For centuries now, dance has been used as an expressive tool and is now very much a part of modern pop culture. We read about it in novels, see it live on stage, and are captivated by it in our favorite movies and TV shows.

Dancing offers a wide range of benefits, both physically and mentally, not to mention the fact that it’s a whole lot of fun in the process. It’s all about expressing yourself, letting loose and losing your inhibitions, while simultaneously taking control in the process.

From tap and ballet to street and break dancing, we’ve seen virtually every style of dancing imaginable on the big screen over the years. Classical dance in particular, has proved especially popular, even being used in the most unlikely of source material.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 for example, has really embraced classical dance this season, using it as a plot device for character development and foreshadowing.

Here’s a look at the use of classical dance in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and the role it plays in driving the plot forwards.

Classical Dance Styles Used
 

Star Trek, despite being set deep within the future, has never been afraid to revert back to common tropes set centuries in the past, and in season three of Strange New Worlds, that is very much apparent with the classical dancing on show.

The majority of classical dance scenes feature Spock and La’an, with the dance being used to expertly build chemistry and tension between the pair. Two of the most common styles of classical dance featured include The Waltz and The Tango.

The Waltz

The Waltz is one of the most popular styles of classic ballroom dance.

Renowned for its stepping and sliding, capped off with its ‘one-two-three’ count, the dance is performed in triple time in a largely closed position.

Spock and La’an perform a Waltz on-screen and there is a very deliberate reason for this. The Waltz is a very closed off dance, which represents both characters. Their guards are up, and they’re closed off from one another, but are forced to open up as the dance progresses. This lively, rhythmic dance sees the characters eventually share a kiss at the culmination of the dance.

The Tango
Another classical dance style featured between the two characters is The Tango. Here, Spock, after being encouraged by La’an, has clearly been working on his dancing skills. This again shows he is willing to open up and take advice from others. It gives him a vulnerability and humanizes his normally stoic personality.

The Tango is one of the most intricate dance styles ever created. It is very much a partner-orientated dance that requires both dancers to be in complete flow and synergy with one another. It’s passionate, it’s flamboyant, and it’s fiery thanks to its South American origins.

The Tango is performed between two partners and requires a very close embrace. It has its origins across a variety of South American cultures, which again is part of the reason why it was chosen. The different cultures that helped to shape the dance represent Spock’s Vulcan background and La’an’s links to Khan.

Primarily however, the dance was chosen to highlight the growing relationship between the pair. It’s intimate, it requires eye contact, it requires trust, and it requires an understanding and awareness of your partner.  The Tango clearly highlights the growing relationship between the two characters and shows the audience that they would actually be a perfect match as they would bring the best out of each other in a relationship.