popularity of latin vs. ballroom

[black_light]

In the studio where I dance, most of the time and attention payed to latin dances. There are more latin classes, better teachers and more students.
I thought it was just us, but recently I've noticed that there are more videos and photos online of latin dancers and competitions.
Is it just me, or are the latin dances more popular than ballroom?

[White Chacha]

Skin sells?

;-)

[Spitfire]

Perhaps latin is more popular in your area?

[BM]

I think I have to agree with you. If I were to venture a guess, I would suppose that Latin is more "fun to watch" than ballroom to a non-ballroom dancer. When non-ballroom people decide to start dancing (particularly the youth and college crowd), they then choose to learn Latin/Rhythm before Standard/Smooth. Just my speculations. I have absolutely no proof of these ponderings!

Note: I love all styles. :)

[Sandcastles]

When non-ballroom people decide to start dancing ...... they then choose to learn Latin/Rhythm before Standard/Smooth.

When I first decided to take a dance class it was for two reasons... to have an alternate form of exercise and learn something I could go out to the clubs and do. So natural choice was Salsa. BUT, as it turns out, I rarely Salsa and have been studying International Latin for just over a year now. Then after attending studio dance outings and watching comps on PBS I find myself anxious to get going with International Standard. Eventually I hope to learn all the styles.

Latin may be what draws one in, but dancers seem to love dancing regardless of the style.

[anp73ga31]

I think people originally tend to go with whats faster, more exciting and requires less clothing. lol! That being said, some of us went specifically for the ballroom aspect, being more drawn to the slow elegance of a gorgeous waltz or foxtrot, or the light, happy fun of a quickstep. Its all about what you like I guess. I personally prefer the ballroom dances but love to do the latin dances at socials for fun.

Oh, also it may have something to do with the fact that you can use more modern music for the latin dances. (meaning when starting out of course, not later on when you can make a foxtrot and a tango out of a Nirvana dance, etc. lol!) Speaking of which, am I the only weirdo that envisions a nice standard foxtrot when I hear the Gwen Stefani song "The Sweet Escape"?

[Kitty]

I spend most of my time in practically a standard only studio... so I am all the time under the impression that standard is way more popular..

in addition, if you look at registrations/results from collegiate compatitions, you might find that a lot of the time standard is better attended than latin in the open levels (prechamp/champ).. that might mean that standard and latin are loved equally beyond the newcomer and bronze.. with standard often being slightly more popular...


besides, i guess anyone loving swing and salsa is automatically counted as belonging to the "latin" camp...
there is nothing similar in standard...

[Nik]

You must know the technique to really appretiate standard, so I think that most beginners or spectators like latin more and want to learn that because its eye catching and exciting. I remember a few years ago when I didn't dance ballroom yet, I couldn't watch it for a long time without getting bored because I didn't really understand. Now I can watch it for hours and actually see how much skill and control is required.

[anp73ga31]

it may have something to do with what level or style they see first as well. an American style bronze foxtrot done by beginners at a social, is very bouncy and walk-ey and awkward and not appealing at ALL. But a standard foxtrot, ala Jonathan and Katusha or Victor and Anna...sigh. That is simply gorgeous. However, while I can watch them in awe and marvel at how beautiful it is, my sister can look at the very same thing and be utterly and completely bored(and never want to give it the time of day to learn more about it). And she's not the only one. So I guess it really cant be generalized, as its all about a person's taste or what appeals to them. I dunno....

[Kitty]

However, while I can watch them in awe and marvel at how beautiful it is, my sister can look at the very same thing and be utterly and completely bored(and never want to give it the time of day to learn more about it). And she's not the only one. So I guess it really cant be generalized, as its all about a person's taste or what appeals to them. I dunno....

does your sister like watching quickstep or tango?

[dTas]

i think its like enjoying wine... first you learn to drink the sweet wines and then as you appreciate wine more you turn to the reds.

same goes for dance... first you start with swing/salsa and move up to the latin/rhythms but as you appreciate dance more you move on to the standard/smooth.

but keep in mind that some never get past a simple can of beer.

[fascination]

methinks you have just stirred up a serious can of worms...and not just amongst the ruinite drinkers

[kimV6]

I think I have to agree with you. If I were to venture a guess, I would suppose that Latin is more "fun to watch" than ballroom to a non-ballroom dancer. When non-ballroom people decide to start dancing (particularly the youth and college crowd), they then choose to learn Latin/Rhythm before Standard/Smooth. Just my speculations. I have absolutely no proof of these ponderings!

Note: I love all styles. :)


actually, from my experience, most college crowd (myself included) are attracted by the idea of dancing in eneral, some for latin, some for standard (i always wanted to learn how to tango after watching true lies... which in retrospect is just heinous). because of this, a lot of people in college compete ten dance (or even nineteen dance :tongue:) for quite some time until they hit the point where one becomes more fun than the other (and just for the record, i picked standard/smooth).
another big reason that i feel that latin may seem more popular than ballroom is that when you learn latin, you learn the basics which you can do pretty much everywhere whereas when you learn standard, you have to learn the alignments of the room as well. latin and standard, at least in the way i learned it, differ in that latin is taught by figures that can be danced by themselves (theoretically you could do the basic cha-cha movement, alemana, etc. over and over and be dancing), whereas standard almost has to be taught in a routine based manner. you couldn't very well just do natural turns over and over if you wanted to move, you have to be taught a sequence of basics and their alignments. as such, i think that people are just often taught latin and rhythm first because they are easily accessible at the basic level (this is also the reason why american foxtrot and american tango are usually taught before their international counterparts)
so i would say overall, that different people are attracted to different things, and that the way that each style is taught contributes to the way things seem.

[quixotedlm]

i think its like enjoying wine... first you learn to drink the sweet wines and then as you appreciate wine more you turn to the reds.

but keep in mind that some never get past a simple can of beer.

re latin dances - are you calling them being like a great cup of wondorously sweet wine or like a cheap can of beer? decide wisely... :rolleyes:

[noobster]

What's this about beer being simple? Obviously someone's never had a good microbrew. :rolleyes: (Cans, though. Those are just sacrilege.)

[waltzgirl]

In the studio where I dance, most of the time and attention payed to latin dances. There are more latin classes, better teachers and more students.
I thought it was just us, but recently I've noticed that there are more videos and photos online of latin dancers and competitions.
Is it just me, or are the latin dances more popular than ballroom?

Could it have something to do with the teachers? If there are more teachers who specialize in latin in your studio, they will tend to prefer teaching latin. And if they are better teachers, they will tend to attract more students.

[pinkcaddy]

I've noticed this too - an overabundance of latin teachers, and few smooth.

Although I live in south TX now, so that could be why. But even when I taught in Ohio, there seemed to always be more interest in the latin. I feel it's related to the sexy/fun nature of the dances, and newbies tend to like the flash and sass more than the standard. JMO

[black_light]

Could it have something to do with the teachers? If there are more teachers who specialize in latin in your studio, they will tend to prefer teaching latin. And if they are better teachers, they will tend to attract more students.

Yep, that has a lot to do with it, and the timing of the classes is less convenient as well.
I really want to learn standard the way it should be learned, but I can attend only one class a week, and there's not much you can learn that way... :(
(especially comparing to the 4 latin classes per week I attend).

[black_light]

You must know the technique to really appretiate standard, so I think that most beginners or spectators like latin more and want to learn that because its eye catching and exciting. I remember a few years ago when I didn't dance ballroom yet, I couldn't watch it for a long time without getting bored because I didn't really understand. Now I can watch it for hours and actually see how much skill and control is required.

I know what you mean! I'm still getting bored, but the more I learn, the more interesting it gets to watch the videos. :) Wish I could learn more in a given time..

[anp73ga31]

does your sister like watching quickstep or tango?
nope...she doesnt like anything about ballroom but does like latin. I personally like it all (though standard/smooth is my favorite and is originally why I wanted to learn to dance) so I think she has a screw loose. ;)

on a side note, most studios down here teach smooth and rhythm instead of standard and latin. though I can appreciate all styles, I really wish there was more variety in what was taught.

[elisedance]

methinks you have just stirred up a serious can of worms...and not just amongst the ruinite drinkers

Did you mean to spell it that way - ruinite - as an oenophile, I can't imagine a better way.... :)

[anp73ga31]

actually, from my experience, most college crowd (myself included) are attracted by the idea of dancing in eneral, some for latin, some for standard (i always wanted to learn how to tango after watching true lies... which in retrospect is just heinous). because of this, a lot of people in college compete ten dance (or even nineteen dance :tongue:) for quite some time until they hit the point where one becomes more fun than the other (and just for the record, i picked standard/smooth).
another big reason that i feel that latin may seem more popular than ballroom is that when you learn latin, you learn the basics which you can do pretty much everywhere whereas when you learn standard, you have to learn the alignments of the room as well. latin and standard, at least in the way i learned it, differ in that latin is taught by figures that can be danced by themselves (theoretically you could do the basic cha-cha movement, alemana, etc. over and over and be dancing), whereas standard almost has to be taught in a routine based manner. you couldn't very well just do natural turns over and over if you wanted to move, you have to be taught a sequence of basics and their alignments. as such, i think that people are just often taught latin and rhythm first because they are easily accessible at the basic level (this is also the reason why american foxtrot and american tango are usually taught before their international counterparts)
so i would say overall, that different people are attracted to different things, and that the way that each style is taught contributes to the way things seem.

great post :)

[samina]

Did you mean to spell it that way - ruinite - as an oenophile, I can't imagine a better way.... :)

lmao... i'll second that! :mrgreen:

[samina]

What's this about beer being simple? Obviously someone's never had a good microbrew. :rolleyes: (Cans, though. Those are just sacrilege.)

or fine dessert wine... ;)

[Joe]

Muscatel?

[dTas]

that's why i said "CAN" of beer

i love desert wines but you have to admit that the flavors aren't as complex as a merlot.

[samina]

Muscatel?


mmmmmmm:cool:... a dash of that in some veuve cliquot... fab...

[samina]

i love desert wines but you have to admit that the flavors aren't as complex as a merlot.

come to my place & i'll happily introduce you to some dessert wines that could kick a decent merlot's butt.... lol...

[dTas]

come to my place & i'll happily introduce you to some dessert wines that could kick a decent merlot's butt.... lol...

and there are some latin dancers out there that can kick a standard dancers butt. :)

[quixotedlm]

and there are some latin dancers out there that can kick a standard dancers butt. :)

love that thought ;)

[DennisBeach]

I think it depends on were you are. Here ballroom dancing is the fastest growing dance category.

[Joe]

and there are some latin dancers out there that can kick a standard dancers butt. :)
And there are some standard dancers that would rather just watch a latin dancer's butt...

[anp73ga31]

And there are some standard dancers that would rather just watch a latin dancer's butt...

I will admit to falling into that category! :D

[samina]

lmao... ::raising hand::...

[fascination]

And there are some standard dancers that would rather just watch a latin dancer's butt...
:oops: yea but I only love the dancers who wear tailsuits

[standardgirl]

It seems like yonger crowds are more towards latin than standard. When looking at partner search website as well as local dancers, I would have no problem (or a lot less of a problem) finding a latin partner locally. However, I have had no luck finding a standard partner within a 150 miles radius......

The only 2 possible male standard dancers (about 120 miles from me) are both in their late 30s. One already has a partner and the other refuse to even have a tryout b/c apparently I am too young for him :confused:

Anyhow, there are still young people like me who is deeply in love with standard ;)

[Katushka]

Do you really have big problems with partners, what you looking for them in 150 miles radius???

[standardgirl]

Do you really have big problems with partners, what you looking for them in 150 miles radius???

There is basically no one within 150 radius (aka, 2 hours driving) who is either a social standard dancer my age (in which case, I would be willing to take the time and train with the guy, I dance Gold/Prechamp), or those who is older and in about the same competition level as me (other than those 2 people I mentioned I above).

On the other hand, there are at least 5 to 10 competitive latin dancers in my area, all around my age......and that's not including those slightly older and those social latin dancers.

There is actually a fairly decent college team about 2 hrs from me. I have been there, but unfortunately, the entire team is focused on latin and rhythm. There is only one gold/prechamp couple there and they are in a relationship. Not even a silver standard male there......:(

[Katarzyna]

If you dont live in New york or california... or maybe a town with some college teams, I think it's hard in the US to get any partner... it's not as popular here as in Russia.. Even my partner couldnt find a girl for couple years in Atlanta.. and than he moved to New York...

[standardgirl]

If you dont live in New york or california... or maybe a town with some college teams, I think it's hard in the US to get any partner... it's not as popular here as in Russia.. Even my partner couldnt find a girl for couple years in Atlanta.. and than he moved to New York...

yeah, and what really pissed me off is that there is this one guy who is dancing in the exact same standard and latin level as me (which is very uncommon due to the big gaps btwn my standard and latin) and yet he refused to even have a tryout......he doesn't even know me! The excuse was age difference and distance (120 miles).

[fascination]

It seems like yonger crowds are more towards latin than standard. When looking at partner search website as well as local dancers, I would have no problem (or a lot less of a problem) finding a latin partner locally. However, I have had no luck finding a standard partner within a 150 miles radius......

The only 2 possible male standard dancers (about 120 miles from me) are both in their late 30s. One already has a partner and the other refuse to even have a tryout b/c apparently I am too young for him :confused:

Anyhow, there are still young people like me who is deeply in love with standard ;)
well, send those old codgers MY WAY

[tanya_the_dancer]

Do you really have big problems with partners, that you looking for them in 150 miles radius???

Once you move away from NYC, the distances get bigger. I drive 70 miles one way for my lessons (about an hour). And apparently even with St. Louis being a big city, it looks like it is still hard to find a partner there, because some dancers from there placed a "partner wanted" ad in our town (120 miles).

[waltzgirl]

yeah, and what really pissed me off is that there is this one guy who is dancing in the exact same standard and latin level as me (which is very uncommon due to the big gaps btwn my standard and latin) and yet he refused to even have a tryout......he doesn't even know me! The excuse was age difference and distance (120 miles).

Then he doesn't really want a partner. I think sometimes people say they want a partner but really only if it's the "perfect" partner they have in their heads, which is never going to happen.

The other possibility is that he's really looking for more than a dance partnership (in which case maybe he's to be commended for not going for someone so much younger).

[anp73ga31]

:oops: yea but I only love the dancers who wear tailsuits

tailsuits make most any man drool-worthy...

[anp73ga31]

Even my partner couldnt find a girl for couple years in Atlanta.. and than he moved to New York...

oh yeah, its hard to find am dancers in Atlanta who want to do comps and are under 60, thats for sure... :sad:

[latingal]

tailsuits make most any man drool-worthy...

agreed.

[anp73ga31]

The other possibility is that he's really looking for more than a dance partnership.

I found that that was the case on most of the dance partner websites when I tried them last year....some of the guys that got on there didn't even bother to pretend they could dance!! The rest indicated or at least hinted that they didnt want just a dance partner...

[standardgirl]

Then he doesn't really want a partner. I think sometimes people say they want a partner but really only if it's the "perfect" partner they have in their heads, which is never going to happen.

The other possibility is that he's really looking for more than a dance partnership (in which case maybe he's to be commended for not going for someone so much younger).


Maybe you are right, at least that makes me feel slightly better. I kept on questioning about him since he is "active" on the search website (aka, his last login time has always been pretty recent), so I kept on thinking that he really wanted a partner and just hasn't found one......maybe he really wanted something more than just a partner. ;)

oh well......btw, when I was in NYC, I had a partner and found him from a partner search website. :)

[waltzguy]

I definitely think the younger crowd like latin over standard. I'm an exception! I love standard. A well-executed standard waltz is absolutely enchanting.

I have another theory. Younger people also tend to like fast-tempo dances, so cha cha seemingly is always a favorite among young beginners. Whereas, the fast-tempo smooth or standard dances usually are never taught at the beginner level (eg. VW or Q/S). So, in the beginner's eye, smooth is often associated with all slow dances (eg. waltz, foxtrot, or tango), and may seem less exciting.

Just look at Dance Dance Revolution (the video game). It's all about fast paced and stepping, which seems to be more in line with rythm, not smooth/standard. When was the last time you saw a 30+ person play this video game?

One more, the proper standard/smooth technique involves body contact, something uncomfortable for many.

[waltzguy]

also see this thread:
http://www.dance-forums.com/showthread.php?t=17134

[icequeen]

I have another theory. Younger people also tend to like fast-tempo dances, so cha cha seemingly is always a favorite among young beginners. Whereas, the fast-tempo smooth or standard dances usually are never taught at the beginner level (eg. VW or Q/S). So, in the beginner's eye, smooth is often associated with all slow dances (eg. waltz, foxtrot, or tango), and may seem less exciting.


I agree. Where I am, the age demographic of most social dancers is older (40+), and there are quite a few smooth dancers. The college circuit, on the other hand, is dominated by rhythm. One problem (for me, who prefers standard and latin) seems to be that smooth and rhythm are really popular to the point that few people social dance the "internationa" styles. I wonder if this varies by part of the country (I'm in the midwest)?

[RIdancer82]

I agree. Where I am, the age demographic of most social dancers is older (40+), and there are quite a few smooth dancers. The college circuit, on the other hand, is dominated by rhythm. One problem (for me, who prefers standard and latin) seems to be that smooth and rhythm are really popular to the point that few people social dance the "internationa" styles. I wonder if this varies by part of the country (I'm in the midwest)?

I am always amazed by how many social dancers in Rhode Island don't even know that International style exists.

[tanya_the_dancer]

I am always amazed by how many social dancers in Rhode Island don't even know that International style exists.

When I first started dancing, I did not know that there are different styles. So when the teacher at the group class at SUNY SB said that she teaches American style, I just assumed that this is just the way dancing is commonly taught in US (since I was fairly new to US as well at that point) and didn't ask any questions if there are other styles. By the time I found out that there is also international style, I probably had a couple of years of group classes.

[kimV6]

I agree. Where I am, the age demographic of most social dancers is older (40+), and there are quite a few smooth dancers. The college circuit, on the other hand, is dominated by rhythm. One problem (for me, who prefers standard and latin) seems to be that smooth and rhythm are really popular to the point that few people social dance the "internationa" styles. I wonder if this varies by part of the country (I'm in the midwest)?

I am always amazed by how many social dancers in Rhode Island don't even know that International style exists.

that's funny that you guys should say that. here in DC, at the college night socials that i know of, international style is pretty much what is danced socially. in fact, when i go to competitions elsewhere, i'm really surprised to see that there are studios/colleges that teach exclusively american (a fact that is reinforced by the registration numbers that are typical of college competitions, where smooth/rhythm are half the number of standard/latin).
moreover, my dance partner's from rhode island, and while we do smooth for fun at competitions, standard is still our stuff. so i giggled at that.

[waltzguy]

in the northeast, social dances are predominantly american style. when I/we dance international standard, we usually get a lot of looks

[SlowDancer]

in the northeast, social dances are predominantly american style. when I/we dance international standard, we usually get a lot of looks

Ditto for the south. Only rarely do you see anyone dance international style socially here.

[Chris Stratton]

in the northeast, social dances are predominantly american style. when I/we dance international standard, we usually get a lot of looks

Anywhere you go that isn't under the influence of a local competition tradition, or an imported ballroom tradition, that's going to be true.

You find international style as a dominant social form only in settings where you have a lot of current or ex-competitors, or where both the teachers and the students are imported (parts of NYC, for example chinatown & Flushing) and have no reason to conform to american studio traditions.

That said, the northeast probably has the highest concentration of these settings of anywhere in the country!