Competitive ballroom split into International and American schools
What began as privileged social dancing now has two codified contest systems. Outside the United States the International School's ten Standard and Latin dances dominate; American Smooth and Rhythm drop Quickstep, add Bolero and Mambo, and run a nine-dance championship track.
Ballroom dance names European partner dances enjoyed socially and competitively—and staged on film and television. Broadly it can mean almost any partnered recreation, but dancesport narrowed the label to recognized syllabi. The International School, rooted in England and overseen by the World Dance Council and World DanceSport Federation, fields Standard (waltz, tango, Viennese waltz, slow foxtrot, quickstep) and Latin (samba, cha-cha, rumba, paso doble, jive). Ten Dance contests cover all ten. The American School under USA Dance mirrors them as Smooth and Rhythm, with four Smooth dances and five Rhythm dances including East Coast swing, bolero, and mambo; Nine Dance is the all-around. Shared names can hide different figures and styling.
The word traces to Latin ballare, to dance. Early manuals include Thoinot Arbeau's 1588 Orchésographie describing basse danse, branle, pavane, and galliarde. The minuet, brought to Paris in 1650 and danced by Louis XIV, ruled ballrooms into the late eighteenth century; his academy later fixed the five foot positions before ballet professionals left court for the stage. The waltz's closed hold shocked England around 1812 before gaining acceptance; 1840s ballrooms added polka, mazurka, and Schottische while shedding decorative ballet steps.
Twentieth-century change bundled freer couple movement, jazz-era crazes from about 1910 to 1930, and teachers such as Vernon and Irene Castle, Josephine Bradley, Victor Silvester, Arthur Murray studios, and Britain's Imperial Society who codified teachable basics. Astaire and Rogers films later modeled glamorous social style. Today's competitions use syllabus levels from newcomer through gold, then open novice to championship with freer choreography; Blackpool's festival ranks as the premier dancesport gathering, and the IOC recognizes the WDSF for Olympic dancesport representation.
Source: Ballroom dance
