History of Social Dance

You can trace the history of social dance back as far as primitive
cultures dancing to celebrate a birth or mourn a death. In later years, social
dance continued to develop and evolve, mingling the dances of other
cultures such as the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

The Development of Ballroom Social Dance

The Development of Ballroom Social Dance The early social dances

of the fourteenth to mid- sixteenth centuries involved processional dances
with subtle, relatively simple steps. The dances usually involved couples
interacting with each other, or long lines of dancers. The dances were
lively, filled with flirtations, conversations, and even "poaching," where
partners would switch in the middle of the dance. Groups such as the
Society for Creative Anachronism still enjoy these dances at their
gatherings.

The Rage of the Seventeenth Century: The Waltz

The Rage of the Seventeenth Century: The Waltz The popularity of

this dance has lasted for centuries, and it is still one of the first dances
taught by ballroom teachers. It began in Vienna, where, by focusing on the
graceful movements of the couple instead of large group patterns, the
Waltz set people free from the restricted movements and set poses of the
earlier courtly dances. However, it also was considered “...riotous and
indecent” well into the 19th century, which only proved to make it even
more popular. You can still see the Waltz performed in social dance halls
today.

Social Dances of the Late Eighteenth Century

Social Dances of the Late Eighteenth Century in England and the

United States the late eighteenth century witnessed a beginning of a blend
between the rigid group dances and the intense coupled dances like the
Waltz. Called "contra dances," "cotillions" or just "square dances," the lively
music would include "calling," as the moves were announced just before
they happened. The flirting and partner-swapping made these amazingly
social happenings, and they survived into the modern day, both in their
original form and in country line dances and hip- hop such as “Unk 2 Step.”
The Many Dance Forms of the Nineteenth Century

During the early part of the nineteenth century, group dances

remained extremely popular. The English Country Dance grew more
popular throughout the first half of the nineteenth century. In addition to the
Waltz, there were many other popular dances of the period, including:
- Scottish Reel and the Quadrille
- Polka
- Pavan
- Mazurka
- Polonaise
- Two Step, referred to as the Washington Post

The History of Social Dance in the Twentieth Century

The History of Social Dance in the Twentieth Century The twentieth

century was "scandalous" according to many, with its dances using strong
rhythms and strutting style, starting when a modified version of the
Cakewalk found its way into the stately ballroom dancing of the time.

The dances reflected the freedom felt by the people, freed from the
dress constraints of the earlier years, and the growing role of women in the
work force. Dances such as the Turkey Trot, the Grizzly Bear and the
Bunny Hug included a lot of hugging, swaying and grinding to the strong
rhythms of the music.

Social Dancing into the Present Day

Social Dancing into the Present Day Thanks to advances in media,

social dancing has remained one of the most popular pastimes of people all
over the world. You can go ballroom dancing in Moscow, dance to blues
legend Buddy Guy in Japan, and find an Argentine Milonga to tango the
night away in Madison, Wisconsin.

New forms such as hip hop dancing and contact improvisational jams
are becoming the new social dances, but the older forms from medieval
times, as well as their descendants, are still immensely popular.
MEANING OF SOCIAL DANCE:

Social dance is a major category or classification of dance forms or

dance styles, where sociability and socializing are the primary focuses of
the dancing. Many social dances are partner dances. In fact, quite often
when spoken about social dances, ballroom or other partner dances are
kept in mind. However it is natural to include in this category such groups of
dances as circle dances, line dances, novelty dances, or simply club
dancing in solo.

A Living History

As the dances continue to evolve and influence each other, one thing
is clear: humans love using movement to interact and be social with each
other. Along with music and the language of lyrics, social dancing is one of
the few things that can unite the globe: mankind loves to dance.

MEANING OF SOCIAL DANCE:

Ballroom dance, depending on how it is defined, may refer to a wide

variety of partner dances. Typically it includes Standard (also termed
Smooth or Modern) dances such as waltz or foxtrot, and Latin (also termed
Rhythm) dances such as cha cha and rumba. Standard dances are
normally danced to straight-beat, Western music; couples dance around
the floor; and when formalized, the lady wears a long gown and the
gentleman a bow-tie and tails.

Latin dances are normally danced to off-beat, latin or jive music;

couples may dance more-or-less in one spot or move around the floor; and
when formalized, the woman wears a short-skirt latin outfit and the man
dresses in black. The dances taught in this class include those listed on the
left menu bar. These are mostly from the dance group of international
standard and international latin. However, we will also learn some
nightclub, square and line dances.

BASIC DANCE STEPS:

 The basic step, basic movement, basic pattern, or simply basic is the
dance move that defines the character of a particular dance. It sets the
rhythm of the dance; it is the default move to which a dancer returns, when
not performing any other moves. For some dances it is sufficient to know
the basic step performed in different handholds and dance positions to
enjoy it socially.

Most traditional partner dances have only one basic step which can
be easily mastered. Others, such as West Coast Swing, have multiple
basic steps, any of which can theoretically be selected by the leader. Lindy
Basic, in Lindy Hop Salsa Basic, in Salsa Mambo Basic, in Mambo Box
Step, the basic move in some American Style ballroom dances: Rumba,
Waltz, bronze-level Foxtrot. There are several variants of the Basic
Movement in Cha-cha-cha: Basic, Open Basic, Basic in Place. Each of
them may also be subdivided into a Forward and a Backward one.