Ballroom dance

Ballroom dance is a type of dancing that originated in social gatherings in Europe and the United States. It generally consists of partnered dances in which one person is designated to lead and the other to follow. These dances were not regarded as folk dances because the wealthy and upper class practiced them. Some ballroom dances are still practiced in social settings, although ballroom dance is best known in the twenty-first century as a competitive sport.

Ballroom dances include the fox-trot, polka, tango, and two-step. Many other dance styles, including disco and mambo, may, at times, be included in this category because they are also social dances.

Background

Ballroom dance originated in Europe. Some may have been adapted from folk dances. Members of the upper class were, at times, welcomed to court, meaning they were invited to the home of the monarch for social events. During the seventeenth century and into the eighteenth century, individuals were prohibited from turning their backs on their ruler. Dances at social gatherings such as balls were performed while facing the monarch.

Social events became slightly less formal during the nineteenth century, and allowed subjects to mingle at many gatherings without fear of having their backs to the throne. Other social events, called assemblies, involved smaller groups of friends and family at an individual's home. The polka and waltz were important and popular activities at assemblies and balls. These gatherings allowed young women and men to meet and learn about one another under strictly observed rules of etiquette. For example, men and women had to wait to be introduced by a mutual acquaintance or relative before they could speak to one another.

Women at an assembly or ball received an elegant booklet, called a dance card, on which the evening's dances were listed. A man would ask a woman for a dance—a waltz, for example—and if the woman agreed, she would record his name—or he might pencil himself in—next to the dance reserved for him on her dance card. The booklet, which often had a loop attached so she could wear it on her wrist, served as a souvenir of the event.

The popularity of various ballroom dances changed over time. While waltzes were consistently popular, orchestras might introduce dances from other cultures, such as the polka and mazurka from Poland. Some dances, such as the mazurka, could be performed in circles—groups of up to eight couples—or by single couple. Other dances were performed by lines of couples that enabled the dancers to encounter other partners as they moved through the steps.

Dancing was a vitally important skill. Young men and women attended balls and assemblies to meet potential marriage partners and prove they were socially skilled and poised. Marriage was an important social contract, and for centuries, a young woman's ability to find a suitable—and wealthy—husband determined the course of her life. From an early age, upper-class children learned dance steps and etiquette from relatives, friends, and teachers.

Dance teachers, or dance masters, became increasingly common during the late nineteenth century. Some dance schools were fashionable among the elite, and helped ensure students were learning to dance properly. A number of publishers created dance instruction manuals, in particular etiquette and self-help books; instruction books for those invited to dances; and ball-planning guidebooks to help the newly wealthy organize a successful debutante or social ball.

As society moved into the twentieth century, new dances emerged, and the accessibility of dance manuals and public dances enabled people of all social classes to learn and practice these steps. Skilled dancers were often hired to perform before an audience eager to learn the steps, and soon dance competitions were established. Public dance halls became increasingly popular with the public. In the United States, Prohibition temporarily slowed the rise in ballroom dance's popularity, but radio broadcasts and movie musicals spread the music. Coupled dancing was a mainstay of social interaction during the World War II (1939–45) era, but largely fell out of favor throughout the latter twentieth century, with some exceptions. Several dances, such as the waltz, remained traditions at wedding receptions and similar events.

Overview

Ballroom dancing is a popular competitive event in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. People of all age groups, from toddlers to senior citizens, take dance lessons and may compete at almost any age. Sequins, tuxedos, and glamorous hair and makeup are often standard elements of competition. In some events, multiple couples dance at once and are judged simultaneously. They may dance in heats or qualifying rounds. In each round, dancers perform four or five dances of about one and a half minutes each.

Standard competitive dances include those described as smooth or ballroom style, and Latin/rhythm style. The smooth dances are the modern and Viennese waltz, quickstep, slow fox-trot, and tango. Latin dances include the cha-cha, disco, merengue, paso doble, rumba/bolero, salsa/mambo, samba, and swing. Judges consider both the technical specifications of each dance—tempo, rhythm, and steps, for example—as well as the dancers' expressiveness.

The couple must maintain a position called the closed hold. In the closed hold, the dancers remain in contact in five places: three hand contacts, one elbow contact, and one chest contact. The hand contacts consist of the man's left hand holding the woman's right hand; the woman's left hand resting on the man's right upper arm (or, in the tango, behind the man's arm); and the man's right hand on the woman's back under her left shoulder blade. The elbow contact refers to the woman's left elbow resting on the man's right elbow, as both arms remain horizontal.

Ballroom dance's renewed popularity in the twenty-first century may be tied to popular culture. While it fell out of favor in movie musicals, ballroom dance has been featured in a number of documentaries, modern films, and television shows. The American show Dancing with the Stars, for example, is one of multiple versions of the 2004 British series Strictly Come Dancing. The competition, which began airing in the United States in 2005, features a rotating cast of professional dancers who are partnered with celebrities who may have little or no dance training. The professional dancers choreograph dances and teach their partners steps through multiple elimination episodes. Other television shows, such as America's Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance, have also featured ballroom dancers, including young children.

Bibliography

"Etiquette." A History of Social Dance in America, www.americanantiquarian.org/Exhibitions/Dance/etiquette.htm. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.

Garber, Megan. "The Enduring, Shiny Appeal of Dancing with the Stars." Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2015, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/03/the-enduring-shiny-appeal-of-dancing-with-the-stars/388030/. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.

"A History of the Development of Ballrooom Dancing in the U.K. 1918–1939." Wellington School of Dance, www.wellingtonschoolofdance.co.uk/a-history-of-the-development-of-ballroom-dancing-in-the-uk-1918-1939. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.

Mallenbaum, Carly. "Go Dancing with the (Young) Ballroom Stars." USA Today, 21 May 2014, www.usatoday.com/story/life/2014/05/20/dwts-ballroom-children/9332639/. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.

Schunn, Caitlin. "Everything You Need to Know about Ballroom Dance Competitions, as Seen on Dancing Queens." Bravo, 27 Apr. 2023, www.bravotv.com/the-daily-dish/what-is-ballroom-dancing-everything-to-know. Accessed 7 Feb. 2025.