Social and Ballroom Dances

SOCIAL AND
BALLROOM
DANCES
What is Ballroom
Dancing?
• Ballroom dancing is
a partnership dance
where couples, using
step-patterns, move
rhythmically,
expressing the
characteristics of
music.
Ballroom is a room
that has enough space
for many people to
dance. Traditionally, a
ballroom has either a
hardwood or marble
floor.
Benefits of
Ballroom Dancing
Ballroom Dance is a
great workout
- Burn Fat / Lose Weight /
Increase Metabolism
- Increase Flexibility
- Increase Muscle
Strength & Endurance
- Great for All Ages
 Mental Health
- Ballroom dancing can
help enhance memory,
alertness, awareness,
focus, and concentration.
It can prevent the onset
of dementia and
significantly improve
spatial memory in elderly
patients
 Confidence
- Every opportunity to dance –
whether during a lesson or a
social event, whether with your
significant other or a new dance
partner – will help improve your
comfort level, confidence and
communication skills on the
dance floor. As your dance
technique improves and you
feel more at ease with other
people, your sense of
accomplishment, motivation
and confidence will continue to
increase.
Grooming and Attire
1. Wear comfortable clothing.
2. Wear appropriate footwear
to prevent injuries.
3. If the hair falls below the
shoulder, be careful that it
does not fly into contact with
your partner. Long hair should
be put up or tied in a pony tail.
4. Accessories like watches,
rings and bracelets can be
dangerous they can scratch
your partner’s hand and arm.
Styles in Ballroom
Dancing
 Smooth or Standard
 Rhythm or Latin
The Smooth/Standard style
-focuses on the elegance,
grace and fluidity of
movement. Dancers rotate in
a counter-clockwise
direction, moving around the
entire floor. The couple is
constantly moving on the
dance floor, transitioning
from one place to the next in
a fixed pattern.
Eg. The Foxtrot, Waltz, and
Tango
The Rhythm/Latin style -
focuses on a display of
vibrant energy and a
personal flair. The couple’s
dancing pattern is
syncopated to the rhythm
of the music. The couple
usually dances in one spot
of the dance floor. Included
in this style are the Jive,
Rumba, Cha Cha Cha, and
Samba.
Styles in Ballroom
Dancing
(The Smooth/Standard style)
Foxtrot
- An American dance
evolving from trotting
dance in 1913. Dancers
gliding around the
dance floor with little up
and down motion. It is
known as the first truly
American ballroom
dance, was named after
Harry Fox. (american
dancer)
Waltz
It is the first dance to
use closed dance
position. The waltz was
to be performed solely
for the demonstration of
elegance and not
pleasure. The name
comes from the German
word to revolve, turning
with smooth gliding
steps
Tango
Originated in the lower
class of Buenos Aires
especially in the Bario
de Las Ranas.
It was first known as
baile con corte- the
dance with a stop. It is
characterized by
sudden changes of
direction and its many
flaring and dipping
steps.
Styles in Ballroom
Dancing
(The Rhythm/Latin style )
Jive
The origin of the word jive
is unknown but it may refer
to jive talk, or bad
mouthing. This word
reflects the character of the
dance for it is sassy and
loud. It came from the
African American slaves. It
is known by many names,
sometimes called Swing,
Jitterbug, Lindy hop, or
Charleston, although it is
completely different dance.
RUMBA
The name Rumba was
originally applied specifically to
the dancing style with
lascivious movement of the hip,
bosom and other flexible parts.
The Rumba influence came in
the 16th century from the black
slaves from Africa. The native
Rumba folk dance is essentially
a sex pantomime danced
extremely fast with
exaggerated hip movements
and with a sensually
aggressive attitude of men and
a defensive attitude on the part
of women.
Cha-Cha-Cha or Cha Cha
is a lively dance with African
influences that developed in
Cuba after World War II. Since
its inception in the 1950s, Cha-
Cha-Cha dance remains one of
the most famous of Latin dances
performed in social halls and
competitions across the world.
The Cha Cha dance is renowned
as a fun, flirtatious, lively and
energetic dance and it is a
preference for both professional
and non-professional dancers.
Samba
Comes from Brazil. It
differs from other Latin-
American dances because
it is lively and vigorous and
the feet is constantly
leaving the floor. It is
literally a bouncing step. It
involves much knee action
with the dancers bodies
resembling a swinging
pendulum as they sway
and turn.

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