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| So, what is ballroom dance? Well, in the broadest sense, ballroom dance may include nearly any style of partner dance, and in a more defined way, may just include dances such as Foxtrot & Waltz. So for my purposes, I prefer a broader definition with influences from the Ballroom dance organizational entities. However, I do on occasion follow my own path. Accordingly, the following is a summary of my dance preferences as it pertains to the various dance styles. In my view, there is a clear distinction between "Social Ballroom Dancing" and "Competitive Ballroom Dancing". In general, Ballroom dancing refers to a wide array for partner style dances, which are mostly danced in a social setting. In regards to Competitive Ballroom dances, although not as often danced socially, ironically these dance styles greatly influence the structure and content of the social dances. So for the more advanced dancer, I want you to look as though you could compete and win "Blue Ribbons", but my allegiance is more to social dancing. However, if you wish to compete, I can recommend a great coach... To further clarify (or complicate!?!), there are two distinct "styles" of Ballroom dance referred to as American Style and International Style. If I may generalize, American Style is easier to learn, more varied, and more "social", whereas International Style is more structured and technique oriented, thus more demanding (and difficult) to dance socially. In addition, within these styles there are two main categories. These categories are referred to as Smooth (American Style) or Standard (International Style), which include Foxtrot, Waltz, Tango, Quickstep, Viennese Waltz, and others. Rhythm (American Style) or Latin (International Style) styles include (Rumba, Cha Cha, Samba, Swing, and others). Each style has its plusses & minuses, and I have distinct preferences within each style. Although my expertise continues to evolve, my preferences for dance styles are as follows: American Style - As mentioned above American Style dances have many advantages socially. In general, they are easy to learn and in fact are often redundant between different dances. Socially, I really enjoy American Style Foxtrot, Waltz and Tango. These dances are very adaptable to a crowded dance floor and work well with a wide array of tempos. In addition, I am a fervent proponent of true American Style "Swing" dance. Swing dance takes many regional forms (East Coast, West Coast, Shag, Lindy Hop, and others...), but in essence this is "our dance". So, I am faithful to the origins of Swing dancing and accordingly incorporate many Lindy Hop (the original Swing dance) figures into my more advanced lessons and my personal dance routines. International Style - For International Style, I am particularly fond of Rumba, Cha Cha, and Samba in a social dance setting since these dances are more faithful to their Latin origins than their American Style counterparts. These dances are more difficult to learn than in American style, but are very appropriate socially and the extra effort is quite rewarding with a marvelous union with true Latin music. The International Standard dances (Waltz, Foxtrot, Quickstep, Viennese Waltz, Tango) are magical to dance, but difficult to do so socially, since they require lots of space and are less adaptable to a crowded dance floor. In regards to a foundation approach; the fundamentals for the Smooth/Standard dances are similar, and the fundamentals for the Rhythm or Latin dances are similar (with the exception of Swing, which rather stands alone...). So, if I may again generalize, learning American Style Foxtrot helps to learn Waltz and even Tango, while learning International Style Rumba helps with dancing Cha Cha, and even Mambo & Salsa. In addition, I believe learning ANY dance helps with nearly any other dance, in terms of musicality, rhythm, balance, weight transfer, etc. In conclusion, my goal is to enjoy dance at the social level. Accordingly, my approach crosses styles and conventions, which I believe offers the best opportunity for the social dancer. Bottom line - You will enjoy your dance experience with Dance Harmony! |
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