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Since the beginning of time, music and dancing have been very important for people to:

• communicate
• celebrate events
• express themselves

There is a strong connection between music and dance, as both are social art forms.

This means they are meant to be played, sung or danced with other people.

Music makes you want to move, and dancers energise musicians.

Music and dance are fantastic ways of expressing yourself.

Every culture develops its own styles of music and dance to express their emotions and identity.

Throughout history and wherever you are in the world, music and dance often go together.

Bhangra is a type of music and dance from the Punjab region of India. It was originally a tradition to celebrate a good harvest.

A Bhangra dance is very high energy and so is the music too.

Instruments used in Bhangra music include the dohl drum and the tumbi.

Bhangra often features sections of call-and-response between the lead vocalist and backing singers. The lead vocalist sings a line (the call), which is followed by everyone else singing a different line (the response).

Bhangra has become popular all over the world. It has been mixed with other styles of music like hip-hop and reggae.

There are many different forms of dance, often performed in large groups, that originate from Africa.

• The gumboot dance from South Africa, where dancers wear wellington boots.
• The Maasai adumu dance from Kenya is an energetic jumping dance performed by warriors.

Each dance is connected to the different traditional rhythms and music traditions of each region.

In Africa, music and dance is used to bring communities together to celebrate special events, religious ceremonies, spiritual experiences and to teach social values.

Most African music for dance includes the use of polyrhythm.

Individual dancers will often move to more than one rhythm at the same time.

For example, a dancer could move their shoulders to one rhythm, hips to another and knees to a third!

Music for African dance often includes the use of untuned and tuned percussion instruments such as:

Argentine tango is a type of music and accompanying dance that started at the end of the 19th Century in the capital of Argentina, Buenos Aires.

The structure of Argentine tango music often has two or three parts which repeat in patterns, for example ABAB or ABCAC.

However, some tango styles allow for improvisation in both the music and the dancing.

Argentine tango music is well known for its sudden changes in dynamics, the use of staccato and its intense mood.

Instruments used in an Argentine tango include the:

• violin
• double bass
• bandoneon

The bandoneon is an instrument like the concertina or accordion.

The musician holds it between their hands then pushes and pulls it, while pressing buttons to change the pitch.

Calypso is a type of music and dance from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean.

Calypso began in the 19th Century and was influenced by French and African people.

It became very popular in the 1950s and was often experienced at a carnival or other celebrations.

Calypso music is often up-beat and includes syncopated rhythms. It also features call-and-response singing.

Calypso music almost always uses steel pan drums. They are a type of tuned percussion instrument. This means a steel pan can play different pitches.

Steel pans are often made from industrial drums used for carrying oil. On a steel pan you will see a series of dents hammered into the shiny metal surface. Each dent creates a different note. To make a sound, the musician hits the dents with a wooden beater.