While watching ballroom dancers gracefully sway to the beat of various tunes ranging from waltz and tango to foxtrot and quickstep, have you ever wondered when these modern standard ballroom dances conquered the dance floor?
The term ‘ballroom’ denotes a room where balls or formal social dances are normally held. Before radio and television came into our lives, balls were considered important social events. It came from the Latin word ‘balare,’ which means ‘to dance,’ which later gave birth to other modern words such as ballerina, ballet, and ballad, to name just a few.
At present, the figures in modern ballroom dances now follow a standard category for various teaching levels. It now has international standards in terms of vocabulary, techniques, tempos, and rhythms.
Standard ballroom dances have various origins, tempos, rhythms, and aesthetics but share one thing: they are normally danced by a couple (male and female) in ‘closed hold’ position. Ballroom dances maintain five areas of contact between the couple as they perform all dance figures.
In the closed ballroom hold, the woman’s upper arms are held both horizontally by the man who also maintains a suitable placement of both his hands and arms. This not only makes the lady comfortable while following the man’s lead but also gives the couple a semblance of regal appearance. This stance characterizes western European dances found in modern ballroom dances in Europe’s royal courts.
The first record of a dance following the three quarters rhythm is a peasant dance held in the Provence area of France in 1559 using the ‘volta,’ a piece of folk music that means ‘to turn’ in Italian. Thus, dance in its earliest days involves the couple turning while dancing.
The waltz is performed to music with three beats to one bar. If a step is taken on each beat, each bar starts with the opposite foot with that of the previous bar. This may be difficult for a beginner but looks relatively easy when mastered with delightful romantic tilts every now and then.
So when you see a couple gyrating on the dance floor with such ease and grace, you know what their predecessors might have looked like while dancing to the same beat.
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