Introduction

Hello! My name is Jennifer. For my environmental studies project I am doing a blog on the geography of dance. I will be picking different countires from different continents around the world and telling you a bit about their countries traditional dances. Dancing has been around ever since man was created. Before we had speech, cavemen used facial expressions and body movements to express emotions and instructions. Dance is a form of entertainment, it is a way to express yourself and each country has its' own. I hope you learn something from my blog and enjoy it!

References: Youtube, Wikipedia and Dancing Culture History.

India: In India, they used to and still do today, dance as a sign of worship and expression of emotions to their millions of Hindu Gods. The Devadasis dancers were temple dancers where they learned routines and performed sacred dances in front of their fellow villagers to please specific Gods. These dance routines involved signs of praise and gratitude to Hindu Gods such as Yellamma. The Indians believed that their Gods would keep their families happy and help them have a good harvest for their crops. Sometimes these dances were peerformed in front of cows, which are sacred in Hinduism. Today these dances have been modernised and are performed as a form of entertainment.

http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/dances/dances.htm

BELGIUM: flahmob...Please follow this link to view a flashdance mob which took place in Belgium. It is proof that dancing can be done and enjoyed by everyone, young, old, tall, small and the list goes on. Enjoy!
http://artpredator.wordpress.com/2009/04/14/do-re-mi-bring-us-to-the-may-day-prom-ride-on-the-promenade/

Korea: Korean dance originally came from shamanistic rituals. These were practises of their beliefs which could be from Buddhism or Taoism. This practise involves the mudang, who is usually a woman to act as an intercessor between the God/ Gods whom they believe in or a human being. These practises were used (and some are still used today) to help an ill person, give good fortune to someone or to bless their village. The Korean people believed that the Shaman (the practitioner of these rituals) was like a magician whose soul would be carried into the Korean mountains or sacred trees where spirits layed. His spirit would be re-newed and salvaged to give him a right mind to teach others. These rituals involved a dance that would represent the Shaman's soul been taken from his body etc. It was very much to do with the religion of the people and is still a popular dance today as it is self-expression.

Germany: In Germany, the traditional dance is known as the polka. It originated from a group of people known as the Danube-Swabians. They came from many parts of Germany, primarily Wurtemberg and the Palatinate. They settled in a place that was known as the Austro-Hugarian Empire, back in the 18th century. They were extremely hard workers and always aimed to work to the best of their ability at creating the land profitable. The Danube-Swabians were definatley among the working class people, they were peasants, craftsmen, blacksmiths etc. Their culture was very important to them, so they respected the traditions and beliefs of their ancestors, which were faith in God and the Church. Loyalty and strength were elements needed to be apart of this group. These people had many celebrations and a love for costumes and make-up. One polka dance takes its origin from the Danube-Swabians' s efforts to chase away demons and ghosts from going into their church and stealing their ancestors's souls.

http://learn.sdstate.edu/melissa_mork/German.html

Spain: In Spain, the traditional dance is known as "flamenco", it originated in Andalusia in Southern Spain. It is said that "flamenco" is a mixture of different dances, combined together such as Arabic, Sephardic and Gypsy. The word comes from the Andalusian gypsies who danced in their social community, the people living there called them "flamencos". Over the years, flamenco has developed with contributions from the regions of Extremadura and Murcia. The dance is supposed to be an expression of the gypsies feelings of happiness and full of spirit.

http://www.centralhome.com/ballroomcountry/flamenco_history.htm

Ireland: Irish dancing originated in Ireland but the earliest recorded practioners of this dance were the Druids. They did Irish dancing to honour the oak tree and the sun in religious rituals. The dance was supposed to express their praise and love of their beliefs. When the Celts came to Ireland, they brought with them new moves to the original dances and methods which made the dance slightly more difficult. Then the Anglo-Normans came who brought their Norman cultures with them. They learned the dance from the native people and altered it with styles of their own. This gave us the basis of what dances we learn today. It is a popular dance, with many different versions, performed all over the world.