When the word ballroom dancing is mentioned, what are the images that come to mind? There is a variety of dance steps one can perform such as the slow Waltz right to the fast upbeat nature of the Fox Trot.

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 word ball actually comes from the Latin word “ballare” which means to dance. Obviously the word ballet and ballerina has the same origin.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries dancing was very popular among the upper classes of England. It is not common among people from the working class until the arrival of the 20th century. In the early 1920’s an association called the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing set up a Ballroom Branch with the purpose to standardize all forms of modern ballroom dance.

One can enjoy the elegance of Waltz, the passion of tango and the liveliness of the Quickstep, the slow Fox trot and the Viennese Waltz as forms of modern day ballroom dancing. Of course Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, Cha-Cha and the Jive are just some of the most popular American Latin ballroom dance to name a few. Make it a point to note that the word Latin America actually refers to the Latin and American styles, not just the South American countries.

The modern ballroom dances vary in tempo (beats per minute) and rhythm (structure), however, they all involve a couple dancing in a closed hold. There are five points of contacts between couples. There exists three main points of contact during the dance-her right hand holding his left, and her left resting on top of his right arm. The other points come in contact through elbows and chests which rests comfortably on each other as they glide through the dance floor. This elegant posture was used since the days of the European Royal Court.

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.