What Is History of Ballroom Dancing?
Probably you can clearly see a grand hall with handsome men and beautiful women dressed in flowing gowns gracefully waltzing on the dance floor. For steamy passionate night, one may perform the Tango and for those searching for some liveliness Fox trot would be appropriate.
Webster defines ballroom dancing as simply “Any of various, usually social dances in which couples perform set moves”. The word ball does not originate from the toy “ball†but from the Latin word “ballare†which means to dance. Interestingly, this is also the base word for ballerina and ballet.
In the late 18th and 19th century this form of dance is a craze among members of the upper class in England. This form of dance is not common among people of the working class until late 20th century. The Ballroom Dance Branch was set up by the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing with the sole purpose of standardizing the modern day 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. Make it a point to note that the word Latin America actually refers to the Latin and American styles, not just the South American countries.
Modern day ballroom dances do vary considerably in tempo, and rhythm and still they all consists of couples dancing closely together. Basically, there are five main points of contact between the couples. 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. Her right side of the chest will rest against his chest while her left elbow will touch his left elbow as they dance the night way. This posture dates back form the days of the European royal courts when royal couples and aristocrats dance gracefully during social gathering.
many years ago, the men danced while wearing their swords and this helps to explain why the strange right to right chest contact between the man and the women. This is also the obvious reason for the counter clockwise movement, that serves to prevent hitting any of the people watching as he dances past them. In Latin American dances, he postures varies from dance to dance. 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.
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment