types:
adagio
a slow section of a pas de deux requiring great skill and strength by the dancers
break dance,
break dancing
a form of solo dancing that involves rapid acrobatic moves in which different parts of the body touch the ground; normally performed to the rhythm of rap music
courante
a court dance of the 16th century; consisted of short advances and retreats
pavan,
pavane
a stately court dance of the 16th and 17th centuries
phrase
dance movements that are linked in a single choreographic sequence
saraband
a stately court dance of the 17th and 18th centuries; in slow time
skank
a rhythmic dance to reggae music performed by bending forward and extending the hands while bending the knees
slam dance,
slam dancing
a form of dancing in which dancers slam into one another; normally performed to punk rock
duet,
pas de deux
(ballet) a dance for two people (usually a ballerina and a danseur noble)
mambo
a Latin American dance similar in rhythm to the rumba
ballet,
concert dance
a theatrical representation of a story that is performed to music by trained dancers
modern dance
a style of theatrical dancing that is not as restricted as classical ballet; movements are expressive of feelings
apache dance
a violent fast dance in French vaudeville (an apache is a member of the French underworld)
bolero
a Spanish dance in triple time accompanied by guitar and castanets
cakewalk
a strutting dance based on a march; was performed in minstrel shows; originated as a competition among Black dancers to win a cake
cancan
a high-kicking dance of French origin performed by a female chorus line
jitterbug
a jerky American dance that was popular in the 1940s
lindy,
lindy hop
an energetic American dance that was popular in the 1930s (probably named for the aviator Charles Lindbergh)
fandango
a provocative Spanish courtship dance in triple time; performed by a man and a woman playing castanets
flamenco,
gypsy dancing
a style of dancing characteristic of the Andalusian Gypsies; vigorous and rhythmic with clapping and stamping of feet
gavotte
an old formal French dance in quadruple time
shag
a lively dance step consisting of hopping on each foot in turn
shimmy
lively dancing (usually to ragtime music) with much shaking of the shoulders and hips
stomp
a dance involving a rhythmical stamping step
twist
social dancing in which couples vigorously twist their hips and arms in time to the music; was popular in the 1960s
ghost dance
a religious dance of Native Americans looking for communication with the dead
pyrrhic
an ancient Greek dance imitating the motions of warfare
snake dance
a ceremonial dance (as by the Hopi) in which snakes are handled or invoked
sun dance
a ceremonial dance performed by Amerindians at the summer solstice
war dance
a ceremonial dance performed before a battle or after a victory