Dance: Most Popular Articles

Do the Cha-Cha Slide
The Cha-Cha Slide is a fun, popular line dance performed often on dance floors.

A Profile of Jazz Dance
Jazz has become one of the most popular dance styles in recent years, mainly due to its popularity on television shows, movies, music videos and commercials. People enjoy watching jazz dancers, as the dancing is fun and energetic.

5 Positions of Ballet
An illustrated tutorial of the five basic positions of ballet.

Famous People in Dance
Profiles and highlights of some of the most famous people, past and present, in dance.

Barre Exercises
Exercises performed at the barre are meant to warm up the muscles and improve turnout and balance. Each barre exercise should be performed on one side of the body and then again on the other.

Ballet 101
Ballet is based on techniques that have been developed over centuries. Ballet uses music and dance to tell stories. Learn the basics of ballet dancing.

Dance 101 Quiz
Test your knowledge of dance.

Demi Plie
Bend your knees to demi plie.

Become a Dancer
New Dancers Help Guide - everything new dancers need to know, with common beginner questions and answers, dance equipment advice, information about different dance styles including ballet, tap, jazz, etc.

Dance Tips
Top 8 ways to dance better.

Diet for Dancers
Serious dancers need proper nutrition to perform at their best. Learn about foods a dancer should, and shouldn't, eat.

Ballet Quiz - Basic Ballet Quiz
Test your knowlegde of ballet with this basic ballet quiz.

Make a Ballerina Bun
Use several hair pins to secure the bun.

Tendu
Slide one foot forward, maintaining turnout.

Dance_Movies
Top 10 movies about dance.

Pirouette
A step-by-step, illustrated tutorial of a pirouette, a turn on one leg.

Grand Plie
An illustrated tutorial of a grand plie in ballet.

Learn Dance Routines
The following tips will help you memorize dance routines quickly and easily.

Barre Stretch
Illustrated demonstration of barre stretches in ballet.

Rond de Jambe
An illustrated tutorial of a rond de jambe in ballet.

Eleve
Lift both heels to eleve.

Modern Dance
Modern dance is a dance style that rejects many of the strict rules of classical ballet, focusing instead on the expression of inner feelings.

Tap Dancing
Tap dancing is an exciting form of dance in which dancers wear special shoes equipped with metal taps. Tap dancers use their feet like drums to create rhythmic patterns and timely beats.

What to Wear to Ballet Class
Part of dancing your best is knowing that you look your very best. What should you wear to ballet class?

Dance to Lose Weight
Is dancing considered exercise? Can dancing cause weight loss?

Dance Injuries
Despite our best intentions, dance injuries do occur. Following are common dance injuries and their causes.

Guide for the Young Ballerina
An informational guide for parents of young ballerinas. This guide will introduce you to the world of ballet.

Anna Pavlova
The world will forever remember the Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, who brought a more traditional feel to classical ballet.

Health Benefits
Dancing is a great way for people of all ages to get and stay in shape. Besides being fun, dancing has many positive health benefits. Following are the top 4 health benefits of dance.

Hip-Hop Dancing
Hip-hop is a dance style, usually danced to hip-hop music, that evolved from the hip-hop culture

Improve Leaps
Following are 5 tips to help you improve your leaps.

Dance - HowTos
An index of HowTos for the Dance guide site.

Find the Right Dance Style
Are you considering learning how to dance? Whatever your reasons for wanting to learn, you must first choose a dance style. How do you know which dance style is right for you?

Point Your Feet
Ballet dancers point their feet to make a long, graceful line with their legs.

Adult Ballet
It's never too late to learn ballet. Adult ballet is a great way to get into shape and learn something new.

Create Dance Routine
It's fun and simple to put together a dance routine. Find out how to choreograph a dance.

Improve Your Turnout
A step-by-step, illustrated tutorial to help improve turnout.

How to Dance
Learn how to dance with this step-by-step, illustrated tutorial.

What Is Turnout?
Turnout in ballet is the outward rotation of the feet and the hips.

Improve Ballet Posture
Ballet dancers must learn how to properly hold their bodies in order to achieve maximum grace and balance.

Dance Recital Survival
A dance recital is an exciting time for a young dancer, but many parents of new dancers become stressed and nervous about the experience. Here's how to survive a dance recital.

Patrick Swayze
Patrick Swayze, talented dancer and actor, captivated audiences with his dancing talents in the movie [i]Dirty Dancing.[/i]

Good Dance Teachers
Once you have decided to take dance lessons, it is important that you find the right teacher.

Do the Chicken Dance
Learn how to do the Chicken Dance.

Wedding Dip
An illustrated description of the classic wedding dip.

Flamenco Dance
Flamenco dance is an expressive dance form that mixes percussive footwork with intricate hand, arm and body movements.

Jazz Quiz - Basic Jazz Dance Quiz
Test your knowlegde of jazz dancing with this basic jazz quiz.

Ballets By Tchaikovsky
Tchaikovsky wrote the music for three of the most popular ballets of all time.

Guide to Jazz Shoes
Jazz shoes are available in several different styles. If you are looking to buy a pair of jazz shoes, read this guide before you start shopping.

Developpe
Illustrated tutorial of a developpe in ballet.

Tap Quiz - Basic Tap Quiz
Test your knowlegde of tap dancing with this basic tap quiz.

Pointe Requirements
Dancing on your toes requires tremendous strength of the legs and feet. Following are 5 requirements that must be met before considering starting pointe ballet classes.

Proper Age for Ballet
Until the age of 8, children benefit most from pre-ballet classes. Before then, the bones are too soft for the demands of technical exercises.

Bunny Hop
Follow these steps to learn how to dance the Bunny Hop.

All About The Nutcracker
For many people, the holidays wouldn't seem complete without attending a performance of the favorite ballet, The Nutcracker. Here is a close look at The Nutcracker, a traditional holiday favorite.

Leotards
All about dance leotards, including different styles and fitting tips.

Gifts for Young Dancers
Gift ideas for young dancers. Find the perfect gift for your young dancer.

Clothes for Jazz Class
What should I wear to a jazz class?

Buying the Right Ballet Shoes
Follow these tips to find the perfect ballet shoes.

Dance Recital Necessities
Backstage at a dance recital is chaotic. Maintain your sanity by remebering to bring the following 10 items to the recital.

Make Ballet Shoes Last
Follow these steps to prolong the life of ballet shoes. Make your ballet shoes last longer.

Latin Dance
Latin dance is a fast-paced, often sensual, partner dance characterized by sexy hip movements.

Why Are Ballet Terms French?
Why are so many ballet terms in French?

Slow Dance
Nothing is more romantic than a slow dance with your valentine.

Find Dance Class
Once you have decided to become a dancer, it is important to spend some time finding the right dance class.

Barre
A barre is a wooden bar attached to the walls in a dance studio.

Dance Injury Treatment
If you injure yourself while dancing, immediate treatment will quicken the healing process.

Look Better on the Dance Floor
Good posture is important for successful ballroom dancing. Correct body alignment will improve your appearance on the dance floor.

Wedding Dance
Make your first dance together as a married couple truly magical.

Sous-sus
In ballet, sous-sus is a releve in fifth posistion.

Ball Change
A ball change is a move that involves a weight transfer between both feet.

Jazz Square
A jazz square is a smooth, sassy, four-step movement.

Are Pointe Shoes Made of Wood?
I've heard that the toe box in a pointe shoe is made of wood. Is this true?

Find the Beat
Beaing able to find the beat of music will help you become a great dancer.

When Boys Want to Dance
If your son would rather take dance lessons than play sports on a field, don't hesitate to encourage him.

Gregory Hines
A talented entertainer, Gregory Hines was a singer, dancer and actor.

Dance Gear
Dance shops sell all sorts of dance clothes, shoes and supplies, or you can find what you need online. Before you go shopping for dance gear, take a look at these guidelines.

Arabesque
An arabesque is a graceful pose in ballet.

First Ballet
The first ballet was staged in the year 1581 at the French court.

Eleve or Releve?
In ballet, is an eleve the same thing as a releve?

Country and Western Dancing
Country and western dance includes several dances, usually danced to country-western music.

Start Your Child in Dance
Learn how to start your child in dance, including information about dance classes and how to find a good dance studio.

What Is Folk Dance?
Folk dance refers to dances developed by groups or communities, as opposed to being made up by a choreographer.

Care of Tights
Tips for taking care of tights.

Start Ballroom Dancing
You don't have to be a dancer to learn how to ballroom dance.

Attitude
The attitude is a beautiful pose in ballet.

Ballerina Bichon Review
The Shining Stars Ballerina Bichon is a great gift for young ballerinas, and a unique alternative to flowers on recital night.

Giselle Ballet Review
A review of the Bolshoi Ballet Company's production of Giselle.

Pro-Arch Review
The Pro-Arch is designed to increase the arch and improve the flexibility of the foot.

What Is Competitive Dancing?
A dance competition allows dancers to show and compare their skills with other dancers at a similar level. A dance competition consists of several events. Each event is aimed at a specific style of dance and skill level of dancers.

Demi Pointe
Demi pointe means standing on the balls of the feet.

Enjoy_Ballet
Get the most out of a ballet performance.

Get the Most Out of Class
Use every dance class as an opportunity to improve your dance skills and techniques. The following tips will ensure that you have a successful dance class every time.

Dance Timing
What does it mean to have perfect timing in dance?

Jazz Dance Movies
Jazz dancing became a craze during the 1980s. These dance movies gave jazz dancing a tremendous boost in popularity.

Swing Dance
Swing dance is a lively dance style in which couples swing, spin and jump together.

6-Step
The 6-step is a basic breakdancing move. Here's how to do it.

Mambo - Side Breaks
Illustrated instructions for a Mambo side break.

Choose Dance School
Dance studios differ in many ways, so make an informed choice. The following is a list of qualities of a good dance school.

Retire
The retire requires a good sense of balance.

Saut
A saut in ballet is simply a jump.

En Pointe
En pointe refers to ballet dancing wearing pointe shoes.

Glissade
Glissade is a smooth, traveling step in ballet.

Arabesque Penchee
An arabesque penchee is a striking pose in ballet.

Corps de Ballet
A corps de ballet is the group of dancers that belong to a specific ballet company.

Requirements for Pointe Work
Starting pointe work marks a milestone in a dancer's life. How do you know when you're ready for pointe shoes?

Dance - QuickTips
An index of QuickTips for the Dance guide site.

Jazz Walk
A jazz walk is a low walk where the knees are bent and the shoulders and arms are curved in opposite directions while walking forward.

Ballets for kids
Most children, especially girls, love to watch ballerinas perform on stage.

Jazz Run
A jazz run is a running jazz walk that requires grace and balance to make it look natural.

What Is Contra Dancing?
You may have heard of contra dancing, but do you know what it is?

Ball Dig
A ball dig is the touching of the ball of the foot with no weight transfer.

Choose a Dance Studio
Criteria to help you choose a quality dance studio.

Clogging
Clogging is an American folk dance in which the heel keeps the rhythm.

Is Three Old Enough to Dance?
Is three years too young to start dance classes?

Fat Burning Dance Party
Review of Crunch Fitness's Fat Burning Dance Party with Jennifer Galardi.

Tap Dogs Review
Review of the tap dance show, Tap Dogs.

Baby Ballet DVD
A review of "Baby Ballet," an instructional DVD for young, beginner ballerinas.

Enjoy the Ballet
Attending the ballet is a truly magical event. The following tips will help you get the most out of a ballet performance.

Port de Bras
Port de bras refers to movements of the arms in ballet.

Ballon
Ballon is the ability to jump easily and lightly into the air.

Choreographer
A choreographer is a person who creates a ballet.

Devant
Devant means "to the front."

Jete
A jete is a jump from one leg to the other.

Pas
A pas is a simple step in any direction.

Pas de Deux
A pas de deux is a dance for two people.

Soubresaut
A soubresaut is a vertical jump in ballet.

Ballerina
A ballerina is a female ballet dancer.

Balletomane
A balletomane is a ballet enthusiast.

Adage
Adage is an exercise in a dance class focusing on slow, controlled movements that highlight balance and extension, and require strength and poise.

Dance Dance Revolution
Schools are discovering the physical fitness benefits of the Dance Dance Revolution craze.

Ballet for Dummies
A review of the book, [i]Ballet for Dummies[/i[, by your About.com Guide to Dance.

Nutcracker Review
Review of the 2007 performance of The Nutcracker Ballet, presented by the Dance Theatre of Bradenton.

Social Dancing Vs Dancesport
What is the difference between dancesport and social dancing?

Review of How to Breakdance
Guide review: How to Breakdance, Volume 1.

Review: Luigi's Jazz Warm Up
Book review of "Luigi's Jazz Warm Up."

Flap
In tap dancing, a flap is a stimple step that involves a brush forward and a step on the ball of the foot.

Touch
A "stamp" with no transfer of weight.

Bee's Knees
The Bee's Knees step is a "charleston" step from the Roaring Twenties.

Back Flap
A back flap is "flap" done backwards.

Dance - Profiles
An index of Profiles for the Dance guide site.

Soutenu
A soutenu is a series of quick turns in ballet.

Plie
A plie in ballet is a bending of the knees.

En Dehors
En dehors is an outward movement.

Derriere
Derriere refers to a movement or step toward the back of he body.

Battement Tendu
A battement tendu is a basic exercise of the legs in ballet.

New Year's Resolutions
If you are a dancer, perhaps you can think of a few ways to improve your dancing. Here is a list of new year's resolutions for dancers...write down a few and get dancing.