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