Ballroom dance is one of the types of choreographic art
Speaking about folk and stage dances, it is necessary to mention the art that is accessible to everyone and loved by many — modern ballroom dance. This is one of the most popular forms of choreographic art, the history of which goes back centuries.
Many of the dances have undergone a complex path of evolution, experiencing amazing metamorphoses. Born as folk dances performed by the people, like the minuet — a dance of the rural inhabitants of the French locality of Poitou, near Brittany in France, they entered aristocratic society and changed so much in character and manner of performance that it became impossible to imagine their lineage. From an energetic and cheerful dance, very mobile, it transformed into its opposite — acquiring a special solemnity and importance, smoothness of movements. It is no wonder that in the 16th-17th centuries it was called "the dance of kings and the king of dances."
Each time, each era presented its own ballroom dances. They reflect, like a drop of water, the everyday life and morals of society, its aesthetic views and tastes, its needs and possibilities.
One of the most popular dances of the 18th century was the polonaise, along with dance-games and processional dances, which were widely cultivated at the assemblies of Peter the Great in Russia. The favorite dances of the youth that became common in the second half of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century included the mazurka, French quadrille, ecossaise, cotillion, and lancers. The mass dance — the polka — literally enchanted Parisians and was the most fashionable in the mid-19th century. Ballroom dances were taught by ballet artists and renowned choreographers, as well as dance enthusiasts, and numerous dance halls, fashionable dance classes, and ballroom dance schools opened, where students learned not only the art of dancing but also polite manners and the ability to organize balls, evenings, and masquerades.
The popularity and spread of many dances were so great that special government decrees were even issued to regulate strict rules for their performance. The rise of the waltz was truly spectacular, with its prototypes being the dances of Austrian peasants — the dreher, ländler, and landler. On its way, the waltz encountered many obstacles. By decree of Paul I, dancing "called waltz" was banned in Russia because the partners were too close to each other in the dance. But the waltz — this truly fantastic dance — could not be banned or stopped. Like the spring flood of turbulent rivers, it spread widely and captured the globe. The brilliant epic of waltz music by the Viennese composer Johann Strauss II, the extraordinary depth and heartfelt music of P. I. Tchaikovsky, the delicate charm of the waltzes by F. Chopin, M. Ravel, C. Debussy, S. Prokofiev, and many celebrated composers of the world established and glorified this amazing dance.
The character of Kyrgyz dance music. The history of Kyrgyz folk dance. Part 6
