Posting my IB dance extended essay - Dance Saturday
Hello everybody and welcome back to another blog post,
Today, I'll be posting my IB extended essay that I did on the subject of dance. In this essay, I explore how Strictly Come Dancing has helped to disseminate Ballroom and Latin dance, a previously regarded old style of dance, amongst the younger generation and how that's led to the continuity of this dance style in the modern day. This essay took me a long time to write because it focused on a very unique topic that has not really been talked about or approached before in the academic sense. Most of my friends and peers did their extended essays on subjects such as English and history, which were classic subjects for the extended essay. However, I was selected to do mine on dance and for a long time I doubted if I could write an essay that would be of the same quality as the others. Over the months, there were drafts and redrafts and paragraphs written and rewritten, as well as many meetings held with my supervisor, but eventually I created a 4,000 word essay that I was happy with. In the end, the examiner awarded me an A for this essay, which was a much better grade than I ever expected to get for this essay. I could not include the images in this essay for copyright reasons but I do hope you enjoy giving it a read anyway. Hopefully you find it interesting!
Introduction:
In this essay, I will be
exploring the research question “To what extent has the introduction of the
jive into the mainstream media influenced the next generation of young dancers?”
I have chosen to focus this essay on Ballroom and Latin dance because I am a
part of the younger generation that has grown up watching Strictly Come Dancing
and I believe that it was thanks to this TV show that I became exposed to these
unique styles of dance and that I have now become familiar and passionate about
them. Therefore, for this essay, I’m going to be looking into the history of
ballroom dance, focusing particularly on the Jive, which has proven to be a
popular style of dance amongst the Strictly Come Dancing audience. I will also
be comparing ballroom dance amongst the older and younger generation as well
analysing the popularity of jive, and how TV shows such as Strictly Come
Dancing and Dancing with the Stars have helped to celebrate and modernise Ballroom
and Latin dance with the younger generation. This will give me a more detailed
analysis into the popularity of ballroom dance amongst the younger generation,
which will help me to better answer my research question.
What is Ballroom dance and what is Latin dance?
Ballroom and Latin are both
partnered dance styles that therefore involve two dancers coming together to
create movement. Most non-dancers who are viewers of TV shows such as Strictly
Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars, will perhaps use Ballroom and Latin as
an umbrella term to encompass a wide variety of different partnered dance
styles. However, for the dancers who are familiar with Ballroom and Latin,
there are some clear distinctions that separate the two dance styles from each
other.
Firstly, there are a set of Ballroom
dance styles and a set of Latin dance styles that are clearly different to each
other in terms of technique. Dances such as the Waltz, Tango, Quickstep, Foxtrot,
and Viennese Waltz, would all be categorised as Ballroom dance styles and more
specifically, standard or smooth dances as they glide across the floor. In
contrast, dances such as the Cha-cha, Samba, Jive, Paso doble, and Rumba, would
all be categorised as Latin dance styles
However, Ballroom and Latin
also differ to each other in terms of origin. The Ballroom dance styles mainly
originated in Europe, with the Waltz originating in Vienna, and the Latin dance
styles mainly originated in Central and South America, with the samba
originating in Brazil. The jive can be a bit difficult to categorise as it
originated in American Swing, which is a ballroom dance style, but it upholds
similar technical attributes to the Latin dance styles. This remains a debate
amongst Ballroom and Latin dance practitioners, but most abide by the
categories created by the Dance Sport competitions. In most Ballroom and Latin
dance competitions, the Jive is a Latin dance style as it is danced with a
similar pace, footwork, and framing to the Latin dance styles. As a result,
although some people refer to the jive as the Ballroom Jive, it is now most
known as a Latin dance style.[1]
Ballroom dance amongst the older generation:
Before the launch of popular
dance TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars,
ballroom dance was synonymous with the older generation. This was because the
technical and performance elements that can be seen in Ballroom dance today
have all been founded by dancers of the 20th century and the now
elderly members of society. In its early
beginnings, Ballroom dance was traditionally practised by members of the upper
classes, meaning that the dance style became quite a “privileged and well-to-do"
In addition to the dancers who
helped disseminate the art of Ballroom dance, Britain saw an upsurge in popularity
of the dance style, during the horrors of the Second World War. To many of the
elderly members of society today, Ballroom dance brings back fond memories of going
to village dance halls to escape the uncertainties of the war and the constant
threat of bombs
Ballroom dance to senior
citizens, is very much a nostalgic keepsake of the past, that reminds them of
the positive aspects of the 20th century. Although those who
practise Ballroom dance can be considered a part of a closed off community, it
has brought people together, especially those older individuals who might
experience loneliness. In an increasingly developing world, Ballroom dance has
the highest uptake amongst the older generation because it allows them to maintain
good mental health through interacting with other like-minded people and it
allows them to practise an artform that was so loved in the past
History of the Jive:
A dance style that is fondly
remembered by members of the older generation is the Jive because of its
connections to the Second World War. In 1927, the American Swing style of dance
known as the Lindy Hop, was created by African American artists in the Southern
parts of America
Despite obtaining strong
similarities to Lindy Hop, the Jive is categorised as a much faster-paced
version of Swing dance that involved kicks and flicks, leaving little room
freestyle and interpretation
Ballroom dance survey:
To get a better understanding of the popularity of Ballroom dance, I conducted a survey where I asked four dance studio owners in the Cambridgeshire area about their opinions on the dance style. It was clear from the survey that all the studio owners, having practised dance before, were familiar with the Ballroom dance style but some were more rehearsed in the field than others. When asked if they had practised Ballroom dance before, all the studio owners said yes. However, when asked if they had practised Ballroom dance competitively, two of them said yes and two of them said no. When asked at what age they started Ballroom dance, only three of the studio owners responded but the responses varied from the ages of 10 to 18 and to 24. Only one of the studio owners taught Ballroom and Latin. Although some of the studio owners started Ballroom dance later than others and did not have as much experience in the dance style, it was clear from the survey that all studio owners were familiar with Ballroom dance and valued the dance style.
As for the most important question, when asked where they have seen Ballroom dance before based on a multiple-choice list, the two highest scoring results were Strictly Come Dancing and live performances. When the teachers were asked if they believed that ballroom dance had grown in popularity over the years, 4/5 of the teachers said yes, and when asked the question “which generation of people has Ballroom dance grown in popularity with?” most of the studio owners said young adults and children. This suggests that there has been an increase in popularity of Ballroom and Latin dance amongst the younger generation. It also suggests that Strictly Come Dancing and live performances may have influenced young people’s attitudes towards Ballroom and Latin dance.
Ballroom dance in the mainstream media:
Before Strictly Come Dancing first
aired on TV, British people often watched Come Dancing, which was a Ballroom and
Latin dance competition show that aired between 1949 and 1998. Unlike Strictly Come
Dancing, the contestants that took part in Come Dancing were ordinary
civilians. Head judge of Strictly Come Dancing, Shirley Ballas, said “On the TV,
Come Dancing was the only thing I watched religiously, once a week. The show
had been running for nearly two decades when I started tuning in and was still
incredibly popular.”
Strictly Come Dancing is a
British dance competition show where celebrities are coupled with professional
dancers and choreographers, to compete against each other to win the Glitter
Ball Trophy. Dancing with the Stars is the TV show’s American counterpart, that
works on the same basis. Around 20 years ago, Ballroom and Latin dance was
mainly danced amongst the older generation and those professional dancers who
had practised these styles competitively, were not well-known amongst the
community of non-dancers. However, thanks to the showcase of Ballroom and Latin
dance on the television, these dance styles have become more recognisable
across a more diverse group of people.
Strictly Come Dancing and
Dancing with the Stars showcase the athleticism, stamina, and musicality of
world-class Ballroom and Latin dance champions and professionals and many
people believe that these TV shows set the precedent for this standard of
dancing. However, many of the professional dancers that are seen on Strictly
Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars, began their dance career in the
entertainment world through the Burn the Floor Dance Company. In Burn the Floor,
Ballroom dancers must go through a rigorous audition to enter the company and must
train every day to stay in the company. Founded by theatre producer, Harley
Medcalf, the company was created to show the public that Ballroom and Latin
dance was not only a strict discipline, but also an artform that showcased
passion, personality, and creativity, exciting qualities that a modern-day
audience would be able to connect with. Medcalf said that he was inspired to
start his own ballroom dance company after being entertained by the sixteen
young ballroom dancers at Elton John’s 50th birthday party, in 1997.
He said, “Ballroom dancing are you kidding me? The deadest thing you could find
in 1997, blew this room away.”
In 1999, the Burn the Floor performances were
entertaining a much older audience that varied from the ages of 45 to 70. Now,
in the UK, Burn the Floor entertains an audience of elderly people and young
adults, between the ages of 30 to 70. For Japan, the company reaches an
audience as young as 18.[2] It
became apparent that the Burn the Floor Dance Company was able to achieve its
aim of making Ballroom and Latin dance a young person’s form of entertainment.
Thanks to the eventual introduction of Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with
the Stars, these TV shows were able to continue this legacy and reach a much larger
younger audience.
The dancers such as Kevin Clifton and Kym
Herjavec, who transitioned from Burn the Floor to Strictly Come Dancing and
Dancing with the Stars, had brought over what they had included in their dances
whilst being on the company, to the television and it had a profound impact on
the way that the public viewed ballroom and Latin dance. Now these dances
became the fun, entertaining styles that young people could engage with,
instead of the stereotypical, nondescript dance styles that only the older
generation had danced. The Jive is the dance style that many Strictly Come
Dancing viewers enjoy watching because it’s fast-paced partner work, embodies the
energy and musicality that these professional dancers from Burn the Floor, were
able to bring over from their time at the company. The Wanted singer, Jay
McGuiness and his professional partner, Aliona Vilani, as seen in figure 4, performed
a jive in the 2015 series of Strictly Come Dancing, and it was crowned as the
most memorable dance of the programme
More recently,
CBBC presenter Karim Zeroual and his professional partner Amy Dowden, earned themselves
a perfect score of 40 for their Jive to “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from the
musical Hairspray (Kelly, 2019). Karim, who had been working hard throughout
the weeks to receive a 10 from the judge Craig Revel Howard, finally earned
this score with a memorable performance. With the song being one that many
would recognise and with the dance style being fun, upbeat, and energetic, it
is clear that the routine was appealing to the younger generation. This was
reflected by the viewership of the performance as it was watched by 2.6 million
people on YouTube, a platform that is dominated by young people (BBC Come
Dancing, 2019).
Strictly Come
Dancing has also taken many steps in recent years, to make its live shows more
engaging to a younger audience. One of these steps was introducing popular
social media influencers such as Joe Sugg, to the show’s celebrity
line-up. Joe Sugg, a YouTube sensation who has over 7 million
subscribers on his ThatcherJoe channel, was included in the 2018 cast
of Strictly Come Dancing, pairing with Australian Ballroom and Latin dance
champion, Dianne Buswell, as seen in figure 5. With an average demographic
of women over the age of sixty, Joe Sugg was arguably a good investment
for Strictly Come Dancing, as it brought much needed advertisement of
the show to the younger generation
In 2018, Strictly Come
Dancing also introduced the first Couple's Choice section
to their show where on certain weeks, the
dancers could choose to perform a meaningful routine in either contemporary,
street, or jazz. This was something that Dancing with the Stars had already
included in their live shows at the time. These more modern dance styles were
introduced to connect the show to a younger audience and therefore disseminate
the Ballroom and Latin dance styles to a more diverse demographic
In the 2020
series of Strictly Come Dancing, BBC1 also introduced the
first female same-sex couple of the entire series, with boxer, Nicola
Adams pairing with her professional partner, Katya Jones. Nicola
and Katya are seen performing their commercial Couple’s Choice dance on
Strictly Come Dancing in figure 6 below. In the 2021 series, former Bake-Off winner,
John Whaite was paired with his professional partner, Johannes Radebe,
introducing the first male same-sex couple of the show. With Ballroom
and Latin being traditional styles of dance, dancers of these styles are
typically confined to strict gender roles, with male dancers performing
masculine roles and female dancers performing feminine roles. Whilst
other TV shows such as Britain’s Got Talent and the Greatest Dancer,
were proud to display their same-sex couples, Strictly Come Dancing’s
introduction of same-sex couples was a radical step in the traditional
industry of Ballroom and Latin dance
Ballroom dance amongst the younger generation:
Ballroom and Latin has remained one of the lesser-known
dance styles to some dancers in the modern day. However, Strictly Come Dancing,
through broadcasting ballroom and Latin dance on national television, has
helped to broaden people’s knowledge of these dance styles which were
previously practised by a small part of the population.
Child dancers, Mason Bevan and Millie
Davies-English, are Welsh and British ballroom dance champions. In 2016, the
pair were able to achieve their dream of dancing amongst the professionals at
Strictly Come Dancing, when they were seen performing a perfect dance sequence
to introduce the first episode of the 14th series. To their dance
teacher, Mason and Millie’s performance marked a huge step forward for ballroom
and Latin dance, as it showed that these dance styles were finally being
accepted by the younger generation. She said “For every boy and girl that’s ultimate, that’s where
they want to be. Strictly is what inspired to them to start dancing so to be on
the show is every little dancer’s dream... We currently have 600 kids coming to
classes and ballroom dancing has never been more popular.” (Owens, 2016)
Ballroom and Latin dance are still considered to be nostalgic
keepsakes of the past for many of the older generation, and the professionals
at Strictly Come Dancing aim to respect that by making special routines to
celebrate events such as Remembrance Sunday. However, the more modern portrayal
of Ballroom and Latin dance on Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with the
Stars, has prevented these dance styles from vanishing in time. Therefore, if
it wasn’t for these popular television shows including social media influencers
in their cast, including a diverse range of dance styles, and including
same-sex couples, Ballroom and Latin dance would not have been accepted by many
young dancers such as Mason and Millie.
Conclusion:
Ballroom and Latin dancing has grown remarkably throughout the
years and its growth has had a significant impact on the way young people
perceive these dance styles. Although Ballroom dances such as the Waltz, were
performed by the upper echelons of society since the late 19th
century, the Ballroom and Latin dance styles officially became popular in the
last century, when young people in Britain became influenced by the American G.I.’s
expressive form of Swing dance, which they then adapted to form the Jive. The
Jive became one of the many dance styles that young dancers performed during
the Second World War, to escape the horrors of the German air raids that they
had witnessed during the Blitz. Almost all types of dances were permitted by
the British government during the war to maintain a good sense of morale, but the
Jive, with its contemporary nature, was still performed in secret by many of
the young people of society. Hence it remained a nostalgic memory of the past for
many of the elderly today. Any sense of modernity that could be applied to the
traditional dance styles of Ballroom and Latin dance, was heavily refuted by
many older members of the dance community who saw this as a loss of their past.
However, Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars allowed Ballroom and
Latin dance to blossom through highlighting all its positive aspects to a
younger audience. Beginning with Burn the Floor, Harley Medcalf produced a
successful company of athletic and energetic Ballroom and Latin dancers who were
then able to transition to Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars,
bringing with them that same level of performance. This showed that ballroom
and Latin dance could evolve with the modern world and could appeal to the
younger generation. Whilst Ballroom dancing requires discipline and knowledge, these
aspects are celebrated by shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with
the Stars and has made an impression on young ballroom dancers like Mason and
Millie. It is therefore clear that these TV shows have had a positive influence
on the younger generation as they have inspired young dancers of the modern day
to take up Ballroom and Latin dance.
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[1]
Chrissie Allen-Moore, 13th July 2021, “Jive was originally a ballroom dance which is why some
people still call it a ballroom jive but it was changed to a Latin dance
because of the style and the music so it is now classed as a Latin dance.”
[2] Harley Medcalf – “The
Demographic varies from country to country. Overall, when we started in 1999 it
was much older, 45 to 70 years. These days, in the UK it is 30 to 70 years,
female skew 60/40. In Japan, it is 18 to 60, big female skew, sometimes as high
as 80/20. In Australia it is 25 to 60 years, split fairly evenly male/female
50/50. South Africa our youngest 20 to 40 years, skew 60/40. Strictly Come
Dancing has a big Influence on our UK Audience. Lifestyle and Income would be
the most important influencer elsewhere.”
What do you guys think? Has Ballroom and Latin dance become more popular amongst the younger generation? Let me know in the comments below and I'll be sure to reply to them. I ♡ hearing from you!
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