Chapter II : Dance for Recreation

Lesson 4 : Introduction to Dance

It is safe to say that more people

enjoy dance today than ever
before. Thanks to a fitness boom,
and the endoresement of stars
appearing on TV dance
competition programs, dance
exercise is currently one of the
most phenomenal growth areas of
21st century sport and social culture.

Dance is both convenient and enjoyable form of physical activity, and a mental
workout , engaging mind and body in harmony. It has also stood the test of time, and
remain central to almost every national culture. We have all danced, or will dance, at
some stage of our lives, be it be during our childhood, teens or adulthood; we will
dance at weddings and birthdays, and to mark success and achievement.

Historically, the act of dancing has also stirred up controversy and even outrage, with
close hold of the waltz (declared ‘immoral and vulgar’ in the 18 th century) and the
supposed ‘obscentities’ of the Tango in the early 1900s challenging conventions of
acceptable public bevavior in their respective areas.

Today , disco and club culture may rival the more traditional pleasures of the
ballroom ; but while street style hip-hop and Latin crazes continue to grow in
popularity, increasing number of couples are looking to dance floor for opportunities
to be sexy , intimate , and flirtatious away from the bedroom in salsa bars and dance
halls.

Although the professionals make it look incredibly easy , if you have witnessed the
trials and tirbulations of the celebrity participants in shows such as Dancing With the
Stars then you may already have some appreciation of the hard work that dance
invloves.
What is Dance?

Dance is the mother of the arts. It

is concerned with the
communication of emotions or
ideas through the medium of
movement. The basic vehicle of
dance is the human body and, as
an art form, dance is expressed in
movement . It attempts to convey
ideas or feelings through carefully
selected patterns which are
arranged in a form judged to be
the best meet the needs of that
particular communications.

Dance is a symbol of cultural identity . It is a medium of cultural fusion with a focus

on the intertwining of different cultures. In fact , dance today is not simply cross-
cultural but pan-cultural and planetary.

What is Social Dancing?

As known today, social dancing is an activity that can be traced back to three sources:
The courts of Europe , International Society, and primitive cultures. Among noblemen
and women of the 16th and 17th century, ballroom dancing was a popular diversion.
After the political upheavals of the 18th and 19th centuries, dances once performed by
aristocacy alone became popular among oridnary people as well. In America, too,
dances that were once confined to the gentry who first led the republic passsed to
the common folk. By mid-19th century, popular dances attracted many participants
who performed minuets, quadrilles, polkas, and waltzes all of Europena origin.

It is partner dancing that is informal,

relaxed, and danced for the enjoyment of
the partners - rather than to meet the
criteria of a dance school or an audience.
Social dancing is danced for enjoyment,
socialization, recreation and health. The
test for social dancing success is how much
the dance partners have enjoyed the
dance - not how they have danced in the
eyes of others or how "correctly" they
have danced.
 ~ Heritage Institute
An age-old means of communicating messages that reflect social trends, social
dancing is secular partnering between males and females or participation among
groups.
~ Encyclopedia.com

What is Ballroom Dancing?

The term ballroom dancing was originally applied to the dances commonly dance in a
ballroom. It is a kind of social dancing in which two people dance as partners. It
encourages social interaction between dance partners.

Ballroom Dancing Benefits

 Tones-up muscles
 Improves Neuro-muscular coordination and movement efficiency
 Reduce hypo-kinetic diseases
 Encourages good by allignment
 Keeps and individual up-to-date , alive and youthful.
 Increase aerobic capacity
 Easiest way to gain friends
 Acquire social desirable traits
 Instill social graces
 Upholds self-confidence
 Improves rhythmic capability
 Improves aethetic competence.

Lesson 5 : History of Ballroom Dances

Ballroom dancing originated in England in
the 18th and 19th century’s balls and social
events. It was started in the United States at
the time of World War I. The term ballroom
dancing is derived the word “ball”, from the
Latin Word ‘bolare’ meaning to dance. The
word ballroom refers to a room for dancing ,
expecially one with a polished floor.

Nowadays there are lots of new dances and

styles in which variations continue to be
added. The principles learned in ballroom
dancing can be applied to any type of music,
it follows a strict tempo because music
follows an even pattern of beats. The two main types of music you will be dancing to
will iether be in 3/4 or 4/4 even your favorite songs are perfect for a ballroom
dancing like waltz, foxtrot, cha cha cha, rumba, jive and tango. Ballroom dancing is
widely enjoyed socially and competively . It can also develops friendship and having a
good time.

Ballroom competitions became popular in the

20’s. The ballroom branch of the Imperial
Society of Teachers Dancing was formed. Its
mission was to standardized music, steps, and
technique of ballroom dancing. In 1995, the
Olympic Committee granted provisional
recognition to Ballroom Dancing or Dance
Sport. Dance sports refers to the International
Standard and International Latin Style dances
and regulated by the World DAnce Council
(WDC). Dancers are judged by diverse criteria
in ballroom competition such as the poise, hold
or frame, posture, musicality, expression,
timing, body alignment and shape, floor craft ,
foot and leg action, storng connection to your
partner and to the audience and presentation
or showmanship.

Lesson 6 : Tips , Dance Wears and Costumes

TIPS
Ballroom dancing before was a recreational activity which could only be afforded by
people in high class society. Nowadays , it is enjoyed by most people regardless of
races, gender, status and age in life.

Focus in learning the proper and correct dance techniques makes you enjoy dancing .
It is necessary in order to execute the whole dance with cofidence and to precent
from injuries.

Ladies: Patience is a virtue that is necessary for ladies to learn the dance steps. Put
yourself completely in your partner’s hands and trust. Relax and enjoy!

Gentlemen: When taking a partner on te floor to dance, try warming her up by some
nice and easy basic steps. Then gradually move up the level of patterns after
determining whether your dance partner is ready to follow more advanced moves.
Remember your job is to make your partner look good. With that you will look good
as well. Don’t be afraid to touch your partner for you to lead her properly . Handle
your partner with care and make sure she is safe on your hands.

Practice makes perfect: In dancing, practicing yourself often is necessary . You can do
it on your own, with partner or by group. Have fun practicing the dance steps with
others. Its okay to mess up but don’t quit just practice… practice… practice…

Beginners: As a beginner , dancer should starts from the basic steps. Make sure you
have strong basics first in nay dance you are learning, before proceeding to the next
level. Start at the beginning and repeat the first level several times beofre moving up.

Warm-up: As a starter, simple body stretching can do, then group progress to the
smaller, more specific muscles. The muscles need to be conditioned before doing
strenous physical activities. The warm-up can help protect the body to injury.

Footwork: It is one of the most important elements needed to master in balllroom

dancing. It is a way to develop a good sense of balance.

First, you must be able to identify the different parts

of the foot:
 Ball - is used to described the pad underneath
the foot on which we spread our weight evenly
 Flat - is used to described the foot when standing
naturally, with both the ball and heel making
contact with the floor.
 Heel - refers to the heel of the foot.
 Toe - refers to the toes
 Step - a step is a simply natural step. Most ballroom steps however, are heel lead
or toe lead.

Travelling forward, the heel will make

contact with the floor first. This is the heel
lead.

When travelling backward, the toe will

make contact with the floor first . This is a
toe Lead.
The toe lead is slightly harder than the heel lead as it is not as natural. Extend the
toes from the ankle as you step backward, as if feeling fot he floor with your toes
before the rest of the foot lands.

 Ball flats - in the Latin dances,

the majority of the steps will
be ball flats movements . This
is when the ball makes
contact with the floor first,
followed by the rest of the
foot in a continuos
movement.
 Ball taps - a ball tap is usually
preceded by a step. As the
name suggests , the ball of
one foot taps the floor adjacent to the opposite foot.

In general, steps in all directions should be taken first once you are on the dancing
floor. Once the heel is lowered, your weight is fully transferred, however some steps
require that the heel remain lifted from the floor. When weight is released from a
foot, the heel should release form the floor first, allowing the toe to maintain in
contact with the floor. A combination of clean footwork and strong balance is a key in
learning ballroom dancing.

Hip Movement: In traditional American rhythm styel, Latin hip movement is achieved
through the alternate bending and straightening action of the knees. In modern
competive dancing, the technique is virtually identical to the International Latin
Style. In the International Latin Style , the weighted leg is almost always straight . The
free leg will bend, aloowing the hips to naturally settle into the direction of the
weighted leg. As a step is taken, a free leg will be straightened before it recieves
wieght . It remians straing until it is completely free of weight again.

Line of Direction on the dance floor: In general, couples moves about the floor in a
counterclockwise around the ballroom floor. Couples may , however, move forward,
backward, or sideward within this pattern.
Correct beat: When starting a dance take time in finding the correct beat of the
music. Once you have gotten its tempo, then you may apply all the steps and
movements that fit to the music.

WHAT TO WEAR
Clothing for dancing depends entirely on the venue or function you are attending.
COmfort, however, should always prevail. For dance classes, you require clothes that
allow you to move freely from the hips and do not hinder movement arounf the legs.
Ladies will often choose to wear skirts that are appropriate to the style of the dance,
and men pants that are not restrictive. Feeling at ease is the utmost importance ,
especially whilst learning.

Footwear

When starting out you may feel happy simply wearing a pair of your own shoes.
However, trainers are not ideal for ballroom or latin except when dancing Swing or
Jive styles, sand sling-blacks for ladies should be avoided. Ballroom shoes are
specifically designed to make it easy to get around a dance floor. They are lightweight
and comfortble, and will have a non-slip suede sole. Suede is malleable, and allows
you to maintain some connection with the floor. As a beginner you are unlikely to
require more than a single pair of shoes, but is is advisable to invest in well-made
ones that provide good support.

Men
Traditionally , men’s shoes are almost always
black. As with ladies’ shoes, heel heights vary
from 1 to 2 inches (2.5-5 cm). Lating shoes that
have a cuban heel can be uncomfortable and
difficult to lead in when first learning steps.
Patent shoes look sharp and smart for Ballroom,
but mays queak or stick as the pass each other,
and can crack with age. A suede, nubuck or
leather upper would be more practical for a
beginner.
Ladies
When choosing your first pair of shoes, consider
a smaller heels to asisst with balance and
maintain confidence. A 2-2 1/2 inch (5-6cm) heel
height is advisable. Beginner ladies would do well
to choose open-toed shoes that suit both
Ballroom and Latin styles. A T-bar may help give
more support.

Fit
Ballroom shoes should fit tighter than a normal
shoe. This is because ther are made from very
soft materials and will stretch and mold to your
feet over time. When trying them on, they should
be snug and supportive around your foot and
should not slip at the back, or have space at he
front of the toes as is usual with everyday shoes.