World Book Trivia Quiz For Kids--2/13-dance

Movement is the action of the dancers. Energy provides the power needed to perform the movement. Rhythm is the pattern of timing around which the dance movement is organized. Design is the pattern created as the dancers move about.

Dancing has also been used for many years in religious services. Early people probably made up dances to make their gods happy. Many North American Indians danced with the hope it would bring rain or food. Many such dances are still done today.

Folk dancing is dancing that is special to the people of a certain country or region. People do folk dances during celebrations and religious ceremonies. They also do them for recreation. Well-known folk dances include the square dance, the Irish jig, and the polka.

A faster version of the fox trot, called the quickstep, became popular in the United Kingdom.

Martha Graham (1894-1991) was a leading American dancer and choreographer (creator of dances). She pioneered modern dance.

The waltz developed rapidly in the last years of the 1700's. It emerged from a group of south German and Austrian dances involving the turning motion of the dancers in a close embrace position.

Bhangra is a lively, rhythmic form of dance music. It originated in the state of Punjab in India and in the Pakistani province of Punjab. It is the traditional folk dance music of the rural communities, especially the Sikhs of Indian Punjab.

The tango was the first Latin American dance to gain great international popularity. The tango is a ballroom dance for a couple. The dancers alternate long, slow steps with short, quick steps. They sometimes make sudden turns and strike dramatic poses.

Ballet dancing began in Italy in the 1400's and 1500's. Many people think the first ballet performance took place in Paris, France, in 1581. During the late 1900's, many ballet companies were started around the world.

Flamenco is a type of dance and music originally associated with the Roma (sometimes called Gypsies) of southern Spain. Flamenco dance and music are now performed on the stage with guitars and castanets.