Dancing and martial arts are more similar than they are different. Both require awareness, rhythm, timing and physical fitness to do successfully. Both can be celebrations of the human form, physical endeavor and graceful movement. Further underscoring their similarities, you can find arts throughout the world where the two are gracefully merged into a single discipline.
Lion Dance
Chances are you've seen the lion dance -- at least on television. It's the iconic symbol of Chinese celebration: a group of men carrying a long-tailed lion or lion, moving in concert to make it appear as though the creature is running, flying or coiling through the street. Music for the lion dance includes playing of drums and pipes or whistles. The lion dance is a part of Kung-Fu study, used by students to build teamwork, rhythm, footwork and awareness of the movements of others.
Capoeira
Capoeira is a competitive fight-dance developed in Brazil during the slave days. During play, two participants stand in a circle of other athletes called a roda. The two dance together, using a combination of strikes, acrobatics and dodges, much like ballroom dancers use a sequence of more sedate dance moves. The dance progresses, accompanied by singing and a variety of percussion instruments, including the berimbau -- a specialized and iconic instrument of capoeira.
N'Golo
N'Golo is an ancient dance-fight art from Africa, originating in the area now called Angola. Practiced either unarmed or while carrying a spear and/or shield, it represents movement across a battlefield while dodging incoming javelins and other projectiles. Drums and other percussion accompany the play of N'Golo. Some martial arts scholars speculate that N'Golo was an ancestor art of capoeira, brought to the new world by captured slaves.
Ram Muay
Muay Thai is a sport fighting art so direct and brutal, it might surprise some to learn it has its own dance element. The Ram Muay is a ceremonial dance performed by boxers prior to each Muay Thai matches. Traditionally, each teacher of Muay Thai taught his students his own Ram Muay to identify members of his own tradition. Ram Muay dance takes about five minutes to perform, much like a martial arts kata, and is accompanied by traditional Thai instruments played by spectators.
References
- Horizon Muay Thai: Muay Thai Traditions
- Jow Ga Kung Fu: The Lion Dance
- "Capoeira: The Jogo de Angola, Volume I"; Gerard Taylor; 2003
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