DANCE

HIP-HOP DANCE :
HISTORY : Hip Hop Dance is a style of dance with deep historical
and social roots in African culture.It's a part of a whole culture of Hip
Hop, which started in the 1970's in the Bronx, New York. The Bronx in
the 70's was a rough, dangerous place to grow up. The youth were
surrounded by drugs, crime, poverty, gang violence, and overall
struggle.Yet they, particularly the African American and Latino youth
(minority groups), were at best neglected by mainstream
institutions.Desperate for a way to escape their everyday struggles,
they invented their own art forms.These art forms, which the youth
embodied in the way they dressed, talked, moved, and expressed
themselves, soon became a lifestyle. A way to live.This lifestyle and
culture became known as Hip Hop.

More than 50 years old, hip-hop dance became widely known after the
first professional street-based dance crews formed in the 1970s in the
United States. The most influential groups were Rock Steady Crew The
Lockers, and The Electric Boogaloos who are responsible for the spread
of breaking, locking, and popping respectively. The Brooklyn-based
dance style uprock influenced breaking early in its development.
Boogaloo gained more exposure because it is the namesake of the
Electric Boogaloos crew. Uprock, roboting, and boogaloo are respected
dance styles but none of them are as mainstream or popular as
breaking, locking, and popping.
Instruments and Cloth : The dance industry responded to hip-hop
dance by creating a commercial version of it. This urban choreography
or studio hip-hop, sometimes called "new style", is the kind of hip-hop
dance seen in rap, R&B, and pop music videos and concerts. From the
point of view of someone deeply immersed in hip-hop culture, anything
that looks like hip-hop dance that did not come from the streets and is
not improvisational in nature is not a true hip-hop dance form. In an
interview with Dance magazine, choreographer and hip-hop dance
teacher Emilio "Buddha Stretch" Austin, Jr. described his point-of-view

Most dancers typically wear baggier hip hop pants rather than shorts,

spandex or yoga pants that you might see in
other types of dance classes. But a regular pair of sweatpants will do, as
well. Make sure everything is clean and washed.Maximum dancer use
SNEAKERS.

EVENTS :
1. UK B-Boy Championships

2. Hip Hop International (HHI)

3. United Dance Organisation (UDO)

4. EuroBattle

5. World Dance Colosseum 

6. World of Dance Tour

7. Vibe Dance Competition

EXTRA INFO : In 2004, Safi Thomas founded the Hip-Hop Dance
Conservatory (HHDC) in New York City. Thomas' goal was to provide a
comprehensive education to hip-hop dancers that was comparable to
what ballet, modern, and jazz dancers experience at their respective
institutions. HHDC provides a formal curriculum with dance classes
(breaking, freestyle, locking, etc.) and academic classes (dance theory,
physiology, kinesiology, etc.) to people who want to pursue hip-hop
dance as a career.It is the only educational institution in the United
States that is exclusively dedicated to hip-hop dance instruction. HHDC
does not grant degrees. It is a non-profit organization and repertory
company that grants certifications to dancers that complete the three-
year program.

EXAMPLE: 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj2yjPHGVX0

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEsofW-h6zA

BREAK DANCE

HISTORY : Many elements of breakdancing can be seen in other

antecedent cultures prior to the 1970s. B-boy pioneers Richard "Crazy
Legs" Colon and Kenneth "Ken Swift" Gabbert, both of Rock Steady
Crew, cite James Brown and kung Fu flims  as influences. Many of the
acrobatic moves, such as the flare, show clear connections to
gymnastics. In the 1877 book 'Rob Roy on the Baltic' John MacGregor
describes seeing near Norkoping a '...young man quite alone, who was
practicing over and over the most inexplicable leap in the air...he swung
himself up, and then round on his hand for a point, when his upper leg
described a great circle...'. The engraving shows a young man
apparently breakdancing. The dance was called the Giesse Harad Polska
or 'salmon district dance'. In 1894 Thomas Edison filmed Walter
Wilkins, Denny Toliver and Joe Rastus dancing and performing a
"breakdown". Then in 1898 he filmed a young street dancer performing
acrobatic headspins. However, it was not until the 1970s that b-boying
developed as a defined dance style in the United States. There is also
evidence of this style of dancing in Kaduna, Nigeria in 1959.

Dance Elements : There are four primary elements that form

breakdancing. They are toprock, downrock, power moves, and freezes

Style : There are many individual styles used in breakdancing. They are :
POWER , ABSTRACT, BLOW-UP, FLAVOR.

EVENTS:

1.  Battle of the Year

2. The Notorious IBE

3. Chelles Battle Pro

4. Red Bull BC One

5. R16 Korea

6. World B-Boy Classic

7. Solverde World Battle

8. B-boy B-girl Africa

9. BBIC 
Example : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFKvFcr01RY

Ballet dance
History : Ballet originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the
15th century. Noblemen and women were treated to lavish events,
especially wedding celebrations, where dancing and music created an
elaborate spectacle. Dancing masters taught the steps to the nobility,
and the court participated in the performances. In the 16th century,
Catherine de Medici — an Italian noblewoman, wife of King Henry II of
France and a great patron of the arts — began to fund ballet in the
French court. Her elaborate festivals encouraged the growth of ballet
de cour, a program that included  dance, decor, costume, song, music
and poetry. A century later, King Louis XIV helped to popularize and
standardize the art form. A passionate dancer, he performed many
roles himself, including that of the Sun King in Ballet de la nuit. His love
of ballet fostered its elevation from a past time for amateurs to an
endeavor requiring professional training.

By 1661, a dance academy had opened in Paris, and in 1681 ballet

moved from the courts to the stage. The French operaLe Triomphe de
l’Amour incorporated ballet elements, creating a long-standing opera-
ballet tradition in France. By the mid-1700s French ballet master Jean
Georges Noverre rebelled against the artifice of opera-ballet, believing
that ballet could stand on its own as an art form. His notions — that
ballet should contain expressive, dramatic movement that should
reveal the relationships between characters — introduced the ballet
d’action, a dramatic style of ballet that conveys a narrative. Noverre’s
work is considered the precursor to the narrative ballets of the 19th
century.
Cloth and music :
A ballet dancer usually wear leotard and tights while dancing ballet.

Many classical ballet works are performed with a

classical music accompaniment.

Events :

Ballet performance of SWAN LAKE on February in Belgium as part of

Cirque Royal.

Example : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV1qLYukTH8

TAP DANCE
HISTORY:

Tap dance originated in the United States in the early 19th century at
the crossroads of African and Irish American dance forms. When slave
owners took away traditional African percussion instruments, slaves
turned to percussive dancing to express themselves and retain their
cultural identities. These styles of dance connected with clog dancing
from the British Isles, creating a unique form of movement and rhythm.

Early tap shoes had wooden soles, sometimes with pennies attached to
the heel and toe. Tap gained popularity after the Civil War as a part of
traveling minstrel shows, where white and black performers wore
blackface and belittled black people by portraying them as lazy, dumb,
and comical.
PERFORMANCE : Tap dance is a type of dance characterised by
using the sounds of tap shoes striking the floor as a form of percussion.
The sound is made by shoes that have a metal "tap" on the heel and
toe.

Soft-shoe is a close relative of rhythm tap dancing that does not require
tap shoes. Rhythm is generated by tapping the feet, and also by sliding
the feet (sometimes using scattered sand on the stage to enhance the
sound of sliding feet). It produced what is currently considered to be
modern tap, but has since declined in popularity.

CLOTH AND MUSIC : In the earliest years of tap dancing, tap shoes
often had wooden soles,but most tap shoes since have had leather
soles. Today, it is common for manufacturers of tap shoes to also
produce and fix taps. There are a variety of styles of shoe: the Oxford is
very common in jazz dance and the Mary Jane is common for younger
girls in tap classes.

Tap shoe makers include Bloch, Sansha and Capezio.

EXAMPLE : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoHlrQScWl0

Jazz
History :
The origin of jazz dance can be traced to African ritual and celebratory
dances from around the seventeenth century. These dances
emphasized polyrhythm and improvisation. From the sixteenth to the
 nineteenth century, the transatlantic slave trade brought ten million
enslaved Africans to the Americas. By 1817 in New Orleans, city laws
"restricted gatherings of enslaved people to Sunday afternoons in
Congo Square, known as Place Publique"
Performance Description :
In 1917, jazz pianist Spencer Williams wrote a song called "Shim-Me-
Sha-Wabble" which inspired a jazz dance called the shimmy. The
shimmy is done by holding the body still "except for the shoulders,
which are quickly alternated back and forth". The dances that emerged
during this period were the Charleston and the Lindy hop.The
Charleston is "characterized by its toes-in, heels-out twisting steps". It
can be done as a solo or with any number of people.
Cloth and Music :
 Most jazz dancers wear tights and a leotard
 Other dancers like to wear a simple camisole over a leotard
along with a pair of soft shorts.
 One thing that may be required are jazz shoes.
 Whatever outfit you choose to wear, make sure they fit and are
comfortable to wear.
Throughout its history, Jazz dance has developed in parallel to
popular music. Music for acro Is usually intense and upbeat because of
the powerful movements. - They are usually accompanied by songs
with fast tempos.

Extra info :
jazz dancers' strong and sharp movements are greatly aided by a good
background in ballet technique. Center control
is important in jazz technique.
Example :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJTz1UbpSXM

MODERN DANCE
HISTORY:
Modern dancers still rely on many ballet steps as part of their
choreographed modern dance routines. Modern dance is deeply
embedded in ballet syllabus. Historically, modern dance began as free
form style lyrical ballet among a community of professional ballet dancers
who refused to stop dancing. Isadora Duncan and Ruth St. Denis
promoted modern dance as a way of continuing their dance careers,
according to their biographies. The first modern dances choreographed
required no dancing en pointe or rigid adherence to ballet movement
A historical study of modern dance makes evident three phases of this
dance style:

 The early period from 1880 to 1923

 The middle period from 1923 to 1946
 The late modern dance period from 1946 to the present

Performance description :
Basic movements in modern dance are fluidly free style. The ballet step,
arabesque, in modern dance is often performed with oblique angles of
the body and in turns. Other ballet steps like chasse, pas de bourree and
port de bra of the arms are similar ballet movements used in modern
dance choreography. Certain modern dance steps are performed on half
pointe in bare feet or in modern dance sandals for stage performances.
Events :
Modern dance competitions are a relatively new addition to the dance
world. In the past, competitions were limited to established dance
organizations and dance schools. Today, dance competitions are found in
the US and internationally. These include, The Macedonia Open, The USA
"Turn it Up" dance competition and annual Korean International Modern
Dance competitions.
Example :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xokEIdnZ40M

Lyrical dance

History :
There is little research and documentation of the origins of lyrical dance
most likely due to the limited use of this style outside of the
competition dance world. There are three popular origin stories for
lyrical dance that have been suggested by experts of competition
dance. The first, speculated by Jimmy Peters, is that lyrical dance
evolved from the “dream ballet” in musicals such as Oklahoma and
West Side Story. The second from Chelya Clawson, states that this term
can be traced back to 16th century traditional Indian dance. The last,
and the most plausible, created by Phyllis Balanga- Demoret, is that it
began about 25 years ago as a result of ballet’s inability to take to the
competition stage. Even though there has been no official
documentation, Balanga-Demoret’s explanation is the most plausible
because lyrical dance is only used in competition dance. Additionally,
ballet is rarely seen on a competitive stage, despite it having its own
category at many competitions, which further confirms Balanga-
Demoret’s theory. Dancer, teacher, and choreographer Suzi Taylor, who
holds regular classes at Steps on Broadway in New York City is
considered by many to be an early mother of lyrical dance, having
emphasized a unique brand of musicality and expressiveness which
influenced many future teachers and choreographers.

Performance description : Lyrical dance tends to cover a large

amount of space on the stage or dance room floor. The dancers travel
with high and soaring leaps and graceful turns and walks. It is
challenging for choreographers and dancers to interpret the music.
Movements in lyrical are fluid, continuous, and graceful, with the
dancer flowing seamlessly from one move to another with little or no
stopping, holding finishing steps as long as possible. These emotional
dance moves help the dancer connect on an emotional level with the
audience.

Extra info. : Lyrical dance is competition dance style and is only used
to describe a specific style of dance in the world of competitive dance.
“Lyrical” is used to describe a quality or movement type in other dance
settings, but not as a style name such as Jazz or Ballet. 

Example : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EK4E9nCeYI

Contemporary Dancing 
History : Contemporary dance draws on both classical ballet and
modern dance, whereas postmodern dance was a direct and opposite
response to modern dance. Merce Cunningham is considered to be the
first choreographer to "develop an independent attitude towards
modern dance" and defy the ideas that were established by it.In 1944
Cunningham accompanied his dance with music by John Cage who
observed that Cunningham's dance "no longer relies on linear elements
nor does it rely on a movement towards and away from climax. As
in abstract painting, it is assumed that an element (a movement,
a sound a change of light) is in and of itself expressive; what it
communicates is in large part determined by the observer themselves."
Cunningham formed the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in 1953
and went on to create more than one hundred and fifty works for the
company, many of which have been performed internationally by ballet
and modern dance companies

Performance description : Contemporary dance form is a mixture of

dance genres like classical ballet, modern, lyrical & jazz styles. Unlike
other dance forms, it isn’t a rigid choreographic style and is open to
many possibilities of creating new variations.The dance form focuses on
unexpected movements, self-expression, and freedom – while
simultaneously maintaining a strong focus on technique. Mastering this
dance form can take years but if you have a good sense of body
coordination and style, you might want to try out some of the beginner
classes.

Extra info. : Contemporary dance stresses versatility and

improvisation, unlike the strict, structured nature of ballet.
Contemporary dancers focus on floorwork, using gravity to pull them
down to the floor. This dance genre is often done in bare feet.
Contemporary dance can be performed to many different styles of
music.

Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSgkuqaZJfo
 HIGHLAND DANCE
HISTORY : Perhaps nothing captures the spirit of Scottish culture
better than the sight of Highland dancing being performed at some
Highland gathering in some far flung corner of the world. This
sophisticated form of national dancing has been spread by Scottish
migrants across the world and competitions are now regularly
organized in Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and the
United States. Whilst the majority of dancers now entered into these
competitions are female, the roots of these ritualistic dances lay with
warriors imitating epic deeds from Scottish folklore. It is also said that
Scottish mercenaries performed a sword dance before the Swedish King
John III at a banquet held at Stockholm Castle in 1573. The dance was
apparently part of a plot to assassinate the king, the weapons
necessary to complete the dastardly deed ‘just happened’ to be a
natural prop for the festivities. Luckily for the king the signal was never
given to implement the plan.

Performance description : The Highlander developed 'as a

necessary preparation for the management of the broad-sword... used
in certain dances to exhibit their dexterity'; this included dancing over
two naked swords which are laid across each other on the floor, some
while a dancer moves nimbly around them. Dextrously placing the feet
by a peculiar step in the intervals between crossed blades, as in the
Ghillie Callum, has long been linked with dances before a decisive battle
or as a victory dance. Legend has it that on the eve of battle the
highland chief would call out the clan's best dancers, who would dance
the sword dance. If the dancers successfully avoided touching either
blade, then it was considered an omen that the next day's battle would
be in the clan's favour. A more practical explanation behind the
meaning of this dance can be found in the training halls of older styles
of fencing, where students of the sword developed their footwork by
following geometric patterns of crosses, squares and triangles marked
out on the floor.

Events :The ‘Cowal highhland Gathering’ is the annual games held in

the scottish town of Dunoon.

Extra info : highland games are events held in spring and summer
in Scotland and the other countries with a large Scottish diaspora
as a way of celebration Scottish and Celtic culture especially that of
the Scottish highlands games.

Example : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6DMrIGIUys

LINE DANCE
HISTORY : Line dancing is most directly descended from the 1970s
disco era, when America saw a variety of new dances emerge, including
the Electric Slide, in this same era, country-and-western line dancing
emerged, including the Walkin' Wazi and the Cowboy Boogie Some
claim that line dancing finds its roots in historical folk dances; other say
it stemmed from contemporary disco. Whatever its source, popularity
and growth of line dancing has been inextricably tied to country-and-
western music. Since its birth, line dancing began incorporating many
musical styles besides country...Country music began to appear on the
pop charts, and line dancing began to cross boundaries of income, race,
age, and gender...Now line dancing is considered an art form of its own,
with its own terminology and standardized steps.
Performance description : Basic line dances focus on movements of
the legs and feet, with more advanced dances including the arms and
hands. The movements of a line dance are marked as "counts," where
one count generally equals one musical beat. A particular movement or
step takes place at each beat.A line dance will have a certain number of
counts, meaning the number of beats in one complete sequence of the
dance. For example, a 64-count dance would contain 64 beats. The
number of beats does not necessarily equal the number of steps,
however, as steps can be performed between two beats or over more
than one beat.Line dances are made up of a certain number of steps,
with each step identified by a catchy name. The Texas Two-Step, the
Tush Push, the West Coast Shuffle, the Redneck Girl, and the Boot
Scootin' Boogie are all well-known line dances still performed in
country-western bars today.

Extra info. : Line dancing is exactly what its name implies: people
dancing in lines to music. Line dances are choreographed dances with a
repeating series of steps that are performed in unison by a group of
people in lines or rows, most often without the dancers making contact
with one another.

EXAMPLE : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVLNM1XmZq8

Irish dance
History : The roots of Irish dancing come from the Celts and the
druids who roamed the island before the onset of Christianity and
outside influences came along. Many of the druids’ religious rituals
involved dancing, usually in a circular fashion around sacred trees. The
Celts had their own folk dances with similar formations. This type of
dancing was common around much of the European mainland at the
time, and although it wasn’t really anything like what traditional Irish
dancing became, remnants of the formations and patterns can be seen.
When the Normans invaded Ireland in the twelfth century, they settled
in the country and brought with them their native customs, dance
being one of them. The ‘Carol’ was a popular Norman dance that was
soon performed in conquered Irish towns and villages. The Carol dance
involved one singer placed in the centre of a circle of dancers who then
followed his singing and danced accordingly. It is the first historically
recorded dance in Ireland. For the next few centuries dancing naturally
evolved. Three types of dance emerged; the Irish Hey, the Rinnce Fada
(long dance) and the Trenchmore. Instead of circular formations, line
formations became common. These in turn became more complicated
with female dancers weaving between males, or interchanging couples.
Bagpipes and harps became the most common musical
accompaniment. The tradition of dancing at religious ceremonies still
continued however – it was not unusual to dance in a circle around a
coffin at a wake!

Cloth : There are two types of shoes; soft shoes (also known
as ghillies or pumps) and hard shoes. Hard shoes are similar
to tap shoes, except that the tips and heels are made of fiberglass,
instead of metal, and are significantly bulkier. The first hard shoes had
wooden or leather taps with metal nails. Later the taps and heels were
made of resin or fiberglass to reduce the weight and to make the
sounds louder. The soft shoes, which are called ghillies, are black lace-
up shoes. Ghillies are only worn by girls, while boys wear black leather
shoes called "reel shoes", which resemble black jazz shoes with a hard
heel. Boy's soft-shoe dancing features audible heel clicks. A new trend
includes adding white laces to the soft shoes, and white tape to the
straps of the hard shoes in order to give the illusion of elongating the
legs.

Performance description : Competitive dancers generally dance two

or three steps at a time, depending on their dancing level. Each step
lasts sixteen bars of music. 8 bars per step. They are each danced
starting with the right foot for eight bars, then repeated with the left
foot for the last eight bars, doing the same movements with the
opposite feet. Set dances, however, have a different format. The dancer
usually dances one step, which is limited to eight bars, and is then
repeated, resembling the steps of other dances. Then the dancer
usually dances a "set" which is not repeated. It is a highly sought after
and competitive feat to dance this "third round" — at regional,
national, and world competitions, only a small percentage (typically the
top half of dancers graded after the first two rounds) of dancers are
invited back to perform.The Céilí dances used in competitions are more
precise versions of those danced in less formal settings. There is a list of
30 Céilí dances which have been standardised and published in An
Coimisiún's Ar Rinncidhe Foirne as examples of typical Irish folk dances;
these are called the "book" dances by competitive stepdancers. Most
Irish dancing competitions only ask for a short piece of any given dance,
in the interests of time.

Events : 1. A FEIS is a traditional Gaelic arts and culture festival

2. OIreachtas Rince na Cruinne is an annual Irish stepdance
competition run by An Coimisiun LE Rinchi Gaelacha .

Example : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgGAzBDE454

African American dance

History : The term black dance describes a range of styles

whose origins include the tribal dances of Africa, the slave dances
of the West Indies and the American Deep South, the Harlem social
dances of the 1920s and the jazz dance of Broadway musicals. Black
dance has often been bound up with social and rights issues.The
history of black dance in Britain is relatively young and the first
black British dance company, Ballet Nègres, was formed in 1946.
However black dancers from the USA have been touring to England
since the early 19th century and black musicals from the States
were popular on the British stage in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries.

Performance description : Competition has long played an

important role in social dance in African and African-American
social dance, from the "battles"' of hip hop and lindy hop to
the cakewalk. Performances have also been integrated into
everyday dance life, from the relationship between performance
and social dancing in tap dancing to the "shows" held at Harlem
ball rooms in the 1930s.
Extra info : In most African-American dance cultures, learning to
dance does not happen in formal classrooms or dance studios.
Children often learn to dance as they grow up, developing not only
a body awareness but also aesthetics of dance which are particular
to their community. Learning to dance - learning about rhythmic
movement - happens in much the same way as developing a local
language 'accent' or a particular set of social values. Children learn
specific dance steps or 'how to dance' from their families - most
often from older brothers and sisters, cousins or other older
children. Because cultural dance happens in everyday spaces,
children often dance with older members of the community around
their homes and neighborhoods, at parties and dances, on special
occasions, or whenever groups of people gather to 'have a good
time'.

Example : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXUSAHTazxI

SWING DANCE

History : The swing dance was discovered by a black community

during the 1920’s through dancing to contemporary jazz music.
Swing dance was inspired by a revolution of jazz music that kept
audiences dancing and thus music was known and described as
‘Swing Jazz’ to befit the effect of the music to its audiences. Soon,
the dancing evolved to fit the music and vice-verca, causing the
development of the name ‘swing dance’ in the mid 1920’s. The
dance came in many styles including the Balboa, Lindy Hop, Lindy
Charleston and Collegiate Shag. The Lindy Hop remains the most
famous of the swing dances today. Most of the dances originated
from African American communities, but some like the Balboa
came from other communities.

Performance description : Swing dancing is a popular

social dance that is often characterized by lifts, spins and flips. It's
generally upbeat, lively and a lot of fun to watch—and to dance!
Like most dance styles, there are variations of the dance. It includes
some basic steps and then dancers have creative freedom to make
it their own

Extra info : The historical development of particular swing dance

styles was often in response to trends in popular music. For
example, 1920s and solo Charleston was – and is – usually danced
to 
 ragtime music or traditional jazz, Lindy Hop was danced to swing
music (a kind of swinging jazz), and Lindy Charleston to either
traditional or swing jazz. West Coast Swing is usually danced to
Pop, R&B, Blues, or Funk. Western Swing and Push/Whip are
usually danced to country and western or Blues music. There are
local variations on these musical associations in each dance scene,
often informed by local DJs, dance teachers and bands.
Events: Traditionally, distinctions are made between "Ballroom
Swing" and "Jazz Dance Swing" styles. East Coast Swing is a
standardized dance in "American Style" Ballroom dancing, while Jive is
a standardized dance in "International Style"; however both of these
fall under the "Ballroom Swing" umbrella.
Jazz Dance forms (evolved in dance halls) versus ballroom forms
(created for ballroom competition format) are different in appearance.
Jazz Dance forms include Lindy Hop, Balboa, Collegiate Shag,
and Charleston.

Example : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26-1t15R_MU

Foxtrat dance

History : The Foxtrot originated in the summer of 1914 by Vaudeville

actor Harry Fox. Born Arthur Carringford in Pomona, California, in 1882.
The origin of the name of the dance is unclear, although one theory is
that it took its name from its popularizer, the vaudeville actor Harry
Fox. Two sources, Vernon Castle and dance teacher Betty Lee, credit
African American dancers as the source of the foxtrot.

Performance description : Three distinct styles of slow foxtrot are in

common use among ballroom dancers today: the American Social Style,
the American Continuity Style, and the International Style. All three are
partner dances in which the dancers progress around the dance floor in
a counter-clockwise direction and are danced to much the same music.
However, they differ significantly in technique, positions, and figures .

Events : International Foxtrot is one of the five Standard dances that

form the backbone of International Style Dance competitions held
around the world under the auspices of the International Dance Sport
Federation, its local affiliates, and other organizations. Competitions
are generally held at six successive levels of difficulty: Bronze
(beginning), Silver (intermediate), Gold (advanced), Novice, Pre-
Championship, and Championship. The Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels
are syllabus levels: that is, for each level there is a prescribed syllabus
of figures from which the competitor is expected to select. The Novice,
Pre-Championship, and Championship levels are open levels at which
novel, original choreography is permitted and even encouraged. The
competitive dance syllabi are defined and tightly controlled by
the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing.

Extra info :  the foxtrot split into slow and quick versions, referred to as
"foxtrot" and "quickstep" respectively. In the slow category, further
distinctions exist between the International or English style of the
foxtrot and the continuity American style, both built around a slow-
quick-quick rhythm at the slowest tempo, and the social American style
using a slow-slow-quick-quick rhythm at a somewhat faster pace. In the
context of International Standard category of ballroom dance, for some
time the foxtrot was called "Slow Foxtrot", or "Slowfox". These names
are still in use, to distinguish from other types of foxtrots.

Example : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_UkPMXig3c

The End