A Brief Overview of Ballroom Dance

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Summary of the Ballroom Dances

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Ballroom Dance (DanceSport) can be broken down into two styles, American and International, which are further categorized into four total styles as follows:

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• American Smooth: Waltz (W), Foxtrot (F), Tango (T), Viennese Waltz (VW)

• American Rhythm: Cha cha (C), Rumba (R), East Coast Swing (S), Mambo (M), Bolero (B)

• International Standard: Waltz (W), Quickstep (Q), Foxtrot (F), Tango (T), Viennese Waltz (VW)

• International Latin: Cha cha (C), Rumba (R), Samba (S), Jive (J), Paso Doblé (PD)

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The Difference Between American and International

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In American Smooth, dancers may open up frame or completely separate for a finite amount of time. International Standard dancers must hold frame for the entirety of the dance. Though the differences between American Rhythm and International Latin are more subtle, one such difference involves placing the foot with a bent knee in Rhythm and a straight leg in Latin.

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The Leveling System

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At the collegiate level, dancers traditionally self-declare the level he/she is dancing at after consulting a team coach or instructor. New dancers may dance Newcomer/Pre-Bronze, with the levels progressing through Bronze, Silver, and Gold; these make up the Syllabus levels. More advanced dancers may progress to Open, which continues through Pre-Championship and Championship.

Syllabus dancers are only allowed to dance figures from the recognized syllabi, which may include the USA Dance Syllabus, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) Syllabus, the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (ISTD) Syllabus, and others. Open dancers are not limited to these dance figures.

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Dance Characteristics

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Waltz: Dancers breeze by in 3/4 timing with a gentle rise and fall. Movements are large and circular.

Quickstep: As the name implies, dancers quickly travel great distances across the floor. The music played is the fastest of all the ballroom dances.

Foxtrot: American Smooth dancers may enjoy a playful, sassy dance while International Standard dancers demonstrate a more classic jazzy style.

Tango: Intense and passionate, accentuated by sharp movements.

Viennese Waltz: Similar to Waltz but much faster, with the Standard equivalent faster than its American counterpart.

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Cha Cha: Staccato movements; similar to Rumba but with a chassé (side-together-side) in between.

Rumba: Slow and romantic, showcasing strong partner connection through elasticity.

East Coast Swing: Similar to Jive but with greater hip swing.

Mambo: Reminiscent of salsa but much more grounded.

Bolero: The intersection of rumba and waltz, it is the only Rhythm dance that has rise and fall and a standard frame.

Jive: English equivalent of the American Swing dance, incorporating a pumping action of the legs and knees.

Samba: This Brazilian dance requires several hip and body actions to occur at once. It is most notable for its "rhythm bounce" and syncopated timing.

Paso Doblé: The leader plays the role of Spanish matador (bullfighter), while the follow may be the bull, the cape, or the flamenco dancer. Dramatic and intense, this is a strictly choreographed competition dance structured around the "crashes" in the music.

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What to Expect at Competition

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Dancers will enter the floor for an event, sometimes in multiple rounds called "heats", and dance between forty-five seconds to a minute and a half. Depending on how many competitors there are, dancers progress from a first round to a quarterfinal to a semifinal before the final. In these preliminary rounds, a couple must receive a high number of passing marks from the judges to progress.​

In the final round, the couples are ranked from first to last by each judge. The final placements are determined by a unique scoring system called the skating system. Further details about this system may be found on our Competition page.