Dance is an art expressed through body movements. Be it just using the upper body or just the lower body, it has the ability to keep people glued and entertained till the end of the performance. Every dance form has its own history, making it one of its kind. A certain level of dedication, practice, and hard work is required to become an expert dancer of whatever style it is. Another important ingredient that goes into putting up a spectacular show is synchronization.
Although each dancing style is difficult to master, here are the ten most challenging dance forms the world has ever seen:
1 . Ballet
The first one to top our list of the world’s most difficult dance forms is Ballet. Being born in the Italian Renaissance courts during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, this dance form leaves its spectators in complete awe. The Ballet en Pointe is a very formalized and challenging technique, where the whole body’s weight is supported by just the feet. The dancers are required to put on pointe shoes while executing such a demanding form. Bravura, Ballon technique, Spilt, Pirouette, Port de bras, Plie, Cambre, and Alignment are some of the other Ballet techniques, that require a ton of practice mixed with a lot of dedication, to master!
2 . Synchronized Swimming Dance
Just as the name suggests, the synchronized swimming dance is a fusion form of both gymnastics and swimming. How easy does that sound, right? Well, it does. But the amount of efforts that go behind putting up a dance show like this one, is immense. It is for this reason that the synchronized swimming is considered one of the toughest dance styles ever! One has to harmonize their groves with the music as well as take care of themselves in water. It could be performed solo, in duets, trios, and even in teams. This dance style is an integral part of the Olympic Games as well.
3 . Irish Dance
Born in Ireland and popularized by the River dance, the Irish Dance is another one of the most challenging dance styles ever. While the arms remain stationary in this form, the leg and the foot movements are a bit too extreme. It is a social dance that is performed both in solos as well as in groups. The Irish Dance is believed to have been influenced by the Irish Native Dancers, English Country Dancers, and the French Quadrilles. It gained immense recognition in the seventeenth and eighteenth century when people became fond of learning those moves. This dance form later went on to become an important part of the Irish culture and the Nationalist Movements
4 . Aerial Dance
The next one on our list of the toughest dance forms in the world is the Aerial dance. Many of us have witnessed this style either on televisions or in our real lives. And it is of no doubt that, with those graceful moves, we all have been there- in complete astonishment! Aerial dance, as the name suggests, is dancing in the air. This requires a whole another level of physical discipline, flexibility, and massive practice. Full of numerous tricks, this dance style is quite risky for its performers. Balance, as they say, is the key in here!
5 . Can-Can
Source: Two River Times
Can-can is a physically demanding dance form that gained its popularity during the mid-nineteenth century. This French dancing style requires its performers to always stay at high energy while being in the one-of-its-type costume. Can-can is usually carried out by both men and women, wherein the female dancers wear extremely long skirts with stockings and petticoat. High kicking, cartwheeling, and backflipping are some out of the many movements that could be witnessed in this dancing style. Also, due to the high level of synchronization and fast movements, Can-Can is considered quite a challenging dance form.
6 . Tap Dance
Often referred to as ‘musical feet,’ the tap dance is a highly popular dance form known internationally. It is not just a dancing style, but also produces its own music. The performers utilize their feet as percussion instruments to give a very lively effect to the whole act, which makes its viewers stay glued till the end. Tap dance requires a special kind of tap shoes, that are glued with metal plates on the heel as well as on the toes. This allows the dancers to produce that distinct tap sound while striking the ground. A totally next level of synchronization is required for performing a tap dance. Hence, making it one of the toughest.
7 . Tango
Source: Lewolang
Native to Argentina, Tango is a unique dance form that is often performed in pairs. It involves extremely vibrant and sensual moves and is comparatively hard to master. The unmatched gracefulness combined with those perfect techniques is what makes Tango a part of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. This dance form originated during the late nineteenth century along ‘Rio de la Plata’, the river separating Argentina naturally from its neighbor Uruguay. It is believed to be an outcome of the Argentinean Milonga, Rioplatense Candombe, and Spanish-Cuban Habanera. Since its birth, Tango has come a long way in massively impressing its viewers.
8 . Kuchipudi
Source: Cultural India
Next up on our list of the most challenging and demanding dance forms ever, is Kuchipudi. It is believed to have been named after the ‘Kuchipudi’ village of the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is not just a dancing style but a drama performance that is based on some religious and spiritual beliefs. Being the toughest Indian classical dance form, Kuchipudi requires a lot of practice, including quite a few rituals like igniting the incense sticks and praying to the god, to reach that level of perfection. It is inspired by ‘Natya Shastra’, the ancient Hindu text written in Sanskrit. This dance form even requires some primeval instruments you probably didn’t know about in order to put up an amazing performance.
9 . Capoeira Dance
Source: Pinterest
An amalgamation of acrobatics, music, and dance along with Brazilian martial art, the Capoeira dance is one of its kind. It involves some really fast-paced movements like spins and kicks, that are highly complex in nature. The dancer needs to be alert throughout the performance, or could simply end up injured. Capoeira dance needs its performers to have core flexibility, a strong upper body, and great stamina. Because of the unbelievable movements, this Brazilian dance has the ability to make its first-time viewers left in astonishment.
10 . Sayaw Sa Bangko
Sayaw sa Bangko is another one of the most challenging dance forms ever. It is a traditional Filipino dance style that was invented in Pangasinan and is usually performed on a narrow bench. Throughout the show, the dancers are required to stay on the benchtop and carry out most of their movements only on it. Further, several benches are put on one another, making it a risky endeavor. Sayaw sa Bangko is a highly complicated dancing style that involves some very unusual routines. The next level of confidence and grace is required to perform this dance.
William Henry Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, author, philanthropist, and humanitarian. He is best known as the principal founder of Microsoft Corporation.
