Partnering
Encyclopedia
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, partnering is the assistance and sometimes leading given to a partner, generally of the opposite gender
Gender
Gender is a range of characteristics used to distinguish between males and females, particularly in the cases of men and women and the masculine and feminine attributes assigned to them. Depending on the context, the discriminating characteristics vary from sex to social role to gender identity...
. It is an important part of ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
and partner dance
Partner dance
Partner dances are dances whose basic choreography involves coordinated dancing of two partners, as opposed to individuals dancing alone or individually in a non-coordinated manner, and as opposed to groups of people dancing simultaneously in a coordinated manner.In the year 1023 the German poet...
s such as Rock and Roll
Rock and Roll (dance)
Acrobatic Rock'n'Roll is a very athletic, competitive form of dance that originated from lindy hop. Unlike lindy hop, however, it is a choreographed dance designed for performance. It is danced by both couples and groups, either all-female or 4-8 couples together...
. Partners can be of the same or opposite gender, an example of same-sex partnering being Reel of the 51st Highlanders
Reel of the 51st Highlanders
One of the most popular Scottish country dances of all time, the Reel of the 51st Highland Division is a modern Scottish country dance written by Lieutenant J.E.M. ‘Jimmy’ Atkinson of the 7th Battalion The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders while in a POW camp during the Second World War...
.
Ballet
In ballet, partnering is particularly studied by male principal dancers, who must develop the strength to gracefully and confidently lift, catch and carry a female partner. On the other hand, female principals will spend more time on developing the strength of their feet, ankles, legs, and abdominal muscles for pointe work.Partner dances
In many partner dances, the male dancer must lead. This may be simply a matter of guiding the female dancer as to position during a set routine, or in free-form dances it may include deciding and communicating the sequence of the figures to be danced. Some advanced jiveJive (dance)
In Ballroom dancing, Jive is a dance style in 4/4 time that originated in the United States from African-Americans in the early 1930s. It was originally presented to the public as 'Jive' in 1934 by Cab Calloway. It is a lively and uninhibited variation of the Jitterbug, a form of Swing dance...
, jitterbug and Rock and Roll
Rock and Roll (dance)
Acrobatic Rock'n'Roll is a very athletic, competitive form of dance that originated from lindy hop. Unlike lindy hop, however, it is a choreographed dance designed for performance. It is danced by both couples and groups, either all-female or 4-8 couples together...
figures require the male to perform lifts, although these are normally only achieved by advanced dancers.
See also
- Grande pas de deux.
- Connection (dance)Connection (dance)Connection is essential to all partner dancing and is the primary means to communicate synchronized dance movement between the lead and follow. It is especially important in Argentine Tango, Lindy Hop, Balboa, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Salsa, Contra dance, Modern Jive and other styles of...
. - Partner dancePartner dancePartner dances are dances whose basic choreography involves coordinated dancing of two partners, as opposed to individuals dancing alone or individually in a non-coordinated manner, and as opposed to groups of people dancing simultaneously in a coordinated manner.In the year 1023 the German poet...
. - :Category:Partner dance technique.
External links
- Article on partnering in the Australian Ballet Education site.