Ballroom
(Recreational Competitive)
Ballroom dance is a set of partner dances,
which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the
world. Ballroom dance is also widely enjoyed on (stage, film, and television.)
Ballroom
dance may refer, at its
widest definition, to almost any type of partner dancing as recreation.
The
term 'ballroom dancing' is derived from the word ball which in turn originates from the Latin word ballare which means 'to dance' (a
ball-room being a large room specially designed for such dances).
The
definition of ballroom dance also depends on the era: balls have featured popular
dances of the day such as the Minuet, Quadrille, Polonaise,Polka,
Mazurka, and others, which are now considered to be historical
dances.
Early Modern Age
The
first authoritative knowledge of the earliest ballroom dances was recorded
toward the end of the 16th century, when Jehan Tabourot, under the pen
name "Thoinot-Arbeau", published in 1588 his Orchésographie,
a study of late 16th-century French renaissance social dance.
Toward
the latter half of the 17th century, Louis XIV founded his 'Académie
Royale de Musique et de Danse', where specific rules for the execution
of every dance and the "five positions" of the feet
were formulated for the first time by members of the Académie.
19th century
The
waltz with its modern hold took root in England in about 1812; in 1819 Carl
Maria von Weber wrote (Invitation to the Dance), which marked the adoption of the waltz form
into the sphere of absolute music. In the 1840s several new dances made their
appearance in the ballroom, including the Polka, Mazurka, and
the Schottische.
Early 20th century
The
first was a movement away from the sequence dances towards dances where
the couples moved independently. This had been pre-figured by the waltz,
which had already made this transition. The second was a wave of popular
music, such as jazz, much of which was based on the ideas of
black musicians in the USA.
The
third event was a concerted effort to transform some of the dance
crazes into dances which could be taught to a wider dance public in
the US and Europe. Here Vernon and Irene Castle were important,
and so was a generation of English dancers in the 1920s, including Josephine
Bradley and Victor Silvester. These professionals analysed,
codified, published and taught a number of standard dances.
Competitive
Dancing
The
International Olympic Committee now recognizes competitive
ballroom dance. It has recognized another body, the World DanceSport
Federation (WDSF), as the sole representative body for dancesport in
the Olympic Games.
Ballroom
dance competitions are regulated by each country in its own way. There are
about 30 countries which compete regularly in international competitions. As
competition dances, they are organised under the rule of the World Dance
Council
Ballroom
dancing competitions in the former USSR also included the Soviet Ballroom
dances, or Soviet Programme.
Australian (New Vogue is danced both competitively and socially.
Internationally, the Blackpool Dance Festival, hosted annually at
Blackpool, England, is considered the most prestigious
event a dancesport competitor can attend. Formation dance is
another style of competitive dance recognised by the IDSF. In this style,
multiple dancers (usually in couples and typically up to 16 dancers at one
time) compete on the same team, moving in and out of various formations
while dancing.
Elements of competition
In
competition ballroom, dancers are judged by diverse criteria such as poise,
the hold or frame, posture, musicality and expression, timing, body alignment
and shape, floor craft, foot and leg action, and presentation. The scorekeepers—called
scrutineers—will tally the total number recalls accumulated by each
couple through each round until the finals. When the Skating system
is used to place each couple by ordinals, typically 1–6, though the number of
couples in the final may vary. ≤≠″°—and bronze the lowest. In these
levels, moves are restricted to those written in syllabus, and illegal
moves can lead to disqualification. Each level, bronze, silver, and
gold, has different moves on their syllabus, increasing in difficulty. The elaborate
costumes are not allowed, as there are very strict clothing
restrictions. Jewels on costumes or hair can lead to disqualification.
There are three levels in the open category; novice, pre-champ, and
champ in increasing order of skill.
Dances
In
the United States and Canada, the American
Style (American Smooth and American Rhythm) also exists. The dance
technique used for both International and American styles is similar, but
International Ballroom allows only closed dance positions,
whereas American Smooth allows closed, open and separated dance
movements. International Latin and American Rhythm have different
styling, and have different dance figures in their respective
syllabi.
Other
dances sometimes placed under the umbrella "ballroom dance" include
Nightclub Dances such as Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, Nightclub
Two Step, ((Hustle, ((Salsa, and ((Merengue. In
Europe, Latin Swing dances include Argentine Tango, ((Mambo, Lindy Hop, Swing Boogie (sometimes also known as Nostalgic
Boogie), and Disco Fox. Ballroom/Smooth dances are normally
danced to Western music (often from the mid-twentieth century), and
couples dance counter-clockwise around a rectangular floor following the line
of dance. In competitions, competitors are costumed as would be appropriate
for a white tie affair, with full gowns for the ladies and bow
tie and tail coats for the men; though in American Smooth
it is now conventional for the men to abandon the tailsuit in favor of shorter (tuxedos, vests, and other creative outfits.)
Latin/Rhythm
dances are commonly danced to contemporary Latin American music and (in case of
Jive) Western music.
There
are ten international style ballroom dances, five standard (or modern) and fiveLatin:
ü
Standard: ((Waltz, Quickstep, Tango, Foxtrot,
Viennese waltz
ü
Latin: Cha-cha-cha,
Rumba, Samba, ((Jive, Paso doble
People
compete at many levels, but the basic division is between amateurs and
professionals. Then, amongst amateurs, there are age grades (British
regulations):
v
Juveniles, up to
12. Standard juvenile clothing is worn.
v
Juniors, up to 16.
v
Youth, up to 21.
v
Adult Amateur, 16
and over.
v
Seniors, 35+.
v
Over 45s.
Top
12 Ballroom Dances
The Cha Cha is a lively,
flirtatious ballroom dance full of passion and energy. The classic "Cuban
motion" gives the Cha Cha its unique style. Partners work together to
synchronize each movement in perfect alignment.
The Foxtrot is a
ballroom dance that is lots of fun and simple to learn...an excellent dance for
beginners. The Foxtrot is a smooth dance in which dancers make long, flowing
movements across the floor.
Jive is a ballroom dance
style that originated in the United States from African-Americans. It is a
lively form of Swing dance and
a variation of the Jitterbug.
The Lindy Hop is the
ballroom dance considered to be the father of all Swing dances. It is known for
its unique, athletic style, and often contains aerial jumps, twists, and flips.
The Mambo is one of the
most sensual and emotional Latin American ballroom dances. Swaying hip
movements, facial expressions,
arm movements and holds all add to the sensuality of the dance.
The Paso Doble is one of
the liveliest ballroom dances, originating in southern France. It is modelled
after the sound, drama, and movement of the Spanish bullfight.
The Quickstep is a quick
version of the Foxtrot. It is a ballroom dance comprised of extremely quick
stepping, syncopated feet rhythms, and runs of quick steps. The Quickstep is
exciting to watch, but among the most difficult of all the ballroom dances.
The Rumba is considered
by many to be the most romantic and sensual of all Latin ballroom dances.
It is often referred to as the "Grandfather of the Latin dances."
Possibly the most
popular of all Brazilian ballroom dances, the Samba is popular with young
people as well as older generations. The Samba can be performed solo or with a
partner.
The Tango is one of the
most fascinating of all ballroom dances. This sensual ballroom dance originated
in South America in the early twentieth century.
The Viennese Waltz is a
quick rotating ballroom dance with a subtle rise and fall. It is considered by
most to be one of the most difficult dances to learn. The simple and elegant
rotational movement characterizes the Viennese Waltz.
The Waltz is one of the
smoothest ballroom dances. It is a progressive dance marked by long, flowing
movements, continuous turns, and "rise and fall." The dance is so
graceful and elegant; Waltz dancers appear to glide around the floor with
almost no effort.
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