Ballroom Dancing History

Ballroom Dancing History

Ballroom dancing summons images of gorgeous women in flowing gowns and tall dark handsome gentlemen in tuxes dancing their way around the floor. Ballroom dancing history is not just about the Waltz. Ballroom dance can be sophisticated and elegant (like the Waltz) but it can also be hot and spicey (like the Paso Doble or Tango), or a some lively fun (like the Quick Step or Fox Trot Jive).

Webster's dictionary defines ballroom dancing plainly as "Any of various, usually social dances in which couples perform set moves". The word "ball", in reference to a social gathering as opposed to a something you kick, comes from the Latin word "ballare" which means to dance. This is the origin for ballroom (a room for dancing), ballet (a dance), and ballerina (a dancer).

In the late 1700's and early 1800's ballroom dancing was very popular within the upper classes of England. It really did not catch on with the working class til the late 1800's and early 1900's. Early in the 1920's competitive ballroom dancing was increasing in popularity so the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (which had been known as The Imperial Society of Dance Teachers) created a Ballroom Branch whose role was to standardize the ballroom dances.

Ballroom dancing history - modern ballroom dancing involve five dances - the Viennese Waltz, the Modern Waltz, the Slow Foxtrot, the Quickstep and the Tango. The Latin American ballroom dances are the Rumba, Samba, Cha-Cha, Paso Doble and the Jive. Latin American ballroom stands for Latin and American - it is not a reference to Latin American countries.

The modern ballroom dances differ in tempo and rhythm; nervertheless, they all involve a couple dancing in a closed hold. A closed hold involves five body points of contact between the partners. Three of these involve the hands, thew man's left hand holding her right, the ladies left hand on top of his right upper arm (for the Tango her hand would go behind his arm) and his right hand on her back resting on her left shoulder blade. The other 2 points of contact are the ladies left elbow resting on his right elbow and the right side of her chest touching the right side of his chest. This ballroom dancing history posture goes way, way back to the ballroom dancing in the European royal courts and is a very elegant look as the dancing couples float around the dance floor.

This right side-to-right side contact may well have originated from a time when men would dance while wearing their sword, which were hung on their left sides. This would also give an explanation of the counter clockwise movement around the floor as the man would have stood on the inside of the circle so he would not by accident, hit any of the people watching the dancers with his sword as he moved past.

In Latin American ballroom you will find that the postures vary from dance to dance - at times using the closed hold while others where the couple will hold each other with only one hand.
Like the Modern Ballroom, the Latin American Ballroom has been made uniform for teaching purposes and has a set internationally recognized technique, tempo and rythym and vocabulary, all part of the ballroom dancing history.

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