Dancehall is a dance style that comes from the exotic Jamaica. The structure of energetic dancing in this style is based on reggae rhythm. You can learn the basic movements of dancehall at our dance school. During the class you will burn a lot of calories to stimulating sounds of incendiary music.
Dancehall dance steps are based on isolated and smooth movements of the whole body. While studying them you will feel more confident and attractive and learn to control your body well. Energetic and expressive dance allows you to loosen up and get rid of clamps. At its core – circular movements of the hips, shaking and “waves” the whole body.
From the history of Dancehall
The style originated in the 1960s in the ghetto of Kingston (the capital of Jamaica), a city located on the coast of the Caribbean Sea. The dance was originally performed by men, but nowadays everyone – men, women and even children – do it. It is an expression of emotion, a way to cope with problems and stress and even a kind of spiritual practice for the people of Jamaica.
Dancehall is considered a street dance for a reason: its name means the space where the dance parties take place, and this can be courtyards, markets and just streets. In general, it can be engaged anywhere there is a free flat area.
It is impossible to talk about dancehall without mentioning the inextricably linked to it reggae music, which actually gave birth to this style. By the 80’s it has developed into an independent direction, gaining many fans around the world. The founder of this trend in music was Bob Marley. Music to dancehall, which sometimes mistakenly called “reggae”, but it differs in a faster tempo.
Description and characteristics of the dance
Both women and men practice dancehall, but the two dances are slightly different. The steps in the male version are based on strong, aggressive movements. They consist mainly of energetic chest movements, from the rotation of the hands, with the fingers folded “pistol”, from beating out the rhythm of a straight leg (cow foot). It is a dance that symbolizes strength and energy. In Jamaica, men can only dance this way; women can choose to dance both male and female steps.
The female style is called Dancehall Female and Dancehall Queen Style. It is more sensual and “soft. It is full of sexy-feminine movements such as shaking the buttocks (twerking), swaying the hips and undulating body movement. Dancehall Queen Style is a dance that is additionally enriched with acrobatic elements (such as wiggling the buttocks while sitting on the splits or standing on the head). Every year in Jamaica, a contest is held for the best dancer, who subsequently receives the nickname “Dancehall Queen”. It’s a real celebration of women.