Standard Ballroom Dances

Lesson 1 Standard Ballroom Dances Brief History, Nature and Characteristics Standard ballroom dances are smooth, flowing ballroom dances that move around the entire dance floor in a counterclockwise movement. The international Standard and International Latin techniques were codified by the Imperial Society of Teacher of Dance (ISTD) to come up with a unified syllabus for all those interested in learning ballroom dancing. These includes Foxtrot, Waltz, Tango, and Quick Step.  Foxtrot  Was named after an American performer Harry Fox, which was premiered in 1914.  It is an elegant dance whose objective is to travel smoothly around the dance floor.  The time signature is 4/4 with the first and third beats accented.  “Slow” count = 2 beats. “Quick count = 1 beat.  Counting in beats and bars: 1 2 3 4, 2 2 3 4, 3 2 3 4, 4 2 3 4, etc.  Waltz  Was introduced in England in 1874 but it was in 1922 that it became as fashionable as Tango. Waltz’s steps have already undergone change and improvements as well and as a result of this, many more variations became possible. It is also considered by some as “mother of present-day dances” and the “backbone dance” of the ballroom.  It is a smooth, progressive dance that travels around the line of dance, characterized by its “rise and fall” action.  The time signature is 3/4 with the first beat accented.  Each step = 1 beat.  Counting in beats and bars: 1 2 3, 2 2 3, 3 2 3, 4 2 3, etc.  Tango  Was first danced in Europe before World War I. The word “tango” may be an African term for “closed space” or “reserved ground,” or it may be from the Latin verb tanguere which mean “to touch”. It originates from Buenos Aires (Argentina) where it was first danced in “Barrio de Las Rana”, the ghetto of Buenos Aires.  It is a sensual ballroom dance that originated in South America during the early 20th century.  The time signature is 2/4 with both beats accented.  “Slow” count = 1 beat. “Quick” count = 1/2 beat.  Counting in beats and bars: 1 2, 1 and 2, etc.  Quick Step  Was developed during World War I in New York and became popular in ballrooms. It has a common origin as that of the Foxtrot.  It is an up-and-down, rise-and-fall swinging motion performed at a fast pace. Music used is usually jazz or swing with a brisk tempo. It is little faster than brisk walking, although it seems much faster for beginners.  The time signature is 4/4 with the first and third beats accented.  “Slow” count = 2 beats. “Quick” count = 1 beat.  Counting in beats and bars: 1 2 3 4, 2 2 3 4, 3 2 3 4, 4 2 3 4, etc. Lesson 2 Latin Ballroom Dances Brief History, Nature and Characteristics Latin ballroom dances are energetic dances which reflect the shift in rhythm of the music being danced to. Latin dance has a rich cultural history rooted in the traditional dances of native peoples of Latin America. Formal Latin dances includes Cha-cha-cha, Jive, Samba and Rumba.  Cha-cha-cha  Is a newcomer in Latin American dances with origin only in the fifties and became popular shortly after mambo was introduced.  It is passionate, energetic, lively and a flirtatious dance.  The time signature is 4/4 with accented beat on the first and fourth of each bar.  Count 2 = 1 beat; Count 3 = 1 beat; Count 4 = half beat  Counting in beats and bars: 2 3 4 and 1, etc.   Jive  Was developed from the dance “jitterbug” from America. After the origination of the jive dance in the United States, it slowly spread to the European countries and in the United Kingdom.  A lively style of dance popular especially in the 1940s and 1950s, performed to swing music or rock and roll.  The time signature is 4/4 with accent on the first beat, second beat, and fourth beat of each bar.  Count 1 = 1 beat; Count 2 = 1 beat; Count 3 = 2/4 beat; Count a = ¼ beat; Count 4 = 1 beat  Counting in beats and bars: 1 2 3and4 5and6 etc.  Samba  It is one of the five international Latin dances developed in Brazil during the 19th century.  The basic footwork features fast, three-step weight changes with a slight knee lift, led with alternating feet. The basic rhythm is “quick”, quick, slow, and repeat.  The time signature is 2/4 with musical accent on the first beat and percussive accent on the second beat.  Counting rhythms: 1 and 2, 3 and 4, etc.  Rumba  It originates primarily from Cuba in the sixteenth century, which has its roots in African rhythms brought to America by the slaves.  Considered as the sexiest of the ballroom dances which tells the story of love and passion between a strong man and a teasing woman.  The time signature is 4/4 with an accent on the first beat and fourth beat of each bar.  Counting in beats: 2 3 4 1. Count 2 = 1 beat; Count 3 = 1 beat; Count 4 1 = 2 beats half beat.  Jive  was developed from the dance “jitterbug” from America.A dance style that originated in the United States from African-american in the early 1930s. it was popularized in 1934 by Cab Calloway. A lively and unhibited variation of Lindy Hop/ Jitterbug.  The time signature is 4/4 with accent on the first beat, second beat, and fourth beat of each bar.  Count 1 = 1 beat; Count 2 = 1 beat; Count 3 = 2/4 beat;  Count a = ¼ beat; Count 4 = 1 beat  Counting in beats and bars: 1 2 3and4 5and6 etc. HOLD AND BODY POSITIONS IN BALLROOM DANCING 1. Ballroom dancing is a formal social dancing for couples, where one person leads and the other follows the steps. It is popular both as a recreational (social) and competitive (dancesport) activity. The word “ball” is from the Latin word ballare, which means dance. 2. There are two main types of ballroom dance, the Standard and Latin. The following are its fundamental characteristics that make up ballroom dance/dancesports as a dance style:  Posture- enables a dancer to stand out on the floor, which shows sophistication and confidence.  Timing- dancing on time with the music.  Line- the stretching of the body.  Hold- the correct position of the body with the partner in closed position.  Poise- the stretch of the woman’s body upwards and outwards and leftwards into the man’s right arm to achieve balance and connection with his frame, as well as to project outwards to the audience.  Togetherness- dancing of two people as one on the dance floor.  Musicality and expression- the basic characterization of the dance with the particular music being played and the choreographic adherence to musical phrasings and accents.  Presentation- how the couple presents their dancing to the audience as well as the proper costuming and grooming.  Power- the energy that is controlled and not wild.  Foot and leg action- the use of lower extremities that creates balance, beauty and strength.  Shape- the combination of turn and sway to create a look or a position.  Lead and follow- the non-verbal communication of the man and lady through shape, visual, and body weight.  Floorcraft- the ability to avoid bumping into other couples and continue dancing without pause when boxed in.  Intangibles- how a couple “look” together in performing their dances. 3. Basic terminologies include the following:  Alignment- the position of the feet in relation to the room.  Footwork – refers to the part of the foot in contact with the floor.  Timing- the synchronization of actions with the beat of the music.  Line of dance (LOD) – the counter clockwise direction around the dance floor.  Wall- means the direction perpendicular to the LOD pointing towards the wall of the room (imaginary).  Center- means the direction perpendicular to the LOD pointing towards the center of the room.  Open facing position- a variation of open position where gentleman and lady stand apart, facing each other, usually with a one-or twohand connection.  Outside partner position- a variation of the closed position where the tracking of the gentleman and lady’s feet are slightly offset.  Promenade position- a V-shaped dance position where both gentleman and lady move forward and in the same direction, toward the open end of the “V”.  Closed position- the normal hold where couple stand facing each other in body contact slightly offset to the left. In Latin dances, couple stand few inches apart, either directly in front of each other or very slightly offset.  Open position- any dance position where a gentleman and a lady stand apart or slightly apart, without taking a closed position dance hold. Activity 1: Create an info graphic’s elaborating the main and subtopics of ballroom dancing as a social activity. (long bond paper printed) Example: