Reading task 4
For questions 1-15, answer by choosing from the different sections on dance (A-H). Some of the choices may be required more than once. Write down your answers. You will check your guesses a bit later.
In which section of the article are the following mentioned?
1. evidence for the growing interest in traditional forms of dancing
2. people also appreciating traditional dance for its amusing aspects
3. dancing being a fundamental part of human behaviour
4. a reason why people may not appreciate traditional dance
5. the fact that modern forms of dance block communication between people
6. travel allowing people to become more exposed to foreign dance
7. dance allowing interaction between people who would otherwise be unlikely to meet
8. contempt for dance as a group activity
9. some people being frustrated with dance venues today due to their anti-social nature
10. dance being irresistible to everyone at some point
11. the health benefits that dance can bring
12. a psychological advantage of learning to dance
13. the British having never been acclaimed as good dancers
14. a particular individual being responsible for social dancing's decreasing popularity
15. dance being a spontaneous form as well as a rehearsed one
1. evidence for the growing interest in traditional forms of dancing
2. people also appreciating traditional dance for its amusing aspects
3. dancing being a fundamental part of human behaviour
4. a reason why people may not appreciate traditional dance
5. the fact that modern forms of dance block communication between people
6. travel allowing people to become more exposed to foreign dance
7. dance allowing interaction between people who would otherwise be unlikely to meet
8. contempt for dance as a group activity
9. some people being frustrated with dance venues today due to their anti-social nature
10. dance being irresistible to everyone at some point
11. the health benefits that dance can bring
12. a psychological advantage of learning to dance
13. the British having never been acclaimed as good dancers
14. a particular individual being responsible for social dancing's decreasing popularity
15. dance being a spontaneous form as well as a rehearsed one
Let's Dance
We do it when we feel good and we feel good when we do it. Rupert Mellor and friends learn tango, salsa, swing and ballroom.
A
Who really doesn't like dancing? Can even the most bad-tempered dance-floor-avoider last an entire lifetime without a shameless display at a wedding, a triumphant jig after the birth of a child - or a particularly good goal - or refrain from a secret shuffle around the privacy of their living room? Dance can take many forms: whether it comes as an impulsive release of energy and emotion, or within a skilful display of practised artistry, alone or in company, to dance is as fundamental to humans as breathing. The great dancer Martha Graham wasn't overstating it when she said, 'Dance is the hidden language of the soul, of the body: The first human art form, dancing is an instinctive celebration of physical existence, a language that can be spoken by anyone and understood by everyone. Beyond speech, learnt behaviour, or even conscious thought, we do it when we feel good, and we feel good when we do it.
B
It's a little sad, then, that as a nation, our reputation as dancers has historically earned us no points and no recognition. Always ever-so-slightly embarrassed by fun, Britain has failed to give dancing the status and support it deserves. But times, and dance-floors, are changing. More and more of us are returning home but with glowing memories of cultures in which dance is a vital part of life, and musical cross-pollination has accustomed our ears to exotic dance rhythms from all over the world.
C
Cinema too is having an effect. Evita, The Tango Lesson and Strictly Ballroom all celebrate
traditional dance artistry, and expect the profile of the incredible Argentine style to
skyrocket after several new releases. For many years, the pop music played in night clubs consigned ballroom, Latin and rock'n'roll to the laughably middle-class scrapheap. And while the faithful kept old-fashioned floorcraft alive in schools and competitions, within 20 years social dancing, that is dancing with a partner or partners, was broadly perceived in Britain as a slightly bizarre cultural quirk practised by people in shiny, spangly outfits.
D
Lyndon Wainwright, of the British Dance Council, lays the decline of social dancing squarely at the fast feet of the actor John Travolta, who as disco dancer 'Tony Manero' in Saturday Night Fever struck an iconic, swaggering solitary figure up on stage. But now dancing in all its different styles has made a revival. Behind its rebirth lies a confluence of factors: the global village, delight in the accessories - the glittery hair and the extravagant costumes, and boredom with the loud unfriendliness of modern dance clubs.
E
On an average week in London, the entertainment guide Time Out usually lists around 50 Latin dance nights, many of them offering tuition. Meanwhile, traditional dance schools too have started to report significant attendance rises. 'Just across traditional ballroom and Latin styles, we know that 240,000 amateur tests were taken last year,' Wainwright says. 'The schools tell me business is booming, with salsa and Argentine tango especially on the rise.' For those unconvinced, he points to the following: 'An evening's dancing is as good for you as a three-hour hike. It pumps blood up your legs, so it's good for your heart, and it helps posture and breathing, too. And you don't get that kind of fun on an exercise bike.'
F
Dance is also good therapy too, busting stress, promoting relaxation and, with the mastery of a new skill, brings self-confidence and a sense of achievement. 'There is nothing more notable about the Greek philosopher Socrates than that he found time, when he was an old man, to learn music and dancing, and thought it well spent,' the French philosopher Michel de Montaigne once mused. Professor Cary Cooper, of UMIST, says that dancing allows people to have physical contact in a safe, sanctioned environment, that it literally puts people in touch. All humans need tactile contact. The touch of another person affirms that we are real, that we are alive.
G
Whether you're in it purely for the social contact or the romance, there's no denying that social dancing offers unparalleled opportunities to encounter a range of partners, in a forum where ability and enthusiasm transcend age, gender and class. 'We live extremely insecure, isolated lives.' Cooper says. 'More and more of us leave our native communities, work long hours, sacrifice our relationships, neglect our social lives. Clubbing, with its deafening music, solo dancing and heavy competitiveness, provides less and less social contact, and becomes an avoidance activity. Now people are embracing the old forms again. Social dancing is a ritualistic reaching out. People want to reconnect with others.'
H
However, one step forward, another back; not all are happy with recent developments. One venue in Suffolk has banned line-dancing at its Country and Western nights. The DJ Vic Stamp, 77, fumed: 'I'm not against line-dancing but I resent them gate-crashing and taking up all the dance floor. There is nothing worse than dancing round the floor and bumping into people doing a line dance. It stops your rhythm.' Oh dear. Perhaps he should follow the advice offered by the Indian sage, Krishnamurti: 'You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it. That is why you must... sing, and dance... for all that is life.'
We do it when we feel good and we feel good when we do it. Rupert Mellor and friends learn tango, salsa, swing and ballroom.
A
Who really doesn't like dancing? Can even the most bad-tempered dance-floor-avoider last an entire lifetime without a shameless display at a wedding, a triumphant jig after the birth of a child - or a particularly good goal - or refrain from a secret shuffle around the privacy of their living room? Dance can take many forms: whether it comes as an impulsive release of energy and emotion, or within a skilful display of practised artistry, alone or in company, to dance is as fundamental to humans as breathing. The great dancer Martha Graham wasn't overstating it when she said, 'Dance is the hidden language of the soul, of the body: The first human art form, dancing is an instinctive celebration of physical existence, a language that can be spoken by anyone and understood by everyone. Beyond speech, learnt behaviour, or even conscious thought, we do it when we feel good, and we feel good when we do it.
B
It's a little sad, then, that as a nation, our reputation as dancers has historically earned us no points and no recognition. Always ever-so-slightly embarrassed by fun, Britain has failed to give dancing the status and support it deserves. But times, and dance-floors, are changing. More and more of us are returning home but with glowing memories of cultures in which dance is a vital part of life, and musical cross-pollination has accustomed our ears to exotic dance rhythms from all over the world.
C
Cinema too is having an effect. Evita, The Tango Lesson and Strictly Ballroom all celebrate
traditional dance artistry, and expect the profile of the incredible Argentine style to
skyrocket after several new releases. For many years, the pop music played in night clubs consigned ballroom, Latin and rock'n'roll to the laughably middle-class scrapheap. And while the faithful kept old-fashioned floorcraft alive in schools and competitions, within 20 years social dancing, that is dancing with a partner or partners, was broadly perceived in Britain as a slightly bizarre cultural quirk practised by people in shiny, spangly outfits.
D
Lyndon Wainwright, of the British Dance Council, lays the decline of social dancing squarely at the fast feet of the actor John Travolta, who as disco dancer 'Tony Manero' in Saturday Night Fever struck an iconic, swaggering solitary figure up on stage. But now dancing in all its different styles has made a revival. Behind its rebirth lies a confluence of factors: the global village, delight in the accessories - the glittery hair and the extravagant costumes, and boredom with the loud unfriendliness of modern dance clubs.
E
On an average week in London, the entertainment guide Time Out usually lists around 50 Latin dance nights, many of them offering tuition. Meanwhile, traditional dance schools too have started to report significant attendance rises. 'Just across traditional ballroom and Latin styles, we know that 240,000 amateur tests were taken last year,' Wainwright says. 'The schools tell me business is booming, with salsa and Argentine tango especially on the rise.' For those unconvinced, he points to the following: 'An evening's dancing is as good for you as a three-hour hike. It pumps blood up your legs, so it's good for your heart, and it helps posture and breathing, too. And you don't get that kind of fun on an exercise bike.'
F
Dance is also good therapy too, busting stress, promoting relaxation and, with the mastery of a new skill, brings self-confidence and a sense of achievement. 'There is nothing more notable about the Greek philosopher Socrates than that he found time, when he was an old man, to learn music and dancing, and thought it well spent,' the French philosopher Michel de Montaigne once mused. Professor Cary Cooper, of UMIST, says that dancing allows people to have physical contact in a safe, sanctioned environment, that it literally puts people in touch. All humans need tactile contact. The touch of another person affirms that we are real, that we are alive.
G
Whether you're in it purely for the social contact or the romance, there's no denying that social dancing offers unparalleled opportunities to encounter a range of partners, in a forum where ability and enthusiasm transcend age, gender and class. 'We live extremely insecure, isolated lives.' Cooper says. 'More and more of us leave our native communities, work long hours, sacrifice our relationships, neglect our social lives. Clubbing, with its deafening music, solo dancing and heavy competitiveness, provides less and less social contact, and becomes an avoidance activity. Now people are embracing the old forms again. Social dancing is a ritualistic reaching out. People want to reconnect with others.'
H
However, one step forward, another back; not all are happy with recent developments. One venue in Suffolk has banned line-dancing at its Country and Western nights. The DJ Vic Stamp, 77, fumed: 'I'm not against line-dancing but I resent them gate-crashing and taking up all the dance floor. There is nothing worse than dancing round the floor and bumping into people doing a line dance. It stops your rhythm.' Oh dear. Perhaps he should follow the advice offered by the Indian sage, Krishnamurti: 'You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it. That is why you must... sing, and dance... for all that is life.'