Dance Moves to Centre Stage

Did you know that the British program Strictly Come Dancing entered the Guiness Book of World Records for being the most successful Reality program on television in 2010? And Dancing with the Stars is now the  second  most popular TV program in the United States?

Over the last five years dance has been moving  into mainstream and is now on our television sets and streets more than ever.  It is now commonplace to see large choreographed performances alongside advertising campaigns, music videos, talent shows and other such productions. Talent shows have especially seen a huge influx of dancers that  perform increasingly complex and spectacular routines in front of judges and millions of home viewers.

Every time you turn on the television, movement is being used as part of advertising campaigns to sell a particular product or service, or even as the main feature of the program. As a result of this, an entirely new industry has developed, giving agencies and production companies a whole new lease on life, and a new way to bring dancing to the masses.

It seems that dance has evolved alongside both traditional and digital media. In the past, dance was reserved for those who had enough interest to pay for live shows or partake in it themselves. With 1) the ongoing development of higher budget television events, 2) the Internet and 3) the need for advertising companies to make as much an impact as possible, dance has ridden these channels to new heights.

Super-popular singing talent shows such as American Idol and X Factor have also brought dancing to the forefront with elaborate routines being as much as part of the live show experience as much as the singers themselves.

Another example of how much dance and movement have infiltrated popular culture is how video games are making full use of new motion-based controllers such as the Xbox Kinect, PlayStation Move and Nintendo Wii with a range of dancing games that put the player through their paces and let them move a virtual avatar alongside other digital dancers.

Where there has been music, dance has always followed.  Dance has now however evolved into its own unstoppable industry and other areas of life and media. The incredible range, diversity and individual talent and expression are all opening the doors for the public in ways not seen before.  The future for dance is bright with the continued advances in technology and fusion of different styles and ensembles, and we can’t wait to see where it takes us!