DANCe music and its impact on society
Dance in the 50's
In the 1950's, dance was a way of socialising before mobile phones and computers. People of all age groups (mostly teenagers) would attend weekly/fortnightly dances which were organised locally.
Dance and swing was a popular form of entertainment throughout the war and after its termination in 1945, teenagers around the globe kept the dancing spirit alive. Dance in the 50's was a way of bringing teenagers together, it encouraged friendships and relationships and kept everyones spirits high throughout the war and into the 50's. As Rock 'n' Roll grew larger in the early 50's, teens would alter their slow, smooth dance, which developed during the war, into something quicker and more angular. Rock 'n' Roll was a combination of blues, jazz, western swing, country music and gospel music. At the time, rock 'n' roll was completely original and grew more and more popular during the late 40's and into the early 50's. Evolving into the late 50's, rock 'n' roll became "rock music" and the melodies played by a trumpet or a saxophone was replaced with electric guitar and the double bass was replaced by an electric bass guitar. |
During the 50's, Rock 'n' Roll influenced people lifestyle, fashion, attitude and language. It started off the 'Rockabilly' attitude in the mid 50's, which technically referred to the genre of music but also the style and attitude of teens at that time. The majority of womans' dresses changed from wide 'hourglass' style to tight fitting pencil skirts and trousers became more socially acceptable for women to wear.
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It also contributed towards the civil-right movement because African-American and white American teenagers enjoyed the music and both attended the dances' which brought people together.
Dance in the 50's was seen as a hobby by 95% of teenagers, male or female. The dancing took skill and stamina and couples would practice in their spare time so they were ready for weekly/fortnightly dances. Fast-forward to modern day, dance is still widely appreciated by all age groups but now that Rock 'n' Roll has died out slightly, large groups of teenagers don't get together like they would in the 50's. Now that technology has been introduced into the majority of modern music, teenagers are brought together by electronic music which doesn't involve the large amount of skill and stamina. |
Dance in a modern day western society
Dance music has dramatically changed during the 21st century. There are so many more genres which are popular, unlike the dance music in the 50's, where rock 'n' roll was strictly the only thing teenagers danced to.
With the rise of technology in music production, the direction that popular music has taken is completely opposite from 60 years ago. The genres which are listened to by the majority of teenagers are deep house, drum and bass and dubstep. All 3 include a large amount of electronic processing. The music taste teenagers have now a days is varied compared to the 50's. Not every teenager is dedicated to one genre, but when you focus on 'dance' music, it is all very similar. The only situation I can think of which involves teenagers getting together to dance would be festivals and raves. These don't happen as frequently as the weekly/fortnightly dances did in the 50's. Festivals included a lot of bands and/or DJ's playing on a stage in-front of thousands of teenagers/adults over a weekend. |
A rave is slightly different. It includes loud electronic music to be played with visual effects in a venue. It started out in the UK in the late 1980s. Similarly to the Americans rebelling against the dance society in the 50's, teenagers in the 21st century are known to rebel and organize illegal raves, which end up causing a bad reputation for their age group.
Dance isn't taken as strict as it was in the 50's because it isn't seen as a hobby. Teenagers are still as indulged in music as they were back then but due to the route music has taken, it is rare to find a band with no processors or effects used alongside their live performance. |
In the 1950's, dance was healthier, safer and cheaper. In the 21st century, dance has become dangerous due to the large amount of alcohol/drug consumption at raves, riskier due to the large amount of unfamiliar people and more expensive when you add up ticket prices and travel costs.
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dance in non-western societies
Out of 'western modern day dance' and 'dance in non-western societies', I would say that 'dance in a non-western society' relates more with 'dance in the 50's'. This is because, in non-western societies (South Africa, for example) dance is seen as an everyday hobby, which they take seriously. Unlike western societies, they don't have technology to evolve their music further and being unable to afford tings like mobile phones and computers to socialize, music is their way of socializing with others.
A popular dance in South Africa is called the Gumboot Dance which involves dancers wearing wellington boots decorated with bells, which chime when they stamp their feet on the floor. This dance was brought up years ago when miners in South Africa use to stamp on the ground to communicate with one another as it was strictly no talking. |
The music in South African is completely different to Rock 'n' Roll or electronic music. Produced mainly from percussion, dancers would stamp in time to the beat and perform routine dances in groups. The sound of the drum gives the dancers and the crowd a sense of belonging and solidarity. On top of that, the dancers or the band would chant something to build the atmosphere.
In a community, their are several different types of dancers which were conveyed through their body movements. These are the warrior dancers, the dancers of love, welcome dancers, and possession and summoning dancers. Each played an important role in their community dances. Like dance in the 50's, dance music in a non-western society brings people together and give them a sense of well-being and makes them feel good. The dancers in south Africa would |
dress up and go to a dance, usually in a pair or as a family or group of friends.
They don't have technology like Western societies do, so their music is unable to evolve. But maybe that's not the case. African Tribal Dance has been a tradition for hundreds of years, so maybe they aren't look to change their music or the way they dance. |