History of Social Dance By Gray Miller You can trace the history of social dance back as far as primitive cultures dancing to celebrate a birth or mourn a death. In later years, social dance continued to develop and evolve, mingling the dances of other cultures such as the Middle East, Africa, and Europe.

 The Development of Ballroom Social Dance The Development of Ballroom Social Dance The early social dances of the fourteenth to mid- sixteenth centuries involved processional dances with subtle, relatively simple steps. The dances usually involved couples interacting with each other, or long lines of dancers. The dances were lively, filled with flirtations, conversations, and even "poaching," where partners would switch in the middle of the dance. Groups such as the Society for Creative Anachronism still enjoy these dances at their gatherings.

 The Rage of the Seventeenth Century: The Waltz The Rage of the Seventeenth Century: The Waltz The popularity of this dance has lasted for centuries, and it is still one of the first dances taught by ballroom teachers. It began in Vienna, where, by focusing on the graceful movements of the couple instead of large group patterns, the Waltz set people free from the restricted movements and set poses of the earlier courtly dances. However, it also was considered “...riotous and indecent” well into the 19th century, which only proved to make it even more popular. You can still see the Waltz performed in social dance halls today.

 Social Dances of the Late Eighteenth Century Social Dances of the Late Eighteenth Century In England and the United States the late eighteenth century witnessed a beginning of a blend between the rigid group dances and the intense coupled dances like the Waltz. Called "contra dances," "cotillions" or just "square dances," the lively music would include "calling," as the moves were announced just before they happened. The flirting and partner-swapping made these amazingly social happenings, and they survived into the modern day, both in their original form and in country line dances and hip- hop such as “Unk 2 Step.”

 The Many Dance Forms of the Nineteenth Century The Many Dance Forms of the Nineteenth Century During the early part of the nineteenth century, group dances remained extremely popular. The English Country Dance grew more popular throughout the first half of the nineteenth century. In addition to the Waltz, there were many other popular dances of the period, including: - Scottish Reel and the Quadrille - Polka - Pavan - Mazurka - Polonaise - Two Step, referred to as the Washington Post

 The History of Social Dance in the Twentieth Century The History of Social Dance in the Twentieth Century The twentieth century was "scandalous" according to many, with its dances using strong rhythms and strutting style, starting when a modified version of the Cakewalk found its way into the stately ballroom dancing of the time. The dances reflected the freedom felt by the people, freed from the dress constraints of the earlier years, and the growing role of women in the work force. Dances such as the Turkey Trot, the Grizzly Bear and the Bunny Hug included a lot of hugging, swaying and grinding to the strong rhythms of the music.

 Social Dancing into the Present Day Social Dancing into the Present Day Thanks to advances in media, social dancing has remained one of the most popular pastimes of people all over the world. You can go ballroom dancing in Moscow, dance to blues legend Buddy Guy in Japan, and find an Argentine Milonga to tango the night away in Madison, Wisconsin. New forms such as hip hop dancing and contact improvisational jams are becoming the new social dances, but the older forms from medieval times, as well as their descendants, are still immensely popular.

 MEANING OF SOCIAL DANCE: MEANING OF SOCIAL DANCE: Social dance is a major category or classification of dance forms or dance styles, where sociability and socializing are the primary focuses of the dancing. Many social dances are partner dances. In fact, quite often when spoken about social dances, ballroom or other partner dances are kept in mind. However it is natural to include in this category such groups of dances as circle dances, line dances, novelty dances, or simply club dancing in solo.

 A Living History A Living History As the dances continue to evolve and influence each other, one thing is clear: humans love using movement to interact and be social with each other. Along with music and the language of lyrics, social dancing is one of the few things that can unite the globe: mankind loves to dance.

 MEANING OF SOCIAL DANCE: MEANING OF SOCIAL DANCE: Ballroom dance, depending on how it is defined, may refer to a wide variety of partner dances. Typically it includes Standard (also termed Smooth or Modern) dances such as waltz or foxtrot, and Latin (also termed Rhythm) dances such as cha cha and rumba. Standard dances are normally danced to straight-beat, Western music; couples dance around the floor; and when formalized, the lady wears a long gown and the gentleman a bow-tie and tails.

 MEANING OF SOCIAL DANCE: MEANING OF SOCIAL DANCE: Latin dances are normally danced to off-beat, latin or jive music; couples may dance more-or-less in one spot or move around the floor; and when formalized, the woman wears a short-skirt latin outfit and the man dresses in black. The dances taught in this class include those listed on the left menu bar. These are mostly from the dance group of international standard and international latin. However, we will also learn some nightclub, square and line dances.

 BASIC DANCE STEPS: BASIC DANCE STEPS: The basic step, basic movement, basic pattern, or simply basic is the dance move that defines the character of a particular dance. It sets the rhythm of the dance; it is the default move to which a dancer returns, when not performing any other moves. For some dances it is sufficient to know the basic step performed in different handholds and dance positions to enjoy it socially.

 BASIC DANCE STEPS: BASIC DANCE STEPS: Most traditional partner dances have only one basic step which can be easily mastered. Others, such as West Coast Swing, have multiple basic steps, any of which can theoretically be selected by the leader. Lindy Basic, in Lindy Hop Salsa Basic, in Salsa Mambo Basic, in Mambo Box Step, the basic move in some American Style ballroom dances: Rumba, Waltz, bronze-level Foxtrot. There are several variants of the Basic Movement in Cha-cha-cha: Basic, Open Basic, Basic in Place. Each of them may also be subdivided into a Forward and a Backward ones.