History of Ballroom

Finding out about the History of Ballroom is your first step --------

Dancing first began many thousands of years ago - because dancing is one of the most instinctive of all human activities.

Early Ballroom Dancers

The 20th century gave us the Waltz, Tango, Quickstep, Foxtrot, Rumba and Rock 'n' Roll.

The formation of the "Official Board of Ballroom Dancing" was formed in 1929 - later it was re-named - "The British Dance Council".

This committee established rules for dance competitions and gave us the definitions of 'amateur' and 'professional' for such events.
"Ballroom Dancing" comes from the word ball - originating from a Latin word ballare meaning - To Dance.

In the USA ballroom was greatly influenced, in the early 20th century by dancing duo Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Ballroom involves 2 people - a "leader" and a "follower".

When dancing they have physical contact via their upper or lower bodies or sometimes their arms - depending on the type of dance they are performing.

Dances are expressions of feelings and emotions.

Ballroom dances are performed in a position called a Closed Hold. It is one of the more stricter and limiting styles of dance - limiting the range of dance steps and the movement of the body, however it can be, when performed correctly, one of the best styles for expressing certain feelings between the couple dancing.

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