>>509998393 (OP)Serious question: when did formalized dancing end and “just move your body to the music” take over?
I don’t necessarily mean things that are done in a particular setting, where a certain etiquette is expected, like ballroom dancing or square dancing. I just mean in a normal, run of the mill place or event where one might dance (like a wedding or concert).
Even things like the stanky leg and Gangnam style are formalized. You know exactly what dances I’m talking about, or can just look them up and see how they’re done. Those are (or were, I guess) formalized but done just about anywhere as a goofy, fun thing.
Every few years a “dance craze” takes over and everyone learns it. It was much more common decades ago, and sort of stopped with the Macarena. EVERYONE learned it, not just young people. In the Blues Brothers, Ray Charles performs “Shake A Tailfeather” in which he lists off about a dozen formalized dances.
There’s a cultural meme from decades ago about a kid having his parents “teach him to dance.” There’s no way this is a thing anymore, as there’s nothing to teach. Slow dancing is now simply “swaying” rather than the very basic box step (which is what your parents would have taught you) or two-step.