History of Social

Dance
By Gray Miller

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 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 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

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 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

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.
 MEANING OF SOCIAL DANCE:

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.
 BASIC DANCE STEPS:

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 ones.