Dancing: Moving to Music, in Every Culture There Is
Dancing is moving the body rhythmically, usually to music. It is one of the few human activities found in every known society, and English has borrowed dance names from all over the world.
Dancing is rhythmic movement, usually to music and usually for pleasure. It is a genuine human universal: no society has ever been found without it, which puts dancing alongside language and cooking rather than alongside sport or art.
- Moving rhythmically to music. *An evening of dancing.*
- A particular style. *Ballroom dancing.*
- Moving lightly (figurative). *Sunlight dancing on the water.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | dancing | Folk dancing. |
| Verb | dance | They danced all night. |
| Person | dancer | A professional dancer. |
| Noun | dance | The last dance. |
| Compound | dance floor | A crowded dance floor. |
How it is used in a sentence
- There was dancing until two in the morning.Uncountable — the activity.
- She takes dancing lessons on Thursdays.Attributive use before a noun.
- He is dancing around the question.Avoiding it while appearing to answer.
Dance names English has borrowed
- Tango and samba — from South America
- Waltz — from German *walzen*, to roll or revolve
- Flamenco — from Spain
- Ballet — from Italian through French, from *ballare*, to dance
- Hula — from Hawaiian, one of the few taken directly with no reshaping
From Old French *dancier*, of uncertain origin — possibly Frankish. Whatever its source, it displaced the Old English words entirely, which is unusual for something so basic to daily life.
Dancing or dance as the subject name?
Dance is the art form and the academic subject. Dancing is the activity.
What does dance around something mean?
Avoid dealing with it directly, especially a question or an awkward fact.