| International Standard |
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| Standard Dances (also called International Standard, or Modern)
include: Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot and QuickStep. |
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| Waltz — Waltz
is one of the classic elegant ballroom dances. The music is in 3/4
time and is generally slow. The waltz is a dance that moves around
the room and is a favorite for first dances at weddings. It's basic
is a box step which is six counts long in two halves. This was the
first of the ballroom dances to appear as we know it (in the 1800's),
and was considered lewd because men and women actually danced touching
each other. |
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| Tango — Tango
is an exciting dance that can have a lot of sensuality put into it.
It originated in the brothels in Argentina, where the men were trying
to impress the women with their dancing. It is a smooth dance that
goes around the room like waltz and Foxtrot, but it has more latin-sounding
music, so some bands and dancers will classify it in the latin category.
It has an eight-count basic similar to the magic step in Foxtrot,
but is unique in that the basic starts and ends on the same foot,
so dancers actually move the same foot for two successive steps without
changing weight to the other foot. |
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| Foxtrot —
Foxtrot is a slower dance in 4/4 time. It is popular at weddings for
first dances and moves around the room. It has two basic steps: the
magic step (a six-count basic) and the box step (an eight-count basic).
The box step is like the waltz, but the magic step is unique. The
Foxtrot was invented by a man named Harry Fox in the 1930's in America.
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| Viennese Waltz
— The Viennese Waltz is a fast Waltz that originated in Austria
with composers such Johann Strauss.Its exhilarating swoops and whirls
make this dance feel like flying! |
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| QuickStep —
Quickstep evolved out of the Foxtrot, and the basic is a fast version
of the magic step in Foxtrot. It has a very quick tempo and the dance
moves around the room like waltz and Foxtrot. This dance is only an
International Style dance, with no counterpart in the American style
dances. In the advanced levels of quickstep are the characteristic
hops, skips, and slides that are seen on the PBS show, Championship
Ballroom Dancing. This dance was also featured in the Japanese film,
"Shall We Dance." |
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