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.
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.
American musical theater has developed with the backdrop of musical theaters in other parts of the world. The characters and settings in Cohan's musical were purely American.
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 [...]
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 [...]
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.
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 [...]
Because of the negative effects of cultural appropriation and the continuous influences of other cultures, the African American dance has been affected by the borrowings of its key techniques by the Irish culture."Velocity" is a [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 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.
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.
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.
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 [...]
It should be noted that the dancers were able to demonstrate their skills in the field of the stadium. This is one of the limitations that can be identified.
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 [...]
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.
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.
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 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.
For me, what the Miami dance project represents is in line with what is known as the concept of confidence building wherein through the development of certain talents children with autism will begin to have [...]
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 [...]
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 [...]
