Category Archives: Dancers

Street Dance

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The history of street dance is said to be divided into two eras.These are Old school and New school. Almost all of roots of street dance is African American culture namely, hip hop culture. Keep your mind that hip hop dance is one part of hip hop culture. Hip hop dance is categorized into New school.

In Old school, there are B-boying, Locking, Popping etc.

B-boying is frequently called Break dance or Breaking but these names are not actually correct. B-boying was born in the South Bronx of New York in the early 1970’s. In the beginning, B-boying is called Good Foot (It is the name of James Brown’s hit tune.). Good Foot was different from B-boying in that Good foot didn’t include acrobatic move. The middle of 1970’s Good Foot became to called “boie-oie-oings”. It is the base of today’s B-boying, but it does not include acrobatic move too. The last 1970’s, Puerto Rican young dancers revolutionized B-boying. They started acrobatic move in B-boying like Windmill.

Locking was born in Los Angeles in 1960’s. It was perfected by “The Lockers”. The roots of Locking is said Robot dance. In 1969, an African American young man became famous with his dance. His name was Don Campbell, and his dance was Campbell Lock. Campbell Lock was new in all point, it’s move was unique and comical. In 1970, Don Campbell formed The Lockers. Their style was amusing and unique so many people were attracted by them.

Popping was born in Los Angeles in 1960’s. It was created by ELECTRIC BOOGALOO. The roots of Popping is said Robot dance. As you may recognize, Locking and Popping is like brothers. But Popping’s move is stranger than Locking’s one. I’ll give you the video of Popping. check it out.

Hip hop has roots in all street dances. It means that Hip hop is free and it is difficult to define hip hop. Hip hop dance history is with Hip hop culture. So, I cannot tell you who started Hip hop dance but certainly African Americans made it.

The major source in house dance movement streams directly from the music and the elements within the music such as Jazz, African, Latin, Soul, R&B, Funk, Hip Hop, etc. The other source is the people, the individuals and their characteristics, ethnicities, origin, etc. You have people of all walks of life partying under one roof. Thus you have exchanges of information (body language) house dance is a social dance before these competitions.

Maypole dancing

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The earliest Maypoles were part of a celebration of Summer which would be linked in with mystical things like tree worship and more basic things like an excuse for entertainment, dancing and having a good time.

They were probably just simple trees cut down and re-erected in the centre of a village green. We know that by the 16th and 17th centuries they were often very tall as we have paintings showing people dancing around them and the Puritans, who hated them, described in great detail what they were destroying, although the actual dances were not recorded.

After the Restoration many Maypoles were reinstated and a notable one was in the Strand. This was 134 foot high (41m) and stood there until Sir Isaac Newton used parts of it as a base for his telescope! Some of the maypoles from that period still survive in villages around the country. None of these maypoles had ribbons so the dances were probably any circular dances that were popular at the time.

The Maypole Dancing that people know today, happened because John Ruskin introduced it at Whitelands College in 1881 and created a series of dances and a May Pageant.

Generations of teachers learnt all about these and took them wherever they went on to teach and by the middle of the 20th century it had become a major tradition, much of which survives to the present day but for some years had been dying out as fewer teachers knew the dances.

Fortunately over the last few years Maypole Dancing has had a bit of a revival for all sorts of reasons to do with a greater awareness of our own culture and the sheer enjoyment by dancers and audience alike. The difference now is that there is a far greater degree of creativity with new dances and styles being invented all the time.

Music
In the early days the music would have been played on instruments like the Pipe & Tabor or the English Bagpipes and we can see these in those early paintings.

By the time John Ruskin came along the concertina or the fiddle would have been added and then later instruments would have included the accordion, flutes or any instruments that were loud enough to work in the open air. That still hold true but now often people dance to recorded music, whether recordings of country dance music and instruments like those mentioned or even pop songs and rap.

Dance Origins

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History of dance entertainment is filled with interesting events that shaped its foundations, inventors that created new styles, periods of time when dance and music were put in the forefront of innovations, which all enabled it to become the popular social pastime of today.

History of dance closely follows the development of human race. Since the earliest times of our existence, far before the creation of first modern civilizations, dance served as an irreplaceable way of expressing human thought and emotion. As our civilization traveled through millennia, dance was modified to the point of being popular means of expression, health, communication and competition.

Elizabethan Dance
During the period of time in 16th century that is today remembered as an Elizabethan Era, dance and music received unprecedented attention, advancement and refinement that allowed it to become one of the most popular ways for socialization and exercise, and a foundation for the creation of all modern dances.

Dance in Religion and Mythology
Connection between dance and religion and myths can be observed from the dawn of our civilization to the modern times. Here you can find out how dance influenced the religion ceremonies, became storytelling device in describing tales of gods and myths, or in some cases become very integral part of some religions.

History of Ballroom Dancing
History of ballroom dancing started with the rise of European renaissance in 16th century. Ever since then, tradition of ballroom dancing expanded across entire world, pushing along its path creation of many popular dances that are in use today.

History of Waltz
Ever since it first appeared on the ballrooms of Venice, Waltz managed to revolutionize the way we dance. Here you can read detailed accounts of the way waltz was created, moved from folk roots to royal ballrooms, and helped to kickstart new era of social dances and music styles.

History of Salsa
Salsa is the Latin American dance that managed to revolutionize the way we dance and move one the dance floor. Here you can find out everything you need to know about history of salsa, its origins, popularity in Cuba, and spreading to United States and the rest of the world.

History of Ballet
Ballet is a formal dance technique combined with costumes, scenery, and music. Ballet integrated dance, music, stage design and poetry to make a dramatic storyline. It developed under the aristocratic influence as a formalized form of dance. At first its roll was a virtually component of the opera. In a time, it was formalized and codified, and there were founded popular ballet stages all over the world.

Music entertainment in the1920’s

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Some referred to the 1920s as The Roaring Twenties. At the time, business was booming – many Americans were developing a taste for a new, faster lifestyle. Modern music became popular as a result of developments in the media (radio, records and films). People had more money to spend and more time to listen to the music of the time.

Jazz Music Entertainment: its development and impact
Jazz originated from the southern states of the USA, from the blues and ragtime music of the black people. Young people had had enough of their parents’ old dances, eg the waltz.

Jazz was much more rhythmic and sexy, and it was easy to dance to. This led to young people smoking, drinking and, according to some, behaving indecently. College students, especially, were willing to challenge their parents’ values and lifestyle.

A number of black musicians became very famous, including Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith, The Empress of the Blues. But racism was still a major problem: when Bessie Smith had a serious car crash, she was taken to a hospital that was for white people only. The hospital refused to treat her because she was black and Bessie Smith died.

The impact of the radio and gramophone
Before the cinema became popular during the 1920s, the radio was the main medium of entertainment in America. By the end of the 1920s, 50 million people had a radio set.
Not everyone could read, so the radio became a very important means of communicating news and information to the people.

Also, as the popularity of jazz increased, more people bought radios, records and gramophones so that they could listen to jazz any time they wanted to.

People could also listen to their favourite team taking part in sports matches, especially if it was not possible for them to travel to the game or if they couldn’t afford the cost.
The radio was able to grow and succeed because companies paid to advertise their products on the medium.

Dancing and the speakeasy culture

More daring dances became popular after the First World War.

These resulted from swing dancing that developed alongside jazz music, and so black people had a huge influence.

Dances such as the Charleston and the Black Bottom became very popular with young people.

Because many of these new dances were sexually suggestive, parents were shocked by their children’s enthusiasm to dance them.

The Lindy Hop also became a popular dance – this dance honoured Charles Lindbergh for crossing the Atlantic in an aeroplane in 1927.

Jazz had been prohibited in a number of cities, for example New York and Detroit. So, the performances moved to the speakeasies, making the young people even more determined to rebel.

Events for 2018

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High Impact Stage Shows
Gather your guests for bespoke shows that dazzle your guests with skill and spectacle from start to finish.

– Aerial artists create intricate patterns above the stage, fusing circus skills and ballet in a show that’s beautiful and breathtaking. Add in 3D projection, and you have something quite astounding; aerial acrobatics in an ever-changing landscape of light that responds to their moves with split-second precision.

– Dazzle your guests with your own custom-made light show, showcasing a whole variety of high tech acts, from the intricate patterns of LED light shows to the primeval appear of jets of flame and sparks of fire and glow performers.

– Project the ever-shifting creations of iPad artists, sand artists or silhouette artists, accompanied by acts that literally shine, such as the unique Swarovski Violinists, who play electric gold violins encrusted with jewels. Or combine lasers and violins with our Laser Violin Show, choreographing lasers, smoke hazes and even audience interaction.

– There’s no doubt about it, tech is here to stay and is looking to proliferate across the industry. We’ve already seen it in some instances; those attending various conferences have been given a barcode with their name imprinted on it upon entry and any stall whom you choose to engage with will almost certainly scan the code to add your information to their database. It’s quick and easy and these technologies are set to continue if the recent CES conference in the US is anything to go by.

Pretty much every item you use in your home is being connected to the internet in some form, so you can rest assured that before too long, there’ll be numerous new ways to interact at events. As for the entertainment, well last year there was a rise in drone use during performances – including one that garnered a lot of praise on Britain’s Got Talent.

– It makes sense that with the economic outlook uncertain, individuals and companies would get creative in order to receive the most bang for their buck. Whether this means creating their own act to best symbolise their business rather than hiring entertainment on the fly, or theming a party to make sure that it is as memorable as possible, creativity is the order of the day!

– Costumed Characters and various acts that be personalised to attendees. One final thing, don’t go for a tired theme – try and think of something you haven’t heard before and we guarantee that the event planners involved will be just as excited as you about your party!

Cuban dance

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After the arrival of Spain, various European dance forms began to take over in Cuba with the French contredanse being particularly popular. This gave rise to the Cuban contradanza, which spawned many of the ballroom dances found today including danzón, mambo and cha-cha-cha. Let’s look at them in more detail!

Cha-cha-cha

Cha-cha-cha or cha-cha (either is fine) came to be very popular in the 1950s when it was danced to the music of the same name by popular Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrín. Another dance that originated from danzón, the name is onomatopoeic, derived from the sound of the scraper (a guiro) and the shuffling of dancing feet. It is notable for having a rhythm that many social dancers don’t get quite right; the count is meant to be ‘two, three, cha-cha-cha’ but many erroneously believe the dance to begin with ‘one, two, cha-cha-cha’. So now you know!

Bolero

The Cuban bolero or Trova does not owe its origin to the Spanish music and song of the same name, instead coming to prominence in Santiago de Cuba in the last quarter of the 19th century. The style began when a group of musicians earned their living by moving about the city and singing and playing the guitar to passers-by. Pepe Sánchez is widely heralded as the creator of the Cuban bolero but because he was so naturally skilled at the compositions, he never wrote any down and most are lost. Thankfully a few of Sánchez’s works remain as his compatriots would occasionally note them down after hearing him perform. The style is extremely popular throughout Latin America and has been since its inception.

Danzón

Watch that ó! Danzón is the official musical genre and dance of Cuba, which is also enjoyed across Mexico and Puerto Rico. Evolving from the contradanza, it is a fusion of African rhythmic dance styles and European influences. Developed in 1879, it is an important root for Cuban culture today and is highly distinctive; each dance begins with an introduction of four bars followed by a ‘paseo’ of another four bars. This repeats and is then followed by sixteen bars of melody. During the introduction and paseo, dancers walk to the floor, talk, choose a partner—And then begin dancing on the fourth bar of the paseo. After the initial melody is performed, the dance repeats – four bars, paseo, four bars, paseo, melody – and so on and so forth! It is most often performed to the tune of Charanga bands, which include a cello, flute, double bass and more.

Mambo

Mambo is a dance form that originated in Cuba and has since been developed by Cuban musicians across North America and Mexico. The word ‘mambo’ actually comes from Kikongo, a language spoken by Central African slaves who were taken to Cuba many centuries ago, and means “Conversation with the Gods.” Modern mambo began with a song called ‘Mambo’ from 1938 and was heavily inspired by danzón and African folk music.

Salsa

Salsa dancing originated from the cha-cha-cha and mambo dances of the early 20th century and actually began in New York in the 1970s. American dancers incorporated their own favoured dances like swing and hustle into the mix as well as guaguanco and pachanga, dances that are synonymous with Afro-Cuba and the Afro-Caribbean. Ideally, the upper body is to remain level whilst the legs move in time to the music. It’s a very rhythmic dance, often associated with passion due to the intensity of the dancers’ concentration.

Ballet

Cuba has ballet schools throughout the country with one of their most famous celebrities, Carlos Acosta, famous all over the world. To give some idea to the scale of Cuba’s love with ballet, the National Ballet School in Havana is home to roughly 3,000 students, making it comfortably the largest ballet school in the world. Such is the pride that Cubans take in their ballet that throughout Castro’s reign, the dance receive state support for both dance education and performance.

Dance group entertainment

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For entertainment that really gets your party started, it’s hard to beat a professional dancer for sheer energy, visual impact, and more than a touch of glamour.

Dancers and dance companies perform choreographed routines that combine music and movement into an energetic and elegant form of entertainment. Most dance groups offer a range of traditional, classical and contemporary dance styles, including elegant ballroom dancing, street dance, Las Vegas style showgirls, traditional Irish dancing, Latin American tango, Spanish flamenco, and the more risqué charms of burlesque.

Most dancers for hire and dance troupe offer either a standard show that can be adapted to your venue and event, or as bespoke option to create exactly the mood and feel you require for your event.
Whether you’re looking for a solo belly dancer to surprise guests at a birthday party, or classical ballerina to add grace and elegance to your product launch, dancers and dance groups provide an energetic, engaging, and ultimately highly entertaining show for your guests.

Most dancers and dance troupes are extremely versatile, often offering a wide variety of dance styles for your event. Chances are, if a dance troupe focuses exclusively on one or two dance styles or forms, they will have a high level of expertise in these forms and therefore put on a more authentic show.

Some of the dance companies featured at Red Masque Directory will create bespoke shows just for you, and bring in dancers and performers with the correct level of skills required. So, just because they don’t specialise in Street Dance for example, they can probably call on some very good performers if you require a bespoke urban style performance.

Take a little time to look at the Profiles of dancers and dance companies here on Red Masque Directory. All companies will feature photographs of their dancers, and some offer video, a great way to see what they look like in action.

Embrace South American culture

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Why not embrace all that Latin spirit, and learn the life-loving, hip-swaying moves from Latin America

Top of your list should be the Latamba Party Band, who bring all the energy, exuberant and sequins of a Latin Brazilian party to any venue. These guys really know how to dance. Guests can sit back and enjoy a fantastic live band, vocalists and dancers performing a great show, before joining in on the dance floor! They also offer a small space/small budget option with backing tracks instead of the full bands, but still keeping all that energy and sense of fun. Perfect for a corporate event or private party.

If you want to push the carnival float out a contemporary Brazilian carnival band for hire that can fill your party with music from the streets and clubs of Rio de Janeiro. This is no small scale outfit either Carnival Bands are made up of around 25-30 musicians including five percussionists, a singer, a Brazilian ukulele player, and two gorgeous dancers in full carnival style costume!

If learning all those dances seems a little too much like hard work, do what most football fans do, and sit back with a beer and enjoy watching the professionals do it! Carnival Party bands have their own troupe of dancers, whose performances feature Carnival samba costumes, sensual mulatta dancers, Capoeira (Brazilian acrobatic martial art dance), Lambada, Afro-Brazilian dance, Brazilian north eastern folkloric dances and much more.

Dance yourself dizzy!!

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Dancers are very entertaining, and if you had an event that demanded some dancers then why not consider hiring the best dancers from Red Masque entertainment directory.

A Dance Group could be hired to dance in sync where the choreography would be done to perfection, it could be any style of dance that your taste desires from Street Dance to River Dance, Male to Female Dancers. We think we have just about all Dance groups covered advertised within our Red Masque entertainment directory.

If you having a private party that would require some eye candy of the female variety? If so, why don’t you hire some Podium dancers, a risqué burlesque dancer or some showgirls that would be quite a classy type of Le Lido but here in the UK.

These girls are professional, classy and have trained for hours to put on the perfect show for you. You will be dazzled by the splendid costumes which will be worn by the Showgirls and Podium Dancers even though they’re maybe little of them!!! The burlesque will titillate and tease but done in the best possible taste!!

Salsa and Tango dancers are very now, most people want to learn the art of these sexy, sensual dances. You could hire some dancers to teach. Or if you are quite familiar of these dances you could simply hire to put on a quite splendid show that would be breath-taking and remarkable, leaving you wishing you were indeed as talented as these dancers.

Snake and Belly dancers of course seem to go hand in hand, these amazing creatures – love them or hate them have something mesmerising about them that you cannot fail to be intrigued to watch or even (if you dare) handle them.

Belly dancers have been around for centuries and it’s also a great way to keep fit. If you ever wanted to master the art of Belly Dancing, then why not hire a Belly Dancer to teach you. You will have great fun, and if your tummy is not your most favourite part of your body – well rest assured a rounded belly is considered sexy in some parts of the world!!

Or, if you wanted some themed dance acts for your special event, then why not look on our gallery of special dance acts that will enlighten your guests and create that nostalgia needed for your themed evening.

They will be dressed in the most appropriate costumes and do all the dance moves from that era it will be truly like stepping back in time and feeling the past again.

Have a look on our directory to see which dance act you could hire for your next corporate party!

Stop searching

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If you’re in the process of planning something big for example like a corporate event, using an entertainment directory uses only the best out there that are reputable and highly acclaimed

We at Red Masque entertainment have a limitless amount of options and inspiration. But what if you don’t have the time, will power or experience to trawl through the 17,500 female solo singers that Google throws up? Well, then it’s time to call in the professionals. And that’s where a party and event entertainment directory can come in handy.

What’s the one thing you remember about a great party, above all else? As a guest, you’re there to have a good time. And if it’s a good time you want your own guests to have, then you need to put a little thought into the entertainment.

You can find party entertainment that keeps your diverse range of guests happy, making the party start with a bang.

The best musicians aren’t necessarily the best hype men; the most amazing magician won’t necessarily be the best web designer – one of the changes in entertainment since the internet has been the focus on promo material rather than word of mouth or reputation. That means the bands with the flashiest websites and the slickest videos often get more attention than their less media savvy counterparts. Consequently, there are plenty of hidden gems out there who, instead of improving their Search Engine Optimisation or video editing techniques, have focused on just being great performers.

We, like many entertainment directory’s, make it our business to know as much about our entertainment as possible. by reading up on new performers and much more. We know the best act for your event and 5 equally brilliant alternatives if the first choice isn’t available.

It just goes to show there’s only so far your own web searches will take you. If you want something a bit different, something to appeal to all the ages and tastes of your guests, something to get your party started as it means to go on, Red Masque is definitely a good way to avoid a headache. After all, it’s your party too.