Music of the World - Coursework Example

Dance is a very essential part of our lives. Interestingly though we don’t know when and exactly how dance became a part of people’s everyday life. But one thing that is certain is that dance has been there ever since humans came into the world. There was a mixture of sounds and rhythms all around us from the day we came to this world and different kinds of music have been part of us ever since. Those people who are actually not dancing lovers and don’t have much of an interest in it can easily still differentiate between various kinds of rhythms as well as genres.

After listening to the Goralski dance suite, it has been analyzed that each of the five dances is not only different from one another but is also similar at the same time. The Podhale region of Poland is known for its distinctive music and dances because they are based on a couple of dances varying from one village to another. All five dances are based on different content and styles but carry similarities in terms of the two basic regional attributes which are based on the rocky foothills of the Tatra Mountains in southern Poland and the districts of Orawa and Spisz.

The similarity in the five dances is based on the solo dance that each couple performs in the manner of a series of dances. The difference starts to appear when each male dancer starts to sing a different tune in a freestyle rhythm. This tune is then also played by the musicians for the couple to continue dancing in a rhythmic manner.

Contemporary American Set of Dances

There is also a great difference between country and international dance. Traditional dance, being part of our local culture is always part of our daily lives and it bears great importance as well. The traditional dance represents and showcases various aspects of that country and defines it in a certain way. There are various forms and genres that exist in every culture. International dance on the other hand, mainly incorporates almost all types and kinds of dances from all over the world that includes traditional, and non-traditional among others.

Various contemporary American dances have emerged nowadays but they cannot be regarded as equivalent to the Goralski set of dances. This is because the Goralski set of dances is based on the folklore culture of Poland and based on traditional tunes and dance steps. Contemporary American dances are performed on new tunes which do not carry any cultural heritage of the American culture.