THE

DIFFERENT
DANCES OF
THE 20TH
CENTURY
 Ballroom Dance
• as a variety of social dances performed by couples in which
there is a conventional pattern of steps.
• also known as social dance because it encourages social
interaction between dance partners.
• the term 'ballroom dancing' is derived from the word ball, which
in turn originates from the Latin word ballare which means 'to
dance' (a ballroom being a large room specially designed for
such dances).
 Cotillion
• The cotillion, a forerunner of the
American square dance, had many
figures that required practice by the
group.
• The complexity of the dance made it
a special performance at a ball or a
presentation by a dance master at a
recital hall.
POLONAISE
• The polonaise, which
opened a court ball,
involved partners dancing
side by side behind a lead
couple and moving through
various choral figures.
 QUADRILLE
• The original figures were determined
by the dancers, as in a country dance.
• In 1818 dancing master Thomas
Wilson explained some 50
movements and wrote instructions on
how to combine them into figures in
his book Treatise on Quadrille
Dancing.
 WALTZ
• It was performed in triple
time by single couples in
close embrace and
featured wild hopping,
stamping, and throwing
of the female partner
into the air.
 Latin dance and music have been identified
as a fusion of American music styles. Dances
such as rumba, mambo, and cha cha cha
from Cuba and samba from Brazil became
popular in America during the 1930s and
1940s, as they were popularized by movie
stars.
 RUMBA
• considered the
“grandfather of the Latin dances.”
• It is a dance that narrates love and
passion between a tough male lover
and a timid, mischievous woman.
• it is considered to be the sexiest
ballroom dance.
 MAMBO
• The mambo music comes from a very old tradition of Africa
which consistedcof multifaceted rhythms.
• The word “mambo” was not initially a term for a dance, but
simply an Afro-Cuban name for polymetry or rhythm against
rhythm.
• The mambo is the music of voodoo and the music of the people.
 Cha- cha -cha
• The cha-cha-cha was derived from
the mambo and the swing.
• Like most Latin dances, the dancers’
feet remain close to the floor, the
hips are relaxed to allow free
movement in the pelvic area, and
the upper body shifts over the
supporting foot as the steps are
taken.
SAMBA
• samba has a distinct look and feel
because of its “samba bounce
action,” a light, effortless, and
carefree movement from the knees
and ankles
Thank
You!