Smooth
Dances
Smooth dances are characterized by their fluid movement across the floor. Similar to ice skating, dancers keep a straight body line as they travel around the room. The dancers are free to release each other which is not allowed in the International Style.
The
Waltz started out as a country folk dance in
Austria and Bavaria in the 1600s. When it was later
introduced into English ballrooms in the early
1800s, it was denounced as vulgar by both the
church and state because this was the first time
you saw a man holding a lady so close to his body
in public. Of course, that was also what made it so
appealing… The Waltz has since blossomed into many
different forms, each maintaining the original
romance and wonderful flowing quality.
The
Tango was born in Argentina, in the late 1800s. In
those days, the bars of Buenos Aires were filled
with lonely immigrants from all over Europe and
Africa looking for diversion and company. Somehow,
out of these eclectic dance traditions, a dance
emerged that pantomimed communication between
prostitute and pimp — from these crude beginnings
came the sexually charged dance we see here. Since
then, the Tango has been toned down somewhat, and
has incorporated patterns from other dances such as
the Waltz and Foxtrot, but it still packs a
powerful punch, translating emotions into dance
like nothing else.
The
Foxtrot is relatively simple and very versatile,
giving beginners a great foundation to work with.
It can be danced at slow, medium or fast tempos,
making it easy for social dancers of all skill
levels to move gracefully across the floor. The
dance was named after vaudeville performer Harry
Fox, and it quickly pushed aside the other "trots"
popular in the ragtime era. The American Smooth
version danced in competitions is slower, and was
made popular by Fred Astaire. The International
Style Foxtrot, slower still, is sometimes called
the "slow foxtrot" and was developed in
England.
The
Viennese Waltz is the oldest of all the ballroom
dances, danced at the fast tempo that characterized
the first waltzes. Later versions, such as the
French and Boston waltzes, are much slower. The
golden age of the Viennese Waltz in Europe was the
early 1800s, when Johann Strauss was composing. Its
popularity has gone up and down, but it has never
gone out of style. It is classic "old-school"
ballroom.
Smooth dances are characterized by their fluid movement across the floor. Similar to ice skating, dancers keep a straight body line as they travel around the room. The dancers are free to release each other which is not allowed in the International Style.
Waltz
Tango
Foxtrot
Viennese Waltz
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