Top 10 Most Dangerous Dances

There’s a wealth of culturally significant dance styles within The Philippines. The partner dance known as Sayaw sa Bangko is one of them. It translates to “Dance on a Bench,” as a bench is intrinsic to its execution. It requires participants to retain their balance, since the bench is often altered during the performance. It could be raised up higher or have accouterments attached to it, causing it to become more dangerous and difficult. The key here, obviously, is NOT to fall off. Doing so might result in some major injury, depending on the height of the bench.

The art of pole dancing isn’t solely limited to the world of adult entertainment. This is despite many of the style’s common associations with eroticism and sensuality. Many gymnasiums around the world offer classes in pole dancing as a part of their fitness routines. Immense core strength and agility is required to execute those pole dancing moves you may have snickered at while watching “Showgirls.” There’s still danger at play, however, most obviously due to the possibility of falling off the pole. Aside from this, pole dancing is also an intense aerobic workout. It’s not recommended for those with cardiovascular issues or individuals who frequently experience shortness of breath.

It speaks volumes that the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris added breakdancing as an official event. This didn’t just add legitimacy to this long-standing cultural cornerstone; it also thrust breakdancing’s connections to hip-hop culture onto the world stage. Breakin’ is a form of dance that requires a lot of physical coordination and total body fitness. The body gyrations and balancing acts aren’t for the faint of heart. Breakdancing’s origins trace back to early ‘80s soul, funk, and electro music. This is a fun style of dance that, for some, can take a lifetime to master.

Viewers of a certain age might just remember the “swing revival” of the 1990s. This was an era influenced by the 1996 film “Swingers,” and artists like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. The origins of swing date back decades further, however. Historically, the dance style is more closely tied to jazz and Big Band music than rockabilly. Many different dance crazes came out of the swing era, including the Jitterbug and the Lindy Hop. Both modern and classic swing dancing often retain one commonality, however, and that’s physicality. Partners often toss each other up, down, and around town on the dance floor. It’s incredibly fun to watch, but also dangerous if your partner drops you!

The fine art of ballet is performed all over the world, but its heart and soul arguably belongs to Russia. This is a style of dance that often demands total concentration and perfection from those who want to be the best at their craft. Films such as Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” have embraced this legacy with dramatic effect. There’s no denying the toll ballet takes on its dancers. These individuals soar to great heights with feet of steel. It tends to be a graceful flight that’s nevertheless born from pain, struggle, and bittersweet endurance.

The world of traditional ethnic dances is culturally rich and fascinating to research. Nigeria’s Igbo people have a youth dance known as Atilogwu. This is a word from the Igbo language that possesses a fantastical and magical connotation. Atilogwu is a group dance characterized by energetic and rhythmic movements, including impressive physical feats and formations. The sight is one that outsiders won’t soon forget, as the Igbo collaborate with one complex connective move after another. Practitioners of Atilogwu start young, too. The dance requires physical strength, dexterity, and concentration.

The term “Queer Dance Party” isn’t really an official designation, but rather an umbrella term for gatherings of LGBTQIA+ communities. These have traditionally included everything from the tea dances in the ‘50s and ‘60s to circuit parties in the ‘70s. During times when serving alcohol to LGBTQIA+ individuals was illegal, covert dance gatherings, often frequented by gay men, carried significant risks. The danger stemmed from the hatred and bigotry of those who sought to disrupt such gatherings. Nowadays, it might be hard to imagine violence breaking out over seemingly harmless activities like vogueing or a death drop. With history in mind, it's crucial to understand that dancing freely can also serve as a powerful political statement.

This is a dance of protest. Specifically, the Toyi-Toyi grew to international prominence during the Apartheid Era in South Africa. The intent here was to agitate, to shake up the confidence and command presence of South African police that were enforcing Apartheid law. Thus, the Toyi-Toyi was, by definition, quite dangerous. It was also often improvised, and could consist of yelling, stomping, and singing made-up songs, all with revolution on the mind. Toyi-Toyi is still used in South Africa today, primarily as a means of political protest against any sort of perceived injustice.

Many of us probably take for granted that popular turn of phrase, “dance like nobody's watching.” But, what if someone was watching, and arrested you after you were simply dancing? In 2018, a young woman named Maedeh Hojabri was arrested after being seen dancing without her hijab. Afterwards, Iranian women shared supportive social media messages and danced in solidarity with Hojabri. This call for social justice resonated in the aftermath of the arrest. Iranian news outlets aired what was apparently a confession of Hojabri’s behalf, but the reverberations of what occurred back in 2018 continue to echo to this day.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Step Dancing, Ireland
River Dancing Is Hard on the Feet!

Capoeira, Brazil
It Gives a Whole New Meaning to the Phrase “Killer Moves”

Aerial Dancing, US
Mid-Flight Maneuvering in the Danger Zone

The 1969 Sydney Pollack film “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” dramatized what’s commonly known as a simple dance contest, or marathon. These marathons, by definition, aren’t necessarily dangerous. After all, contestants can willingly stop whenever they feel they’ve reached their physical limits. However, the Depression-Era setting of “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” underlines the desperation of those entering these contests. Pollack’s adaptation of Horace McCoy’s novel may be fictional, but the dire straits of those struggling through the 1930s was very much real. As a result, many couples likely exerted themselves to the point of exhaustion during these dance marathons, just like Jane Fonda and her co-stars do in the film.

Have you ever been scared to dance, or helped out somebody who was? Let us know in the comments!