Ballroom Dance

What is Ballroom Dance?

Ballroom dance is where couples use step-patterns to dance to the rhythm of the music. The term covers a collection of partner dance styles enjoyed both competitively and socially around the world. It is a dance of elegance and poise.

With a need for rhythm, stamina and skill, Ballroom dancers will invest great amounts of time, in their partnerships, practicing and perfecting their dance.

Styles of Ballroom Dancing

Ballroom dancing is a broad term for most partner dances. It can be divided into the following:

International School: This style was developed in England, with its roots from across Europe. It is overseen by the World Dance Sport Federation (WDSF)  and the World Dance Council (WDC)

American School:This style was developed in the USA and Canada and is governed by USA Dance and Canada DanceSport. Both have very similar sub-categories and dances included, so let’s look at what these include:

1.Smooth & Standard dances: Dances in this category include the:

Dancers have elegant postures, flowing movements and the partners dancing closely.

2. Latin & Rhythm dances: Dances in this category include:

Dance partners will often perform in open and close hold positions. This type expresses individuality in the performance.

There is even a ‘ten dance’ competition for international and ‘nine dance’ for American, where partners compete across all of the dances from the two categories, each with their own unique costumes, rhythm and moves.

Other recognized Ballroom dances by USA Dance include:

• American Peabody (the American School equivalent to Quickstep)
• American Merengue
• American Paso Doble
• American Samba
• American West Coast Swing
• American Polka
• American Hustle

Latin dances that are also often performed at nightclubs and social events include Bachata, Kizomba, Milonga and Salsa, often with Spanish dance or Latin American origins. These are not strictly part of the formal ballroom dance genre as we saw previously, but they are very popular worldwide. All having a highly expressive and rhythmic nature.

Swing dances are similar in being another informal addition to ballroom – they originated in the United States and are characterized by their lively, energetic movements. Swing dance styles include Boogie Woogie, West Coast Swing, Lindy Hop and Jitterbug.

List of ballroom dances

So now that we’ve covered some of the styles, let’s look in a little more detail at some of the ballroom dancing styles. It’s still a super fast run through, so be sure to follow the links through to more details on any of the dances you’d like to know more about.

Popular Dances in Ballroom

• Bolero: A slow, romantic Latin American dance with real intimacy. It features flowing, gliding steps and graceful movements.
• East Coast Swing: otherwise known as the Jitterbug, is an energetic, upbeat dance that can be performed to a wide range of music.
• Foxtrot: a foundation of ballroom dancing. Often danced to jazz music, with graceful, gliding movements and transitions.
• Jive: Fast-paced and energetic African-American ballroom dance, Lindy Hop. Featuring fast, springy steps to lively upbeat lively music.
• Mambo: From Cuba originally, mambo is known for its lively tempo, intricate footwork, and syncopated rhythms
• Polka: alively social ballroom dance from Central Europe. A hopping, half-step pattern, adds real energy to this dance and makes it perfect for social events.
• Rumba: This Latin dance is loaded with sensual moves and a romantic flair.
• Samba:. Samba often involves quick footwork and a playful demeanour
• Salsa: Bringing with it a real taste of Latin American culture, Salsa has fast-paced steps and rhythmic footwork. Though not traditionally considered a ballroom dance, as we saw previously, it is still a favourite of many dancers.
• Tango: Originating from the 20th century in Argentina. Tango is an intense and passionate dance. It’s known for sharp movements, dramatic poses and ultimately, an intense connection between the partners.
• Waltz: One of the most well-known ballroom dances, the Waltz is a timeless classic that originated in the 19th century. Known for its smooth, sweeping turns and elegant movements., the waltz is often performed at formal events and balls
• West Coast Swing: a smoother, more sensual dance. It’s often danced to contemporary music.

Ballroom Dance Techniques and Steps

To learn and master ballroom dance requires the dance partners to be proficient and develop across a number of key areas:

• The closed hold: Both dancers place their arms on eachother, creating a frame, allowing them to move together as one. The closed hold provides a constant connection between dance partners while keeping a properly aligned posture.
• Timing: It goes without say that rhythm is essential in ballroom dance, as with virtually every other dance style, to movements in sync with the music. Timing varies significantly between different dance styles (e.g. Slow Waltz to a Jive). Counting beats and measuring the tempo of their steps to the music are great ways for dancers to develop in this area.
• Steps & Motion: There are two widely-used techniques in Ballroom dancing
• The box step: commonly found in Waltz and Foxtrot for example. A basic pattern of six steps to create a square or box shape on the floor.
• The Cuban motion: a distinctive fluid hip action. This applies mainly to Latin dances like the Salsa, Rumba and Cha Cha. In summary, mastering various dance techniques and steps is crucial for a successful ballroom dance performance.

History and popular culture in Ballroom Dance

• 16^th century: First documented . Many ballroom dancing steps were originally from folk dances and adapted.
• 17^th – 18^h century: Grew within the European court dances.
• 19th century: Ballroom spread to the United States
• 20th century: Evolution to new styles and influences

Films such as the Australian 1992 movie Strictly Ballroom and TV shows such as ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ have been instrumental in building interest in ballroom dance across the wider population.

You can read more here about the history of ballroom dancing and ballroom dance etiquette, which has developed over time.

Ballroom Dance Shoes and Dress

The right pair of ballroom dance shoes will aid the dancers ability to perform, comfort and help protect them from injury.

Some of the characteristics that a dancer should be looking for in their shoes include getting a good fit, flexibility, support and traction. Quality ballroom shoes will also typically feature suede soles. This allows the dancer glide across the floor with ease and control.

Ballroom dance dresses are another part of a female dancers outfit. Whilst being comfortable, a great dress should showcase a dancer’s movements, using the right fit, style and fabric.

Men’s ballroom dance costumes should also be both stylish and practical. This usually a tailored shirt, sleek pants/trousers, and a comfortable jacket. These provide clean lines and proper fit, smart enough to look the part, with enough freedom and flexibility to perform to the highest standards.