Dance has been an element of human society since the dawn of time, with recorded evidence of dance stretching back 30,000 years.

Since then, several dances have changed, amalgamated, and evolved into the most well-known dance styles we know today.

Ballet

Ballet dance originated in Italy during the Renaissance, before evolving into a concert dance for public performance in France and Russia. This is presented in the style of ballet, in which the dance is choreographed to the accompaniment of classical music.

Ballet presentations range from extravagant costumes and staging to bare staging and basic costuming.

Ballet has various subgenres, including classic, romantic, neoclassical, and contemporary, and is currently a widely practiced, highly technical type of dance.

Ballet is studied professionally in top dance schools all over the world using six major recognized methods: the Cecchetti technique, the Bournville method, the Vaganova method, the French School, the Royal Academy of Dance method, and the Balanchine method.

Ballroom

Ballroom dancing is a pair dance that originated in France towards the end of the seventeenth century. The ballroom has grown into two primary subgenres – standard/smooth and Latin/rhythm – and is commonly used as a shorthand for any partner dance.

The waltz, tango, and foxtrot, as well as the pasodoble, bolero, and samba, fall into these genres.

The ballroom is a prominent competitive dance, or dancesport, with tournaments occurring across the world.

Ballroom dancing has various sub-categories, thus dancers need a flexible floor.

Harlequin Fiesta and our custom-designed Harlequin Liberty Ballroom dance floor are superb multipurpose dance floors for all types of ballroom dancing.

Jazz

Jazz dancing has its origins in seventeenth-century African customs, which were transported to America via the Atlantic slave trade, where slaves continued to dance in Brazil, the United States, and other parts of the continent.

Jazz dancing gained popularity in early twentieth-century jazz clubs due to its improvised and theatrical body movements.

Jazz dancing today is based on African American vernacular dance styles that arose in tandem with jazz music in the United States. Swing, Lindy Hop, Shimmy, and Charleston are some of the most popular jazz dances.

Irish Dance

This type of traditional dance, which originated in Ireland, has been popular among Irish people and people all over the globe for hundreds of years. Irish dancing is well-known for its spectacular exhibition of footwork and dance patterns, thanks to productions like Riverdance.

Traditionally, most Irish dancing events are accompanied by singing and music. Dance competitions are held during festivals to showcase talent and compete for awards or medals.

While most people think of Irish dancing as a group activity, there are several well-known solo Irish dances, such as the stepdance.