Just what is a ballroom dance?

[pygmalion]

Street Latin medals? Huh? Things must be different here. can anyone clarify? Are you talking about the one dance exams, like the ones administered by the ISTD?

 

[Sagitta]

Saggita, here in Australia, Argentine Tango is considered Street Latin, which also includes Salsa, Merengue and Jive and Rock 'n Roll for some odd reason, probably the same reason Jive is lumped into Latin.

I can definitely see how Argentine Tango, salsa and merengue would be considered Street Latin, BUT Jive and Rock 'n Roll....? Jive cannot be ballroom jive, but the modern jive that is popular in Europe, and that can be danced to any music that is relatively fast, with a 4/4 count, so latin muisc could ba danced to it. Am I correct? Then does Rock 'n Roll refer to latin pop/rock music?

At the latin club I go to it is a lot of fun watching the dramatically different styles of the good dancers. I can see how it would be a lot of fun watching street latin competitions.

 

[DancingMommy]

And lest we forget the American Smooth alternative to Quickstep..... The Peabody! Although I've *never* seen it danced and I've only heard of it by way of my old dance albums from the 50s (and of course the regulation syllabi).

Is Peabody still danced anymore and if so where? :lol:

 

[DanceMentor]

It's pretty much a gold level dance taught at franchise studios for the most part. To give you an idea, it is very much like a travelling, smooth merengue (one step to every beat at a fast tempo).

Oh...and welcome to the forums, DancingMommy!

 

[pygmalion]

And it has a sort of bouncy appearance to it. I've seen ads for a couple dance camps in upstate New York where Peabody is taught. It's a way fun dance, and so, so fast. It reaminds me a lot of quickstep, actually -- just not as smooth.

 

[Blondie]

How non-dancers view the term "ballroom"

Whenever I mention to non-dancing friends that I compete in ballroom dancing, they always respond with "Oh that's nice. Such nice slow dances." They're thinking primarily of slow waltzes until I fill them in. I start talking about the rhythm and Latin dances that are included, as well as the others that have been mentioned in this forum (smooth and standard). Anyway, I've found a common perception that ballroom dancing means slow waltzes and nothing else. As a serious competitor, I take it to mean smooth, standard, rhythm, and Latin dances.

 

[Sagitta]

Welcome to the forums Blondie!! I agree that many people think waltz when you say "ballroom dance". We are very happy to have another experienced ballroom dancer join our forums, and participate in our discussions. I look forward to seeing you around.

 

[dancin_feet]

The studio I go to has their syllabus split up thus:

Ballroom / Latin
Tango, Waltz, Foxtrot, Cha Cha, Rumba, Swing, Triple Swing (similar to Jive)

South American
Merengue, Argentine Tango, Samba, Salsa, Mambo, Lambada

South American would probably therefore be classed more as street latin and the ballroom / latin is more the ballroom style (if that makes sense), though in competitions samba is considered latin.

Depends on your perspective, I guess.

 

[GGinrhinestones]

Re-awakening an old thread...

So, I have six definitions for the term "ballroom" (in somewhat increasing specificity). Any others out there?

1. All-inclusive term for any partner dancing typically taught in a ballroom studio
2. Any of the American style (nine-dance) or International style (ten-dance) competitive dances.
3. Any of the American Smooth or International Standard dances.
4. International Standard (five) dances.
5. A dance studio specializing in ballroom dances.
6. The location of ballroom dance competitions.

Okay, I realize it's unfair to use the defined term in the definition, but we dancers do it all the time. I've heard all of the various definitions above at random points in time. Any that I missed?

 

[ViviDancer]

Well, in my country, our context of Ballroom Dances are the 10 international ballroom dances. 5 standard, 5 latin. Waltz, Tango, Slow Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz, Quickstep and Cha Cha, Rumba, Samba, Jive, Paso Doble. However, barely anybody teaches smooth or swing here, so that's what we have come to consider Ballroom Dances.

But I guess different people will have different perceptions of what is a "ballroom" dance. Just like how social dances are different everywhere. Here, socially, we do rhythm, argentine tango, salsa, disco rock (a simple version of rock & roll), rock & roll and bachata.

 

[tangotime]

Re-awakening an old thread...


1. All-inclusive term for any partner dancing typically taught in a ballroom studio

I just re read the posts and there are some interesting conclusions ( T/Arg.. street dance ) I suppose in its broadest sense ALL latin dances were originally " street ".. the term that connotes indigenous.

Back when in A/M. ,there were dances in the Syl.mainly at Gold level that did not survive the advancement of music style changes..like.. Guaracha, Balboa , Peabody... and heres 2 that got lost.. Sambuco and Calypso.( even Twist and Pachanga made it onto a list ) .The 3 that still remain in some form as a partnership dance outside the syl...Guaracha, Balboa and Peabody . And in Salsa, solo Pachanga moves are somewhat common .


All "misfits" if you will, in most peoples ideas of B/room dancing, they are all very indicative of an era.They, with 2 exceptions, would fit into the Rhythm/Latin category

As to the word " Ballroom ", it was initially used to make it a distinctive formalised method of learning. In real terms ? a place where " Balls " were held .

The " Split " seemed inevitable when new Latin rhythms became part of the Syl. in the 50s , when the term of Standard started to emerge in the 80/90s the remainder became Latin .

The Latin/Rhythm side of things ,has grown to huge proportions with the advent of new dances

 

[opendoor]

As to the word " Ballroom ", it was initially used to make it a distinctive formalised method of learning. In real terms ? a place where " Balls " were held..

Interesting aspect, you mean that what now is taught in dance studios or dance schools (interchangeable with BR) and follows a standardized syllabus once started dolled up right before the ball as a taster course in the dance hall?

Instead of that street and club variants of the same dances, that were taught where the fat really was on fire (or that were not taught at all, cause already kids had cut their teeth on it).

So it´s not a question of the dances, styles, and numbers, but a question of the didactics and above all a question of the venue.

So folk and country dances are those dances that you learn by doing on local feasts,
firemen´s balls, and family celebrations in the country.

Only Tango de Salón (which is not a ballroom style) may be a exception, although salón and ballroom seem to be the same for me. But, the Tango de Salón craze in the Golden Age may also been an upper class phenomenon, instead of the confiteria and quilombo tango in the said barrios.

 

[duffypratt]

A ballroom is a room where balls are held. What's a ball? It comes from the french word "bal," which in turn derives from Latin "ballare" which means "to dance." Thus, "ballroom dance" seems oddly redundant.

The traditional ballroom dances are not the smooth dances mentioned here. Rather, they are the Minuet, the Gavotte, the Courante, the Musette, etc... Waltz, which is probably the oldest of the dances we still practice, was at first considered scandalous and indecent, largely because of the closed position.

I guess what I'm getting at is that it's probably foolish to ask for some "official" definition of the term. In many ways, the term is already anachronistic and it carries a great deal of historical baggage. It seems pointless now to try to pigeonhole ballroom dances to modern Dancesport. A ballroom dance is anything that people would dance at a ball. Once upon a time, that was the Minuet and other courtly dances. Among poorer people, it might have been the Landler. In Argentina, it's Tango. And in junior high schools and at proms across the country its the sweetheart shuffle and the white man's overbite (well maybe that's stretching it too far).

 

[GGinrhinestones]

I guess what I'm getting at is that it's probably foolish to ask for some "official" definition of the term. In many ways, the term is already anachronistic and it carries a great deal of historical baggage. It seems pointless now to try to pigeonhole ballroom dances to modern Dancesport.

I think it is impossible in any case to come up with a single "official" definition, just a working definition based on context. I'm just curious how many common definitions we have in the ballroom world today. In an historical context, I don't think pretty much any of the commonly used definitions today would apply...but that is the beauty of English, it's a constantly evolving language. Hence, so many definitions for one seemingly simple word.

And welcome to DF!

And in junior high schools and at proms across the country its the sweetheart shuffle and the white man's overbite (well maybe that's stretching it too far).

This would definitely be a definition I haven't heard yet.

 

[tangotime]

A ballroom is a room where balls are held. What's a ball? It comes from the french word "bal," which in turn derives from Latin "ballare" which means "to dance." Thus, "ballroom dance" seems oddly redundant.

Tautology.. just like River Avon ( river river ) there are numerous e.g. for rivers and mountains .