The history of the development of ballroom choreography in the Republic of South Africa

The purpose of the article is to analyze trends in the development of ballroom choreography in the Republic of South Africa. Research methodology is an organic set of basic principles of research: objectivity, historicism, multifactorial, systematicity, complexity, development, and pluralism, and to achieve the goal, the following methods of scientific knowledge are used: problem-chronological, concrete historical, statistical, descriptive, logical- analytical. Scientific Novelty. An attempt was made to research the topical issues of the history of the development of ballroom choreography in the Republic of South Africa. Conclusions. The versatility of the choreoplastic language of ballroom dance leads to the fact that even in those regions where ballroom choreography was historically regarded as the art of outsiders (conquerors and colonizers), which contradicts local artistic and aesthetic traditions, ballroom dancing becomes a part of the local dance culture. In addition, it is the ballroom choreography that is the very integrative element that connects local cultures that are quite far from Western thinking with the global worldview system. International cooperation between amateur dancers and professionals is promising in terms of cultural interaction and exchange of experience in the field of choreographic art. In general, the analysis of the African experience allows us to conclude that after passing through the stage of a kind of "nationalization" and adaptation by local ethics and aesthetics, ballroom choreography organically merges into the system of organizing leisure time, scenic screen art, and sports. To date, from the point of view of the development of ballroom choreography for Africa, only the overcoming of economic difficulties remains relevant. In the context of government support, ballroom choreography functions as an important resource for recovery, education, socialization of the population; it is able to fit into the national system of education, leisure, culture, and sports in the vast majority of African countries. Keywords: ballroom choreography, ballroom dance, competition dance.

Formation in dance sports: technical and compositional features

The purpose of the article is to identify the features of historical development and the evolution of technical and compositional features of the choreographic form of the competitive type of sports ballroom dance formation. Methodology. The historical method was applied, which contributed to the consideration of the genesis and development of formation; the comparative method, which revealed the common and distinctive features of dance formation in the twentieth century. and at the present stage, which have helped to determine the characteristic stylistic and technical-compositional features of the formation, and others. Scientific novelty. Peculiarities of the historical development of the choreographic form of the competitive type of sports ballroom dance formation have been studied; the term "formation" is specified; the evolution of technical and compositional features of formation in dancesport at the beginning of the XI century is considered; the generally accepted traditional method of training, which is based on repeated repetition of the competitive composition, is analyzed; outlines the prospects of formation in modern dance sports. Conclusions. Active development of ballroom dancing at the beginning of the XXI century. contributed to its formation in the format of a complex and coordinated sport, which accordingly led to the development of sports and technical skills of dancers, as one of the components of the overall training system. At present, the perfect ballroom dance technique is understood as the most rational and effective way of performing, which allows achieving the best result. Over the past few years, dance formation has changed greatly – increased speed and dynamics of performance, there were numerous gradual changes in position without a complete stop, as well as the trend towards direct construction, which increased dance technique requirements and positively affected national and international competitiveness. Keywords: formation, ballroom dancing, dancesport, technical and compositional features.

The Viennese Ballroom in the Age of Beethoven

The repertoire of the early Viennese ballroom was highly influential in the broader histories of both social dance and music in nineteenth-century Europe. Yet music scholarship has traditionally paid little attention to ballroom dance music before the era of the Strauss dynasty, with the exception of a handful of dances by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. This book positions Viennese social dances in their specific performing contexts and investigates the wider repertoire of the Viennese ballroom in the decades around 1800, most of which stems from dozens of non-canonical composers. Close examination of this material yields new insights into the social contexts associated with familiar dance types, and reveals that the ballroom repertoire of this period connected with virtually every aspect of Viennese musical life, from opera and concert music to the emerging category of entertainment music that was later exemplified by the waltzes of Lanner and Strauss.

Anglicization and canonization of ballroom dance, late 19th - early 20th century

Purpose of the Article. The aim of the article is to analyze the processes of anglicization and canonization of ballroom dance, during the period of democratization of social dances in England, in the late 19th - early 20th centuries. Methodology is an organic set of basic principles of research: objectivity, historicism, multifactor essence, systematicity, complexity, development, and pluralism, to achieve the goal, the following methods of scientific knowledge are used: problem-chronological, concrete historical, statistical, descriptive, logical- analytical. Scientific Novelty. The scientific novelty lies in the identification of the processes of origin and development of competitive ballroom dancing in England at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. Conclusions. The widespread democratization of social dancing in England began as early as the 19th century when the Austrian waltz and other ballroom dancing became popular among all social strata. Democratic fervor of the common people, which at the end of the XIX century got the opportunity to relax on the resort coast of Great Britain, gave birth to the first dance competition in ballroom dancing. It was often noted by professional dance experts that the new British dance forms were superior to the original. Certainly, the distinctive features and high quality of British ballroom dancing were a matter of special professional pride. The advantages of a standardized English style as early as the late 30s. The XX century was recognized outside the country for the extraordinary success of British dancers in international ballroom dancing championships. Gradually, it established the international standard for ballroom dancing and was adopted by many of the world's dance organizations at the national level, with the exception of the United States of America (by many American competitive ballroom dancers, the English style was not adopted until the 1960s.).

Impact of Ballroom Dance on Body-Esteem of Middle-Aged Urban Citizens

Aim: To explore the impact of ballroom dance on the body-esteem of urban middle-aged groups, and to provide references for the promotion of physical and mental health of the group. Method: Middle-aged people who meet the age standard and live in cities were selected as the experimental subjects, and the experimental group was given an 8-week ballroom dance exercise intervention. Result: After a period of ballroom dance intervention, the body-esteem and its various dimensions of the experimental group were significantly improved to varying degrees (P<0.05). Conclusion: Ballroom dance exercises have a significant promotion effect on the urban middle-aged population’s body-esteem and its various dimensional levels, and have an extremely significant promotion effect on the physical state, physical fitness and the level of physical self-worth.

Ballroom Dance as a Form of Rehabilitation: A Systematic Review

Chronic health problems, such as neurological conditions or long-lasting diseases, impair patients’ physical and mental functions with a subsequent reduction in overall quality of life. The purpose of this systematic review was to summarize how ballroom dance is being investigated as a rehabilitative method in individuals with neurological or medical diseases. A systematic literature search was conducted in databases including MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, and PubMed. Of 728 articles located and titles and abstracts screened, 12 studies were included in this review. Study groups included Parkinson’s disease (4 studies), multiple sclerosis (2), spinal cord injury (1), stroke (1), dementia (1), cancer (2), and diabetes (1). Ballroom dances utilized included a combination of smooth and rhythm dances. Results revealed that ballroom dance is effective in improving gait functions, balance, and quality of life among various populations living with chronic neurological or medical conditions. In addition, ballroom dance is safe and associated with a low attrition rate (7.7%). There is increasing evidence to support ballroom dance as a feasible and effective intervention for adults with chronic neurological disorders or medical diseases. Further large-scale, randomized controlled trials are needed to examine the mechanisms, effectiveness, retention, and safety of ballroom dance as a rehabilitative intervention.

Anglicization and Canonization of Ballroom Dance, Late 19th — Early 20th Century

The purpose of this article. The purpose of the article is to determine the specifics of the evolutionary processes in the English dance style of the XX — early XXI century. The methodology is an organic set of basic research principles: objectivity, historicism, multifactority, systemacity, complexity, development and pluralism, and to achieve the goal, the following methods of scientific knowledge are used: problem­chronological, concrete historical, statistical, descriptive, logical­analytical. The results. The evolution of the English dance style took place through professionalization. Communication at the international level between teachers­choreographers, the popularization of dance competitions and tournaments, the development of a judging system formed not only the content of new ballroom dances, but also the manner of their performance. The English style of performance has become a model for the world dance society for many years. Foreign­born dances, which were fashionable among the general public, were transformed by the British dance society in the 1920s and 1930s to form the so­called “English style” of ballroom dancing. Consistently claiming that dance is an expression of national character, the country’s professional dancers and dance teachers have sought to create a British dance form that is distinct from foreign forms. It was the process of “Anglicization” of foreign ballroom dancing that became one of the most important elements of the national dance culture of Great Britain in the 1920s and 1930s. The original British school of ballroom dancing, the style and methods of which were popularized in European countries in the early 1930s, led to the development and standardization of requirements for the conduction of competitions and championships. Improving the national rating system, the English system of training and identifying the best performers of ballroom choreography for many decades of the XX century remained the only generally recognized dance school in the world. Now the UK remains a leader in the art of ballroom choreography in many of its aspects — from pedagogical methods of training high­class performers and choreographers to the media and tournament sphere. The topicality. An attempt has been made to research the topical issues of the development of the English dance style of the XX — early XXI century. The practical significance. The research may be used in developing lectures by specialists in choreography.

Ballroom dance in the education system: past and present

The purpose of the article is to reveal the features of ballroom choreographic education in the dynamics of historical development and to characterize promising directions for optimizing the educational process in the context of the professional training of the future choreographer. Methodology. The method of theoretical analysis was applied, which contributed to the study of published scientific sources devoted to the problems of professional choreographic education and related problems in accordance with the topic of the article; the method of systems analysis to identify the goal, task, content, volume and rational methods of teaching ballroom choreography, as well as assess the effectiveness of training industry specialists; methodological analysis of the leading pedagogical directions of teaching ballroom dance in the education system, etc. Scientific novelty. The dynamics of the development of ballroom choreographic education in a historical retrospective is investigated and its features are revealed in the context of the artistic culture of the 20th century; analyzed the theoretical and practical foundations of teaching ballroom dance in the context of transformational processes of pedagogical practice; considered the problems of promoting ballroom choreographic education in the development of art, aesthetic and cultural education in Ukraine; the criteria used for an objective academic assessment of ballroom choreographic education in professional educational institutions of Ukraine at the present stage are considered; identified and characterized promising ways of further development of ballroom dance as a performing art and a separate academic discipline. Conclusions. Socio-cultural changes and transformations in the system of training ballroom choreography specialists require optimization of the educational process, in particular in the following aspects: orientation to practical requests; complication and expansion of the structure of professional training of coaches, teachers, and ballet masters of ballroom dance; democratization of the system of choreographic education; integration and adaptation of leading methods of European education; strengthening of structural social and functional interaction within the framework of the system of choreographic education. The study has shown that the development of ballroom dance in Ukraine at the present stage requires the creation and provision of an appropriate level of a specific professionally-oriented education system, the basis of which would be the integrated use of the best traditional and innovative technologies in the field of pedagogy of choreographic art, developed by Ukrainian and foreign theorists and practitioners of dance education. as a backbone element of training specialists.

Converging Styles

Building from a musical and movement analysis of the jazz tap choreography in Orchestra Wives (1942), this chapter gives an explication of the Nicholas Brothers’ “classical jazz tap” dancing as the open-partner synchronization of adagio ballroom dance, the Africanist-inflected stage and social dance styles of the teens and twenties, the flash and acrobatics of turn-of-the-century black comedy dance, the formal elegance and fastidious movement rhythms of the class act, and the rhythmic drive of the challenge dance—all absorbed by the Nicholases and then distilled into their own distinctive style of American jazz dancing. The speedy, swinging rhythms of the Nicholas Brothers’ drum dancing—dissonant in the clatter of metal tapping, yet exciting in the offbeat, rhythmic propulsion—sounded out a new breed of black American jazz artists who shaped a classical American style of jazz dancing that in sound and shape was purely modernist.

Influence of France on the formation of ballroom choreography in the context of Western Europe culture development in the XVI — early XXI centuries

The purpose of this paper to analyze the transformations in the French ballroom and choreographic practice, in the context of the development of culture of Western European countries of the XVI — early XXI centuries. The methodology is an organic set of basic principles of research: objectivity, historicism, multifactority, systemicity, complexity, development and pluralism, and to achieve the goal, the following methods of scientific knowledge are used: problem-chronological, concrete historical, statistical, descriptive, logical and analytical. The results. The analysis of trends in the development of ballroom dance in France and the influence of French culture on the formation of ballroom choreography in the XVI — early XXI centuries. The analysis of trends in the development of ballroom dance in France and the influence of French culture on the formation of ballroom choreography in the XVI — early XXI centuries took place. The processes of transformation and democratization of ballroom choreography in the XVIII century, which already in the XIX century turned from salon art into a leisure object for various social strata throughout Europe, were investigated. In the XX century it was France that discovered non-European types of ballroom dancing for Europe, which subsequently acquired standardization in the English professional environment. In the XX century France became the country where foreign art forms appeared and adapted to the conditions of European realities. France attracted artists from all over the world because of the special national culture formed in it. During the XX century the art of ballroom choreography in France developed rapidly. French performers and teachers continued long-standing national traditions. This factor had a positive effect on the training level of dancers in the field of professional and amateur ballroom dancing. Since 2010, France has been an active member of the World Dance Sports Federation (WDSF). The French Dance Federation (Fédération Française de Danse) is one of the largest organizations that develops ballroom choreography in the country. Over the past decades, dozens of open national and world ballroom dancing championships have been held in French cities (Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Nice, etc.). The scientific topicality is to identify the processes of the influence of French culture on the development of ballroom choreography in the XVI — early XXI centuries. The practical significance. The research may be used in developing lectures by specialists in choreography.