Ballroom dancing

Every dance style and form is an art by itself.  Ballroom dance usually refers to the ten dances of the International Standard and International Latin style dances, which were developed in England. Waltz, a wellknown ballroom style originated in Vienna in the late seventeen hundreds, but soon grew popular in others parts of the world.

Ballroom dancing has many different dances like Foxtrot, Tango, Rumba and many more. Each dance has its own steps, but in each dance form - one thing that is common is - each dance is performed by a man and a woman. The elegance and grace exhibited by ballroom dancing won the hearts of the royalty, the elite and the middle working class, which is why ballroom dancing was very popular for a long time in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Long, flowing movements, continuous turns, and rise and fall are highlights of ballroom dancing.

Here are some essentials to master your ballroom dance moves:
•    Get your postures correct – Unlike other dance forms, in ballroom dancing, postures play a crucial role. You cannot slouch or lean on your partner, and both the partners must practice to elongate their neck and body.
•    Get your head and hand position correct – Look over each other’s shoulder. Now, imagine that you have met the most beautiful person on this planet and hold that expression till the end of the dance. Coming to the position of the hand…..the man’s raised left hand holds the woman’s right hand with palms facing each other. The man’s right hand should cup the woman’s shoulder blade with fingers together. The woman’s left hand should be on the man’s right shoulder with fingers positioned at the seam of the sleeve.
•    Get the basic steps correct – Once you have the postures and positioning in place, it is time to learn the basic steps.

Remember to maintain your postures and connections, and with practice, you can look like you belong to the dance floor and to ballroom dancing. Since dancing has positive effects on mind and body, keep dancing to enhance your cognitive and social skills for years to come! So, whether you are 9 or 99, it does not matter…..learn how to dance now and enjoy this art forever.