Ballroom, Latin, Social styles of dancing at Star Dance School Boston




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BALLROOM DANCING:

Dances and Styles we teach at Star Dance School

Dance Lesson Free in Boston MA - First Private Ballroom Dance Lesson

COMPETITIVE BALLROOM DANCING,
or DANCESPORT:

SOCIAL DANCING:

Social Ballroom Dancing is usually a partner dancing, and suitable for dancing in informal
atmosphere of night clubs, bars, and social events. Social dances are fun to dance, easy to learn,
and easy to lead and follow. All dances in the competitive dancing styles and categories are
danced socially as well. In addition, Salsa , Bachata , Merengue, and Hustle are very popular social
dances, and can be danced with a variety of partners in a relaxed, easy, enjoyable atmosphere.

Competitive Ballroom Dancing, or Dancesport, is ballroom dancing with an emphasis on a
competition, where multiple dance couples of the similar dancing level are given a chance
to show their skills, and are compared and judged by a quality of their dancing.
Ballroom Dance Competitions are held all over the world, including USA, for dancers of all
ages and levels, from juniors to seniors, and from beginners to professionals.
A unique combination of an art and a sport, competitive ballroom dancing, along with it's
elegance, beauty, and style, demands high levels of strength, stamina and flexibility, and
requires serious physical training.
Dancesport was developed in England, and refers to the International Standard, or
Modern, and International Latin- American dancing styles. In the United States and
Canada, competitive ballroom dancing comes in two major styles, American style and
International style. American style came to existence in the beginning of 20th century, in
the Arthur Murray and Fred Astaire US studio chains ,and is popular mainly in North
America. International dancing style was developed by the British Imperial Society of
Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) and the International Dance Teachers' Association (IDTA), and
is danced just about everywhere in the world, including the US.
Each style consists of two relatively similar dance categories. In American style, the
categories are called Smooth and Rhythm, and in International style they are called
Standard, or Modern, and Latin.
Here's the breakdown of the dances, by style and category and the abbreviations used for
each dance in dancesport competitions:

American Style (the ISTD's syllabus)
Smooth:
Waltz (W), Tango (T), Foxtrot (F), Viennese Waltz (VW)
Rhythm:
Cha Cha Cha (C), Rumba (R), East Coast Swing (Sw), Bolero (B), Mambo (Ma)

International Style (the ISTD's and IDTA's syllabus)
Standard:
Waltz (W), Tango (T), Viennese Waltz (VW), Foxtrot (F), Quickstep (Q)
Latin:
Cha Cha Cha (C), Samba (S), Rumba (R), Paso Doble (PD), Jive (J)

Ballroom Dance Competitions range from world championships, regulated by the World
Dance Council (WDC), to newcomers, or beginner dancers, at various proficiency levels.
Most competitions are divided into professional, amateur, and pro-am, or student-teacher.