Major Styles Of Ballroom Dancing
Ballroom dancing is one of the forms of elegant art with several styles that have been around for hundreds of years. Nowadays, ballroom dance continues to improve its popularity due to mainstream network TV shows, which showcase various dances such as Tango, FoxTrot, and Waltz. In this post, international standards for ballroom dancing are discussed. Moreover, various styles are detailed.
Styles
Waltz
This is the oldest ballroom dance style, which can be traced back to the early 1930s. In fact, it originated from the German folk dance called the Lander. Previously, it was known as Waltzer. Some historical books attribute the dance to Queen Elizabeth’s favorite dances. Nowadays, it is performed in various formal settings.
Tango
This is relatively younger as compared to Waltz. It has its origin in Argentina. This explains why it is commonly known as Argentine Tango. It has gained a lot of popularity from the 1900s. However, it is was common during the First World War. It is considered an exotic dance that started in the Ghetto. On the other hand, American Tango is well-structured with lots of similarities from the Argentine Tango. It has a lot of illustration on the way music should be interpreted.
The Swing
You should note that there are many styles of Swing dance. The east coast and west coast are the standard ones. This dance was popular in the 1920s. Although there are certain styles of swing dance that have evolved in different classes across the country, east coast swing remains to be a popular one.
Rhumba
This originates from various Cuban dances. In fact, it was common during the 2nd world war. You can notice the hip motion of this particular dance. This dance has stuck with Cuban roots for many years.
Cha Cha
This form
of dance has deep origins in West Indies. It is somehow attributed to a particular plant used to make Cha-Cha. This is a music instrument that is popular with Haitian bands. This form of dance came up as a dance style that moved along with Voodoo bands. It is highly related to Mambo, which has Latin origins. It was introduced to the US in the 1950s. Over the years, it has become a common ballroom dance.
FoxTrot
This is a very smooth ballroom style that uses an entire dance floor. It developed from dancing acts around 1914. It is a first dance where the partners danced to ragtime music and at a closer distance. Nowadays, it is a favorite dance at weddings.