most noticeable in the music.
It could be defined as a large stage ethnic primitive genre if it was not for the complexity of the hidden innuendoes that the interpretation of the dance suggests.
The piece presented in the video is an art because it communicates, and the viewers can understand what is happening. In conclusion, the presented clip is an art because it encompasses singing and dancing elements.
The importance is great for every human being to acquire the vital skills which one will be able to carry through one's entire life, the skills which will enrich the person's life and will add [...]
Employing space, a choreographer has an opportunity to establish a connection between the spectators and the performers, thus influencing the perception of the show and emphasizing the core ideas.
The first meeting of the Prince and the Swan gives new insights into the story of great love. It is necessary to note that the choreography of the excerpt is sophisticated and appealing.
The adoption and spread of Christianity had a huge impact on the customs and culture of Ireland, but the people retained the pagan spirit of their musical and dance compositions for a long time. Ireland [...]
The study is based on observation of literature sources devoted to contemporary dance and our observation of works of contemporary dance, live and on the video.
A study of dance involves connection of ideas between the past and the present with an aim of improving the quality of performance in regards to other social practices that arise from cultural beliefs.
Jazz is one of the common music genres that define the culture and racial history of the United States. Additionally, the nature of jazz dance was a new opportunity for African Americans to describe the [...]
Alvin Ailey is an American dancer and choreographer, the founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, who made a significant contribution to the popularization of modern dance and the emergence of black dancers on [...]
The form and line used in ballet dance underline the stage performance and make sure that the main and secondary performers each have their place. The forms and rhythm in jazz dance reflect the people's [...]
The ballet consists of two acts: Adoration of the Earth and the Sacrifice. The dances of both acts are largely repetitive, and the choreography uses the dancers' phases of action and inaction to create a [...]
The choreographer used pauses to show the audience the subject of the dance. The viewers were able to see the movements of the dancers without obstruction.
She has spoken out against racism and sexism in ballet and encouraged young dancers of color to pursue their dreams. In addition to her advocacy, Misty Copeland has been a solid and inspirational presence in [...]
It is important to note that the concept of home in this study does not refer to the physical environment of buildings and structures in the home country.
The Hora Jewish dance, the Adumu dance of the Maasai, and the Kuchipudi Indian dance are the three chosen for in-depth examination because of their distinctive characteristics and shared nature.
At the beginning of the XX century, American choreographers and dancers contributed to the development of modern dance by adding their ideas and techniques.
By translating the motion of bodies into speech and the gestures of dance into a provocative socio-political grammar, Everynight Life highlights dance as a privileged site of identity formation and cultural resistance in Latinos and [...]
The most identified element of the dance is space and energy, while time is the minor element the audience can recognize. One of the components of dance is time, which dance choreography and performance both [...]
In this dance class, from a series by the Kennedy Center Education Digital Learning, Rujeko Dumbutshena teaches how to use the concept of dancing on the clock to learn African Dance.
This is a very expressive dance in nature and it involves movement of the whole body but more specifically the hands in such a way that the audience can follow and understand the whole dance.
The work of Michael Praetorius solidified the heritage of the Renaissance as the world proceeded into the Baroque era."La Bouree" became the closing piece of his Terpsichore, providing a fitting conclusion to the compendium.
Fuller recalls that she invented her serpentine dance during her rehearsal for the part in the play. Even when Fuller came to Paris, she met there a young woman who copied her style, and she [...]
In Plutarch's work, when Theseus and the other Athenian youths escape from the Minotaur, they participate in a dance of celebration."The dances of the ancient times are characterized as dances of war or dances of [...]
Some of the historical implications of the capoeira include: originally this art was practiced by the underclasses in the Brazilian community. The middle class accepted the art and this led to the unification of the [...]
Whenever people think of Spain and the Spanish culture, the first thing that comes to their mind is flamenco the dance of passion and the only way to express the nature of a Spaniard, the [...]
The theory of choreology is concerned with the elaboration of the connection between the conscious expression of movement patterns in dance and the principles that guide those movements.
On the one hand, it seems that these two writings have nothing in common except the intentions of the authors to make contributions to the field of dance and choose the theme of ballet for [...]
Two of the most innovative dance groups in the present-day world of dancing, Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal and Zero in On are well worth being considered as peculiar specimens of the way dance can [...]
Besides, all the aspects of this dance are going to be taken into consideration the movements, the music, and its origin, dressing styles of the performers throughout the years, public perception of this form of [...]
Historians believe that the Grass Dance emerged during the early years of The Reservation Period among the warrior societies. This explains that the movement of the dance was meaningful to the natives.
The ability of the dance to captivate and touch the viewer's heart is striking and overwhelming in this particular performance."Carmen" impressed with the contrasts and breathtaking professionalism, and "In the Upper Room" made the viewers [...]
In particular, he greatly contributed to the popularization of the so-called modern dance which was developed at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Even if a person is informed about some details of the dance concert and the guests, who are going to participate, it is hard to cope with the emotions and attitudes to everything that can [...]
This is because the belly is exposed and because of that there is negative interpretation of what it means. This is a dance form devoid of any art because the dancer is not mindful of [...]
Alvin Ailey was able to merge dancing techniques which previously seemed to be completely incompatible with one another, and it is one of the major achievements in the history of choreography because such artistic choices [...]
Some musicians have also supported this subgenre in different parts of the world. This genre also portrays the realities and experiences of many Mexican Americans in the country.
The purpose of this memo is to describe the opening of FLASH: A New Choreography presented by the Department of Theatre and Dance and analyze the role of the play for the Asian Americans in [...]
The way of Geisha dance demonstrates to us the importance of maiko in the traditional Japanese culture. The dance is crucial to the lives of many Japanese women.
The important elements under discussion for all the dance styles analyzed include, the progression, the uniqueness in steps and the relevance of the knowledge gained to the student.
Denis was born in 1879 in New Jersey to Ruth Emma Denis who was a physician by training. She intended to translate her understanding of the "Indian culture and mythology to the American dance stage [...]
The TV shows such as the Wild style, Soul Train and Breakin, Beat Street also contributed in showcasing hip hop dance styles during the early periods of hip hop hype.
This paper discusses the history of capoeira, how people relate to it in Brazil, where it went after the end of slavery in Brazil and its popularity worldwide.
Alvin Ailey first performed with a group of young modern black dancers in 1958 and this led to the birth of his Dance Theatre which grew into a big premier dance company in America.
Because the drum beats was the most danceable segment of the hip hop music, the hip hop musicians increased their focus on the quality of drum beat sequence.
On the whole, analyzing the first part of the ballet from the beginning, we have to point out the appropriateness of the absence of sound accompaniment, which leads the onlooker to concentrate on the pattern [...]
Pages: 2
Words: 598
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