It’s impossible to say exactly when early men and women first started dancing, but it is reasonable to say that we probably have been doing it ever since we were able to. The 9,000 year old Bhimbetka cave paintings in India depict the earliest dancing images we have. It wasn’t modern ballroom dancing back then, but it was the beginnings of what has become modern dance.
Ballroom dancing is known as social dancing. It has its origins in the 16th century balls held by the upper classes. The word “ball” comes from the Latin “ballare,” meaning “to dance.” It has no connection with a round inflated object used in games.
Social dancing is broadly defined as dancing that involves a couple who are in direct contact with each other. The twist craze of the early 1960s where each partner stood and danced alone without touching the other is often said to mark the first break from social dancing.
Modern ballroom dancing has many and varied dances and styles. The five dances normally part of ballroom dancing are: the tango, the slow foxtrot, the quickstep, the modern waltz and the Viennese waltz.
Waltzing in Vienna wasn’t always seen as a simple and healthy pursuit. A pamphlet published in 1797 that considered waltzing to be an immoral practice declared: “… waltzing is a main source of weakness of the body and mind of our generation.” That view apart, most people now see waltzing in any form to be a popular and completely acceptable stable of modern ballroom dancing.
Those who are into modern ballroom dancing are rarely satisfied with their performances. They are constantly trying to improve their moves, to loosen their sweeps and twirls to make the whole routine a smoother, more sophisticated, elegant and more sublime experience.
This is how it becomes a life long challenge, for as long as health and fitness allows, they continue to tweak a move here and tighten up one there. The end result gets them closer and closer to perfection while never actually achieving it. Perhaps that is the allure of ballroom dancing; the ultimate prize may never be achievable, but there’s a lot of fun and satisfaction in the attempt to get there.
For those who have never had the pleasure of stepping on to a ballroom floor, to go where the music leads and to be caught up in the heady intoxication of the dance, it may all seem a little daunting. This shouldn’t be so for there are many clubs and organisations throughout the length and breadth of the United Kingdom where you can learn at your leisure. Lots of people have already done so and many more will follow them.
Weekend breaks where modern ballroom dancing is the focus are plentiful too. You will be made to feel welcome, even if you think you have two left feet. It’s all about having fun and trying your best. Then when you start to get the hang of it you’ll discover that dancing in a ballroom, with perhaps the dazzle of lights from a mirror ball, becomes something more than a habit. It becomes a challenge that never gets boring. At that point you are hooked, and glad to be too!
Caron J Rose
If you fancy getting into ballroom dancing consider a ballroom dance holiday, it’s a great way to learn to ballroom dance.
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