131.Cacharpaya / Chile
CACHARPAYA is a Chilean group dance performed in line and with hand-holding. In some places it is danced by mixed couples, arm in arm, with distinctive figures and sequences. It belongs to the family of the Huayno dance genre, therefore, it is very likely that its origin is pre-Columbian. It is mainly danced in the valleys, foothills and altiplano of the Tarapacá and Antofagasta regions.
132.Cachimbo / Chile
CACHIMBO is a Chilean folk dance from the northern part of the country. It is danced in pairs and with handkerchiefs. It includes turns that are made according to the music and steps that are slightly walked or done with a slide. The instrumental accompaniment is traditionally played by zampoña (panpipe), piano, guitar, violin, mandolin and banjo in various groupings, depending on the occasion on which the dance is performed.
133.CAJUN JIG / USA
CAJUN JIG, also called CAJUN ONE STEP, is among the simplest of Cajun dance styles. It was especially popular in Louisiana in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and is still danced there today. It has only one basic step. Often, this step pattern is alternated with other styles during a single song, particularly among those who are regular dancers, in urban and nontraditional settings, or those who are also Zydeco dancers. Cajun Jig can be danced fast or slow. Despite the single-like step, variations of the handhold combined with turns give the dance infinite dance move options. The dancers’ handholds can be uncrossed (i.e. the right hand of one partner meets the left hand of the other one and vice versa) or crossed (i.e. joined right hands over left, or left over right).
134.Calypso / Trinidad and Tobago
CALYPSO is a Caribbean dance performed to traditional Calypso music. The name comes from the sea nymph who kept Odysseus trapped on her island for seven years. It is an interpretation of what a sea nymph would look when trying to entice her prisoner and make him fall in love with her. The dance is similar to rumba and is danced to a 32-count beat. Steel drums are often used for music. Calypso dance moves involve rocking side to side, back and forth, twirling, moving hips back and forth, swinging arms, clapping hands and snapping fingers. They are repeated over and over several times, until the song is over.
135.Candombe / Uruguay
CANDOMBE is a style of Uruguayan music and dance that originated among the descendants of liberated African slaves and is considered an important part of the culture of Uruguay. It was also recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Heritage of Humanity. To a lesser extent, Candombe is practiced also in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. As a Uruguayan music style it is based on three different drums: chico, repique and piano, and is usually played in February during carnival in Montevideo at special dance parades called “Llamadas” and “Desfile Inaugural del Carnaval”.
136.Caporales / Bolivia
CAPORALES is a folkloric dance of Bolivian origin. It was recreated and presented to the public for the first time in 1969 by the Estrada Pacheco brothers who fused various dance traditions from the Altiplano region of Bolivia and Peru. The dance was particularly inspired by the character of “caporal” from the traditional Saya dance that originated in the Bolivian Yungas region.
137. CAR DANCING / Global
CAR DANCING is an Internet trend that has inspired drivers all over the world to jump out of moving vehicles and dance in the street while a friend in the passenger seat films them. It became especially popular with the dance challenge called #InMyFeelings or #Keke. Car dancing can also stand for freestyle dancing while sitting in a car.
138.Čardáš / Hungary / Slovakia
ČARDÁŠ is a traditional Hungarian folk dance. It developed in the first half of the 19th century and was popularized by Romani music bands in Hungary and neighboring lands of Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Burgenland, Croatia, Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Transylvania and Moravia, as well as among the Banat Bulgarians, including those in Bulgaria. It is a courting couple dance, but it is also possible to dance it alone. Čardáš has different speeds and it consists of two parts: slow and fast. The slow part is typically two-step to the side, while the fast one is a twist with fast jumps. Čardáš is especially widespread in Slovakia.
139.Carnavalera / Chile
CARNAVALERA is a carnival dance created by a Chinchintirapié carnival school. It was inspired by the culture of Chinchineros with a music built on the sound and the rhythm of the Chinchín bass-drum.
140.Çayda Çıra / Turkey
ÇAYDA ÇIRA is a Turkish dance performed with candles. A long time ago in the city of Elazig, a groom’s party set out to meet the bride’s party. They came upon a creek and had to get across. As they were crossing, a solar eclipse occurred and the sky grew dark. The people in the party lit small twigs to mark their path across the creek. The sight of the burning twigs at dusk inspired the folk song: “The twigs are burning in the creek”. Candle dance revolves around such themes as love, lovers, bride and groom, unrequited affections, river, reflections, death, and party.
141.céilí Dance / Ireland
CÉILÍ DANCE is a native group dancing from Ireland, danced to traditional Irish music. Some of the Céilí dances can be traced back to the 1500s. Most are danced to reels or jigs, but some are danced to single jigs, and certain sections of The Three Tunes are danced to hornpipes. They vary widely throughout Ireland and the rest of the world. The dances may be performed with as few as two people and as many as sixteen. Some dances are performed by a line of men facing a line of women (Haymakers Jig, Rince Fada, etc.) while others by any number of couples in a circle (Rince Mór). They may also be danced with an unlimited number of couples in a long line or moving around in a circle.
142.Ceilidh / Scotland / Ireland
CEILIDH is a traditional Scottish or Irish social gathering. In its most basic form, it simply means a social visit. Nowadays, it usually involves playing Gaelic folk music and dancing, either at a house party or a larger concert at a social hall or other community gathering place.
143.Cha-Cha-CHA / Global
CHA-CHA-CHA is a dance of Cuban origin. It is danced to the music of the same name introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrin in the early 1950s. Its rhythm was developed from the danzón-mambo. The name is an onomatopoeia derived from the shuffling sound of the dancers’ feet. Traditionally it is danced to authentic Cuban music, although in ballroom competitions it is often danced to Latin Pop or Latin Rock. Styles of cha-cha-cha dance may differ in the place of chasse in the rhythmical structure. The original Cuban and the ballroom cha-cha count is “two, three, chachacha”, “four-and-one, two, three” or “one, two, three, chacha”. The dance does not start on the first beat of a bar, though it can start with a transfer of weight to the lead’s right.
144.Chadzunda Nyau / Malawi
CHADZUNDA NYAU is a traditional ritual cult dance from Kasungu in Malawi. It was performed by members of the Nyau brotherhood, which was a secret society of initiated men.
145.Chhau / India
CHHAU is a semi-classical Indian dance with martial, tribal and folk origins, coming from the eastern Indian states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha. It is found in three styles named after the location where they are performed, i.e. the Purulia Chhau of Bengal, the Seraikella Chhau of Jharkhand, and the Mayurbhanj Chhau of Odisha. The Purulia Chhau uses large masks shaped in the form of the character being played; for example, a lion character has a face mask of lion as well as body costumes, with the actor walking on all fours. The masks are crafted by potters who make clay images of Hindu gods and goddesses and are primarily sourced from the Purulia district of West Bengal.
146.Chair Dance / Global
CHAIR DANCE is a favorite of burlesque and cabaret dances where the dancer is introduced to the chair as a dance partner.
147.Chalga / Bulgaria
CHALGA, often referred to as POP-FOLK, is a Bulgarian folk-inspired dance and music genre, with a blend of Bulgarian ethno-pop music and primary influences from Greek, Turkish, Arabic, Romani and Albanian music. Chalga was forbidden by the ruling Communist governments and it was considered as inferior to purely Slavic roots music. It often came with a provocative hip-shaking dance and at times lewd sexual lyrics, so it was also considered inappropriate from a moral standpoint. Yet it has become popular in Chalga dance clubs, which are sometimes the busiest venues in Sofia.
148.Champeta / Colombia
CHAMPETA is a genre of folk music and dance that originated in the Atlantic coastal regions of Colombia in the early 1970s. It started among the inhabitants of African descent in the Caribbean coast as a unique urban genre, bred in the slums of Barranquilla, Cartagena, and San Basilio de Palenque. Early on Champeta was considered music of thugs, a vulgar expression, but soon became a brewing dance revolution. The music itself is loud, with heavy bass, with hints of reggaeton and rap. At its roots, it is distinctly polyrhythmic, similar to jazz or funk.
149.Chang Lo / India
CHANG LO is a colorful traditional dance performed by the Chang people of Nagaland, India, passed on from one generation to another for many centuries. It is danced by both male and female dancers in costumes resembling that of warriors. The dance has its unique style and technique with maximum movements of the feet and minimum movement of the upper part of the body. Chang Lo is also a three-day festival where different forms of theatre and performing arts are presented.
150.Chango / Cuba
CHANGO is one of the Orisha dances associated with Chango—the king of drumming, dance and fire. He is also the Orisha of masculinity and male energy, the only one to have experienced death. Chango is very relatable to worshipers due to his human qualities and numerous flaws such as over indulging in women, drink and partying. In dance, Chango wields his wooden axe and rains fire and lightning from heaven to devastating effect. Eventually, he matures into a graceful ruler, teaching us that we can all redeem ourselves after a lifetime of mistakes and bad decisions.
151.Character dance / Global
CHARACTER DANCE is a specific subdivision of classical dance. It is a stylised representation of a traditional folk or national dance, mostly from European countries, which uses movements and music that have been adapted for the theatre. It is integral to much of the classical ballet repertoire.
152.CHARLESTON / USA
CHARLESTON is a fast-paced and strongly syncopated dance—emphasising unstressed musical beats with the steps and movements. It was especially popular in America in the 1920s and its name derived from Charleston in South Carolina. Although it is usually danced by two or more people, originally it was a solo dance performed by African-Americans. Charleston was accepted as a ballroom dance in 1926, with Josephine Baker being one of its most celebrated performers.
153.Charya Nritya / Nepal
CHARYA NRITYA is a meditation, a vehicle of bodily and spiritual transformation, and an opportunity for audiences to experience a vision of divine beauty. A Sanskrit term translatable as “dance as a spiritual discipline”, Charya Nritya is a moving meditation, tailored to specific deities, which enables the dancer to fully become the deity in body, speech, and mind, in order to benefit all beings. This dance has been performed by the Newar priests of the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal for over 1,000 years.
154.Chavittukali / India
CHAVITTUKALI is a highly colorful Christian classical dance-drama from Kerala, with the most sensual blend of cultural influences. The dancers are noted for their attractive make-up, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body movements, performed in tune with the rhythmic playback music and complementary percussion. Chavittukali is believed to have originated during the 16th century. It is prevalent among the Christian community in the districts of Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur of Kerala.
155.Cheerleading / USA / Global
CHEERLEADING is an activity wherein the participants cheer for their team as a form of encouragement. It can range from chanting slogans to intense physical activity, and can be performed to motivate sports teams, entertain the audience, or for competition. Competitive routines typically range anywhere from one to three minutes, and contain components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting. Cheerleading originated in the United States, and remains predominantly in America, with an estimated 1.5 million participants in all-star cheerleading. However, the practice has spread also around the globe.
156.Cheraw / India
CHERAW is the most famous ritual dance performed in Mizoram, India. It is characterised by the use of bamboo staves, which are kept in cross and horizontal forms on the ground. While the male dancers move these bamboo staves in rhythmic beats, the female dancers perform by stepping in and out of the bamboo blocks. Recognized as one of the oldest dances of Mizoram, Cheraw has become an integral part of almost every festival in that part of the world.
157.chiawa dances / Zambia
CHIAWA DANCES are traditional dances from Chiawa in Zambia. They are often performed by girls, who tie a scarf to their waists as they dance to the rhythm of drums.
158.CHICAGO FOOTWORK / USA
CHICAGO FOOTWORK is a genre of music and street dance that originated in Chicago during the 1990s. The dance involves fast movement of feet with accompanying twists and turns, and usually takes place as part of a “battle”. The music style has evolved from the earlier, rapid rhythms of juke and ghetto house. Sampling is a key part of footwork. Tracks frequently feature heavily syncopated samples from rap and pop. Footwork also incorporates the club culture cultivated in disco, house and techno. Much like in techno, it is about the “aesthetic of anonymity”. Yet its status as an international genre was boosted by artists like the late DJ Rashad. Most modern footwork draws on funk and soul basslines.
159.CHICKEN DANCE / USA / Global
CHICKEN DANCE and THE CHICKEN are two dance styles that sometimes get confused. The Chicken is a popular rhythm and blues dance started in America in the 1950s, that featured lateral body movements, with dancers flipping their arms and kicking back their feet in an imitation of a chicken. Danced primarily as a change of pace step while doing the twist, it gained more popularity when Rufus Thomas wrote “Do the Funky Chicken”, a hit record in 1970. The other Chicken Dance is associated with a Swiss song from the 1950s, called “The Duck Dance”, that gained popularity around the world in its numerous incarnations. In 1981 during the Tulsa Oktoberfest, due to lack of duck costumes, the dance was performed in chicken costumes instead, giving the other Chicken Dance its name.
160.Chikhat / Morocco
CHIKHAT is not a type of dance but a type of performer—usually a female dancer, that can sing, play music, and dance. The music and dances are region specific, either Amazigh or Arab. In the East of Morocco, Chikhat referred to poets. However, following the French invasion, the term became associated around the country with prostitution. In modern times Chikhats often perform as an entertainment at women exclusive spaces and events, such as gender segregated wedding parties. Contemporary Chikhat’s performances frequently play with gender identities and alternative definitions of femininity in the Moroccan context, as many Chikhats are transvestite men in women’s clothing performing in private or public spaces.
161.Chilote Rin / Chile
CHILOTE RIN is a traditional dance from the large island of Chiloé, south of Chile, where it arrived in the 19th century probably directly from Europe, since there is a similar dance in France known as the Parisian Bourré. It is a leisure dance of two couples dancing in a circle, accompanied by guitar, rabel (which was gradually replaced by accordion) and bass drum. It was mainly danced in community and family celebrations.
162.Chilote waltz / Chile
CHILOTE WALTZ is a variant of the waltz that originated in Tyrol (Austria) in the 12th century and reached the aristocratic circles of Chile in the mid-19th century. It was adapted to the characteristics of each region, obtaining a distinct style. Chilote Waltz is one of the best-known dances of the Chiloé archipelago in the south of Chile. It has the characteristics of the typical waltz, in which the man and the woman dance together, but there are more jumps.
163.chilimika / Malawi
CHILIMIKA is a quite famous dance in the Nkhata-Bay District in Malawi, known to instil the spirit of smartness. Chilimika, which means “year”, is performed at each New Year’s Day by young Tonga men and women, who congregate at the village arena, known as Boma, to entertain the village community with their dance. Parents and grandparents have a chance to appreciate the inheritance of traditional rituals by the younger population. The steps, in response to the drumbeat, seem effortless and smart, and they match the decent dressing of the dancers. A handkerchief in their hands—possibly to dust their shoes of dirt, or wipe sweat off their faces—shows their quest to be smart.
164.chimwemwe / Zambia
CHIMWEMWE is a dance style that originated with a song and music video by the artists Ma Africa and Drimz, and that gained popularity in Zambia. People started making videos while performing this dance and soon it became a dancing trend.
165.Chinamwali / Malawi
CHINAMWALI is a traditional girl initiation ceremony practiced by numerous cultures in most southern African countries, usually associated with such ethnic groups as Chewa, Ngoni, Venda, Tonga, Sena, Lomwe and Tambuka. With the advent of urbanisation and intermarriages the practice has spread also to other ethnicities. Chinamwali includes dances by the elder women that serve as initiation dances for the young girls who become women.
166.Chinchinero DANCE / Chile
CHINCHINERO DANCE is a dance by an urban street performer in Chile, usually a man or a young boy, who plays an improvised bass drum-type percussion instrument with long drumsticks strapped to his back. He has also a rope with a noose tied around his foot to play the cymbals, another part of his instrument. The Chinchinero dancer often performs also to the music played by organillero, a street organ player.
167.Chino danceS / Chile
CHINO DANCES are dances performed by the Chino dance troupes—fraternities of musicians and dancers that participate in the popular religious festivities celebrated from the Copiapó to the Aconcagua valleys. Indigenous and mestizo miners, farmers, and fishermen express their faith by dancing to the sound of traditional flutes and drums. This sound, also made by the flutes found in archaeological sites, has survived as an expression of indigenous cultural resistance. The term Chino means “servant” in the Quechua language, but was used in the colonial times to refer disparagingly to the indigenous population.
168.Chirmi / India
CHIRMI is a folk dance from Rajasthan, India. Its name derives from a very famous Rajasthani folk song of the same name, in which a married young girl is singing about climbing on a Chirmi (Jequirity) plant, waiting for her father to come visit her.
169.CHISAMA DANCE / Zambia
CHISAMBA DANCE is a very popular traditional dance among the Chichewa people of the Central Region of Malawi. It is performed during the female initiation ritual, which is the complement of the male initiation called Gule Wamkulu. It is performed by women, led by a senior woman, usually the Chiefs sister known as Nankungwi. Chisamba dance is also performed at the funerals of Chiefs and important individuals in the village. It is also common to find the Chisamba dance being performed for entertainment at important occasions.
170.Chitelera / Malawi
CHITELERA is a dance from Malawi, mostly performed on full-moon nights by young girls, but also used as a form of inter-village competitions. Teams of girls travel to neighboring villages to see which village has more talented dancers. Girls form circles as they dance.
171.Chitrali DANCE / Pakistan
CHITRALI DANCE is a dance originating from Chitral, the capital of the Chitral District, situated on the Chitral River in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Members of the cultural troupe of Chitral Scouts perform this traditional dance during the Shandur Polo Festival.
172.Chobi / Iraq
CHOBI is a modern circle dance found in Iraqi music and performed by Iraqi Assyrians. It is similar to Khigga, but has more pronounced leg elevation and swaying. Each leg swiftly kicks to the air and then repeats it. Arms sway forwards and backwards. Accompanying songs are usually in Iraqi Arabic, but a few Assyrian songs, such as Teela Teela by Evin Agassi, have this rhythm, too.
173.CHOIKE PURRUN / Chile
CHOIKE PURRUN is a Mapuche dance in which men imitate a Darwin’s rhea—a large flightless ostrich type of bird native to South America. It is a fertility dance performed in ceremonies.
174.Choob bazi / Iran
CHOOB BAZI is a chain dance found all over Iran, performed by men with sticks. There are two types of the Choob Bazi dance. The first one is more combative in style, performed only by men (normally only two men, assuming the roles of the attacker and the defender), and does not appear to have a rhythmic pattern. It is more frequently danced in Southwestern Iran. The second one is a circle or a line dance with pattern, performed by both men and women. It is more of a social dance.
175.Chula / Portugal
CHULA is a traditional Portuguese folk dance, native to the Upper Douro region. Its tempo and rhythm are marked by a bass drum, a triangle, and cymbals, and it incorporates singing accompanied by violins, violas, accordions, and percussion. Chula was an important influence on the emergence of samba rhythms and the Rio Grande do Sul Gaucho dance in Brazil. It is danced in male pairs by stomping and tapping in a sort of dance-off between each pair. Traditionally, one dancer challenges the other with difficult steps, and the other dancer responds by repeating those steps and adding his own on so that the person who forgets the steps first “loses” the dance-off. Chula is a fascinating dance, somewhere between flamenco, Irish step dancing, and breakdance-style battles. Nowadays, it is mostly confined to competitions and special events.
176.Chuntaro / Mexico
CHUNTARO is a dance with origins in the region of Nuevo Leon in Mexico, but it is also practiced by Latin communities in the US. Chuntaro is a sound that comes from the onomatopoeia of music origin—“chun tachún tachún”—that evokes the accompaniment, with guitar or vihuela, in 2/4 or 4/4 time, which marks the rhythm in courting songs of ranchers. Their mix comes from cumbia, vallenato and banda music.
177.Cielito Chopi / Paraguay
CIELITO CHOPI is a dance from Paraguay. It is said that the dance originated in the middle of the 19th century, when great parties of the high society were organised in Paraguay. Women dressed in their ample costumes of the time and men in impeccable suits with penguin tails danced Paraguayan Cuadrilla. The townspeople appreciated the show through large windows and tried to imitate the choreography of the dance, but could not remember with precision all figures of the Cuadrilla, which consists of 5 parts and is danced between six couples. So they created this new dance which they called Chopi.
178.Çiftetelli / Turkey
ÇIFTETELLI is a simple and very popular dance for all occasions, performed throughout Turkey. It is generally performed by women, but men can also express their joy of living through body language in harmony with the music.
179.Çilli Bom / Turkey
ÇILLI BOM is a Turkish version of Harlem Shake dance.
180.Cimarrona / Costa Rica
CIMARRONA is a music and dance style from Costa Rican folklore. The dance is performed by people dressed in complex outfits and masks that originally represented and mocked the Spanish people that came to America.
181.Circassian Dance / North Caucasus
CIRCASSIAN DANCE is a dance typical for the Circassian communities. Dancing culture is very important for them and their national dances evoke the imagery of combat and courtship of the people. Circassian dances share some common traits with ballet: men dance on the tips of their toes wearing special leather boots, while women move very lightly, gliding across the floor without moving their heads or upper body.
182.Circle Dance / Global
CIRCLE DANCE, also called a CHAIN DANCE, is a dance style performed in a circle or semicircle to musical accompaniment, such as rhythm instruments and singing. Circle dancing is probably the oldest known dance formation and has been part of the community life since the time when people first started to dance. Dancing in a circle is an ancient tradition common to many cultures for marking special occasions, rituals, strengthening community and encouraging togetherness. The dance can also be enjoyed as an uplifting group experience or as part of a meditation. Circle dances are choreographed to many different styles of music and rhythms.
183.CLASSICAL DANCE / Bangladesh
CLASSICAL DANCE in Bangladesh has been influenced by other prevalent classical forms of music and dances of the Indian subcontinent, such as Bharatnatyam and Kathak. Several dancing styles popular in the northeastern part of the Indian subcontinent, such as Manipuri and Santhali dances, are largely practiced in Bangladesh.
184.CLASSICAL DANCE / Cambodia
CLASSICAL DANCE in Cambodia takes its premier form in the Khmer classical dance or “Robam Preah Reach Trop”, a highly stylised dance originating from the royal courts. Performances of classical dance consist of elaborately costumed dancers and music played by a pinpeat ensemble. The dance is performed for invocation of deities and spirits as well as to pay homage to royalty and guests. In the mid- 20th century, the classical dance was introduced to the general public and became widely celebrated as iconic of Cambodian culture. It is often performed during public events, holidays, and for tourists. Two of the most performed classical dances are the Robam Chuon Por (“Wishing dance”) and the Robam Tep Apsara (“Apsara dance”).
185.CLASSICAL DANCE / China
CLASSICAL DANCE in China was established on the foundation of the five-thousand-year-old, vast Chinese culture and history. It dates back to the Quin Dynasty of 220 BC, when the images of dancers in temple rituals were found in artwork on pottery. Each following dynasty had their specific moves that they incorporated into their ritual dances. The movements of classical Chinese dance are rich in their ability to express a variety of feelings, and their original forms were similar to those of martial arts. Dance styles are divided into two categories —one is based upon the exercises of Chinese warriors, the other on the Confucian etiquette and ritual dances. This second dance category evolved over time to turn into today’s dance.
186.CLASSICAL DANCE / India
CLASSICAL DANCE, or SHASTRIYA NRITYA, is an umbrella term for various performance arts rooted in the religious Hindu musical theatre styles. Its theory and practice come from the Sanskrit text “Natya Shastra”. There are eight types of Classical Indian dance: Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu), Kathak (North, West and Central India), Kathakali (Kerala), Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh), Odissi (Odisha), Manipuri (Manipur), Mohiniyattam (Kerala), and Sattriya (Assam).
187.Clog Dancing / England
CLOG DANCING is a step dance characterised by wearing inflexible, wooden soled clogs. Clog dancing developed into its most intricate form in the north of England, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Durham and the Lake District. The main focus and skill of a step dancer is the footwork—dancers can create many different types of sound using their feet. Clog dancing was often performed very casually—people were dancing at home, in the pubs or in the street. It required little space as the upper part of the body was kept motionless.
188.CLOGGiNg / USA
CLOGGING is a type of folk dance in which the dancer uses the footwear percussively by striking the heel, the toe, or both against a floor or against each other to create audible rhythms, usually to the downbeat with the heel keeping the rhythm. The dance style has fused with other African-American rhythms and the Peruvian dance Zapateo, resulting in the birth of newer street dances, such as Tap, Locking, Jump, Hakken, Stomping, Gangsta Walking, and the Candy Walk dance. The wooden soled clogs are used rarely in the more modern dances since clog shoes are not commonly worn in urban settings, thus other types of footwear have replaced them in the evolved dance forms. Clogging is often considered the first street dance style as it evolved in urban environments during the industrial revolution.
189.Coast Salish Dance / Canada
COAST SALISH DANCE is a dance performed by the Coast Salish people, indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, living in British Columbia, Canada, and the US. They believe in expressing themselves through dances, masks, or spirit ceremonies, in which the supernatural beings possess persons, demanding the performance of song and dance. Spirit dancing ceremonies are common gatherings during winter for the community to show their spirit powers, which define a community’s success through leadership, healing, or artistry.
190.Čoček / Balkans
ČOČEK is a musical genre and dance that emerged in the Balkans during the early 19th century. It features prominently in the repertoire of many Romani brass bands. It originated from Ottoman military bands, which at that time were scattered across the region, mostly throughout Serbia, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia and Romania. This led to the eventual segmentation and wide range of ethnic sub-styles in Čoček. It was handed down through the generations, preserved mostly by the Roma minorities, and was largely practiced at village weddings and banquets. Čoček is especially popular among the Muslim Rom and Albanian populations of Republic of Kosovo, South Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia. When it first came to America in 1956, it was performed as a Muslim woman’s dance.
191.COLLEGIATE SHAG / USA
COLLEGIATE SHAG is a partner dance, performed primarily to uptempo swing and pre-swing jazz music. It belongs to the swing family of American dances that arose in the 1920s and 1930s. It originated within the African American community of the Carolinas in the 1920s, later spreading across the United States. Because the basic step takes up very small space, it can also be danced to fast music. Today Shag is still danced worldwide by swing dance enthusiasts. The basic step is danced in a face-to-face but offset position. Partners stand close, with the lead’s right hand positioned on the follower’s back. The follower’s left arm then rests either on the lead’s shoulder or draped around his neck. The step is defined as a weight shift to the opposite foot while hopping.
192.CONGA / Cuba
CONGA is a traditional carnival dance from Cuba that originated in the colonial period. Its name refers to the music groups within Cuban comparsas and the music they play. Comparsas are large ensembles of musicians, singers and dancers with a specific costume and choreography, which perform in the street carnivals of Santiago de Cuba and Havana. Conga is an upbeat walking dance that accents the fourth beat of the measure as the dancers (solo or in groups) wind through the streets. In the formal parade units, simple conga choreographies give form and shape to the dance, but its essence is most evident in the spontaneous crowd dancing along with the musicians through the streets. Conga is danced with small sliding steps called “arrollao” advancing alternately. The arms are bent at the elbow and swung opposite to the rhythm of the feet.
193.CONTACT IMPROVISATION / USA / Global
CONTACT IMPROVISATION is a dance form that evolves from spontaneous communication between moving bodies in physical contact. Touch, weight, momentum, balance, and flow give it a continuously changing shape.
194.Contemporary Dance / Global
CONTEMPORARY DANCE is a style of dance performance that developed during the mid-20th century and has since grown to become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers throughout the world, especially the Western world, with particularly strong popularity in the US and Europe. Although originally informed by and borrowing from classical, modern, and jazz styles, it has since come to incorporate elements from many styles of dance. Due to its technical similarities, it is often perceived to be closely related to modern dance, ballet, and other classical concert dance styles. It is very interpretive in its choreography and often focuses on emotions and storytelling, can be performed barefoot, with pointe shoes, naked, fully clothed, and with or without music.
195.CONTEMPORARY DANCE / Tibet
CONTEMPORARY DANCE of the people of Tibet has been strongly influenced by the traditional culture of the region, kept frozen due to the lack of political freedom and the need to preserve the Tibetan culture. Although electronic beats and instruments have been included in the music, the dances are still carrying a strong influence of traditional steps, motion and rhythm.
196.CONTRA DANCE / UK / USA
CONTRA DANCE is a folk dance made up of long lines of couples. With mixed origins from the English country dance as well as Scottish and French dance styles of the 17th century, Contra dance can be found around the world and have gained much popularity in North America and the United Kingdom. It is a social dance that one can attend without a partner. The dancers form couples, and the couples form sets of two couples in long lines starting from the stage and going down the length of the dance hall. The couples progress up and down these lines, dancing with each other. The dance is led by a caller who teaches the sequence of figures, which are a series of steps, in the dance before the music starts. It takes 64 beats, after which the pattern is repeated.
197.Contradanza / Peru
CONTRADANZA is the Spanish or Latin American version of the French contredanse, which was a popular international style of music and dance in the 18th century, derived from the English country dance and adopted in the court of France. The dance represents the opposition of the Andean peoples to the customs imposed during the Viceroyalty. The dancers make fun of the Spanish imposition through this dance. The contradanza was taken to America and there adopted the creole forms that still exist in Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Panama and Ecuador.
198.Corridihno / Portugal
CORRIDINHO is a Portuguese dance from Algarve. It is danced with the pairs always embraced, forming a circle, the girls inside and the boys outside of it. By rotating the circle the pairs move side by side. At a certain time, when the music has a stronger beat, the dancers’ feet hit the floor more intensely, stopping the rotation, to resume afterwards. Further on in the dance, the pairs perform waltz by spinning in the same place. Next the circle starts rotating again always to the right side. It is a very traditional dance in Portugal, very much beloved by the Portuguese people. It can also be seen performed in the former Portuguese colonies such as Goa, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, small parts of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Macau (China).
199.Country Dance / England
COUNTRY DANCE is a large number of social dances of the British Isles in which couples dance together in a figure or “set”, each dancer dancing to his or her partner and each couple dancing to the other couples in the set. A set consists most commonly of two or three couples, sometimes four and rarely five or six. Often dancers follow a “caller” who names each change in the figures.
200.Courier / Russia
COURIER is a type of breakdancing that gained popularity in the Soviet Union and Central Asia after it appeared in the Russian movie “Courier”, directed by Karen Shakhnazarov. It became a part of the male youth culture and was strongly absorbed by the mainstream culture. Big shopping malls in Kazakhstan commission the services of semi-professional dancers to attract young target groups with professionally organized battles. B-boy battles also influenced the way in which people dance at weddings. It is quite common to see two guests (regardless of age, gender and dancing style) battling under the applause of the celebrating wedding crowd.
201.Crip Walk / USA / Global
CRIP WALK, also known as the C-WALK, is a dance move that was originated in the early 1970s by Crip gang members from the South Central Los Angeles area, and has since spread worldwide. It is primarily an act of performing quick and intricate footwork. The rivalry between the Crips and the Bloods spilled over into the world of entertainment, with the adoption of the gang dance by various rappers on the West Coast of the United States, who gave it its name. It involves the movement of one’s feet, classically to the spelling of C-R-I-P. It was used by the Crips at parties to display affiliation and also after killings to show their signature. MTV declined to broadcast any music videos with the Crip Walk. In the early 1990s it became part of the hip-hop dance.
202.Cueca / Chile
CUECA is a family of musical styles and associated dances from Chile, Argentina and Bolivia. In Chile, cueca holds the status of national dance, and it spread in bars and taverns in the 19th century. It is danced with guitar or harp accompaniment, drumming of hands or a tambourine to keep the rhythm, high pitched singing and a unique strumming pattern, where the guitarist strums all of the strings, returning each time with a slap on the guitar body. Dancers wear blue, white, red or black costumes and dresses: men wear huaso’s hat, shirts, flannel poncho, riding pants and boots, short jacket, riding boots, and spurs; women wear flowered dresses. Currently, cueca is mainly danced in the countryside and performed throughout Chile each year during the national holidays, with cueca tournaments being popular around that time of year.
203.Cumbia / Colombia
CUMBIA is a folkloric rhythm and dance which began as a courtship dance practiced among the indigenous population on the Caribbean coasts of Colombia. Later it mixed with African and European instruments, steps and musical characteristics. By the 1940s it began spreading from the coast to other parts of Colombia alongside other forms of music, like porro and vallenato. Originally a working-class populist music, cumbia was frowned upon by the elites. In the late 1940s it was spread to Argentina and to other Latin American countries. It became an extremely popular dance rhythm. Often classified as salsa, it is played in 4/4 time with a heavy beat one and accentuated beats three and four, giving a loping rolling rhythm similar to “riding a horse”.
204.cumbia sonidera / Mexico
CUMBIA SONIDERA is a musical genre and dance born in Mexico. It is a fusion between the cumbia of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and the electronic sounds of the DJs of the mid-1990s. Cumbia sonidera is actually most frequently produced in the state of Puebla, where they also have their own subgenre called cumbia poblana. Cumbia sonidera has also spread back down to South America, where countries such as Ecuador and Argentina (which have developed cumbia villera from this Mexico City sound) have embraced it.
205.CyberGoth / Global
CYBERGOTH is a dance performed by a subculture that derives from elements of goth, raver, and rivethead fashion. Unlike traditional goths, cybergoths primarily listen to electronic music rather than rock music. Cybergoth fashion combines rave, rivethead, and goth fashion, as well as draws inspiration from other forms of science fiction. Common signs of a cybergoth are neon dreads or a gas mask and goggles. Dancing style includes large footsteps, energetic hand movements and aggression. Perhaps more than other types of goths, cybergoths spend a lot of time perfecting their dance moves. They might actually spend a lot of time in front of a mirror before a night out, because they would practice their newest collection of dance moves that they would bring to the club.