Ballroom Dancing - Past and Present

From Ancient Origins to Modern, Popularised Ballroom Dance

Nov 9, 2008

Dancing has long been an integral part of life, from the Ancient Greeks to modern-day couples dancing for pleasure or competition. But what do we know of its history?

Ballroom dancing has been in evidence for centuries and has recently had a popularity resurgence, aided, undoubtedly, by its revival in TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars.

Each of the dances – the Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Quickstep and Viennese Waltz – has its own developmental stages, steeped in history. But there is also evidence to suggest just how far back ballroom dancing, in its loosest sense, can be traced.

Origins of Dancing – Ancient Dancers

Men and women have danced together since the Palaeolithic era (prior to 10,000B.C.). Drawings have been found on cave walls in Spain which depict male and female dancers. Dancing, too, was an integral part of fitness training for Ancient Greek soldiers, in preparation for war.

However, this was only performed by males and it, in fact, took many centuries before any form of dancing incorporating a male and female partner and a contact hold came into popular existence. Indeed, it was not until the fifteenth century that dancing really took off at formal and social functions.

Dancing in pairs – Social Dancing and the Ball

With the arrival of the ball came more standardised male-female dancing, expected at court. During the 1500s, the men tended to carry swords which hung on their left hand side. The female partners, therefore, danced to their right. In order that no-one was hurt by the moving swords, the men danced on the inside of the turning circle.

The women, too, had their own garment restrictions. So that the bottoms of their long dresses did not get caught under their feet, they did not ever dance backwards but instead the couples danced anti-clockwise around the room, a tradition continued today. Elizabeth I was a superb dancer and, famously, danced the Volta with the Earl of Leicester, which derived from Italian folk music.

The Volta was the forerunner to the Viennese Waltz. This waltz is a dance in ¾ time and danced to about 180 beats a minute, involving constant turns around the dance floor, using change steps to alter direction of the turn while continuously moving anti-clockwise.

The Viennese Waltz first appeared in France in the mid-1500s. But, although it is the eldest of all the ballroom dances, it took a long while to be accepted in courts throughout Europe, and in England especially. Its close hold and quick turns caused it to be classed as vulgar and indecent, and it took until the early 1800s for it to be socially accepted.

By the nineteenth century, however, most of the ballroom dances used on the modern competition circuit were in evidence. From the Viennese Waltz came a slower version of the dance, performed at around 28-30 beats a minute, and in ¾ time, originating and developed in America in the 1830s. The slow and accented motion, together with the distinctive pendulum action of the body and the rise and fall footwork movements make it a most elegant dance.

The Tango, as we see it now, characterised by its snappy head motion and staccato moves, was also adapted in the Americas in the late 1800s, when Spanish settlers took with them the Tango’s forerunner, the Milango. It then began to incorporate various Creole movements, eventually leading to two variations of the dance – the International (English) Tango and the European style.

The Advent of the Twentieth Century – Popularised Dances

The Tango was widespread throughout Europe during the twentieth century. It was popularised in America, becoming a huge hit by 1921. However, the Tango was not the only modern ballroom dance to become popularised during this time.

The Victorian era had seen the advent of the Two Step, developed further in New York in the early 1900s, and danced to Ragtime music. However, the actor, Harry Fox’s addition of the two trot steps created the modern basic rhythm of the Foxtrot. This captivated the American dancing elite, who gave the dance the fluidity and elegance we see today, when it is danced to big band music.

Time caused the split of the Foxtrot into the Slow Foxtrot and the Quickstep, the latter being the newest of the ballroom dances. It originated in 1920s England and incorporated elements of the Charleston, Shimmy, Peabody and Shag. The Quickstep is fast paced and contains dynamic movements and there are also some moves which appear similar to the Waltz, although the movement in the Quickstep is much faster.

With the creation of the International Dancesport Federation, set up half a century ago, came the standardisation of the five ballroom dances and the organisation of hugely successful competitions worldwide and all year round. It has never been easier to find ballroom dancing to watch – the TV being instrumental in the resurgence of interest in ballroom dancing – resulting in more and more dance classes being taken by adults and children.

It is not necessary, however, to compete in dance competitions to enjoy dancing for what it really is: a fun, social pastime, involving high-impact exercise and a great deal of discipline. But knowing how many centuries of time and effort it has taken to create these wonderful dances, let’s hope they continue to enjoy their popularity. Long live the new generation of ballroom dance!

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