The Art of Ballroom Dancing

Derived from the Latin word ballare, which means to dance, ballroom dancing is performed by a pair with one person leading the other. There are five main styles of ballroom dancing: Slow Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Quickstep, Slow Foxtrot and Tango. Latin dance variations that are also categorized as ballroom include the Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble and Jive.Slow Waltz or Boston Waltz is a romantic dance performed in closed position in ¾ music time. Characterized by smooth floor glides and pendulum swing body action, this is a slow dance in which the pair moves as one.



The waltz is danced at 90 beats per minute while its fast-paced whirling version, the Viennese Waltz, is danced at about 180 beats a minute.Invented by vaudeville actor Harry Fox in 1914 in New York City, the Foxtrot was a fast dance that involved stagger slow-slow-quick-quick steps. It was the most popular fast dance until the 1940s,, Ballroom Dancing Products, when it gradually split into Slow Foxtrot and Quickstep variations. A difficult yet versatile ballroom dance, Slow Foxtrot works perfectly with a wide range of music styles and tempo.



Originally performed by Caribbean and African dancers, the Quickstep is a fast-moving upbeat dance comprising of hops, runs, turns and chasses or three-step glide patterns. Complex light footwork is essential to doing the famous "Running Right Turn", "V6", and "Fishtail" quick steps.Intense, provocative, sultry, sexy - the Tango is the most passionate of all ballroom dances characterized by staccato steps and sharp head turns.Also known as Latin Waltz, the Rumba is danced on a spot rather than all over the floor, emphasizing body movements instead of footwork.



It's a well-choreographed rhythm dance with an element, Ballroom Dancing Products, of "tease and run" between man and woman.Cheeky and carefree, the Cha Cha is a ballroom dance with triple step movements danced in between two rock beat movements. Compared to its predecessor, the Mambo, Cha Cha music is slower and the rhythm is less complicated.Jive is a lively variation of the swing dance. Its basic patterns are similar to the popular Lindy Hop and Big Band Swing movements characterized by jumps, kicks and energetic jazz moves.

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Getting The Most From Ballroom Dancing Lessons

Like so many things in life, you get out of ballroom dancing lessons what you put into them. Simply showing up at your lessons is not enough. The time and energy you spend between lessons as well as during the actual lesson will can make a great difference in the results you achieve. Following are some tips on how to maximize your dance lesson experience. By approaching your lessons in a consistent, well thought-out manner, you will progress quickly towards your ballroom dancing goals. If you have invested your time, energy and money in ballroom dance lessons, it is worthwhile to take steps to maximize your outcome.



Before you even begin your dance lessons, you should spend some quality time considering what it is you want to get out of them. By having clear goals, you can then work towards achieving them. Too many people come into dance lessons without having given much thought towards what it is they really want to get out of them. Your dance goals should be formed with your instructor. Letting him or her know what you are trying to accomplish will enable them to provide you with the instruction you need.



When your lessons begin, it is important that you have the right mindset for each and every lesson. You should be well rested and focused for your lessons. Coming in tired and distracted, Ballroom Dancing Products, will not make for a positive learning experience. You need to take good care of your body if you want to dance, because it is a physical activity. You also need to be able to put aside any problems of the day and focus on the task at hand. Maintaining that focus and concentrating throughout the lesson can be a large determining factor in your achieving your goals.



It is a good idea to come to your dance lessons at least fifteen minutes early. This will allow you to get yourself focused, warm up and practice some of last week's steps before the lesson starts. By the time the lesson begins, you will be fully prepared and ready to make the most of it.As you progress in your dance lessons, it is important not to get ahead of yourself too quickly. The best dancers keep their minds open to new information and know that there are always things they can learn to do better.



Remember that your instructor is an expert and let them teach you. When the instructor demonstrates a new pattern or concept, let them finish it before you attempt it. If you do not understand something, speak up. Chances are, others in the class did not understand it either. When the instructor asks questions, answer. This allows you to be more actively engaged in the learning process.After each class, it is a good idea to take down notes of what was covered in that class. Doing this immediately after you finish, when everything is still fresh in your mind, can be a valuable tool to progressing towards your goals.



The time you spend between classes can be as valuable as the time during class. In addition to going over your notes, you can use time between classes to practice on your own. It does not require very much space. Simply practice a sequence using smaller steps. Even visualizing the steps will be helpful later. You could use the time while you are standing in line at the grocery store to run through a sequence of steps. Much of the time that is lost in each dance lesson is spent re-learning what was taught the week before and forgotten.



It is up to the students to minimize this.Another way to take advantage of the time between classes is to listen to your dance music. By listening to the music you dance to regularly, you will develop a better sense of its rhythm. In turn, you will be able to dance better. When you listen to it, pay attention to the beats. Count them out and visualize yourself moving to beats.As your dancing improves you may want to expand, Ballroom Dancing Products, on your dance program. Taking different classes with different instructors can help you grow and expand.

Competitive Ballroom Dancing

Competitive Ballroom Dancing is a highly competitive sport that is a lot of fun and great for your fitness. There are competitions happening all over Australia almost every weekend with people from almost ever age group involved.Ballroom Dancing Competitions are held throughout Australia in capital cities and regional center's throughout the year. They are great spectacles of the skill that is involved with Ballroom Dancing. Dancers compete in three styles, over 5 grades in 6 different age groups.



This means that whoever you are, no matter experienced you are, there is a competition for you.There are three different styles that couples compete in during Ballroom Dancing competitions, these are Modern Ballroom, Latin American and New Vogue. Latin is the most popular of these forms, especially with the younger couples and is the most fiercely competitive, with many couples only competing in this style. In the different styles there are 5 grades. You begin at level 1 and work your way through to level 5 by winning at different competitions, there is also an Open level where dancers from different levels compete against each other.



There are also 6 different age levels for dancers, Juvenile, Junior, Youth, Adult, Masters 1 and Masters 2. All of this means that you are only competing against people of your own age and skill level, in the styles that you want. If you aren't sure if competition is your thing, you can start off with individual events where you dance with a more experienced dancer in only one or two dances.Competitive Ballroom Dancers compete in high quality events and because of this they need to be fit and prepared for competitions.



Dancers train almost every day and for several hours per session perfecting their routines and techniques, they also have several private lessons with their coaches during the week. A lot of work also goes into their outfits with a lot of time and money being spent of dresses, shoes and outfits as every dancer wants to look their best.If you are interested in going, Ballroom Dancing Products, along or getting involved with competitions go along to your local studio and ask for some information or check out the Dancesport Australia website.



There are Ballroom Dancing Competitions held throughout Australia and they are great spectacles, especially events such as the Queensland Open, South pacific Championships, World Super Stars at Jupiter's on the Gold Coast and the Australian Championships held every year in Melbourne, there will be a competition for you no matter who you are or where you are from. Go along and have a look, you are sure to enjoy competitive Ballroom Dancing.This article is copyrighted. Please feel free to use it in its entirety including copyright information.

Modern Ballroom Dancing, the Life Long Challenge That Never Gets Boring

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, Ballroom Dancing Products, 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, Ballroom Dancing Products, 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.

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.

Dance for Fitness - Why the Ballroom Beats The Treadmill

Dancing can get your heart pumping as well as a treadmill but it will do even more, especially if you get out on a dance floor rather than going to a hip-hop, salsa or other dance-style aerobics class in a gym. In addition to toning muscles and staying in shape aerobically, ballroom dancers of all skill levels report feeling less stressed, having a more positive outlook on, Ballroom Dancing Products, life, sleeping better, being more flexible, having more energy, being more alert mentally, and getting along better with other people.



And you don't have to dance with the stars, become competitive or go through a dance boot camp to benefit."People forget how much fun it is to go out and move to music with other people," says Judy Gantz, founder and director, Ballroom Dancing Products, of the Center for Movement Education and Research in Los Angeles and a faculty member at the University of California Los Angeles; "And dance requires somewhat complex coordination so it enhances your brain."Researchers Identify Surprising BenefitsAt the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY, researchers examined how exercise influences the risk of dementia by tracking 469 people over the age of 75 for a period of 5 years.



They found that dancing was associated with a lower risk of dementia, while swimming, bicycling, participating in group exercises, playing team games such as bowling, walking for exercise, climbing stairs or doing housework did not offer the same benefit.Other studies have shown some unexpected ways in which dance benefits people of different ages:* At the University of California Irvine, medical students who took art and dance classes were better able to observe and empathize with their patients.



* In Sweden, elite cross-country skiers who did pre-season dance training experienced less back pain from skiing.
* In a Korean study, depressed teens experienced relief from dance therapy, and had measurably higher levels of serotonin.
* In Connecticut, breast cancer survivors who took part in a 12-week therapeutic dance program at a medical center in Meriden improved their quality of life.Calories Burn FastAerobically speaking, dance matches many grunt-and-groan activities. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic, based in Rochester, MN, have estimated that dancing can burn 200 to 400 calories in 30 minutes and an evening of square dancing can equate to walking five miles.



In addition, side-to-side dance movements help to prevent osteoporosis by strengthening weight-bearing bones.Who's Dancing?During the past few years, as dance-oriented television shows and movies have gained fans, people have been discovering ballroom dancing at a younger age. The national chain of Arthur Murray dance studios, going strong since 1912, is seeing more people in their twenties who want to prepare for a wedding or master Latin moves. Their students, more than 10,000 people per week, also include couples of all ages who dance for fun, and high-powered professionals who find that a dance floor relieves stress better than a gym.



Competitive dance, known as DanceSport, is recognized as a sport by the International Olympic Committee and popularity of both the sport and social dancing is growing dramatically. More than 300 colleges in the United States, including Ivy League schools, offer ballroom dance programs.Where to LearnCommercial dance schools aren't the only places where you can hone your moves -- universities, community colleges and community groups offer low-cost classes and events around the country. Information about social and competitive dancing is also available from the United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association (www.