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There are two distinct dance categories called Round Dance. The specific dances
belonging to the first of these categories are often considered to be ethnic,
folk or country dances. The dances in the second category are more closely
related to social ballroom dancing.
A folk dance performed by the dancers connected into a circular chain. Various
connections are possible; among these are hand-to-hand and hands-on-shoulders.
Circle dance, is the most common name for a style of dance usually done in
a circle without partners to musical accompaniment. It became popular in the
alternative, feminist and new age aspects of western culture in the 1980s
and 1990s and continues today.
The circle is probably the oldest known dance formation. It is found in the dances of many cultures, including ancient Greece (chorea), African, Eastern European, Irish Celtic, Catalan (sardana), South American and North American Indian. Circle dance mixes traditional folk dances, mainly from European or Near-Eastern sources, with recently choreographed ones to a variety of music both ancient and modern.
Dances can be slow and meditative, or lively and energetic.
Sacred Circle Dance
Some have a symbolism or spiritual content derived from various traditions,
some are just fun to dance. In these cases it is known as Sacred Dance or
Sacred Circle Dance. A small altar of flowers or other natural or venerated
objects is usually placed at the centre of the circle.
Sacred circle dance originated in the Findhorn Foundation community in Scotland following visits there from 1976 onwards by Professor Bernhard Wosien, a German dancer. Known first as Sacred Dance, it has changed over time as enthusiasts have made contributions, and may now be called Circle Dance, Sacred Dance, or Sacred Circle Dance (SCD).
Examples are Sardinian Ballu tundu, numerous Balkan folk dances, Russian Khorovod, Romanian Hora.
Modern social round dancing is choreographed and cued ballroom dancing that
progresses in a circular pattern, counter-clockwise around the dance floor.
The two major categories of ballroom rhythm found in round dancing are the
smooth or international rhythms, such as foxtrot and waltz, and the latin
rhythms, such as cha-cha and rumba.
Round dancing differs from free-style ballroom dancing in that each round dance has been fully choreographed ahead of time, and a "cuer" or leader at the front of the ballroom tells the dancers, as they dance, what steps to do. As the music plays, and just ahead of the beat, so the dancers have time to respond, the cuer names each dance figure in the choreography. As a consequence, all the dancers on the floor are dancing the same steps at the same time.
To create a round dance, a piece of music is selected by the choreographer, and the different steps or figures are chosen to fit the music. If the music swells and pauses briefly, then a dance step that rises and stretches is put into that place. If there is a little syncopation in another part of the song, then a quick step is inserted. The creation of a piece of choreography is like engineering a machine, with every gear and lever in just the right place to give smooth and flowing motion. The step-by-step instructions on how to dance this choreography are written out in what is called a cue sheet.
Examples of social dances that may be danced in "round" fashion are - Bolero - Cha Cha - Foxtrot - Hustle - Jive - Lindy - Mambo - Merengue - Paso Doble - Quickstep - Rumba - Salsa - Samba - Single Swing - Slow Two step - Tango - Two step - Waltz - Viennese Waltz - West Coast Swing -
Roundalab is the International Association of Round Dance Teachers, Inc. Roundalab has established a "Phase Rating System" of round dancing, in order to rate round dance figures according to difficulty and complexity.
Salsa Rueda is a kind of round dance in which there is no complete pre-choreographed
sequence, and the dance patterns are called out in a random order.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.