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    04 Handout 1 PDF

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    Elaine Soriano
    Ballroom dance has two main styles - American and International - each with two categories of dances. Ballroom dancing originated in England in the late 18th century among upper classes and later spread to middle/working classes. It became standardized in the early 20th century. Today, ballroom dancing provides mental, physical, and social benefits including improved brain function, flexibility, endurance, reduced stress, and opportunities for social interaction.

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    04 Handout 1 PDF

    Uploaded by

    Elaine Soriano
    207 views3 pages
    Ballroom dance has two main styles - American and International - each with two categories of dances. Ballroom dancing originated in England in the late 18th century among upper classes and later spread to middle/working classes. It became standardized in the early 20th century. Today, ballroom dancing provides mental, physical, and social benefits including improved brain function, flexibility, endurance, reduced stress, and opportunities for social interaction.

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    Ballroom dance has two main styles - American and International - each with two categories of dances. Ballroom dancing originated in England in the late 18th century among upper classes and later spread to middle/working classes. It became standardized in the early 20th century. Today, ballroom dancing provides mental, physical, and social benefits including improved brain function, flexibility, endurance, reduced stress, and opportunities for social interaction.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    207 views3 pages

    04 Handout 1 PDF

    Uploaded by

    Elaine Soriano
    Ballroom dance has two main styles - American and International - each with two categories of dances. Ballroom dancing originated in England in the late 18th century among upper classes and later spread to middle/working classes. It became standardized in the early 20th century. Today, ballroom dancing provides mental, physical, and social benefits including improved brain function, flexibility, endurance, reduced stress, and opportunities for social interaction.

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    SH1689

    Ballroom Dance

    I. Types of Ballroom Dance


    There are two (2) main styles of ballroom dancing – American and International. American
    style is danced primarily in the USA. It is also not as standardized as international style, which
    is performed and known worldwide. Moreover, there are two (2) categories under each style.
    These are listed below in the order that they are danced in competitions.
    A. American Style
    • Smooth –Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz
    • Rhythm – Cha Cha, Rumba, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Bolero, Mambo,
    Samba
    B. International Style:
    • Standard – Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, Quickstep
    • Latin – Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, Jive

    II. Origins of Ballroom Dance


    Ballroom dancing is when a couple performs any of the various social dances that follow a
    pattern of predictable steps. It has an immensely amplified popularity spreading across Europe,
    the Americas, and Asia. Ballroom dancing has a relatively short but interesting history and has
    evolved from a recreational activity to a worldwide sporting event.
    Ballroom dancing originated in England in the late 18th and early 19th centuries in which these
    dances, such as the waltz, were performed by the upper and elite classes of society in balls and
    parties. During the late 19th to the early 20th centuries, it became a trend among the working
    and middle class where they would go to gatherings and events in public dance halls. In the
    early 1920s, ballroom dancing competitions started to boom, an organization called The
    Ballroom Branch of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing was formed. The objective
    of this organization was to standardize and formalize ballroom dancing techniques, sets of
    steps, and music to which it was danced to.
    In legitimate dance sport competitions and in social events, there are five (5) standard dances.
    These are (1) Modern Waltz; (2) Viennese Waltz; (3) Tango; (4) Slow Foxtrot; and (5)
    Quickstep. These dances are standardized and categorized into segregated teaching levels and
    utilize vocabulary, rhythm and tempo, and techniques which are accepted internationally.
    Although these dances come from very different backgrounds and have special techniques,
    aesthetics, and rhythms and tempos, they do share common qualities. All ballroom dances, as
    with all forms of dance, are expressions of feelings, thoughts, and emotions. These dances may
    be stricter than other forms of dance and may limit the range of steps and body movement
    involved, but it is still one of the best expressions of love, joy, and pain between two (2) people.
    Also, all ballroom dances are performed by only two (2) people, usually a man and a woman.
    These dances are performed in a certain position termed as the “closed hold.” In this position,
    the couple strictly remains in contact in five (5) different points or places. These five (5) points
    consist of three (3) hand contacts, one (1) elbow contact, and one (1) chest contact.
    • First-Hand Contact – This occurs when the man’s left hand holds the lady’s right hand.
    • Second-Hand Contact – This occurs when the lady’s left hand is placed at the top of the
    man’s right upper arm. In tango, the lady’s left hand is placed behind the man’s arm, not
    on top of it.

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    SH1689

    • Third-Hand Contact – This occurs when the man’s right hand is placed under the left
    shoulder blade on the lady’s back.
    • Elbow Contact - This occurs when the lady’s left elbow rests on the man’s right elbow
    and both arms are kept in a horizontal line. The lady’s arms are held comfortably by the
    man and permit her to follow the man’s lead with ease. This also gives the couple the
    appearance of having a bearing of royalty. This is an important characteristic in the
    ballroom dances that came from Western Europe because these dances were performed in
    the royal courts.
    • Chest Contact – This last point of contact occurs when the right area of the chest of one
    (1) touches almost the right area of his/her partner. This closeness allows very little room
    between the partners’ faces thus contributing to the dance’s romantic appeal.
    III. Evolution of the Different Types of Ballroom Dance
    A. Waltz
    The waltz is probably the oldest extant ballroom dance, not including the medieval re-
    enactment of court dances, still regularly performed today. Set to 3/4 time, it was too
    scandalous for the French court due to the close embrace that it required. King Louis XIII
    actually banned the dance from his court. Like most legislated morality, the law failed to
    quell the act and the dance survived and spread. The dance halls in Vienna sped up the
    tempo and gave the world the intense and whirling Viennese waltz, and composers such
    as Johann Strauss Jr. became famous for the music they composed for the dance.
    B. Tango
    In the Latin world, the Spanish explorers brought flamenco with them to the new world.
    As it melded with slave dances from Africa and Central American cultures, it became
    known as the tango, with a particularly sensual variant becoming popular in Argentina.
    Traveling back across the Atlantic to France in 1910, it became popular through Europe
    and America and further.
    C. Foxtrot and Quickstep
    Not all ballroom dances have such murky beginnings. The Foxtrot, for example, came
    quite simply from a popular performer in 1913, Harry Fox. The "trot" part of the name is
    a little confusing, as the dance is characterized by a very smooth yet sauntering basic step.
    In social dancing, this is also known as the slow foxtrot to differentiate it from the
    quickstep, another variant with the same roots.
    D. Rhythmic Latin Dance
    The roots of the Latin or Rhythm dances are a more tangled morass of traditions and
    popular culture. Although similar in some aspects, each of these dances still has a distinct
    style of its own.
    E. Mambo and Cha Cha
    The mambo came from Cuba and has a very clear originator, Perez Prado, who developed
    the mambo style of music in 1943. However, that style of music itself was based on a
    rumba beat with a slightly different ending, and mambo was done with an emphasis on a
    different beat. As the mambo became too difficult for nearly anyone other than the
    professional ballroom dancers, it metamorphosed into the cha cha.
    F. Rumba
    The rumba beat had its own dance that was known by various names including Son and
    Danzon. However, rumba is the name that stuck and the dance became a sensual writhing
    staple of ballrooms across the world.

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    G. Samba
    It is also known as the Brazilian waltz. A cross-blending of African tribal dance and
    traditional Brazilian moves, it became the featured dance for the wild revelry of Carnival,
    accompanied by the pounding beats of the bateria or drum corps.
    H. Bolero and Paso Doble
    Both the bolero and paso doble are of Spanish origin, although the paso doble developed
    in France. They are highly stylized dances based on older forms of dance such as the
    flamenco and the fandango and are danced more often by professional competitors than
    social dance enthusiasts.
    I. Swing
    The swing dance comes in several varieties. The two (2) primary versions are east coast
    swing and west coast swing, both of which originated in the American heartland and spread
    in opposite directions during the era of World War II. Like the waltz of centuries ago, this
    kind of dance was deemed immoral, and therefore exploded in popularity with the young,
    hip dancers all over the world. Today, swing is still performed in clubs and dance halls all
    around the world.
    IV. Benefits of Ballroom Dancing to One’s Health
    A. Mental
    • It helps to improve mental acuity by requiring split-second rapid-fire decision making.
    • It can stimulate the connectivity of the brain by generating the need for new neural
    pathways.
    • It simultaneously involves kinesthetic, rational, musical, and emotional processes.
    B. Physical
    • Flexibility – Most forms of dance require dancers to perform moves that require
    bending and stretching, so dancers naturally become more flexible simply by dancing.
    • Endurance – Regular dancing is great for improving endurance and overall health.
    Elevating the heart rate through vigorous ballroom dancing can increase stamina. Just
    as in any form of exercise, regular dancing will build endurance.
    C. Well-being
    • It provides many opportunities to meet other people. Joining a dance class can increase
    self-confidence and build social skills. And, because physical activity reduces stress
    and tension, regular dancing gives an overall sense of well-being.
    • It burns calories and can assist in weight loss. Dancing burns anywhere from 5-10
    calories per minute, depending on speed and intensity.

    Approximate Calories Burned per Hour


    Style of Dance 100 lb. 125 lb. 150 lb. 175 lb. 200 lb.
    Dancer Dancer Dancer Dancer Dancer
    Disco Ballroom, Square, Latin,
    264 330 396 462 528
    Mambo, Salsa
    Fast, Ballet, Twist 288 360 432 504 576
    Slow, Waltz, Foxtrot 144 180 216 252 288

    References:
    History of ballroom dancing. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://dance.lovetoknow.com/
    Origins of ballroom dancing. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.montrealballroomdancing.com/
    Types of ballroom dancing. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.justdanceballroom.com/styles.html

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