Ballroom dance pertains to types of social dances that call for 2 people to dance in concert to a few standard steps. Ballroom dance comes from the word ‘ball’ (early 18th century social events frequented by the high class people that in turn comes from the Latin word ‘ballare’ with the meaning ‘to dance’. The basic ballroom dance forms can be separated into Viennese Waltz, Modern Waltz, Slow Foxtrot, Tango, Quickstep and the assorted forms of Latin Dances.
Ballroom dance has its beginnings in England, sometime between the late 18th century and early 19th century, and was performed by the elite classes of society in balls and parties. By degrees over time and during the nineteenth century, ballroom dance became a fad among the working classes and bourgeois who participated in social dance events. In the 1920’s, ballroom contests grew in popularity which led to the establishment of the Ballroom Branch of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing in 1924 that carried the vision to standardize the steps, music, and technique of ballroom dance. Currently ballroom dance is practiced in Europe, the Asian-Pacific and The Americas too. Official ballroom dance competitions referred to as DanceSport are generally available for ballroom exponents with assorted levels of skill.
The different ballroom dance types come from varied backgrounds and bear singular aesthetics, beats, methods and paces. In spite of these conflicts, all ballroom dance types do share like traits. Carried out by a couple (generally by a male and a female, these dances call for them to execute a set pattern which is prominently referred to as the ‘Close Hold’. This position requires the two people to maintain five areas of contact – three hand contact points wherein the man’s left hand holds the woman's right hand, the woman’s left hand is positioned on the man's right upper arm and the man's right hand is placed below the left shoulder blade on the woman's back; one elbow contact point wherein the woman's left elbow is placed on the man's right elbow and both arms are maintained in a horizontal line contributing to the ease of movement; one chest contact point wherein the right area of the chest of the man touches the right area of the woman contributing to the expression of feelings and emotions between the two.
In closing, ballroom dance is an activity that is once again gaining in popularity and will probably never die away given the expressions of love, delight and pain that can be shared by couple when they perform.
