Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded dance music. While there exist attestations of the combination of dance and music in ancient times (for example Ancient Greek vases sometimes show dancers accompanied by musicians), the earliest Western dance music that we can still reproduce with a degree of certainty are the surviving medieval dances. In the Baroque period, the major dance styles were noble court dances (see Baroque dance).
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In the classical music era, the minuet was frequently used as a third movement, although in this context it would not accompany any dancing. The waltz also arose later in the classical era. Both remained part of the romantic music period, which also saw the rise of various other nationalistic dance forms like the barcarolle ,mazurka and polonaise.
Modern popular dance music initially emerged from late 19th century’s Western ballroom and social dance music. During the early 20th century, ballroom dancing gained popularity among the working class who attended public dance halls. Dance music became enormously popular during the 1920s. In the 1930s, called the Swing era, Swing music was the popular dance music.
In the 1950s, Rock and roll became the popular dance music. The late 1960s saw the rise of soul and R&B music. The rise of disco in the early 1970s led to dance music becoming popular with the public. By the late 1970s, a new form of dance music was developing. This music, made using electronics, is a style of popular music commonly played in dance music nightclubs, radio stations, shows and raves. Many subgenres of electronic dance music have evolved.
ORIGINS
Folk dance music is music accompanying traditional dance and may be contrasted with historical/classical, and popular/commercial dance music. An example of folk dance music in the United States is the old-time music played at square dances and contra dances.
HISTORICAL DANCE MUSIC
While there exist attestations of the combination of dance and music in ancient times (for example vases sometimes show dancers accompanied by musicians), the earliest Western dance music that we can still reproduce with a degree of certainty are the surviving medieval dances such as carols and the Estampie. The earliest of these surviving dances are almost as old as Western staff-based music notation.
By period
The Renaissance dance music was written for instruments such as the lute, viol, tabor, pipe, and the sackbut. In the Baroque period, the major dance styles were noble court dances (see Baroque dance). Examples of dances include the French courante, sarabande, minuet and gigue. Collections of dances were often collected together as dance suites.
In the classical music era, the minuet was frequently used as a third movement in four-movement non-vocal works such as sonatas, string quartets, and symphonies, although in this context it would not accompany any dancing. The waltz also arose later in the classical era, as the minuet evolved into the scherzo (literally, “joke”; a faster-paced minuet).
Both remained part of the romantic music period, which also saw the rise of various other nationalistic dance forms like the barcarolle, mazurka and polonaise. Also in the romantic music era, the growth and development of ballet extended the composition of dance music to a new height. Frequently, dance music was a part of opera.
Popular dance music
Modern popular dance music initially emerged from late 19th century’s Western ballroom and social dance music.
By genre
Dance music works often bear the name of the corresponding dance, e.g. waltzes, the tango, the bolero, the can-can ,minuets, salsa, various kinds of jigs and the breakdown. Other dance forms include contra dance, the merengue (Dominican Republic), and the cha-cha-cha. Often it is difficult to know whether the name of the music came first or the name of the dance.
Ballads are commonly chosen for slow-dance routines. However ballads have been commonly deemed as the opposite of dance music in terms of their tempo. Originally, the ballad was a type of dance as well (hence the name “ballad”, from the same root as “ballroom” and “ballet”). Ballads are still danced on the Faeroe Islands.
Dansband music
Dansband” (“Dance band”) is a term in Swedish for bands who play a kind of popular music, “dansbandsmusik” (“Dance band music”), to partner dance to. These terms came into use around 1970, and before that, many of the bands were classified as “pop groups”. This type of music is mostly popular in the Nordic countries.
Electronic
By 1981, a new form of dance music was developing. This music, made using electronics, is a style of popular music commonly played in dance music nightclubs, radio stations, shows and raves. During its gradual decline in the late 1970s,disco became influenced by computerization (the first notable fully synthesized disco hit was “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer).[1] Looping, sampling and segueing as found in disco continued to be used as creative techniques within trance music, techno music and especially house music.
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