Ever wondered what ballroom dances are or what is even considered to be a “ballroom” dance? Well, let’s find out.
What is Ballroom Dancing?
Ballroom dancing is a partnership style of dance, with a leader and a follower dancing to a set of scripted steps. This means most ballroom steps have been learned, rather than freestyle solo dancing. There are two main types of ballroom dancing, Standard/Smooth, and Latin/Rhythm.
If you watch a competition you will notice men in tailcoats the ladies in long dresses, usually with some sort of floating materials on their arms. These are International Standard dancers, and while dancing they will always remain in the dance frame.
They dance the Waltz, Slow Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz, and Quickstep.
American Smooth dancers look different on the floor, the men will be wearing suits or vests, and the ladies, while still in long dresses, have no floats on their arms.
In American Smooth you’ll notice that the couples are often side by side and are not in dance frame very often.
Latin and Rhythm are very similar, both dance Rumba and ChaCha, but Latin dancers also dance the Samba, PasoDoble, and Jive. Rhythm dancers will be dancing East Coast Swing, Bolero, and Mambo.
These dancers will be wearing bright and flashy costumes, that will move to show off the hip movements and allow for the quick kicks in Jive and Swing.
Standard/Smooth dancers glide around the ballroom traveling around the floor counter-clockwise, while Latin/Rhythm dancers stay in one main area and dance rhythmically to the music.
Today Ballroom dancing encompasses so many genres that it can get confusing, so here’s a breakdown.
What are the 5 Ballroom Dances?
The five ballroom dances are the most popular include the Waltz, Rumba, Swing, Cha-Cha, and Foxtrot. Dancers perform these dances at competitions and parties around the world.
What is the Origin of Ballroom Dancing?
Ballroom dancing traces its roots back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The upper class and elites of the time period would perform dances such as the waltz at parties and balls.
What is Social Ballroom Dancing?
Social ballroom dancing is for those that want to dance socially, using a learned set of steps and patterns for the different styles of dances.
Social dancing embodies the style and flair of the music and allows for freedom of expression based on the song your dancing to, and your current partner.
What is Competitive Ballroom Dancing?
Competitive ballroom dancing, otherwise known as dancesport, is a world of its own! Competitive dance couples compete against others in their category for placement.
Couples consist of two amateurs, two professionals, or one amateur (student) and one professional. Categories can also be broken down by style, level, age, and even individual dances.
What Is International Style Dancing?
The international style of dancing was initially developed in England and has a strict set of patterns. This style of dancing is further broken down into two types: Standard/Modern or Latin.
Standard Style dances include Waltz, Tango, Slow Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz, and Quickstep. Latin dances include Rumba, Cha cha, Samba, Paso Doble, and Jive.
What is American Style Dancing?
Similar to their international counterpart, the American style has two main types known as Smooth and Rhythm. Smooth dances are Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, and Viennese Waltz. Rhythm dances include Rumba, Cha cha, East Coast Swing, Bolero, and Mambo.
Many other dances can be seen at ballroom competitions, but these are generally for student competitions. Country-Western, Salsa, West Coast Swing, and many other dances have their own categories.
