Social Dance Styles: Options for Ballroom Dancing Lessons

Ballroom Dancing is a romantic, sensual and beautiful, yet often complicated form of performance based art. It usually takes much practice to master the various steps and formations which fall under the umbrella of Ballroom Dancing style of expressive and artistic movement, but with proper training and dedicated, consistent effort one can learn how to become one with the various ballroom dance steps, develop his or her (or their) own personal distinctive dance style and over time, discover a magical ability to acquire an instantaneous command of the complex dance steps upon any given stage they set foot to perform upon.

To understand the complexity of the Ballroom Dancing form of performance style art, it is important to properly discern between the various traditional step styles. Most ballroom dancing enthusiasts tend to find one or a couple particular dance styles under the broad Ballroom Dancing heading that they come to prefer over others.

When undertaking the study of Ballroom Dancing, however, as a beginner, it does not hurt, and actually is often rather helpful to verse oneself and your partner in the basic moves and steps that accompany, at the very least, some of the beginner steps and moves that associate themselves with a handful or so of some of the Ballroom Dancing worlds popular and most recognized dances. You never know when the opportunity will arise, at a social gathering type occasion where even your general ballroom dancing skills will come to great use.

As a very basic explanation of specific dances and accompanying foot movements in this established and traditional, not to mention graceful with illuminating elegance, the following is a simple perspective of Ballroom Dancing to consider:

Some schools of dance may vary in their definitions and categorations of Ballroom Dancing steps and dance techniques here with subtle variations in terminology or perhaps, sub categorization, but Ballroom Dancing seems to most commonly be broken down into five subcategories of more similarly grouped and narrowly defined dance style genres: These include International Style Latin dances; American Style Smooth Dances; International Style Standard Dances; American Style Rhythm Dances; and finally, Social and Nightclub Dances.

Under these more specific headings of Ballroom Dancing Dance techniques and styles, there exists another, sort of subset group of dance genres, each of them also with their own particular style and steps, rhythm and visual distinctions. To understand any one of the multiple Ballroom Dancing dance techniques and styles to the point that you might actually participate in the practice of them, you might seek out a source with more elaborate instructions for whichever dance style you fancy to study is highly recommended.

For the sake of a broader understanding into the realm of Ballroom Dancing, however, and the various components that make it into the complex and multifaceted art form it is so admired for, this brief breakdown of Ballroom Dancing and its descending branches of tailored dances, positioned to illustrate their parental categories can at least serve as a starting point in the exploration of this art or otherwise a reference point from which to return to for inspiration and passion to propagate ones already acquainted grasp of the graceful sport.

(Once again, each of these particular Ballroom Dancing subgenres are complex within themselves. For more insight into any one of these techniques, targeted, and more narrow research is recommended.)

Now, a layout in list outline format of the major five Dance categories which fall under the Ballroom Dancing umbrella, appropriately grouped with the subgenres of dance styles which fall under them.

**International Style Standard Dances**
1.Waltz
2. Tango
3. Viennese Waltz
4. Foxtrot
5. Quickstep

**American Style Smooth Dances**
1. Waltz
2. Tango
3. Viennese Waltz
4. Foxtrot

**International Style Latin Dances**
1. Cha Cha
2. Samba
3. Rumba
4. Paso Doble
5.Jive

**American Style Rhythm Dances**
1. Cha Cha
2. Rumba
3. East Coast Swing
4. Bolero
5. Mambo

**Social and Nightclub Dances**
1. East Coast Swing
2. West Coast Swing
3. Lindy Hop
4.Salsa