Dancing is the art of moving one's body to the rhythm of music. It can be as simple as a child swaying spontaneously to a nursery rhyme, or as complex as the rapid-fire precision footwork of the Spanish flamenco.
There are two main categories of dance: performance art and social dancing. Performance art is danced by professionals for entertainment - ballet and contemporary dance are two examples.
Almost every nationality has its own folk dances, the origins of which are lost in history. Some, like belly dancing and flamenco, have become mainstream art forms and spread worldwide.
These folk dances were a form of social dancing, but newer forms also developed as the centuries passed. Anyone who has watched films of Henry VIII or Jane Austen's books will be familiar with the courtly dances of those eras. In the 20th century things changed, and couples danced in an embrace rather than separately in groups.
Social partner dancing includes such styles as ballroom and Latin dance, blues dancing, swing dancing, and lindy hop. In the 1960's, dancers separated again to dance disco styles.
New styles of dancing are constantly being created, such as breakdancing, hip hop and krump.
Below is a list of websites related to dancing and its many varieties.