Ballroom dance: the story on HearLore

Ballroom dance

The word ballroom dance derives from the Latin verb ballare, meaning to dance, yet its origins lie not in the grand halls of royalty but in the fields of the lower classes. In the 16th century, the term described a large room designed for social dancing, a stark contrast to the folk dances performed by peasants who were historically excluded from such gatherings. The first authoritative record of these dances appeared in 1588 when Jehan Tabourot, writing under the pen name Thoinot-Arbeau, published Orchésographie, a detailed study of late 16th-century French Renaissance social dance. This text described dances like the solemn basse danse and the livelier branle, pavane, and galliarde, the latter of which William Shakespeare referred to as the cinq pace because it consisted of five steps. By 1650, the Minuet had evolved from a peasant dance of Poitou to a courtly staple in Paris, set to music by Jean-Baptiste Lully and danced publicly by King Louis XIV. The King's patronage established the Minuet as the dominant ballroom dance until the close of the 18th century, creating a rigid social hierarchy that would eventually blur as the centuries turned. The formalization of dance technique began in the latter half of the 17th century when Louis XIV founded the Académie Royale de Musique et de Danse. It was here that specific rules for the execution of every dance were formulated for the first time, including the famous five positions of the feet. This institution marked the first definite cleavage between ballet and ballroom dancing, as professional dancers began to appear in ballets while the ballets themselves left the Court to go to the stage. Despite this separation, ballet technique such as the turned out positions of the feet lingered for over two centuries, persisting well past the end of the Victorian era. The evolution of these dances was not merely aesthetic but deeply tied to the social structures of the time, where the ability to dance a Minuet or a Galliard was a marker of status and privilege. As the 19th century approached, the waltz emerged as a revolutionary force, taking root in England around 1812. This dance introduced the modern hold, where a man held a woman close to his body, a practice initially met with tremendous opposition due to the semblance of impropriety associated with the closed hold. The dance gradually softened public perception, and by 1819, Carl Maria von Weber wrote Invitation to the Dance, marking the adoption of the waltz form into the sphere of absolute music. The 1840s saw the appearance of new dances like the polka, mazurka, and the Schottische, while a strong tendency emerged to drop all decorative steps such as entrechats and ronds de jambes that had found a place in the Quadrilles and other dances. This shift from decorative complexity to functional movement laid the groundwork for the modern ballroom styles that would emerge in the 20th century.

The Jazz Age Revolution

When did the first authoritative record of ballroom dance appear?

The first authoritative record of ballroom dance appeared in 1588 when Jehan Tabourot published Orchésographie under the pen name Thoinot-Arbeau. This text described late 16th-century French Renaissance social dances such as the basse danse, branle, pavane, and galliarde.

Who founded the Académie Royale de Musique et de Danse?

Louis XIV founded the Académie Royale de Musique et de Danse in the latter half of the 17th century. This institution formulated specific rules for dance execution for the first time, including the famous five positions of the feet.

When did the waltz emerge as a revolutionary force in ballroom dance?

The waltz emerged as a revolutionary force in ballroom dance around 1812 when it took root in England. This dance introduced the modern hold where a man held a woman close to his body, a practice initially met with tremendous opposition.

Which organizations regulate the International School of ballroom dance?

The International School of ballroom dance is regulated by the World Dance Council and the World DanceSport Federation. This school is prevalent everywhere except the United States and encompasses Standard and Latin categories.

When was the Cha Cha developed and by whom?

The Cha Cha was developed by Enrique Jorrín in the early 1950s as a slower alternative to Mambo. Originally called Triple Mambo, this flirtatious dance features many hip rotations and partners synchronizing their movements.

Where is the Blackpool Dance Festival hosted annually?

The Blackpool Dance Festival is hosted annually at Blackpool, England. This event is considered the most prestigious competition a dancesport competitor can attend and also holds an annual event for competitive formation dancing.

The Two Schools of Dance

The emergence of dance competition, now known as Dancesport, created two principal schools of ballroom dance that diverged in technique, regulation, and cultural acceptance. The International School, originally developed in England and now regulated by the World Dance Council and the World DanceSport Federation, is prevalent everywhere except the United States. It encompasses two categories, Standard and Latin, each consisting of five dances. The Standard category includes the International Waltz, International Tango, International Viennese Waltz, International Slow Foxtrot, and International Quickstep. The Latin category comprises the International Samba, International Cha Cha, International Rumba, International Paso Doble, and International Jive. A Standard or Latin competition encompasses all five dances in the respective category, while a Ten Dance competition includes all ten dances. The two styles, while differing in technique, rhythm, and costumes, exemplify core elements of ballroom dancing such as control and cohesiveness. In contrast, the American School, also called the North American School, is most common in the United States, where it is regulated by USA Dance, the respective national member of the WDSF. It also consists of two categories analogous to the Standard and Latin categories of the International School, respectively called Smooth and Rhythm. The Smooth category consists of only four dances: American Waltz, American Tango, American Foxtrot, and American Viennese Waltz, omitting the American Peabody, which is the American School equivalent to Quickstep. The dances selected for competition in the Rhythm category are American Cha Cha, American Rumba, American East Coast Swing, American Bolero, and American Mambo. A Smooth or Rhythm competition encompasses the dances in the respective category, and a Nine Dance competition encompassing all nine of these dances is analogous to the Ten Dance competition of the International School. USA Dance additionally recognizes American Peabody, American Merengue, American Paso Doble, American Samba, American West Coast Swing, American Polka, and American Hustle as ballroom dances in which sanctioned competition may take place. Dances of the two schools that bear the same name may differ considerably in permitted patterns, technique, and styling. For example, International foxtrot and American foxtrot are quite different though they have similar roots. In Canada, both International and American styles are danced, regulated by Canada Dancesport. Exhibitions and social situations that feature ballroom dancing also may include additional partner dances such as Lindy Hop, Night Club Two Step, Night Club Swing, Bachata, Country Two Step, and regional favorites that normally are not regarded as part of the ballroom family. Additionally, some sources regard Sequence Dancing, in pairs or other formations, to be a style of ballroom dance, further expanding the definition beyond the strict boundaries of the two main schools.

The Art of Competition

Competitions, sometimes referred to as dancesport, range from world championships regulated by the World Dance Council to less advanced dancers at various proficiency levels. Most competitions are divided into professional and amateur, though in the United States, pro-am competitions typically accompany professional competitions. The International Olympic Committee now recognizes competitive ballroom dance, having recognized the World DanceSport Federation as the sole representative body for dancesport in the Olympic Games. There are about 30 countries which compete regularly in international competitions, with another 20 or so countries having membership of the WDC and/or the WDSF, though their dancers rarely appear in international competitions. In Britain, the British Dance Council grants national and regional championship titles, such as the British Ballroom Championships, the British Sequence Championships, and the United Kingdom Championships. In the United States, the member branches of the WDC and the WDSF both grant national and regional championship titles. 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 recognized by the WDSF, where 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. The Blackpool Dance Festival also holds an annual event for competitive formation dancing. In competitive 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. Judging in a performance-oriented sport is inevitably subjective in nature, and controversy and complaints by competitors over judging placements are not uncommon. The scorekeepers, called scrutineers, tally the total number of 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 through 6, though the number of couples in the final may vary. Sometimes, up to 8 couples may be present on the floor during the finals. Competitors dance at different levels based on their ability and experience, split into two categories: syllabus and open. The syllabus levels are newcomer, pre-bronze, bronze, silver, and gold, with gold being the highest syllabus level and newcomer the lowest. In these levels, moves are restricted to those written in a syllabus, and illegal moves can lead to disqualification. Each level, bronze, silver, and gold, has different moves on their syllabus, increasing in difficulty. There are three levels in the open category: novice, pre-champ, and champ, in increasing order of skill. At those levels, dancers no longer have restrictions on their moves, so complex routines are more common.

The Ten Dances Defined

The Standard category of International ballroom dance includes the Waltz, which began as a country folk dance in Austria and Bavaria in the 17th century and was introduced in England in the early 19th century. It was the first dance where a man held a woman close to his body, and when performing the dance, the upper body is kept to the left throughout all figures. The follower's body leans to the right side of the leader while the head is extended left to follow the elbow. Figures with rotation have little rise, and the start of the rise begins slowly from the first count, peaks on the second count, and lowers slowly on the third. Sway is also used on the second step to make the step longer and also to slow down the momentum by bringing the feet together. The Viennese Waltz, recognized as the oldest of all ballroom dances, originated in the Provence area in France in 1559 and was introduced in England as German waltz in 1812. It became popular throughout the 19th century by the music of Josef and Johann Strauss, and its music is quite fast. The Tango originated in Buenos Aires in the late 19th century, and while modern Argentine tango is danced in both open and closed embraces, ballroom tango is a dance with a far more open frame, often utilizing strong and staccato movements. The Foxtrot is an American dance, believed to be of African-American origin, named by a vaudeville performer Harry Fox in 1914. The Quickstep is an English dance invented in the 1920s as a combination of the faster tempo of foxtrot and the Charleston, featuring walks, runs, chasses, and turns of the original foxtrot dance, with some other fast figures such as locks, hops, run, quick step, jump, and skips. The Latin category includes the Pasodoble, which originated from Spain and its dramatic bullfights. The dance is mostly performed only in competitions and rarely socially because of its many choreographic rules, with the lead playing the role of the matador while the follow takes the role of the matador's cape, the bull, or even the matador. The Spanish Bolero was developed in the late 18th century out of the seguidilla, and its popularization is attributed to court dancers such as Sebastián Cerezo. The Samba is the national dance of Brazil, with its rhythm and name originating from the language and culture of West African slaves. The Rumba came to the United States from Cuba in the 1920s and became a popular cabaret dance during prohibition, including Cuban motions through knee-strengthening, figure-eight hip rotation, and swiveling foot action. The Mambo was developed as an offshoot of danzón, the national dance of Cuba, in the late 1930s by Orestes López and his brother Cachao. The Cha Cha was developed by Enrique Jorrín in the early 1950s as a slower alternative to Mambo, originally called Triple Mambo, and is a flirtatious dance with many hip rotations and partners synchronizing their movements. The Jive is part of the swing dance group and is a very lively variation of the jitterbug, originating from African American clubs in the early 1940s and introduced in England by American soldiers during World War II.

The Collegiate and Social Scene

There is a part of the ballroom world dedicated to college students, where chapters are typically clubs or teams that have an interest in ballroom dancing. These teams hold fundraisers, social events, and ballroom dance lessons, with goals to have fun and learn to dance well. There is a strong focus on finding a compatible dance partner and bonding with teammates. There is also a competitive side to collegiate ballroom, where collegiate teams often hold competitions and invite other teams to participate. These competitions are often run with many of the same rules as regular amateur competitions as outlined above, but are usually organized entirely by collegiate teams. Examples include the MIT Open Ballroom Dance Competition, Big Apple Dancesport Challenge, Purdue Ballroom Classic, Cardinal Classic, Berkeley Classic, Helluva Dance Competition, and Harvard Invitational. The collegiate scene serves as a vital pipeline for new talent, fostering a community that balances academic life with the rigorous demands of competitive dancing. Beyond the competitive sphere, ballroom dancing is widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television, and in social situations that feature additional partner dances such as Lindy Hop, Night Club Two Step, Night Club Swing, Bachata, Country Two Step, and regional favorites. In Europe, Latin Swing dances include Argentine tango, mambo, Lindy Hop, swing boogie, and discofox. One example of this is the subcategory of Cajun dances that originated in Acadiana, with branches reaching both coasts of the United States. The categorization of dances as ballroom dances has always been fluid, with new dances or folk dances being added to or removed from the ballroom repertoire from time to time, so no list of subcategories or dances is any more than a description of current practices. There are other dances historically accepted as ballroom dances, and are revived via the vintage dance movement, ensuring that the art form remains dynamic and responsive to cultural shifts.