Ballroom
Classical
Competition
Freestyle
Latin |
The Ballroom Dances
The Waltz
The modern waltz was developed in the early part of the 20th
century and is played at a tempo of 30 bars per minute. The
basic figures are based on diagonal patterns producing a smooth,
easy progression around the dance floor. The modern waltz was
introduced at the first ever World Championships held in London
in 1922.
Usually the waltz is the first dance taught to beginners, as
it has a simple construction, regular, even changes of weight
and a slow tempo, ideally suited for people to gain confidence!
This dance is a great social dance and provides an ideal beginning
for people to listen to music and become more at ease on the
floor.
The Quickstep
The quickstep originates from the 1920s when it was developed
by people to interpret the more sophisticated up-tempo music
emerging at that time. A dance based on walks and chassés,
it has a tempo of 50 bars per minute. It is a bright and happy
dance that is also based on a diagonal pattern like the waltz.
The Tango
Ballroom tango has originated from the original tango, which
started in the slums in Argentina. For years it was seen as scandalous
to dance but gradually it was cleaned up and became socially
acceptable in Europe in the 1900s. It has a very different hold
from the other ballroom dances and projects an element of feline
stealth during the walks.
The Foxtrot
The foxtrot made its first appearance in the States
in 1914 and it was danced by the negro population
of New York for some time
before it was popularised by white America. The lilt of the new
foxtrot music was an overnight phenomenon and soon crossed over
into England. The arrival of jazz music also had a strong influence
on the foxtrot generating a new step called the jazz roll, which
developed into the Three-step. The true foxtrot needs a great deal
of space and on a crowded dance floor the slow rhythm is more acceptable.
The Viennese Waltz
The Viennese is rarely seen outside of the competition environment
and indeed is seen by many competitors as a dance of endurance!
The ideal tempo is 60 bars to the minute but the figures may be
danced to any waltz played between 44 and 64 bars per minute. |
