What is Commercial dance?This is a question asked by both those involved and not involved in the dance world.Many people have different opinions and ideas as to the answer and, it could be that there is no single definitive answer.Perhaps the answer to this dilemma lies in that commercial dance is just too broad a term to define so many individuals dancing.
Dance is just dance; jazz, street, hip hop, ballet, ballroom, commercial and contemporary are all just ways of branding the choreographic style used within the technique and the work produced.Art is highly subjective meaning people all have their own opinion on what dance is and where the boundaries come between the classifications of styles.We all dance for different reasons and encounter differing experiences.Even within these categories individuals have a separate purpose, passion and reason for dancing.‘What to some is splendid entertainment, to others merely tedium and fidgets; what to some seems barren, to others is the very essence of the heroic.’(Cunningham, 1998, p91) Dance to each individual is something different. Art, as I believe most things in life are, is highly subjective.
It seems to me that much of the dance that we class as commercial is trying to escape certain restraints and artists are searching for freedom of expression and movement.This means that there are so many different styles being created.It could be argued that if we were to be specific with the naming of styles, every piece of dance that is created would be a different style.Everybody who creates something is different.In fact the same could be said for the dancers who perform these pieces.Mary Wigman, ‘developed a new dance form that has often been called ‘’absolute dance.’’ It was a unique combination of her training, her personality, her Germanic heritage, and the atmosphere of pre-Nazi Europe.’(Adshead-Lansdale & Layson, J1995, p33) Nobody else could have created what she did.It was individual to her and stemmed from her life experiences.Even those who performed her work would have been unable to access the true essence of its meaning because they were not her.A dancer will bring their own experiences and understanding of the world to a choreographers work and in turn each new dancer creates something new.
Alternatively, it could be argued that commercial dance is simply any dance designed to make money.The dictionary definition of commercial describes it as ‘profitable’.If this is the case then does this mean that ballet can be classed as commercial? In fact, can we say that all dance that makes a profit is commercial?
Due to its nature of making money, commercial dance is constantly changing and developing in order to be relevant and profitable.If we are to look at two examples of dance in music videos, one from the Steps music video for ‘5,6,7,8’ from 1997 and compare this with the Beyonce video, ‘Run the World’ from 2011 it is clear to see how the style has developed.The Steps video incorporates a simple, repetitive dance routine that can be easily replicated by fans.It is light hearted and innocent possibly appealing to a wide audience.In contrast to this, the Beyonce video uses movements which are much more sexualised.It is more serious and uses much more complex and varied movement vocabulary.This development reflects the development within society and the change in opinion of what is acceptable.
In conclusion, it may be argued that commercial dance is simply all dance that is designed to make money.It will always develop and change and because of this it is difficult to create a more definite definition of the genre.In addition, due to the subjective nature of dance it would be difficult to discredit an individual’s views on weather their work was commercial or not.Arguably, dance cannot be put in to such broad categories.Everything new being created by every individual is its own separate style.