| Ballroom dancing is an elegant art form with some | | | | then an exact dance that first became popular in the |
| styles spanning back hundreds of years. Today | | | | 1920's. While there are some specific styles of swing |
| ballroom dance is regaining it's popularity with the | | | | dance taught in different classes around the country, |
| American people partly because of main stream | | | | the east coast swing is the most popular in most |
| network TV shows showcasing dances such as the | | | | ballrooms. |
| Waltz, FoxTrot and Tango. | | | | The Rhumba |
| In this article I want to look at the six main styles of the | | | | Originating as a mix mash of several Cuban dances it's |
| American ballroom and give you a little bit of history | | | | been danced in American ballrooms since about the |
| about each one. | | | | second world war. The hip motion of this dance is the |
| The Waltz | | | | most noticeable point and is the main part of the |
| The oldest of all ballroom dance styles the Waltz is | | | | dance that has stuck with the style from it's Cuban |
| said to have originated in the early 1830 from a | | | | roots. |
| German folk dance known as the Lander. The first | | | | The Cha Cha |
| version of the Waltz was known as the Waltzer and | | | | With deep origins in the West Indies and from a plant |
| is said to have been one of Queen Elizabeth's favorite | | | | that is used to make a Cha-cha, a maraca type |
| dances. Today it's still an elegant dance done in very | | | | instrument played in Hatian bands, the Cha Cha |
| formal settings. | | | | emerged as a dance style danced along to music of |
| The Tango | | | | typical Voodoo bands. As a close relative to the |
| A younger dance then the Waltz the tango originated | | | | Mambo it has latin origins and was first introduced to |
| from Argentina, so is often referred to as the | | | | the United States around 1954. Ever since it's been a |
| Argentine Tango. It first started gaining popularity in the | | | | staple style of the ballroom. |
| early 1900's before world war I when it was introduced | | | | The FoxTrot |
| to Europe. It is a very exotic dance said to get it's start | | | | It's one of the smoothest of ballroom styles and |
| in the Ghetto of Buenos Aires. The American Tango is | | | | makes use of the entire dance floor. The foxtrot is |
| said to be a more structured version of the Argentine | | | | believed to have been developed from a dancing act |
| Tango which was more of an illustration of the | | | | in New York around 1914. It was one of the first |
| dancers interpretation of music. | | | | dances where partners danced closer and ragtime |
| The Swing | | | | music was being incorporated into the ballroom. Still |
| There are several styles to the swing. The west coast | | | | today the foxtrot is a favorite, often seen as the first |
| and east coast swing are the most standard. | | | | dance at weddings. |
| Generally when you think swing it's a style more so | | | | |
