Archives: Dance Tales

Whether you a 5 years old or 85 years old…you can learn how to ballroom dance! Ballroom dancing is a great style of dancing for people..

We all have a story as why we started dancing. Whether it be for exercise, fun, or the thrill of learning something new…everyone’s reason

What an amazing weekend with our dance family! In fact, we had so much fun that we will be going back again later this year! Just in case.

Social dancing has evolved so much throughout the ages. WE have so far travelled throughout the Renaissance and Baroque era where we discovered that dancing was a sign of social standing. We especially see a huge trend happening in the early 1900s with the birth of ragtime music in the United States!

Ragtime music was a new type of rhythm to the social dance scene. Inspired by the African American community, “this new Black American syncopated music demanded more freedom in dance, a reaction against the restricted dances of the past that appealed to the younger generation.” With this new music came new dances. Dances like the Foxtrot, and the Cake Walk were born, but THE DANCE to dance to ragtime music was the Rag. This dance also known as the One-Step, was basically walking or trotting around to the beat of the music. The type of holds for these dances were starting to become a lot less poised and, at the time, seen as scandalous. “…dancers would flap their arms, shake their shoulders, bob their heads, hop or slide or stomp their feet, or wiggle their backsides. The elegant, erect posture of previous couple dances” had to give way.

As we enter the 1920’s, American Jazz was starting to take over and create another style of dance, the Charleston! The Charleston took the world by storm as the rise of public dance places like Cabarets, nightclubs, and speakeasies. The 20s were a time of growing leisure and excitement, and dance was KING! Another dance that was making a comeback during this time was the Tango. The new post-war version, the French tango, was more standardized so it made the dance easier to learn. This time of excitement was to be short lived and overshadowed by the Great Depression and the rise of film musicals in the 1930s.

During the time of the 1930s, people used social dancing as a way to cope with the hard times of the Great Depression. Dance Marathons, or “Dance till you drop” sessions, were becoming a fun way for desperate couples to earn prize money. Another big sensation were the film musicals starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. These films were keeping spirits lifted and dance floors full. During the late 30’s and into the 40’s, Big Band music was coming into the limelight, and thus, the Swing was born! Such dances as the Jive, Jitterbug, and Lindy Hop were becoming vastly popular throughout the world as our American GI’s travelled and danced around the globe while protecting our freedoms. Latin rhythms were also becoming very popular in Europe. Dance such as the rumba and samba, made popular again by the beautifully famous Carmen Miranda, were officially recognized by the Official Board of Ballroom Dancing.

As we ventured on into the 50’s, Rock n’ Roll music was starting to take over. The jive was still very popular along with new dances like the twist and were starting to become popular with the younger generation. The older generation still enjoyed dancing the rumba, samba, and now discovering new dances like the mambo and the Cha Cha Cha.

By the time we get to the 1960s on to the present, there are so many different styles of social dancing, its hard to name them all. From dances you can just do with your friends like the Hand Jive, the Swim, or the Watusi, to partnership dances such as the hustle for that disco fever and salsa for that spicy latin rhythm.

Dancing has been a part of us since the dawn of time. Whether times were tough or times were jovial, we have always found a reason to dance…and dancing is definitely much more fun when you are dancing with friends!

When you think about ballroom dancing you envision the beautiful dances of the Waltz and Foxtrot and dream of sultry ones like the Rumba and Cha-Cha, but which version of the dance are you picturing? DID YOU KNOW that there are two styles of all of these dances? To the untrained eye they may look the same, however, these two different styles of ballroom dance are vastly different. Here’s the gist…

Modern ballroom dancing comes in two major styles, American and International. American Style was developed by the major U.S. studio chains like Arthur Murray and Fred Astaire, designed to mimic the stage and screen dancing that was popular in the early part of the 20th Century. International Style was developed on the other side of the pond by the British, particularly through the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) and the International Dance Teachers’ Association (IDTA), with a much stricter syllabus and a competitive edge. While most of the Old World uses International Style exclusively, both styles are popular in the United States.
The best way to describe the difference in the two styles is thinking of them like different dialects. Though dance names can overlap between the two schools, the way they are executed is very different. From the technique to the timing, the speed of the music, the attire and even the attitude, each style has its own flair. It can be compared to the difference between American and British English…one sounding slow and relaxed, the other fast and more formal. The American School takes its cues from widely popular social dancing, whereas the International School is more designed for competition and exhibition, much like ballet and other classical forms of dance.

The American Style dances are grouped into the categories of Smooth (Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango & Viennese Waltz) & Rhythm (Cha-Cha, Rumba, Swing, Bolero, & Mambo). The International Style categorizes them into Standard (Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, & Quickstep) & Latin (Cha-Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble & Jive).
American Rhythm vs. International Latin:
Technique:

American Rhythm: The biggest difference between Rhythm & Latin is how we create our hip action. In Rhythm, dancers step onto a bent knee. The technique is designed to visually show the rhythm of the music. Basically, if you weren’t able to hear anything but watched someone dance the Mambo, you should be able to SEE the rhythm of the song through the leg and body action the couple is displaying. American Style Rhythm is also danced in a more open connection, bringing out the individual style and attitude of each dancer, which makes it fun to dance socially as well as in competition!

International Latin: In this style, hip action is created by stepping onto a straight leg. The technique is designed to show the stretch and length of the body while maintaining more control and connection between the partners. The International School is very strict on which figures dancers can perform, so there is not an open connection or “freestyling” like there is in Rhythm. The style of International is to showcase the dancers more as one couple on the floor and for them to flow in continuous motion together.

Attire:

Believe it or not, there is actually different attire worn for the different styles of dancing…from tip to toe. These differences help to emphasize the varying techniques of each school. However, the differences aren’t quite distinct and sometimes they’re hard to see. In most cases, you’ll probably be OK wearing a Latin dress for Rhythm, or vice versa, but there are a few subtle differences to keep in mind.

American Rhythm: Rhythm dresses are sometimes a bit more revealing than Latin dresses. The main reason being is we want to see those legs! Since American Rhythm dancing is shown through the body & knee action, the biggest thing we want to see is the body moving! So we shorten the skirts and add fringe to further showcase its movement. Ladies also tend to wear more of a flared heel vs. a stiletto style heel for shoes. This is to keep them more stable and to be able to push the foot into the ground, as the typical American Rhythm dance requires. For the men, the same attire is worn for either Rhythm or Latin dancing; typically, an easy breathing top (rhinestones or not), and a Cuban heel which is a little higher than a smooth or standard shoe. Both men and women’s heels are designed, regardless of Rhythm or Latin, to put you more onto the ball of your foot and your weight in the proper position.

International Latin: When it comes to attire, the women have more of a distinct change than men. For women, the dress is usually longer to showcase the length of the body. Since hip action occurs from movement onto a straight leg, you don’t need to worry about showing off your knees, or fabric or fringe getting in the way of your movement like you would in Rhythm. It may have an asymmetrical hem with one long side and one short side. As far as shoes are concerned, the unstable tapered heel style can have a significant impact on the posture of a dancer by tilting the pelvis and making the buttocks more prominent, forcing the abdomen in and pushing the chest out, putting them more forward to feel the connection from their partner.

Some people like to argue about which style is “better”, but it’s really about what YOU FEEL and how you want to express yourself. At International Ballroom Dance Studios we teach American & International Styles, so you don’t have to choose! Try them both and find out which “language” speaks to you!

Stay tuned for part 2 of this series on the differences between American Smooth and International Standard!

We have all heard someone say “Dance is not a sport.” The art of dance is beautiful and interpretive for sure. However, even with the grace, poise, and the beauty of the elaborate costumes, preparing for a competition or a showcase is very similar to how you prepare for any sport match or tournament. From the way you prepare yourself mentally and physically to the discipline and structure you set for yourself to prepare for each competition, you will find it to be similar to any other competitive sport you have done. Ballroom Dancing is a sport because it requires athleticism, practice, dedication and skill, and matches or outdoes in its competitiveness any other sport. 🎞

1) Physical: Lets face it…ballroom dancing is a full body workout. And just like any sport you want to get better in, you have to prepare your body and perfect your techniques to where you can adapt it to muscle memory. Think about playing golf, tennis, or even hockey; when you are striking the ball or the puck, you don’t just use your arms…you use your WHOLE body to get the greatest speed or distance. However, that doesn’t come naturally at first. You have to go out to the driving range, tennis court, or rink and practice your hit over and over until you gain consistency. However, in order to get really good, you may invest in getting a personal coach to help further develop your techniques so you don’t hurt yourself and make you even better! This, in turn, will help you not only commit the action to muscle memory, but will also continue to strengthen the more often you practice. The same exact practices go into your ballroom dance training. Your dance instructor helps you develop your techniques and helps you figure out how your body is supposed to move and what muscles work at what times to create the body action. And, just like any other sport, the more you practice it both in and outside the ballroom, the faster and more consistent your technique will improve and the less you will have to think about it.
2) Mental: The last thing you want to do when you participate in any sports tournament is to be in your head about what you are going to do to when you step up to play against your opponent. That is why you practice over and over to where you feel confident no matter who you are going up against and you can bring your best to the court! Now, people will argue and say that competitive ballroom dancing isn’t a sport because the people are actually smiling and seem energetic and excited. But THAT is a unique skill that trained dancers must learn for when they walk out onto the dance floor. We as ballroom dancers want every move to look effortless and smooth. That does NOT mean that we are exerting any less energy than any other sport. If anything, it matches or even exceeds the amount of energy of other sports. The women must look elegant and graceful and the men must look masculine yet move with the same fluidity and grace as the lady. And ON TOP OF THAT…we have to smile?! Talk about a lot of mental energy! So, what do we do? We practice every routine until it is ingrained in our brain and we can think about the character and emotion we want to portray for the judges on the dance floor!
3) Equipment: Every sport has specific equipment that is used. You may wear different shoes for golf than what you would wear for running track and field. You wear different protective wear for hockey than you would for baseball or football. You need to wear different uniforms for tennis than swimming…and ballroom dancing is no different. Sure, the ladies have flashy dresses and the gentlemen have suits on…but there is certain attire and shoes that are worn based on which style of dance you are competing in. A smooth dress and a rhythm dress are very different in looks and serve a different purpose. A closed toe shoe is worn for Waltz, Tango, and Foxtrot whereas an open toe sandal with a higher heel would be worn for Rumba, Cha Cha, and Swing. The gentleman may wear a nice dance suit for the smooth dances and wear something a little more relaxed looking for the rhythm dances. But NO ONE would ever go out there in just everyday clothes and dance their routines. In order to be successful, you must dress the part and have all of the necessary tools and equipment to do so. You would never catch a football player out on the field of a championship game with his street clothes on and no helmet…and you won’t catch a ballroom dancer on the competition floor without their glitz, glam, and poise.
4) Training: Athletes are CONSTANTLY training! When they aren’t on the field or the court, they are in the gym strengthening their body, eating healthy, or even scrimmaging to better themselves and be at their peak for each game. Some Olympic athletes even say all they do is eat, sleep, and train. In order to be the best at anything, you have to dedicate yourself and immerse yourself into what it is you want and push yourself to do better every time. Competitive ballroom training is no different. Ballroom dancers are constantly practicing both on and off the dance floor; whether it be in their head or actually moving through the routines. They take advantage of any coaches brought into the studio to get expert advice on how to better their dancing. They take multiple lessons a week to further strengthen their connection and partnership with their dance partner. The dedication it takes to become a great athlete and a ballroom dancer is no different; the more you want it, the more you have to work for it!
Dancers require skill, structure, and discipline, sweat, blood, and tears…dedication to their sport just like any other athlete…but the best part is…ballroom dancers look a whole lot better doing it!