From the dawn of time people have been dancing. It’s a part of who we are and it’s a part of our society. In ancient times dance was mainly connected with rituals, religion, and ceremonials. Today we do it mainly for fun, because we enjoy it, because it makes us feel good. In this article we’ll take a quick look at the history of ballroom dancing.
It all began in Europe, in the 18th and 19th century. The upper classes were looking to entertain themselves and they found what they were looking for in ballrooms. Ballroom is nothing but a large room in which balls are held. What is a ball? A social event where the main activity is dancing. The word ball actually comes from the Latin word “ballare”, which means to dance.
Before the age of radio and television balls were important social events. In the early twentieth century they become very popular, not only for the upper classes, but for the whole of society. In 1904 the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing was established. After the World War I ballroom dancing really took off.
The modern styles are quite standardized and are danced both socially and competitively. Competitive dancing is actually a very demanding sport.
Ballroom dances can be broken down into two basic styles. One is the American style (American Smooth and American Rhythm) and the other is the International style. You probably guessed that American style arose in the US and Canada. International style is further divided into Standard and Latin. American and International styles are similar, but International allows only closed dance positions.
Standard dances include Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, QuickStep, and Viennese Waltz. Latin dances include Cha-Cha, Rumba, Samba, Paso Doble, and Jive. They are all different, with specific techniques, tempos, and rhythms, but they all have something in common - they are partner dances.
Today, ballroom dancing in all its forms enjoys wide popularity throughout the world. No wonder - it’s elegant, it’s sociable, it’s fun. And it’s here to stay.
With the right instructions ballroom dance can be learned relatively quickly. If you want to learn how to foxtrot or anything else, take a look at dance instruction videos.
Tags: art, ballroom dance, dance, Dance & fitness, dancing, entertainment, recreation, sport