What is ribbon dancing and how do I dance with ribbons?

Ribbon dancing is a style of dance performed while holding a long, thick satin ribbon on a stick. It has many gymnastic elements and can be fun for participants of all ages. For the ribbon dance, all you need is some music and a ribbon, which you move to the beat of the song. Although based on ancient Chinese choreography, people all over the world now dance the ribbon in many styles.

In competition, the ribbon dance is a rhythmic gymnastics event. There are standards for the material of the bar and the length and width of the tape. As with any gymnastics event, there is a list of required moves that must be performed at some point in the routine. They include circles, spirals and snakes, flicks and throws.

One part of ribbon dancing that is especially difficult for newcomers to the sport is keeping the ribbon from wrapping around their bodies or knotting when performing circles or spirals.

When making your own, keep in mind your own height in relation to the tape. If you are 5 feet tall, using a 15 foot ribbon would be incredibly difficult. Try starting with a tape as long as your arm. Now you can start dancing the ribbon!

The easiest move to start with is the wave. To make a wave on your tape all you have to do is make a wave on your arm! (Think of the tape as an extension of yourself.) Start with your hand outstretched in front of you or at your side. Moving your wrist and moving your entire arm up and down in a wave, notice how the tape begins to follow the same path. Moving your arm up and down or faster will affect the speed and size of the waves on the ribbons. When you’re comfortable with this, try moving on to other ribbon dances by reaching overhead, waving your arm from side to side, or walking, dancing, or running while waving the ribbon.