What is DanceSport?

DanceSport is the official name given to the sport of competitive ballroom dancing as recognized by the Olympic Committee. DanceSport is a team sport, generally defined as partner dancing between a man and a woman combining as a couple and using the required technique together with floorcraft and artistic interpretation to produce a highly disciplined dance performance.

The dances that make up the International Style DanceSport are determined by the International DanceSport Federation (ISDF), the international governing body of amateur DanceSport, and the World Dance and DanceSport Council (WD&DSC), the international governing body of professional DanceSport.

The currently recognised disciplines in International Style DanceSport are:

Each of these two sections (styles) consists of five dances, as described below.

Standard

Waltz originated as a folk dance in Austria and Bavaria during the 17th Century and was introduced to British ballrooms during the 1800s. This smooth progressive dance is characterized by long, flowing movements, continuous turns, and substantial rise & fall.

Tango was born in the streets of Buenos Aires during the late 19th Century, and is thought to have originally represented the combat between two men. The dance was brought to France in the early 20th Century, and was quickly adopted and refined by the Parisian elite. Tango is characterized by firm and progressive movement without rise & fall and snappy, dynamic actions switching to superb stillness.

Viennese Waltz is a fast progressive rotating dance with the accent on the first beat. The dance originated during the 18th century from the South German Alps Area.

Foxtrot was introduced by Harry Fox in 1913 and was originally moderately fast, simple and unrefined. The versatility of the dance contributed to its popularity, and during the 1930s it gained the smoother quality we see today. Foxtrot is characterized by numerous continuously forward or backward moving patterns which are straight and well aligned on the competition floor.

Quickstep arose when the British mixed Charleston and slow Foxtrot in the 1920s to create "Quicktime Foxtrot and Charleston." This faster foxtrot was greatly influenced by swing music during the 1920s and 30s and later incorporated the chasse figures that are characteristic of the dance today.

Latin

Cha Cha is a sexy and flirtatious Afro-Cuban dance that developed in the Latin dance clubs of New York City during the 1950s. It uses quick footwork and characteristic "cha-cha-cha" timing.

Samba has its roots in Africa, but most of the development is done in Brazil. The dance is characterized by zig-zag patterns, circling movements and more prominent interaction with the spectators.

Rumba is a slower, more romantic Afro-Cuban dance that has been dubbed "the dance of love." Like the other Latin dances, it utilizes Latin hip action and smooth body motion, allowing partners better express the feeling of the music.

Paso Doble originated from Spain. The name "Paso Doble" in Spanish means "Two Step" and refers to the marching nature of the steps. The dance portrays a bullfight with the man as the Torero and the woman, his cape. Paso Doble first became popular amongst the upper classes of Paris in the 1930s, with its dramatic and theatrical poses.

Jive is a rhythmical and swinging dance which was influenced by the Rock & Roll, Boogie and Swing. The roots of the dance are in Harlem, New York. Jive is characterized by flicks, kicks, and strongly emphasized leg rhythm.