2 guys win the Internet's heart with their epic performance of 'evolution of dance'

Two students made a video for their graduation celebrating the history of dance.

Two young men unexpectedly became social media stars when a video they made paying homage to the different dance styles of the 20th Century went viral.

They posted it on Youtube/ Jānis Šķēls where it went viral with thousands of viewings and share.

Before the 20th Century dance was strictly structured, with people moving to music in choreographed steps, and personal expression was not seen as "proper." and everyone danced in exactly the same way, like clock-work dolls. But a revolution was on its way - or rather an evolution.

The "Great" World War I shattered social restrictions, and men and women eager to forget death and destruction and enjoy life threw themselves into the feverish era known now as "The Roaring Twenties." Dance would never be the same again

Source: YouTube/Jānis Šķēls

The Roaring 1920s

Dances from the 1920s were wild and carefree, danced by the jazz babies with their short skirts and their rouged knees. The rage of the era was the energetic "Charleston" which was performed in speakeasies and in dance-til-you-drop dance competitions.

Source: YouTube/Jānis Šķēls

The 1930s and 1940s

In the 1930s and 1940s, jazz and swing were kings, just as the depression hit the world economy, and people needed something to enjoy. Dance became an escape from the harsh reality of a starving world.

Source: YouTube/Jānis Šķēls

The 1950s

After WWII the young wanted to distance themselves from what they saw as the staid and steady musu«ic of their parents and that rebellion birthed rock and roll - not just a dance but a whole attitude and fashion style.

Dances from the 1950s like "the bop" and "the twist" influenced movies like "Grease" and "Hairspray".and are still popular today.

Source: YouTube/Jānis Šķēls

The 1960s and 1970s

In1960s dancing became individual. A person didn't need a dance partner. A dancer simply jumped onto the dance floor and "did your own thing" didn't include a dance partner. Dances like the "Mashed Potato", the "Monkey" and the "Funky Chicken" were the rage - at least for a while. Over 400 new dances were invented and nearly every month a new craze appeared.

The 1970s saw the rise of glamorous disco and dances like the "Hustle", or the "YMCA". Disco dragged sex out of the bedroom and onto the dance-floor with sexy and sensual dance moves, as is so beautifully exemplified by "Saturday Night Fever" and John Travolta's inimitable dance moves.

The 1980s and 1990s

Acrobatics took over the dance floor with "Breakdancing" and street dancing became the most influential genre.

This was also the era of punk and heavy metal with "moshing" to the sounds of loud heavy metal music the rage in certain circles.

The 1990s saw the ascendency of "hip-hop" and "line dancing" which influenced world dance culture and is still growing and developing to this day.

THE 50s IN THE 80s

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One peculiar anachronism was the movie "Grease" which depicted the rise of the rock and roll culture in the 50s. Actor John Travolta, now 64, played the rocker hero Danny in love with a teeny-bopper played by Olivia Newton-John.

The movie is now a cult classic, and in June 2018 Travolta appeared on "The Tonight Show" and had to teach the fascinated Fallon the dance moves called 'four corners dance,' which can be seen in the finale "You're The One That I Want."

Music and dance never really go out of fashion, and shows like "Dancing With The STars" have brought back all the old moves to a new generation.

In a related story, Danelle Umstead, a visually impaired alpine skier, is dazzling the public with her grace on "Dancing With the Stars."

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