Dance music has long been an integral part of popular culture. From iconic disco hits to beloved dance tracks from the 1990s, these tunes are known for their catchy hooks and beats that get people moving to their feet.
Genre-wise, dance music has evolved into many sub-genres such as drum and bass, techno, and trance music.
Electronic
EDM (electronic dance music) refers to an eclectic range of percussive electronic genres typically played at nightclubs and raves. DJs create seamless DJ mixes by segueing tracks from one recording to the next; live EDM performances may also occur at concerts and festivals. Electronic dance music incorporates different forms such as house, techno, trance, drum n bass dubstep and trap music among many others.
Techno is a type of dance music that blends elements from funk, disco and synthesized sounds into its soundscape. Typically characterized by a steady beat and repetitive basslines, techno music has become immensely popular with club goers over time; often featuring an infectious melodic hook for added impact. Techno typically has a tempo between 120-135 BPM.
Tropical Bass, influenced by Latin culture and featuring prominent latin rhythms and percussion layered with high-energy house music, can often be heard on LGBT circuit-party scenes and can feature either diva vocalists or Pop vocals; its typical BPM rate falls between 140-150 BPM.
Disco music is a perfect example of the evolution of electronic dance music. First popularised during the 1970s by Giorgio Moroder and Kraftwerk, who pioneered an unusual sound which combined synthesized sounds with pop melodies to great success on both sides of the Atlantic – it remains immensely popular today!
Trance is an electronic dance music style best known for its upbeat melodies and signature build-up and drop structure that creates tension on the dancefloor.
Progressive house is an increasingly popular form of electronic dance music that incorporates elements of hip-hop and breaks, often featuring deep basslines and complex rhythms. Progressive house can be found at virtually all clubs and events – some notable examples being Skrillex and Deadmau5. Other experimental forms of EDM include Glitch, Darkjazz and Ambient.
Reggaeton
Reggaeton music originated in Puerto Rico during the early 1990s as an amalgamation of reggae, dancehall and hip hop genres. Since then, its popularity has spread widely through Latin America and the Caribbean regions, especially with younger listeners who gravitate toward fast tempo tracks with distinctive rhythm patterns, heavy basses and explicit lyrics – becoming a major cultural phenomenon that has inspired thousands of dance schools to offer it as part of their curriculum.
Reggaeton music draws its influences from Latin American dance hall and hip hop music, Jamaican musical styles and EDM. Its most distinguishing feature is the heavy beat that gives the genre its distinctive rhythm; reminiscent of EDM drum machines but distinct enough that many refer to its music as being “dem bow.” Reggaeton also incorporates other dance music genres like salsa, merengue hip hop and techno into its composition, often using traditional instruments like piano accordion and guitar along with synthesized sounds as part of its compositions.
Reggaeton has long been an expression of Latin Americans’ pride. It has helped build unity across Latin American communities and provided marginalized people with an outlet to express themselves musically through expressions such as reggaeton. Furthermore, reggaeton has had an enormous effect on social movements by amplifying voices of marginalized groups like women and LGBTQ+ individuals.
Reggaeton dancers incorporate various footwork patterns to keep up with its fast tempo, including sensual body rolls and other movements that emphasize body curves. Reggaeton also often serves to visualize lyrics about love, relationships, sexuality and more!
Reggaeton remains a popular form of dance music worldwide despite its development, with strong roots in both Latin America and the Caribbean. Through fusion with other forms of dance music styles like moombahton or trap reggae it has given birth to new forms such as moombahton-styled songs that combine reggaeton with other hip hop genres or even feature rap. Yet despite these changes reggaeton remains one of its own styles within global dance music culture.
Dubstep
Dubstep is an electronic dance music genre which originated in Croydon, London during the early ’90s as a response to UK garage. Characterized by a deep bassier sound and more complex rhythm than typical EDM genres – including syncopation and shuffle rhythms known as tuplets that create its characteristic wobble bass sound – dubstep stands apart from its fellow genres by building up towards an unexpected hard drop.
Many dubstep tracks feature an instantly recognisable bass drop accompanied by a sudden change in tempo and build section. The average dubstep track typically falls between 138 to 150 beats per minute, featuring either instrumental tracks or vocal samples, with sound design often featuring tribal drum sounds or atmospheric textures as an experimentation tool for artists.
Dubstep began gaining ground on the underground club scene of Britain during the late ’90s and early 2000s, thanks to pioneering labels such as Tempa, DMZ, and Hyperdub’s support of it. These labels promoted new dubstep artists including Loefah, Benga, Rusko who introduced fresh sounds with their synths and heavy basslines; their musical presence demonstrated how dubstep could expand musical landscapes with new soundscaping techniques and styles.
As dubstep developed, it began incorporating elements from other genres such as breakbeat, grime and drum and bass into its soundscape. 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production also have an influence. Producers experimented with using claps and snares for more dynamic rhythms while others created an atmospheric sound by sampling vocals or other music and layering them over basslines to produce atmospheric tracks – some producers have even included MCs into their tracks!
Dubstep has seen its own evolution over the years, evolving into different subgenres such as brostep and neurostep. Brostep is increasingly popular and characterized by aggressive yet harsh beats; fans of Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson may appreciate its aggressive, metalstep vibes.
James Blake, Mount Kimbie and Burial have gone beyond traditional dubstep to experiment with post-dubstep and merge it with other genres to form post-dubstep music. Their emotive songs showcase its depth.
Hip-Hop
Hip-hop dance and music is one of the world’s most beloved forms, having started in its humble roots on city streets and since becoming one of the most revered worldwide forms. Combining music and movement into an engaging art form that’s both educational and entertaining. Hip-hop classes provide great exercise as well as social benefits; when choosing one it is key that they fit your personality and level of experience; find one with classes that balance fun with discipline while still giving you room to move freely!
Hip hop culture can be best identified with three fundamental activities: rapping, DJing and breakdancing. These four pillars helped hip hop flourish as an independent genre during its birth period of the late ’70s to early ’80s. Additional aspects include graffiti art, beatboxing and street entrepreneurship – making up what is commonly referred to as hip hop culture.
Rapping is a form of vocal expression performed to music’s beat. Rapping serves to empower individuals by showing that anyone can express themselves through words and music. An essential component of hip-hop culture, an MC (Master of Ceremonies) serves to hypnotize audiences before DJ’s next track arrives; often freestyling to its beat as well.
DJing is an integral component of hip-hop culture that involves spinning music live using record players and mixers. A DJ is responsible for curating dance floor hits at parties; live records may even be played or remixed to add their own personal twist to tracks. DJ Kool Herc is often credited with founding hip-hop as an independent culture; using twin turntables he isolated percussion breaks within songs for extended performances.
Breaking is an explosive form of hip-hop dance with its own signature moves and rhythm. Typically performed to hip hop or funk music, breaking requires precise footwork and freezes as part of its choreography. Although its origin remains unclear, breaking is an excellent way to exercise while having some fun!