Since around the mid-1980s, electronic dance music has enjoyed popularity in many nightclubs, and is the predominant type of music played in discothèques as well as the rave scene. As such, the related term club music, while broadly referring to whichever music genres are currently in vogue and associated with nightclubs, has become synonymous with all electronic dance music, or just those genres—or some subset thereof—that are typically played at mainstream discothèques. It is sometimes used more broadly to encompass non-electronic music played at such venues, or electronic music that is not normally played at clubs but that shares attributes with music that is. What is widely considered to be club music changes over time, includes different genres depending on the region and who's making the reference, and may not always encompass electronic dance music. Similarly, electronic dance music sometimes means different things to different people. Both terms vaguely encompass multiple genres, and sometimes are used as if they were genres themselves. The distinction is that club music is ultimately based on what's popular, whereas electronic dance music is based on attributes of the music itself.
Electronic dance music is categorized by music journalists and fans alike as an ever-evolving plethora of named genres, styles and sub-styles. With many types of dance music, the number of beats per minute (BPM) helps define a separation between genres. The presence of vocals, live instrumentation vs synthetic instrumentation, and pattern of drum beats also help differentiate genres of electronic dance music. Some genres, such as Techno, House, Trance, Electro, Hardstyle, breakbeat, drum and bass are primarily intended to promote dancing. Others, such as IDM, Dubstep, glitch and trip hop, are more experimental and tend to be associated more with focused listening than dancing.
Trance Dance were a Swedish pop group who had a number of hits in the late 1980s. The group were somewhat rock-influenced, with their music being driven by guitars and other instruments not fully characteristic of a late 1980s pop group. Despite their name, their music did not resemble trance at all.
Trance Dance were formed in Sweden in 1985 as a seven-piece group consisting of Ben Marlene (vocals), Pelle Hökengren (guitar), P.J. Widestrand (keyboards), John Stark (bass), Sören Johanssen (drums) and the sisters Susanne and Yvonne Holmström (additional vocals). Ben Marlene had previously been in the Finnish group French Kiss, who existed between 1982 and 1984 and made two albums. Marlene and the Holmström sisters are swedish speaking finns.
The group's first album, A-Ho-Ho, was released in Sweden in late 1986 and in USA in February 1987, making number 19 on the Swedish album chart. The albums spawned the two singles "Do The Dance" and "Hoodoo Wanna Voodoo", and despite receiving a fair amount of airplay in clubs, they failed to chart in their native Sweden.
Despite this, their first hit came in October of that year, with "Don't Say Go" making number 2 in the singles chart. The follow-up single, "You're Gonna Get It", also reached number 2 in early 1988. "You're Gonna Get It" would prove to be their most successful single.
Their second album Dancing in the Shadows charted in March 1988, reaching number 4. Their third single "Joy Toy" would only reach number 13 in the singles chart, however, and the quickly-released (in November 1988) third album Off the Record would flop by only reaching number 27. Their final charting single, "Push", reached number 15 in May 1989.
With their popularity declining, Trance Dance fell out of the spotlight, charting for the final time with a greatest hits album, Greatest Hits Vol. 1. The album, released in February 1990, peaked at a lowly number 50 in the album chart.
The art of dance has always had a significant place in the human experience, whether it be for religious or healing purposes with the Ancients or for entertainment and stress relief in modern, Western times. Proponents of trance dance believe that duplicating the movements of the natural world can bring an inner peace and spiritual healing, and offer courses that guide beginners through the steps of dancing spiritually. Promoting spiritual, mental and physical health is the primary focus of trance dance, but there are methods and guidelines a dancer must be aware of in order to experience it in the fullest sense. In this free video clip series, our expert will explain the philosophy behind trance dance, demonstrate the methods and guidelines used by dancers, and help guide you through the experience in a safe, informative and natural way. Tips on breath exercises, stretches, spirit discovery and safety measures are included.
The short answer to "what is trance dance" would be, a shamanic practice using music, movement, and breath-work to achieve an altered state of consciousness. Trance dance is in essence a meditational method, being an active meditation the music and movement are used as a focus to clear the mind of conscious thought allowing the trance state to happen.
Shamanic Trance Dance is an hour of dancing blindfolded. The blindfold helps block out visual distraction, and some psychological distraction. Since everyone is blindfolded the dancer can relax, and not worry about being watched or judged. The dance isn't about looking good or cool. It is about feeling the music, feeling the movement and being in the moment. That kind of freedom, just dancing for the pure joy of moving, is a powerful experience in itself. That kind of a release, the moving, being in the moment, pausing the conscious thought, induces a trance state.
At the end of the hour all the participants are asked to lie down for ten minutes. For some these last ten are the most powerful part of the evening. Being physically tired from dancing and mentally relaxed allows for the subconscious to surface, and the spiritual journey or dreamtime to be easily achieved and vividly experienced.
My personal experiences with trance dance started in the mid 90s. I regularly attended Gothic/Industrial nightclubs. At these venues it is common for people to dance alone, there are exceptions but most people don't dance with partners at these clubs. I didn't know what a trance dance was, or that anyone would use it as a spiritual practice. It took me a while of going to clubs and dancing before I got comfortable with dancing in public. At some point I stopped being as worried about how it looked, or what people thought. I got to be very comfortable dancing, to where I wasn't thinking about how I was moving, as much as I was moving how it felt good. Not having to think about how to move, I was able to just focus on the music and enjoy moving.
One night while dancing I kind of "woke up" while dancing. I realized then that I had been in a trance state, not asleep exactly, but not fully conscious either. I began playing with that and intentionally trancing at nightclubs while dancing. I fully loved it.
Eventually I began having knee problems. When dancing they would start hurting and I'd have to stop. They got worse until I had to stop dancing. I miss it still, six years or so later. I still get out there once in a while and trance out to one song. I'll pay for it in pain later but the joy of ecstatic dance is too great to never participate.
Several years ago my wife Jenny started participating in Shamanic Trance dance events. During her priestess training with the facilitator she began assisting at these events. One dance in particular they wanted to have live music for the free dance portion, this is the time before the blindfolded portion when people are arriving and warming up for the main event. I drummed for that free dance, and then sat blindfolded for the following portion of the evening. While I wanted to be dancing, it was better not to for my knees. Later Jenny started her own trance dance event, and it has been an interesting journey getting to where we are now. At first I would help setup and breakdown, and sit in a corner blindfolded enjoying the music.
Later I began facilitating for the dance itself. I love the fact that I now get to share with others what I so loved doing. I feel good about helping other people feel safe enough to really let go and have that kind of freeing experience.
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