History of Ballroom Dance

Foxtrot

Harry Fox, a vaudeville star of the Ragtime era is generally accepted as the initiator of the  Foxtrot.  During this period, a completely new phase of dancing was born.  Partners danced closer together, ad-libbed to the music, and found new music exciting and exhilarating.  With the smoother styling accented today, the Foxtrot exemplifies, more than any other dance, the true Fred Astaire styling.

Waltz

The German Landler, a folk dance, is supposed to be the forerunner of the Waltz. When it was first introduced in the ballrooms of the world in the early 19th Century, it was met with outraged indignation, for it was the first dance where couples danced in a closed position with the man's hand around the girl's waist. Today, there is a slower Style Waltz and the faster Viennese Waltz.

Merengue

The exciting rhythms of the Merengue inspire dancers all over the world to move to the intoxicating beat, which was considered too scandalist when introduced to the U.S. in1941. There are two schools of thought as to how this captivating dance began. One says it started as a peasant dance in the Dominican Republic by African slaves. The dragging of one leg relieved chafing of leg irons. Another says a returning war hero, a General Maringie, danced, dragging an injured leg. It contains elements of both cultures, and is an exciting Latin dance.

Tango

The earliest traces of the Tango date back to the folk dances of Argentina.  Thought to have Moorish, Arabic, and Spanish ancestry, it was an ancient Spanish song-form adapted to the dance.  Later, the Argentinean Gauchos danced a version of the Tango in the bawdy cafes of Buenos Aires.  In its present style, the beautiful Tango with its interesting, asymmetrical, and sophisticated patterns enjoys undiminished popularity.

Rumba

The Rumba, which began with the African slaves of Cuba more than 400 years ago, has a fun tantalizing rhythm that first invaded North America in the early 1930's.  The earliest form of Rumba was an expressive pantomime danced under the spell of elemental music.  The  Rumba today is danced in a more standard fashion than the fascinating rhythmic moves of  native demonstrations.  Danced properly, the Rumba is a delightful favorite characterized by a smooth, supple hip motion and a rather light walking step. 

Swing

With the birth of Swing music in the late 1920's Swing, first known as the Lindy Hop (in honor of Charles Lindberg and his historic hop across the Atlantic), climbed the social ladder. The dance craze swept the nation, and its name changed- depending on where you lived. It was the East Coast Jitterbug, the Lindy, or the West Coast Swing. Swing is filled with lively rhythms and big band excitement.

Quickstep

The Quickstep was developed in the 1920s in England.  During this time, many bands began playing the Foxtrot at a faster pace, earning the name quick Foxtrot.  The Charleston appeared after this, but lacked long-term potential.  However, in 1927 the Charleston was combined with the Quick Foxtrot resulting in a name that was much too long:  The Quick Time Foxtrot and Charleston, so it became known simply as the Quickstep.