BALLROOM DANCE STYLES
Ballroom dance refers to a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world. Because
of its performance and entertainment aspects, ballroom dance is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television.
Ballroom dance may refer, at its widest, to almost any type of social dancing as recreation. However, with the emergence of
dancesport in modern times, the term has become narrower in scope. It usually refers to the International Standard and
International Latin style dances (see dance categories below). These styles were developed in England,[1] and are now
regulated by the World Dance Council (WDC). In the United States, two additional variations are popular: American Smooth
and American Rhythm.
"Ballroom dance" refers most often to the ten dances of International Standard and International Latin, though the term is
also often used interchangeably with the five International Standard dances.[10] Sequence dancing, which is danced
predominantly in the United Kingdom, is also sometimes included as a type of Ballroom dancing.
In the United States and Canada, the American Style (American Smooth and American Rhythm) also exists. The dance
technique used for both International and American styles is similar, but International Standard allows only closed dance
positions, whereas American Smooth allows closed, open and separated dance movements. In addition, different sets of dance
patterns are usually taught for the two styles. International Latin and American Rhythm have different styling, and have
different dance patterns in their respective syllabi.
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