Epic Evolution Of Dance From 1950 to 2022

A group of supremely talented dancers put their seemingly boundless skills on full display while strutting their stuff to some of the biggest hits across the decades.

Over the years, tastes in nearly everything do change. Fashion is one area where these shifts and transitions are most readily apparent. Not many people wear parachute pants or bell bottoms anymore. Most women today aren’t sporting beehive hairdos. 

Music and dance moves to those sounds have also undergone a dramatic transformation. A clip posted to YouTube perfectly captures those changes as a group of dancers moves and sports the fashion popular across the decades, from the 1950s to today.

Starting in the 1950s, the nearly 8-minute clip begins with an obvious choice: Elvis Presley. With the clip in black and white tones, the five dancers wear clothes that resemble prisoner attire while they dance to “Jailhouse Rock” by Elvis Presley. 

Seconds later, the guys switch clothes, dance moves and decades as they hop into the 1960s. They move along to a song from the classic musical, “West Side Story.” Also, in keeping up with the times, the clip has transitioned from black and white into color. 

Music and dance moves from the 1970s include hits from the Jackson 5, James Brown, The Bee Gees and The Village People. The clothes the dancers wear with each song change and the shift in music genres fits perfectly, making for a logical transition. 

The 1980s must have been an era dominated by the Jackson family. When the clip moves into the 1980s, two more hits from Michael Jackson are included: “Beat It” and “Smooth Criminal.” The guys also dance to “I Miss You Much” by Janet Jackson. 

Michael Jackson’s music makes yet another appearance in the video. This time in the 1990s, the dance troupe showed their sure-footed moves to Michael’s “Dangerous.” The boy band craze of the 1990s is also rightly represented when the guys dance to The Backstreet Boys’ hit “As Long as You Love Me.”

Other hits included in the epic clip of popular music and stunning dance moves include “Oops I Did it Again,” Usher’s “Yeah” and “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga.

Psalm 30:11 “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing: you have put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.”