Module 6: Ballroom Dancing: LEARNING OUTCOME: at The End of The Chapter, The Learner Will Be Able To

MODULE 6: BALLROOM DANCING

The term ballroom dancing was originally applied to the dances commonly done in a ballroom. The type of dance
depended of course on the period under consideration. For example the eighteenth century was primarily the time of
open couple dances, particularly the slow and stately minuet.

In France the minuet and other count dances were killed by the French Revolution, Even in England, the minuet suffered
a gradual decline by the end of eighteenth century.

The nineteenth witnessed rapid changes in dancing styles. The minuet disappeared in the early of the century.
Dancing has played an important role in the cultures of many societies throughout history. Much of the history of
ballroom dancing has involved social gathering, dances and balls, at which dancing was particularly important as a means
of enabling young people to meet each other, with the hope that they might meet their future husband or wife.
Ballroom dancing is a world of class, tradition and passion. There is a great history behind ballroom dancing both
competitively and recreationally speaking. Ball is derived from the Latin word "ballare" which means to dance.
LEARNING OUTCOME: at the end of the chapter, the learner will be able to:
1. Recognize the basic steps in ballroom dancing or dance sports.

2. Create a simple routine using basic dance steps learned.
3. Present a ballroom dance routine that will promote fitness and develop total well-being.
TYPES OF BALLROOM DANCING
MODERN STANDARD/CLOSED HOLD DANCE
o WALTZ began as a country folk dance in Austria and Bavaria in the 17th century. In the early 19th century it was
introduced in England. It was the first dance where a man held a woman close to his body. When performing the
dance, the upper body is kept to the left throughout all figures, follow's body leaves the right side of the lead
while the head is extended to follow the elbow. Figures with rotation have little rise. The start of the rise begins
slowly from the first count, peaks on the 2nd count and lowers slowly on the 3rd.
o VIENNESE WALTZ originated in Provence area in France in 1559 and is recognized as the oldest of all ballroom
dances. It was introduced in England as German waltz in 1812 and became popular throughout the 19th century
by the music of Josef and Johann Strauss. It is often referred to as the classic “old-school” ballroom. Viennese
Waltz music is quite fast. Slight shaping of the body moves towards the inside of the turn and shaping forward
and up to lengthen the opposite side from direction. Reverse turn is used to travel down long side and is
overturned. While natural turn is used to travel short side and is under turned to go around the corners.
o TANGO originated in Buenos Aires in the late 19th century. Modern Argentine tango is danced in both open and
closed embraces which focuses on the lead and follow moving in harmony of the tango's passionate charging
music. The tango's technique is like walking to the music while keeping feet grounded and allowing ankles and
knees to brush against one another during each step taken. Tango is a flat-footed dance and unlike the other
dances, has no rise and fall. Body weight is kept over the toes and the connection is held between the dancers in
the hips.
o FOXTROT is an American dance, believed to be of African-American origin. It was named by a vaudeville
performer Harry Fox in 1914. Fox was rapidly trotting step to ragtime music. The dance therefore was originally
named as the “Fox’s trot”. The foxtrot can be danced at slow, medium, or fast tempos depending on the speed of
the jazz or big band music. The partners are facing one another and frame rotates from one side to another,
changing direction after a measure.
o QUICKSTEP is an English dance and was invented in the 1920s as a combination of faster tempo of foxtrot and
the Charleston. It is a fast moving dance, so men are allowed to close their feet and the couples move in short
syncopated steps. Quickstep includes the walks, runs, chase's, and turns of the original foxtrot dance, with some
other fast figures such as locks, hops, run, quick step, jump and skips.
THE LATIN AMERICAN DANCE
o SAMBA is the national dance of Brazil. The rhythm of samba and its name originated from the language and
culture of West African slaves. In 1905, samba became known to other countries during an exhibition in Paris
o CHA CHA (sometimes wrongly called Cha Cha Cha based on a "street version" of the dance with shifted timing)
was developed by Enrique Jorrín in the early 1950s, as a slower alternative to Mambo and, in fact, was originally
called Triple Mambo. The Cha Cha is a flirtatious dance with many hip rotations and partners synchronizing their
movements. The dance includes bending and straightening of the knee giving it a touch of Cuban motion. Cha-
cha is performed for both International Latin and American Rhythm.
o RHUMBA came to the United States from Cuba in the 1920s and became a popular cabaret dance during
prohibition. Rhumba is a ballroom adaptation of son cubano and bolero (the Cuban genre) and, despite its name,
it rarely included elements of Cuban rumba. It includes Cuban motions through knee-strengthening, figure-eight
hip rotation, and swiveling foot action. An important characteristic of rhumba is the powerful and direct lead
achieved through the ball of the foot.
o PASODOBLE originated from Spain and its dramatic bullfights. The dance is mostly performed only in
competitions and rarely socially because of its many choreographic rules. The lead plays the role of the matador
while the follow takes the role of the matador's cape, the bull, or even the matador. The chassez cape refers to
the lead using the follow to turn them as if they are the cape, and the apel is when the lead stomps their foot to
get the bull's attention.
o JIVE is part of the swing dance group and is a very lively variation of the jitterbug. Jive originated from African
American clubs in the early 1940s. During World War II, American soldiers introduced the jive in England where it
was adapted to today's competitive jive. In jive, the man leads the dance while the woman encourages the man
to ask them to dance. It is danced to big band music, and some technique is taken from salsa, swing and tango.

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MODULE 6: BALLROOM DANCING

1. Recognize the basic steps in ballroom dancing or dance sports.

TYPES OF BALLROOM DANCING

MODERN STANDARD/CLOSED HOLD DANCE

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