Icelandic children, teenagers and adults are flocking to dance schools to learn everything from krumping to ballroom dancing. Dance school directors say an awakening has taken place following popular television shows on dancing.
“When the media displays dance as something not just a few chosen ones can participate in, it has an influence on society,” Edgar K. Gapunay, the director of the Sigurdur Hákonarson School of Dance, told Morgunbladid, referring to television shows like So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With the Stars, broadcast on Channel 2 in Iceland. “If there would be as much dance as football on television, there would be just as many dancers as there are footballers.” Gapunay said.
“People call to ask us whether we teach this or that dancing style that they have seen on television,” dance school director Birna Björnsdóttir said, adding the most positive thing about the dance shows on television is that the kids see that they have to practice hard to become good dancers.
“The street dances are very popular, especially among the boys,” owner of Kramhúsid dance school Hafdís Árnadóttir said. “There is immense interest in breakdance, much more than what it has been, so we added classes.
Kara Arngrímsdóttir, director of the Jón Pétur and Kara Dance School, said there has been a vast increase in adult participants interested in learning ballroom dancing, especially South American dances like the tango and salsa.
