By Aziza Moyer, Reporter
Popular dance has evolved throughout time, especially here in America where countless new dance styles have emerged as a result of the constantly changing culture of the nation. Within the last few years, we have witnessed well-liked dance moves, such as the dab, everywhere — from celebrity music videos to our own hallways in VHS.
“I think it’s a big wave of popular culture,” said senior Isaac Hughes. “There [have] been these moves throughout history, but it’s just happening at an increased rate [now], because of technology, videos, and social media. If you look back to the ‘80s and ‘70s, you have all sorts of weird dance moves. So I think this is kind of the continuation of that.”
What makes many of these moves so common is the fun aspect to them. The moves currently seen in our society are on the easier side, and that is what really brings people together, rather than crazy hard dance moves that may look cool, but very few people can do.
“The popular ones are simple enough where everyone can do them,” said senior Ellie Hughes. “It also feels like an inside joke kind of, because if somebody does it everyone’s like ‘AYYY’.”
And that may very well be why we have these centerpieces of American dance music and pop culture such as the whip and the nae-nae. Listed below are some of the most popular dances in the United States throughout the past few decades.
1920s:
The ‘20s was an era with lots of jazz, glitz, and posh dance moves. Black bottom dance became popular on Broadway, while the Charleston was common among flappers. Both dances could be done either alone or with a partner.
1930s:
The ‘30s was more bleak due to the economical crisis of The Great Depression, so the country sought encouragement from fun swing dance moves. These were included in partner dances such as the jitterbug, the lindy hop, and the balboa.
1940s:
The ‘40s encompassed the troubled times of World War II, so to ease tension in war zones and struggling areas, there was a focus on joyful dance, similar to the ‘30s. Popular exuberant dances were the bebop, east coast swing, rock’n’roll, boogie woogie, and line dance.
1950s:
The ‘50s was when the economy bounced back from the war, and Elvis Presley became popular, so many dances were upbeat and based on these catchy tunes. They were comprised of the cha-cha, the hand jive, the stroll, the madison, and the bunny hop.
1960s:
The ‘60s was a time of flower power, peace, love, and rock ‘n’ roll music. This led to crazy dance moves with equally crazy names, which included: the twist, the swim, the jerk, the pony, the monkey, and the mashed potato.
1970s:
The ‘70s completely contrasted with the last decade and focused on punk rock music and disco dance moves such as in the famous movie Saturday Night Fever. Some of the popular dances evolved from big songs at the time and were known as the hustle and the bus stop.
1980s:
The ‘80s introduced pop culture dance, especially in movies such as Footloose, Fame, Flashdance, and Dirty Dancing. Hip hop dance emerged from the streets, which brought breakdancing with it, and many other moves were influenced by Michael Jackson. Some fad dance moves included the lawnmower, moshing, voguing, and the running-man.
1990s:
The ‘90s was focused more on electronic, hip hop, and pop music, so many artists started using hip hop and dubstep dance styles in their choreography as they became more popular. Other dances included the roger rabbit, and the cabbage patch.
2000s:
The 2000s had many major technology improvements, and the ability to post and share dances online grew. This led to group dances known as flash mobs and line dances such as the cupid shuffle, the cha cha slide, the wobble, and the cotton eye joe. Other dance crazes included Beyonce’s Single Ladies, and Crank That (Soulja Boy).
Now:
The 2010s onward also has many dance crazes, including Gangnam Style, LMFAO’s Party Rock Anthem, the Harlem Shake, and, of course, twerking. Popular moves are the dab, whip, nae nae, hit dem folks, and juju on that beat.