Ballroom, Partner or Social Dance?

I am often reminded that not everyone eats, drinks and breathes dancing like I have since age nine. One day while hanging out around the front desk at The Dancetime Center someone asked me, “What is this type of dancing called?” One would think that after three decades of teaching dance classes to tens of thousands of people, I would have a quick standard answer, but I didn’t, so I began mumbling things like social dancing, social ballroom dancing, partner dancing and realized that each of these seem to be part of the answer but not the whole answer.

Social dance isn’t quite right because it includes square dance, round dance and line dance and I don’t do these much although I do secretly like line dancing. It has been called Ballroom dancing for years but somehow in the 21^st century it doesn’t seem to include all the dances we do like Zydeco or Blues dancing. So I have concluded that it might be close to correct to call it “social partner dancing,” so that it can include Country Western dancing, some folk dances like Polka and Argentine Tango.

Here are a few ways to look at the classifications of Social Partner Dance and by the way, hip hop, is a social non-partner dance, which is also taught in many dance centers.

The classic Ballroom dances Ballroom dancing, which are classified by organizations like DVIDA and include certain dances because they are done competitively, are divided into two main categories of American style and International style. Generally, we dance American style in the United States as a social dance and it is also included at competitions under two sub-categories: American Smooth includes Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango and Viennese Waltz and American Rhythm includes Rumba, Cha Cha, Mambo, Bolero and East Coast Swing. Some of us still do an American Samba as well.

International style is danced at competitions and taught instead of American style in Europe and Asia. It includes Latin dance genres like Cha Cha, Rumba, Samba and Paso Doble. International Standard dances include Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango Viennese Waltz and Quickstep.

In recent years, the club dances have become very popular and include dances like Hustle dance, Night Club Two Step, Salsa, Merengue, Bachata and Swango but also could include the swing dances like East & West Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, BalSwing and Charleston.

I like to think of the swing dances in their own category including  East Coast Swing, Jitterbug, Lindy Hop, Baboa, Charleston, Collegiate Shag, Carolina Shag, West Coast Swing and Swango. Although Swango could just as easily be put into a group which might be labeled Fusion dances where you incorporate two different dances into one song.

The Country Western dances seem to rise and fall in popularity every decade or so and includes the Country Western Two Step, Waltz, Cha Cha, Night Club Two Step and Polka but there is the very enjoyable Cowboy Cha Cha, which is kind of a partner and line dance mixed together.

Folk dancers also sometimes partner dance in the Polka and Viennese Waltz.

Cajun dancing is done to New Orleans Cajun and Zydeco style music, which includes the Cajun Jig, Zydeco and Cajun Waltzes.

Blues Dancing is a slow dance done to Blues music if you’re not West Coast swinging!

Tango has at least three different styles: Argentine Tango, American Tango and International Tango.

This sums up my short discussion on the social partner dances or does partner social dance sound better? And some ideas as  how they might be categorized. When I first started dancing, there was an American Smoothe dance that I never learned and seems to have disappeared called the Peabody. I seldom meet people who know or dance it and it seems near extinction. Maybe someone should start a Peabody Society to resurrect the dance?

Hopefully, this sheds some light on what we do at the Pattie Wells’ Dancetime Center. Interestingly, we teach lessons, group dance classes in most of these dance genres. The ones not offered in a group dance class are taught in individual private dance lessons or we have an instructors who can teach all of the dances in this blog with the exception of Peabody!

Also, be cautious about the terms "I swing" or "I'm a swinger," or referring to yourself or anyone else as a swinger since this term refers to something other than dancing and is usually done among couples in private settings. Certainly, we don't offer this at my dance center (wink)! So remember to always use the word “dance” when you mention swing, swing dancing!

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About the Author

Pattie Wells hails from San Diego, California where she writes article and video blogs for her world dance resource website at DanceTime.com. Also, Pattie is working on several writing projects including her new website at PattieWells.com, a novel in linked stories and a poetry manuscript titled Fire In Rain.  In addition, she continues to teach a limited number of private dance lessons in San Diego including dance lessons for weddings.