Introduction to Ballroom Dancing
THE MODERN STANDARD DANCES
MODERN STANDARD
History of Ballroom Dancing
Ballroom dancing is a world of class, tradition,
and passion. There is a great history behind ballroom
dancing, both competitively and recreationally
speaking. The word ‘ballroom’ denotes a room where
balls may be held; that is –formal social dances. Balls
were important social events in the days before radio,
television, and internet (as is ‘having a ball’). The
word “ball” is derived from the Latin ‘ballare’
meaning ‘to dance’.
Ballroom dancing trace its origin to the early
20 century, when the West End establishments were
th
developing the art of ballroom dancing. The world’s
leading board for ballroom dance examinations, the
Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD), was
established in 1904. They were instrumental in the
development and promotion of modern ballroom dance
including Josephine Bradley, the First Lady and world
class champion of ballroom dance; GK Anderson who
founded the English style; Lady Humphries who
helped establish the Modern Ballroom Dance faculty
of the Imperial Society; and Alex Moore who
contributed to the writing of Technique of Ballroom
Dancing.
Ballroom Dance Groupings
International Ballroom
The International ballroom dances are divided into two
groups:
1. Standard
 Slow Waltz
 Tango
 Viennese Waltz
 Slow Foxtrot
 Quickstep
2. Latin
 Cha Cha
 Samba
 Rumba
 Paso Doble
 Jive
The five ballroom dances are: Modern Waltz,
Tango, Viennese Waltz, Slow Foxtrot, and Quickstep
which are danced in the world both socially and in
Dance sport competitions. Collectively, they are now
referred to as “Standard dances”.
SLOW or MODERN WALTZ
The real origin of the Modern, or Slow, Waltz
is rather obscure, but a dance of turns and glides,
leaping and stomping appeared in various parts of
Europe at the end of the 17 th and beginning of the 18th
century. In Italy it was the Volta, France has its Volte,
Germany the Weller, and Austria has its Landler.
These were round dances but at the end of the dance
itself, there was a short period in which the circle
would break up into couples who would whirl madly
round and round and finish with a jump in the air.
The Waltz regained its real popularity in the
20 century. The dance blossomed in a form called the
th
Hesitation Waltz in 1913. Until the development of the
hesitation, couples had waltzed in one direction until
degenerated into an endurance contest. The Hesitation
resulted in the Waltz as it is danced today.
TANGO
There are basically three types of Tango –
Argentine Tango, American Smooth Tango, and
International Style Tango. We teach only the
International Style, which is a little more subdued but
has the benefit of being danced exactly the same way
no matter where you go in the world.
Argentine Tango (Arrabalero) was created by
the Gauchos in Buenos Aires. It was actually an
attempt on their part to imitate a Spanish dance except
that they danced it in a closed ballroom position. The
Tango caused a sensation and was soon to be seen the
world over in a more subdued version.
Unlike the Argentine Tango, in which the
dancer interprets the music spontaneously without any
predetermined slows or quicks, the American Tango
features a structure which is correlated to the musical
phrasing. The dance is executed both in closed position
and in various types of extravagant dance relationships
which incorporate a particular freedom of expression
that is not present in the International style. This
version had its origins in the popular dance musicals
and show performance of the 1930’s.
International Tango is a highly disciplined and
distinctively structured from of the Tango which is
accepted worldwide. It was developed to give a sense
of common structure for teaching and judging the
Tango around the world. The dancers remain in
traditional closed position throughout and expresses
both legato and staccato aspects of the type of music
appropriate to this.
VIENNESE WALTZ
Originating in the lavish balls of Austria during
the 1700’s, the Viennese Waltz actually predated the
slower Modern Waltz. It took advantage of the large
hems of the ladies’ ball gowns as the couples rotated
around the floor to create a swirling pattern of colorful
circles around the dance floor, a characteristic that still
makes this dance a favorite in competition events
worldwide.
FOXTROT
The Foxtrot is said to have been originated by
performer Harry Fox in Boston in 1913. He developed
some steps that are borrowed from the Quickstep and
other popular dances of the day, but were smoother
and more controlled. It caught on like wildfire and now
is a standard ballroom dance the world over. It’s clear
and easy movements make Social Foxtrot the easiest of
the ballroom dances to learn. However, the control
needed for higher level versions known as the Slow
Foxtrot makes that the hardest of the ballroom dances
to master.
QUICKSTEP
As Ragtime music evolved into Swing through
the 1920’s, new dances such as the Charleston, the
Shimmy, and the Black Bottom became popular.
The Charleston was said to have originated in
the Cape Verde Island. It evolved into a vigorous
round dance done by Negro dock workers in the Port
of Charleston. It was first performed on stage in New
York in 1992 in a black revue by George White. It
became popular in white society after inclusion in the
stage show ‘Running Wild’ in 1923 by the Ziegfeld
Follies, which toured U.S.A.
It was popularized in Europe by Josephine
Baker in Paris in the 1920’s. It was danced with wild
swinging arms and sidekicks to music at 200 to 240
beats per minute. It subsequently became very popular
worldwide, but the wild character of the dance induced
many sedate ballrooms either to ban it altogether, or to
put up notices saying simply ‘PCQ’, standing for
“Please Charleston Quietly”. The Charleston step and
the Scatter Chasses were introduced into the Quickstep
by Wally Fryer and VI Barnes in London in the
1940’s.
DANCE POSITIONS
Position refers to the placement of the two
dancers to each other. The most fundamental dance
position is the closed position.
 CLOSED POSITION is the normal hold where the
man and lady standing facing each other with their
arms lifted together in frames.
 PROMENADE POSITION is a V-shaped dance
position where both man and lady move forward in
the same direction.
 OPEN POSITION refers to any position where the
man and lady stand apart or slightly apart with one or
two hands in contact.
 APART POSITION is when the man and the lady
have no body contact.
 RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE POSITION is an open
position where the lady is to the right or left of the
gentleman
Modern Standard Waltz
WALTZ
 The strains of the modern waltz often bring someone has to follow. Usually, the man will lead and
back happy and romantic memories to many people of the woman will follow.
ward summer evenings, beautiful languid music, and Men’s Steps:
all that make life worthwhile. Its gentle and lifting 1. Step forward with the left foot.
melodies have continues to capture the souls of 2. Right foot step sideways to the right.
generation, and the waltz today was firmly established 3. Bring your left foot next to tour right foot.
as a great favorite throughout the world. 4. Step back with the right foot.
The modern waltz is usually the first dance 5. Step back sideways with the left foot.
taught to beginners in dance school. The simple 6. Bring your right foot next to your left foot.
constructive of the basic figures, the regular, even
changes of weight required throughout the dance, and Lady’s Steps:
the slow tempo-coupled with the easy-to-hear 1. Step back with right
repetitive, unsyncopated basic rhythm – are ideally foot.
suited to put beginners at ease and help them gain 2. Left foot step
confidence. sideways to the left.
3. Bring your right foot
Confidence is the secret of success in all forms next to tour left foot.
of dance. If you can hear the music and count 1, 2, 3 – 4. Step back with the
you too, can join the club of quietly contented waltz left foot.
dancers. Knowing this dance is a great social asset. 5. Step forward sideways with the right foot.
6. Bring your left foot next to your right foot.
BASIC STEPS
The basic step for waltz is a box step. It is
named after a pattern it creates on the floor (box or
square) and forms the foundation of the dance.

A box step can be divided into two parts –

forward half box and a backward half box. Each half
box has three steps – a step forward or backward, a
step to the side, and a step to close the feet together.

The leader starts with the left foot and executes

a forward half box, followed by a backward half box.
The follower performs the opposite – she starts with
the right foot and executes a backward half box,
followed by a forward half box.

The basic box step pattern uses three counts –

slow, quick, quick, which is repeated twice to create
the box step. Timing is 1,2,3,1,2,3 or 1,2,3,4,5,6.

INSTRUCTIONS &
DIAGRAMS:
When dancing waltz,
someone has to lead and