Social Dances

Ballroom dancing
Derived from the word ball known as ballare
In Latin which means “to dance”
 Social Dances
Social dance are usually done to introduce people
With one another during formal social gathering
or to welcome guest to a gathering.
Many social dances started as folk dance.
e.g Polka and mazurka.
Early forms of social dance
Group dance for pleasure.
The origin of social dance emerge in 15th cenruty in
Europe.
 Social Dances
Social dance are usually done to introduce people
With one another during formal social gathering
or to welcome guest to a gathering.
Many social dances started as folk dance.
e.g Polka and mazurka.
Early forms of social dance
Group dance for pleasure.
The origin of social dance emerge in 15th centuty in
Europe.
Purpose of ballroom dancing today

1.Used for recreation and

entertainment.
2.Used As a form of
exercise and personal enjoyment.
Waltz
 Derived from the German term
WALZEN means “to roll” or “to turn”.
 Performed by couples in fast and
gliding movements.
 Popularized in Vienna known as
Weller or Spinner
 Melodies are in ¾ time signature,
and the accent is on the first beat
Cha cha cha
 A Latin dance which originated
in Cuba .
 The name could have been derived from the
Spanish “Cha-Cha” meaning nursemaid
or chachar meaning to “chew coca leaves”
 It is also been suggested that the name chacha
is derived from chasse.
 It inherited much of its styling from rumba
and mambo `
 It is the most famous Latin American
dance of all time.
 Characteristics of Cha-cha-cha
 Fun
 Flirty
 Naughty
 The Music is so inviting
Timing
 4/4 time signature
 4 beats to a bar of music, however divide the
4 beats into 5 steps.
For counting: two, three, four and one/
two, three four cha cha cha.
Swing
 Social dance for couples, popular in USA in the 1940’s
 An outgrowth of the swing, the jitterbug is marked by
quick, sometimes accompanied by
acrobatics in its present form.
 It may be lively , a smooth dance or it may be slow
sophisticated style.

Timing
 4/4 time signature
 4 beats to a bar of
music
Step Pattern
step, step, step, step
Tango
 Considered as the most fascinating of all
dances.
 It is also called “Baile con Arte” meaning
the dance with many dramatic or artistic
poses.
 Tango was the first solo dance performed
by a woman in the early 19th century.
 Tango originated in Buenos Aires, “Barrio
de la Ranas” Argentina.