Freestyle dancing can apply to numerous
dance types and can be defined as any style of
dance where the moves are not thought out ahead and where no
choreography of the moves occurs before the
dance begins. It is literally thinking on your feet in this sense, and
freestyle dancing can exist in almost all
dance forms. As
freestyle implies, the dancer is free to make it up as he or she goes, though if you are dancing a waltz, you generally don’t
freestyle into a different
dance form like the
tango.
Even though
freestyle dancing implies freedom, most dancers are still going to keep themselves within a particular style of dancing. A hip hop dancer who freestyles uses recognizable hip hop moves, and perhaps a few he or she has made up. This can make issues confusing since many people always refer to both hip hop and funk dancing as
freestyle dancing.
This is actually inaccurate. Many hip hop dances are elaborately choreographed, especially when they are performed in groups, and as is often the case, performed at concerts with recording artists like Britney Spears. Moves have to be choreographed, since a uniform feel to the
dance allows the performer to also
dance at moments in concert with her backup dancers.
Hip hop or any other dancing becomes
freestyle dancing in less formal settings. A high school
dance is a good example. Students may take turns showcasing their hip hop moves, or dancing together in the style of hip hop, without predetermining the moves. Street dancers may also either choreograph moves or go with the flow in
freestyle dancing. Usually, dancers may plan to include some moves, and then fill the
dance with other appropriate and impressive moves. This way, their work represents part
freestyle dancing and part choreography.
In ballroom dancing of all types, learning basic moves means you can do
freestyle dancing to any music, as long as you could either lead or follow a partner. Good communication between partners performing
freestyle dancing is vital. In other cases, the wrong move or idea can mess up a
dance quite easily.
In the 1970s, partner dancing became more freeform, and this may also be referred to as
freestyle dancing. Simply moving to the music and “grooving,” replaced most partner dances. This had some advantages. Women didn’t necessarily need a partner to
dance and could
dance together, though many still danced with a man.
Freestyle dancing that evolved from the disco era has undergone many changes. Ability to perform it depends upon a person’s sense of rhythm, and knowledge of current
dance moves. There are, for example, many tapes, which teach
freestyle dancing in the form of modern hip hop moves, and as music and
dance styles change,
freestyle, non-partner dancing continues to evolve.
