allroom dancing is back! It became popular

in the United States in the early part of this

century and each decade had specific

dances associated with it. The 1920s had the

Charleston, the 1950s had the jitterbug or lindy, the

60s had the twist, and the 70s had disco, to name a

few. Latin American dances such as the tango,

rumba and mambo were popular throughout the

30s, 40s and 50s.

However, serious ballroom dancing started

losing much of its popularity in the late 50s up

until recent years. The younger generation was

no longer interested in dancing together as

couples performing complex dances. They

preferred more free style, individualized dance

forms ranging from the twist to break dancing.

Now the lights are on again in the ballroom as

ballroom dancing has been gaining popularity

in the United States and Europe. Membership

in ballroom dancing associations has

skyrocketed, as has the number of contestants

in ballroom dancing competitions around the

world. Most of the people involved are under

the age of 45. In fact, the competitions have

junior divisions as well.

In recognition of ballroom dancing’s increasing

popularity, the International Olympic

committee has approved ballroom dancing as a

provisional Olympic sport with a new title –

dance sport. This means that ballroom dancing

could be considered a medal event by 2004.

Ballroom dancing, now known as dance sport,

requires considerable physical ability, especially

at competition levels.

Studies have been done to see how ballroom

dancing companies to traditional sports. The

results were not surprising. Dancers

performing a fast dance exerted themselves

more than runners running an 800-meter race.

In addition to stamina and good physical

conditioning, a dancer needs the same set of

skills as any other athlete. Where would an

athlete be if he or she didn’t have balance,

coordination, mental agility, physical agility, a

sense of rhythm, and a strong cardiovascular

system?

Ballroom dancing has something to offer

everyone. Dances range from the slow, easy

flowing steps of the fox trot to the fast-paced

lindy, and each dance can be made as simple or

complex as you like.

You can learn to dance

the cha-cha, waltz,

rumba, mambo, tango,

quickstep, and even the

electric slide. Check

your local directory to

find the dance school

nearest you.

It’s time to get on the bandwagon, face the

music, and dance!

B