8 Most Popular Types of Dance Classes

How do you feel when you dance? You’re probably not doing it right if you feel anything other than freedom and happiness.

Dancing is the best exercise that combines movement and fun according to the music’s beat. Finding different ways to groove to the same music beat is truly a talent. Plus, dance allows you to be creative and express yourself freely with nothing to hold you back.

However, since there are so many different types of dances, it can be a little tricky to find the one you’d enjoy the most. That’s why we have gathered the eight most popular dances that people love.

Ballet Dancing

Want to look graceful and poise while dancing? If yes, then you’d really enjoy ballet dancing. Ballet dance has been around for over 500 years and originated in Italy. This is a timeless and classic style of dance that allows you to depict your emotions while looking as sophisticated as ever. This is one of the reasons why there are many disciplines you must learn to do great at ballet dancing.

Ballet can be difficult to master as you have to develop the correct form, learn how to balance on the tip of your toes and make it seem flawless. You must invest in rigorous training to appear graceful and gentle in every move you make. To become one of the finest ballet dancers, you need tremendous amount of strength, flexibility, and balance. However, if you want to start with something easier, you can consider “ballet fusion” that combines the traditional elements of ballet with some modern dancing elements.

Jazz Dance

Jazz dancing originated in the 20th century. African American dancers started blending their traditional dance steps with the European dancing style, creating a whole new style of dancing. Since this dance style combines two significantly different dance cultures, jazz dancing is all about improvisation.
Group of people practicing jazz dance at the studio

Jazz dancing is about animated expressions paired with sharp and fluid motions that set itself apart from the traditional dance styles. This is why jazz classes are fun since the dance style itself fuses a number of elements to create one complete puzzle. As a result, your dance has a touch of modernism with high energy. If you want to do something fun, high-paced and full of energy, then sign up for jazz dancing classes today!

Tap Dance

Like ballet, tap dancing can be pretty difficult to learn since you must dance while creating music with the heels of your shoes. Indeed, tap dancing can look fun and sound amazing, but it takes plenty of coordination and control to make that happen.
People tap dancing

The key to conquering these skills is to practice regularly, which means tap dance classes are ideal for those willing to dedicate themselves to the skill. But in the end, once you hone the skill, all the effort is worth it since you learn how to captivate the audience with the movement of your feet. You think you’re good at hand and feet coordination? Then give tap dancing a go!

Hip-Hop Dance

No matter what generation you belong to, everyone has tried hip-hop dancing at least once. However, the dance you tried might vary based on your generation, as hip-hop dance is all about staying “up-to-date.” As new trends evolve, they are quickly picked up by hip-hop dancers and incorporated into their routines.
Youngsters doing hip-hop dance

This dancing style is quite popular, high-paced, and packed with energy. You must learn how to move your body fast and transition from one movement to another within the blink of an eye. Not sure what we mean? Try watching some of the dance moves by the late Michael Jackson, whose moves inspired the hip-hop movement.

Swing Dance

Want to enroll in a dance class where you can keep your partner involved? You must consider swing dancing then. This is one of the liveliest styles of dancing that involves a lot of spins, lifts, and flips. If there’s one dance style that’s cool and hip, it’s probably swing dancing.
Couple doing swing dance.

The ideal couple for swing dancing is the one with the biggest smiles who like having the most fun. This is a non-progressive dance style that is mostly performed in a single spot and usually on crowded dance floors. Couples usually place hands on the waist or shoulders, but here it’s all about holding hands to make the swings and flips easy.

Becoming a swing dancer requires a lot of practice to learn coordination, but you’ll never want to stop once you know the steps. If you and your partner can keep up with a quick and fast-paced dance routine, give swing dancing a shot!

Belly Dance

Belly dancing is the western name for the middle-eastern dance, Raqs Sharki. It’s a dance style performed solo and requires impeccable movement of the hips and the waist. As you try to move your hips to the beat, there’s a natural shimmy to the midsection of your body, coining the western name.
Belly-dancer in costume

To become a successful belly dancer, your movements must be as fluid as water, creating circular or infinite loops patterns with your hips. The better abdominal muscle control you have, your dance movements will look more flawless. Some common movements used to accompany hip-shaking in belly dancing include belly roll, hip roll, chest thrust, and shimmy.

Ballroom Dance

Have you heard of “waltz” or “blues” dance? These are ballroom dance styles. This is another famous couple dancing style that can be a little technical for beginners at first. Posture and technique are two of the most important elements of this dancing style.
Couple doing salsa

Ballroom dances are usually done for three distinct audiences; social, competitive, or an exhibition. Regardless of whom you’re performing for, it’s important to nail the coordination, learn control, and move swiftly with your partner. However, it takes months for people to master these skills. But with regular practice, there’s nothing you can’t do.

Contemporary Dance

Lastly, the dance type with the most technical form that remains popular is contemporary dance. Contemporary dance is a blend of classical, jazz, and modern dance styles to reflect the dance moves of the present time. It’s the perfect way to blend some historical moves with the steps that are trending right now.

Contemporary dance focuses on strong legwork and torso, contraction and release of the body, and fall and recovery of dance steps. The combination of these steps makes what’s coming next unpredictable.

Learn Your Favorite Dance Style with TYMMI

Dance is a piece of art that allows you to express yourself without uttering a single word. Every dance move is inspired by the dancer’s inner feelings, thoughts, and collective experiences. But to become the best, you have to be trained by the best.

The Young Musician Music Institute (TYMMI) is a music institute in Abu Dhabi that offers a wide range of services for music and dance lovers. Each of our programs is formulated to bring out the star in you, from Trinity certificate exams to singing lessons and dance classes.

Fine-tune your music skills and refine your dance movements with TYMMI. Visit our website now to learn more.