What Is History of Ballroom Dancing?
Beautiful women, lively music and men in formal suits waltzing away may well be the image you have in mind when anyone mentions ballroom dancing. The type of dance can be elegant and sophisticated like Waltz or it can be passionate and sultry like Tango or even lively like in Fox Trot.
Webster defines ballroom dancing as simply “Any of various, usually social dances in which couples perform set moves”. The word ball does not originate from the toy “ball†but from the Latin word “ballare†which means to dance. This is the base for ballroom (a room for dancing), ballet (a dance), and ballerina (a dancer).
In the late 18th and 19th century this form of dance is a craze among members of the upper class in England. It is not common among people from the working class until the arrival of the 20th century. In the early 1920’s an association called the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing set up a Ballroom Branch with the purpose to standardize all forms of modern ballroom dance.
There are five major moves that make up the modern day ballroom: the Waltz, the Viennese Waltz, the Slow Foxtrot, Tango and the Quickstep. Of course Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, Cha-Cha and the Jive are just some of the most popular American Latin ballroom dance to name a few. The word Latin America actually refers to Latin and America and not in reference to the Latin countries.
The modern day version of ballroom dancing involves couples dancing closely together in specific tempo and rhythms. Normally, there are five points of contact. Three points involve the hand, where his left hand holds her right and her left hand will be on the top of his right upper arm, and the Tango would need her hand to go hand his arm while other right hand will rest on her left shoulder blade. Her right side of the chest will rest against his chest while her left elbow will touch his left elbow as they dance the night way. This elegant posture was used since the days of the European Royal Court.
The strange right to right contact comes from an era when men danced while wearing their swords which was placed on the left side. This would also explain the counter clockwise movement around the dance floor as the man would’ve stood on the inside of the circle so he wouldn’t inadvertently hit any of the people watching the dancers with his sword as he danced past. The posture changes in the American Latin dances. The American Latin version has been standardized as much as the Modern ballroom dances.
Tags: , beautiful women, cha cha, five points, formal suits, fox trot, imperial society, latin ballroom dance, latin countries, latin word, left shoulder, lively music, major moves, paso doble, quickstep, shoulder blade, slow foxtrot, social dances, stra, upper arm, viennese waltz