Ballroom dance may well conjure up some romantic images of beautiful women in flowing gowns dancing in the arms of tall handsome men in tuxedos. For a steamy passionate night, one may perform the Tango and for those searching for some liveliness, Fox trot would be appropriate.

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Online Ballroom Dancing Instruction

This definition by Webster of ballroom dancing - "any of various, usually social dances in which couples perform set moves" reveals that the nature of ballroom dancing encompasses a wide variety of moves. The phrase ballroom dancing has its root from the Latin word ballare which literally means to dance. This is the base for ballroom (a room for dancing), ballet (a dance), and ballerina (a dancer).

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries dancing was very popular among the upper classes of England. The working class really didn't catch fire with this form of activity until the early 20th century. Later the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing created a Ballroom Dance Branch, whose sole purpose is to create a standard for the modern day version of ballroom dancing.

There are five major moves that make up the modern day ballroom:

• the Waltz,
• the Viennese Waltz,
• the Slow Foxtrot,
• the Tango
• the Quickstep.

The Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, Cha-Cha and the Jive are some names that come to mind when you talk about American Latin ballroom dances. Latin America refers to Latin and America, and not in reference to any particular South American countries.

History of Ballroom Dancing

Ballroom dancing consists of couples moving in specific set of moves in predetermined rhythm and tempo, dancing closely together. There are five main points where the couples come in contact. Three points involve the hand, where his left hand holds her right and her left hand will be on the top of his right upper arm, and the Tango would need her hand to go hand his arm while other right hand will rest on her left shoulder blade. The other two points of contact are her left elbow resting on his right elbow and the right side of her chest touching the right side of his chest. This posture dates back form the days of the European royal courts when royal couples and aristocrats dance gracefully during social gathering.

This right side-to-right side contact of the closed hold may have originated from a time when men danced while wearing their swords, which were hung on their left sides. This would also explain the counter clockwise movement around the dance floor as the man would've stood on the inside of the circle so he wouldn't inadvertently hit any of the people watching the dancers with his sword as he danced past. In Latin American dances, he postures varies from dance to dance. The Latin American version of ballroom dance has been very much standardized for the purposes of teaching.

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