Ballroom dancing is a word used to the form of dancing men and women perform in formal suits on the dance floor during a grand event or special occasion. Those who prefer to start off with something slow would love the gracefulness of the Waltz and those who are adventurous may prefer to try out the Tango, a dance so passionate it can make heartbeat and temperatures rose even by merely watching them.
Webster defines ballroom dancing as simply “Any of various, usually social dances in which couples perform set moves”. The term ballroom dancing has its root in the Latin word “ballare†which literally means to dance. Interestingly, this is also the base word for ballerina and ballet.
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries dancing was very popular among the upper classes of England. This form of dance is not common among people of the working class until late 20th century. Later the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing created a Ballroom Dance Branch, whose sole purpose is to create a standard for the modern day version of ballroom dancing.
There are five major moves that make up the modern day ballroom: the Waltz, the Viennese Waltz, the Slow Foxtrot, Tango and the Quickstep. Here are some Latin American ballroom dances if you are inclined to know Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, Cha-Cha and the Jive. Latin American ballroom is short for Latin and American - not a reference to Latin countries.
The modern day ballroom dancing consists of specific steps and tempo with couples dancing together. There are five main points where the couples come in contact. Three points of contact involves the hand-his left holding her right, her left hand on the top of his right arm, and his right hand would be behind her shoulder blades. The other points come in contact through elbows and chests which rests comfortably on each other as they glide through the dance floor. This elegant posture was used since the days of the European Royal Court.
A few decades ago, men danced while wearing their sword and this helps to explain the obvious right-tight contact between the men and the women. The sword can accidentally hit any of the dancers to, so they overcome this issue by a counter clockwise motion. In Latin American ballroom the postures vary from dance to dance with some using the closed hold and others where the partners hold each other with only one hand. Like the Modern Ballroom dancing, the Latin American Ballroom has been standardized for instruction purposes and has a set, internationally recognized vocabulary, technique, rhythm and tempo.
