2: Dance Styles

Ballroom Dancing
A Beginner's Guide
Part 2

What to Expect from this Series

Have you ever wanted to try ballroom dancing but needed to know where to start? 

Well, this is the place to begin if you want to learn. This series of articles is your gateway to the joy of partner dance! We explore, from a newcomer's eyes, that wonderful world of movement, partnership, and music. We aim to give you a good foundation of knowledge to start your dance journey and experience the sheer delight of ballroom dancing.

The number of dance styles in ballroom dancing can be confounding, not to mention the confusing terminology or how to make sense of it all. This series will clarify things for you and answer (we hope) most of your questions. We should note that this series is for those wanting to social dance—and perhaps eventually compete even—it is not geared towards one-time learning like those wishing to do a choreographed dance at their wedding, for example. 

Delve into the mesmerizing world of ballroom dancing with this comprehensive series of articles designed to guide beginners through the exhilarating realm of partner dancing. From decoding the intricate dance styles and terminology to unraveling the nuances of selecting the perfect dance shoes, these articles provide a detailed and immersive introduction to the captivating art of ballroom dancing. As you master each dance style, you'll feel a sense of accomplishment that will keep you motivated, whether your interest lies in social dancing or you aspire to compete professionally.

What is Ballroom Dancing

In common contemporary usage, ballroom dancing equates to partner dancing. Thus, any situation where two people dance together to music in a particular dance style can be called ballroom dancing. This definition only sometimes translates among some practitioners of specific dance styles. 

There are many ways to categorize ballroom dances—some even defy categorization. However, for now, and for simplicity, we divide partner dancing into roughly three families of styles: traveling dances, Rhythmic dances, and Nightclub or Social dances.

Traveling Dances

Traveling dances are danced in a circuit—usually counter-clockwise—around the dance floor. These are many and varied. For example, the Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Quickstep, Polka, Mazurka, etc. These are typically danced in a closed-hold position.

The direction of travel in ballroom dancing goes counter-clockwise on the dance floor, called the Line of Dance (LOD). Dances that adhere to this rule are considered "traveling" dances. There are other dances that travel around the floor (the Samba is a good example) but are not required to adhere to this rule—although most dancers follow the LOD convention—and therefore are not considered "traveling" dances.
 

Rhythmic Dances

Rhythmic dances are typically danced in fixed or defined areas, although some move greater distances than others. In terms of distance, they cover things similar to traveling dances, like the Samba or the Paso Doble. In ballroom dancing, we generally equate Rhythmic Dances with Latin-style music. Dances in this category tend to have a strong Latin beat, like the ChaCha, Rumba, Mambo, and Salsa. Though the dances differ in character, we lump them under the "Rhythmic" umbrella.

Nightclub or Social

The third category is the Nightclub, Social, or simply "Club" dances. These are Dances that one usually finds in Nightclubs and similar venues. Dances in this category are generally danced on tiny floors in very tight quarters. Salsa, Mambo, Nightclub 2 Step, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, and Lindy come to mind. Argentine Tango can fit into the Club or the Traveling Category, depending on who you are talking to.
 

What's next?

Now that you understand these categories, you know what to expect when visiting specific venues or studios. The dances offered in dance places will depend on the floor's size and the organizer's preferences. Larger ballrooms can host Traveling, Rhythmic, and Night Club dances. In contrast, smaller venues will focus on the more intimate dancing offered by the Rhythmic and Night Club dances.

1 Note that rhythmic dances do not necessarily have a Latin flavor to the music or its beat—for example, the Jive.

This series is an expanded version of sections discussed in Master Ballroom Dance Technique, Volume 2, Partner Technique, by Robert Cura and posted with permission of the author.