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WDC World Youth (Under 21) Champions 2013, Michael Foskett & Nika Vlasenko
Ballroom dance is a set of , which are enjoyed both
around the world. Because of its
aspects, ballroom dance is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television.
Ballroom dance may refer, at its widest definition, to almost any type of partner dancing as recreation. However, with the emergence of
in modern times, the term has become narrower in scope and traditionally refers to the five International Standard and five International Latin style dances (see dance
below). The two styles, while differing in technique, rhythm and costumes, exemplify core elements of ballroom dancing such as control and cohesiveness. Developed in England, the two styles are now regulated by the
(WDC) and the
(WDSF). In the United States, two additional variations are popular:
and , which combine elements of the Standard and Latin styles with influences from other dance traditions.
There are also a number of historical dances, and local or national dances, which may be danced in ballrooms or salons. Sequence dancing, in pairs or other formations, is still a popular style of ballroom dance.
The term 'ballroom dancing' is derived from the word ball which in turn originates from the Latin word ballare which means 'to dance' (a ball-room being a large room specially designed for such dances). In times past, ballroom dancing was
for the privileged, leaving
for the lower classes. These boundaries have since become blurred. The definition of ballroom dance also depends on the era: balls have featured popular dances of the day such as the , , , , , and others, which are now considered to be .
The first authoritative knowledge of the earliest ballroom dances was recorded toward the end of the 16th century, when Jehan Tabourot, under the pen name "", published in 1588 his Orchésographie, a study of late 16th-century French renaissance social dance. Among the dances described were the solemn , the livelier , , and the
called the "cinq pace" as it was made of five steps.
Galliard in , Italy, 15th century
In 1650 the , originally a peasant dance of , was introduced into Paris and set to music by
and danced by the King
in public. The Minuet dominated the ballroom from that time until the close of the 18th century.
Toward the latter half of the 17th century, Louis XIV founded his '', where specific rules for the execution of every dance and the "" of the feet were formulated for the first time by members of the Académie. Eventually, the first definite cleavage between ballet and ballroom came when professional dancers appeared in the ballets, and the ballets left the Court and went to the stage. Ballet technique such as the
positions of the feet, however, lingered for over two centuries and past the end of the Victoria era.
The waltz with its modern hold took root in England in about 1812; in 1819
wrote , which marked the adoption of the waltz form into the sphere of absolute music. The dance was initially met with tremendous opposition due to the semblance of impropriety associated with the closed hold, though the stance gradually softened. In the 1840s several new dances made their appearance in the ballroom, including the , , and the . In the meantime a strong tendency emerged to drop all 'decorative' steps such as entrechats and ronds de jambes that had found a place in the Quadrilles and other dances.
Modern ballroom dance has its roots early in the 20th century, when several different things happened more or less at the same time. The first was a movement away from the sequence dances towards dances where the couples moved independently. This had been pre-figured by the waltz, which had already made this transition. The second was a wave of popular music, such as . Since dance is to a large extent tied to music, this led to a burst of newly invented dances. There were many dance crazes in the period .
, early ballroom dance pioneers, c. 1910–18
The third event was a concerted effort to transform some of the dance crazes into dances which could be taught to a wider dance public in the U.S. and Europe. Here
were important, and so was a generation of English dancers in the 1920s, including
and . These professionals analysed, codified, published, and taught a number of standard dances. It was essential, if popular dance was to flourish, for dancers to have some basic movements they could confidently perform with any partner they might meet. Here the , and the dance societies in England, such as the , were highly influential. Finally, much of this happened during and after a period of World War, and the effect of such a conflict in dissolving older social customs was considerable.
Later, in the 1930s, the on-screen dance pairing of
influenced all forms of dance in the U.S. and elsewhere. Although both actors had separate careers, their filmed dance sequences together, which included portrayals of the Castles, have reached iconic status. Much of Astaire and Rogers' work portrayed social dancing, although the performances were highly choreographed (often by Astaire or ) and meticulously staged and rehearsed.
Young couple dancing
at a junior Latin dance competition in the
Competitions, sometimes referred to as , range from world championships, regulated by the
(WDC), to less advanced dancers at various proficiency levels. Most competitions are divided into professional and amateur, though in the USA
competitions typically accompany professional competitions. The
now recognizes
ballroom dance. It has recognized another body, the
(WDSF), as the sole representative body for dancesport in the . However, it seems doubtful that dance will be included in the Olympic Games, especially in light of efforts to reduce the number of participating sports.[]
Ballroom dance competitions are regulated by each country in its own way. There are about 30 countries which compete regularly in international competitions. There are another 20 or so countries which have membership of the WDC and/or the WDSF, but whose dancers rarely appear in international competitions. In Britain there is the , which grants national and regional championship titles, such as the British Ballroom Championships, the
and the United Kingdom Championships. In the United States, the member branches of the WDC (National Dance Council of America) and the WDSF () both grant national and regional championship titles.
Ballroom dancing competitions in the former USSR also included the , or Soviet Programme. Australian
is danced both competitively and socially. In competition there are 15 recognised New Vogue dances, which are performed by the competitors in sequence. These dance forms are not recognised internationally, neither are the US variations such as American Smooth, and Rhythm. Such variations in dance and competition methods are attempts to meets perceived needs in the local market-place.
Internationally, the , hosted annually at , England, is considered the most prestigious event a dancesport competitor can attend.
is another style of competitive dance recognised by the IDSF. In this style, multiple dancers (usually in couples and typically up to 16 dancers at one time) compete on the same team, moving in and out of various formations while dancing.
Intermediate level international style Latin dancing at the 2006
ballroom dance competition. A judge stands in the foreground.
In competitive ballroom, dancers are judged by diverse criteria such as poise, the hold or frame, posture, musicality and expression, timing, body alignment and shape, floor craft, foot and leg action, and presentation. Judging in a performance-oriented sport is inevitably subjective in nature, and controversy and complaints by competitors over judging placements are not uncommon. The scorekeepers—called scrutineers—will tally the total number recalls accumulated by each couple through each round until the finals, when the
is used to place each couple by ordinals, typically 1–6, though the number of couples in the final may vary. Sometimes, up to 8 couples may be present on the floor during the finals.
Competitors dance at different levels based on their ability and experience. The levels are split into two categories, syllabus and open. The syllabus levels are newcomer/pre-bronze, bronze, silver, and gold—with gold the highest syllabus level and newcomer the lowest. In these levels, moves are restricted to those written in syllabus, and illegal moves can lead to disqualification. Each level, bronze, silver, and gold, has different moves on their syllabus, increasing in difficulty. There are three levels
novice, pre-champ, and champ in increasing order of skill. At those levels, dancers no longer have restrictions on their moves, so complex routines are more common.
Medal evaluations for amateurs enable dancers' individual abilities to be recognized according to conventional standards. In medal evaluations, which are run by bodies such as the
(ISTD) and the , each dancer performs two or more dances in a certain genre in front of a judge. Genres such as Modern Ballroom or Latin are the most popular. Societies such as the ISTD and UKA also offer medal tests on other dance styles (such as Country & Western, Rock 'n Roll or Tap). In some North American examinations, levels include Newcomer, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Novice, Pre-championship, and C each level may be further subdivided into either two or four separate sections.
People on the dance floor waiting to dance and compete.
There is a part of the ballroom world dedicated to college students. These chapters are typically clubs or teams that have an interest in ballroom dancing. Teams hold fundraisers, social events, and ballroom dance lessons. Ballroom dance teams' goals are to have fun and learn to dance well. There is a strong focus on finding a compatible dance partner and bonding with teammates. There is also a competitive side to collegiate ballroom - collegiate teams often hold competitions and invite other teams to participate. These competitions are often run with many of the same rules are regular amateur competitions as outlined above, but are usually organized entirely by collegiate teams. Examples include the MIT Open Ballroom Dance Competition, Purdue Ballroom Classic and the Harvard Invitational.
Victor Fung and Anna Mikhed dancing a
in 2006. The couple, dancing for the USA, came third in the Professional
"Ballroom dance" refers most often to the ten dances of International Ballroom (or Standard) and International Latin, though the term is also often used interchangeably with the five International Ballroom dances. , which is danced predominantly in the United Kingdom, and its development
in Australia and New Zealand, are also sometimes included as a type of Ballroom dancing.
In the United States and Canada, the American Style (American Smooth and American Rhythm) also exists. The dance technique used for both International and American styles is similar, but International Ballroom allows only , whereas American Smooth allows closed, open and separated dance movements. In addition, different sets of dance figures are usually taught for the two styles. International Latin and American Rhythm have different styling, and have different dance figures in their respective syllabi.
Other dances sometimes placed under the umbrella "ballroom dance" include Nightclub Dances such as , , , , , and . The categorization of dances as "ballroom dances" has always been fluid, with new dances or folk dances being added to or removed from the ballroom repertoire from time to time, so no list of subcategories or dances is any more than a description of current practices. There are other dances historically accepted as ballroom dances, and are revived via the
In Europe, Latin Swing dances include , , , Swing Boogie (sometimes also known as Nostalgic Boogie), and . One example of this is the subcategory of
that originated in , with branches reaching both coasts of the United States.
Ballroom/Smooth dances are normally danced to Western music (often from the mid-twentieth century), and couples dance counter-clockwise around a rectangular floor following the . In competitions, competitors are costumed as would be appropriate for a
affair, with full gowns for the ladies a though in American Smooth it is now conventional for the men to abandon the tailsuit in favor of shorter , vests, and other creative outfits.
Latin/Rhythm dances are commonly danced to contemporary Latin American music and (in case of Jive) Western music. With the exception of a few traveling dances like
and , couples do not follow the line of dance but perform their routines more or less in one spot. In competitions, the women are often dressed in short-skirted Latin outfits while the men are outfitted in tight-fitting shirts and pants, the goal being to emphasize the dancers' leg action and body movements.
Waltz began as a country folk dance in
in the 17th century. In the early 19th century it was introduced in England. It was the first dance where a man held a woman close to his body. When performing the dance, the upper body is kept to the left throughout all figures, woman's body leaves the right side of the man while the head is extended to follow the elbow. Figures with rotation have little rise. Sway is also used on the second step to make the step longer and also to slow down the momentum by bringing the feet together. Waltz is performed for both International Standard and American Smooth.
Viennese waltz originated in
area in France in 1559 and is recognized as the oldest of all ballroom dances. It was introduced in England as German waltz in 1812 and became popular throughout the 19th century by the music of
and . It is often referred to as the classic “old-school” ballroom.Viennese Waltz music is quite fast. Slight shaping of the body moves towards the inside of the turn and shaping forward and up to lengthen the opposite side from direction. Reverse turn is used to travel down long side and is overturned. While natural turn is used to travel short side and is underturned to go around the corners. Viennese waltz is performed for both International Standard and American Smooth.
Tango originated in
in the late 19th century. Modern Argentine tango is danced in both open and closed embraces which focuses on the male leader and the women moving in harmony of the tango’s passionate charging music. The tango’s technique is like walking to the music while keeping feet grounded and allowing ankles and knees to brush against one another during each step taken. Body weight is kept over the toes and the connection is held between the man and women in the hips.
Ballroom tango, however, is a dance with a far more open frame, often utilising strong and
movements. Ballroom tango, rather than Argentine tango, is performed in international competition.
The foxtrot is an American dance, credited by a
in 1914. Fox was rapidly trotting step to
music. The dance was originally named as the “Fox’s trot”. The foxtrot can be danced at slow, medium, or fast tempos depending on the speed of the jazz or big band music. The partners are facing one another and frame rotates from one side to another, changing direction after a measure. The dance is flat, with no rise and fall like the waltz. The walking steps are taken as slow for the two beats per steps and quick for one beat per step. Foxtrot is performed for both International Standard and American Smooth.
The quickstep is an English dance and was invented in the 1920s as a combination of faster tempo of foxtrot and the . It is a fast moving dance, so men are allowed to close their feet and the couples move in short syncopated steps. Quickstep includes the walks, runs, chasses, and turns of the original foxtrot dance, with some other fast figures such as locks, hops, and skips. Quick step is performed as an International Standard dance.
Samba is the national dance of . The rhythm of samba and its name originated from West African slaves. In 1905, samba became known to the rest of the countries during an exhibition in Paris. In the 1940s, samba was introduced in America through . The modern ballroom samba dance differs compared to the traditional Brazilian samba as it was modified as a partner dance. Samba is danced with a slight bounce which is created through the bending and straightening the knee. Samba is performed as an International Latin dance.
The cha-cha was originally called the “cha-cha-cha.” The term came from
and resembled the sound the bells made when rubbed. It was evolved from the
in the 1950s. Since mambo music was quite fast and difficult for some to dance to, a Cuban composer
slowed the music down, and cha-cha was established. Cha-cha is a flirtatious dance with many hip rotations and partners synchronizing their movements. The dance includes bending and straightening of the knee giving it a touch of Cuban motion. Cha-cha is performed for both International Latin and American Rhythm.
Rhumba is known to be the most romantic and passionate of all dances. In the early 1920s, the dance came to the United States from Cuba and became a popular
dance during . Rhumba is very polyrhythmic and complex. It includes Cuban motions through knee-strengthening, figure-eight hip rotation, and swiveling foot action. An important characteristic of rhumba is the powerful and direct lead achieved through the ball of the foot. Rhumba is performed for both International Latin and American Rhythm.
The pasodoble originated from Spain and its dramatic bullfights. The dance is mostly performed only in competitions and rarely socially because of its many choreographic rules. The man plays the role of the
while the woman takes the role of the matador’s cape, the bull, or even the matador. The chassez cape refers to the man using the woman to turn her as if she is the cape, and the apel is when the man stomps his foot to get the bull's attention. Pasodoble is performed as an International Latin dance.
The jive is part of the
group and is a very lively variation of the . Jive originated from African American clubs in the early 1940s. During World War II, American soldiers introduced the jive in England where it was adapted to today's competitive jive. In jive, the man leads the dance while the woman encourages the man to ask them to dance. It is danced to
music, and some technique is taken from salsa, swing and tango. Jive is performed as an International Latin dance.
Swing in 1927 was originally named the
named by . There have been 40 different versions docum most common is the East Coast swing which is performed in the American Smooth (or American Rhythm) only in the U.S. or Canada. The East Coast swing was established by Arthur Murray and others only shortly after World War II. Swing music is very lively and upbeat and can be danced to jazz or big band music. The swing dancing is a style with lots of bounce and energy. Swing also includes many spins and underarm turns. East Coast swing is performed as an American Rhythm dance.
The original version of bolero was created by
in , Spain, during the 18th century. However, the bolero performed now was modified in Cuba a century later. The dance represents the couple falling in love. Bolero is a combination of many dances and is danced to Spanish vocals with fine percussion beat. It is like a slow salsa with contra-body movement of tango, patterns of rumba, and rise and fall technique and personality of waltz and foxtrot. Bolero can be danced in a closed hold or singly and then coming back together. Bolero is performed as an American Rhythm dance.
Mambo originated from Cuba, but the name came from Haiti. Mambo music was first written in late 1930s by a Cuban composer. Eventually in the late 1940s, musician
invented the dance mambo. Perez introduced the dance from
to Mexico, and making its way up to New York. Mambo is performed as an American Rhythm dance.
According to .
: 28 bars per minute, 3/4 time, also known as Slow Waltz or English Waltz depending on locality
: 32 bars per minute, 2/4 time
: 60 bars per minute, 3/4 time. On the European continent, the Viennese waltz is known simply as waltz, while the
is recognized as English waltz or Slow Waltz.
: 28 bars per minute, 4/4 time
: 50 bars per minute, 4/4 time
: 48 bars per minute, 4/4 time
: 30 bars per minute, 4/4 time
: 24 bars per minute, 4/4 time
: 56 bars per minute, 2/4 time
: 42 bars per minute, 4/4 time
: 28–30 bars per minute 30–32 bars per minute for Bronze
: 30 bars per minute 30–32 bars per minute for Bronze
: 30 bars per minute 32–34 bars per minute for Bronze
: 53–54 bars per minute 54 bars per minute for Bronze
: 30 bars per minute
: 30–32 bars per minute 32–36 bars per minute for Bronze
: 36 bars per minute 34–36 bars per minute for Bronze
: 24 bars per minute 24–26 bars per minute for Bronze
: 47 bars per minute 48–51 bars per minute for Bronze
Historical/Vintage Ballroom dance:
Other dances occasionally categorized as ballroom:
– and the whole swing variety:
(always included in the "Rhythm-Swing" category) /
Latin nightclub
African nightclub
Brazilian Dances
Cajun dances
– musette-waltz – musette-tango – musette-paso-doble
Franks A.H. 1963. Social dance: a short history. Routledge & Kegan Paul, London.
Silvester, Victor 1980. Old Time and sequence dancing. Barrie and Jenkins, London.
Silvester, Victor 1993. Modern Ballroom Dancing; rev. ed. London: Stanley Paul. (1st edition: London: H. Jenkins, 1927)
Richardson P.J S. 1948. The history of English ballroom dancing (). London: Jenkins
. Musicals101.com. 1996.
from the original on 11 May 2008.
Complete listings of affiliations are given in the programmes of the major competitions.
USA Dance Nationals
. USA Dance, Inc 2014.
from the original on 26 February 2007..
. www.dancecentral.info.
. Ballroom Dance Styles | America's Ballroom Challenge | PBS.
. www.justdanceballroom.com.
(PDF). Archived from
(PDF) on September 10, .
·Nott, James, Going to the Palais: a social and cultural history of dancing and dance halls in Britain, 1918-60 - Published 2015 OUP  
"How To Become A Good Dancer" Published: 1938  , 0 250 pages.
Abra, Allison. "Review of James Nott, Going to the palais: a social and cultural history of dancing and dance halls in Britain, ." Contemporary British History (Sep
pp 432–433.
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