HISTORY

National Geographic describes slaves dancing as “... a form of exercise, which helped to preserve and maintain the captives' health during the tedious voyage. Ultimately, the slave captains were not really concerned about the health and wellbeing of their captives. Rather, they took whatever measures that were necessary to protect their human cargo to ensure that they would get a good return on their investments when the slaves were sold in the Americas.”  Over time these dances went from forced exercise to a way to celebrate. 

EVOLUTION

Over time there have been many dance styles and dance moves, but today the most popular are rooted in the culture of Black Americans. Hip-Hop dance has helped take dance to a new level of vibes.

VIRAL

Today there are countless dances, with new ones going viral every other week on social media platforms like Tik Tok or Instagram. You can watch the creator of the “Renegade” perform the dance on The Ellen Show/ellentube below:

QUIZ

Do you remember when we talked about the juba in Lesson 5? Which modern dances reflect the juba? (patting, clapping, or stomping).