Category: Happenings

The 1950s was to most people the year of growth and rebellion. Major dances from the 1950s like the bop, the twist and other dances made popular from this rock and roll era influenced movies like “Grease” and “Hairspray”. From their poodle skirts, socks, and white tennis shoes, this was the era of the pink ladies and dirty dancing. Especially with Elvis’s rocking pelvis, the dirty dancing seed has been planted.

The majority of the dances in the 1960s didn’t include a dance partner. They had dances like the Mashed Potato, the Fly, the Monkey and the Funky Chicken. Over 400 new dances were introduced in the 1960s. Artists like Nat Cole and The Beatles had a huge impact in this era for dance. Some films based off this era were “Cats”and “West Side Story.”

The 1970s. The colorful, bright, soulful disco era, from dances like the hustle, the YMCA, and soul train lines, this upbeat era kept everyone on their toes or should I say “their platform shoes.” Disco was also expressed very impressive on the dance floor from songs like “Macho Man”, “Love Machine” and “Foxy Lady”. A lot of people would express themselves best dancing with their significant other to disco music. Movies like “Saturday Night Fever” starring John Travolta were based on this era.

Break dancing being one of the biggest crazes of the 1980s, street dancing was born in this era. Even though break dancing was such a big thing, it was also the year of punk and heavy metal such as moshing (jumping around to the sounds of loud heavy metal music.) A famous dance film in the 1980s was “Dirty Dancing” which featured a dance style called lambada. Lambada, a dance with long-standing Brazilian roots, was a very sensual dance, even though it was very fast paced.

1990s — the era of hip hop and line dancing which influenced dance culture tremendously to this day. The 1990s had dances from the tootsie roll, the running man, to the macarena that still are popular in dances that kids do today. The 90s brought major artists such as MC Hammer, Vanilla ice, and BlackStreet that still bless our eardrums today.

In the 2000s artist like Brittany Spears, N’Sync, Beyonce and Ciara swept the nation with their hit singles and rocking dance moves. Thinking back to the early 2000s, the signature dances that come to mind were throwbacks like “crank that Soulja Boy,” “the lean wit it rock wit it,” “teach me how to dougie,” and shuffling.

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