Who qualifies to be good at Dancing?

In an online definition it states, "Dance is a performance art form consisting of purposefully selected sequences of human movement. This movement has aesthetic and symbolic value, and is acknowledged as dance by performers and observers within a particular culture" So within dance we have cultures and within cultures they "create" their own dances that define who they are. For example many people associate Latin dancers with big colorful dresses. Polynesian dancers show off their physiques and girls hula. Irish dancers wear skirts and carry around bagpipes. 

But then what about the Hispanics who step out of their culture to dance something different? Or the Polynesians who don't know how to hula? And the Irish men who decide to dance with skirts on? I have visited many countries in the past years and have learned that while they still embrace traditional dancing, other types of dances is embraced as well. Many American and European dances have been adapted into many others countries. 


In the video below Polynesians are dancing hip hop but does that mean they are not polynesians?

In this video Latins take their traditional dancing and add some modern flavor to spice it up. Would this dance still be considered "Hispanic" enough?

Although dance is defined as making impressive movements to define a specific genre or culture, it does not mean that one person is limited to one culture. From the beginning of human life, dance use to be specific and rare. Those who dance were those who were professional. But as time went on, dance became popular and available to everyone. We see home videos of parents dancing with their children and that is considered dancing. We see teachers conducting activities involving dancing defining them as dancers. But what I have come to learn from this is that although the world puts an image of what dance is, dancers come from all walks of life and professionalism. You do not have to be on TV or attend an Arts school to be a dancer. You do not have to be Mexican to embrace the Flora or be Polynesian to do the haka. While the world may limit our thoughts about who can be considered a "dancer", society has come to learn that without the lights, make up, outfits, etc, we can still be dancers. Some of the best dancers I know are the ones who would never fit the textbook image of a dancer. To end this blog, here is a video of men who are do not dance for a living or fit the image of a dancer but they dance. And they are really good at it.