Samba   - One of the most famous Latin American dances. Coming from Africa and Spain to South America, he became unusually popular in Brazil, where his general enthusiasm grew into carnival activities. This dance is rightfully considered the most fiery Latin American dance. It is based on a springy step with a hip turn. In addition, it is a very rhythmic and perky dance. Looking at it from the side, you cannot resist and you will begin to dance yourself. Accompanied by singing (soloist and choir) and percussion instruments. The musical size is 2/4, the rhythm is acutely syncopated. From the middle of the 20th century the dance is not performed. Modern Brazilian dance of urban origin. Accompanied by singing and instrumental ensemble. A Brazilian song based on the same melodic and rhythmic elements as the dance, but less mobile and more lyrical. Samba (zamba) - the name of samakueki (Creole dance) in Argentina and Peru.

Cha cha cha .

Another no less rhythmic dance - cha-cha-cha - was born as a result of combining the movements of several dances, in particular mambo and rumba. This dance is considered relatively young, as it was formed in the middle of the twentieth century. Light and rhythmic music cha-cha-cha creates a relaxed atmosphere and allows you to relax, and the expressive movements of the hips give this dance a special highlight.

Most likely, the name Cha-Cha-Cha comes from the Cuban dance "guaracha", which became popular in Europe at the beginning of the century; it is also possible that the name is onomatopoeic maracas (a noise instrument used in accompaniment). In 1954, this dance was described as "mambo in the rhythm of guiro." (Guiro is a musical instrument made from dried pumpkin and a jagged stick).

Rumba . It arose in Cuba as a typical dance of a hot climate. She became a classic among other Latin American dances. In its present form, many figures of dance carry a reminder of the old as a world of history about the woman’s attempt to dominate a man using her charm. In a well-posed dance choreography, there is always the so-called “lure and run away” element. A woman plays with a man, and then rejects him. His attempts to prove his masculinity through physical dominance fail at the end.

Of all the dances of the Latin American program, the hallmark of which is a fast pace, one stands out - rumba. Without exaggeration, we can say that this is the most beautiful dance, imbued with feeling, and even with some elements of eroticism. Despite this, learning to dance it is quite simple - compared to other Latin American rumba dances - a relatively slow dance with a simple basic movement. However, dancing in a neutral manner without investing a soul is completely impossible. While dancing rumba, each couple tells their love story. Appearing in America in the 19th century, this dance already gained popularity, but was banned, as it was considered quite frivolous. At present, rumba is highly standardized, but this does not prevent it from gaining more and more popularity among fans of ballroom dancing. This is an African American song and dance genre. Modern rumba has developed in Cuba among urban and partly rural blacks. Rumba includes the singing of a soloist, replicas of the choir and the actual dance (mimic-acrobatic improvised) to the accompaniment of percussion and noise instruments. The dance is performed by a couple or a soloist in the center of the circle of spectators and musicians. The musical size is dicotyledonous, the rhythm is acutely syncopated, with emphasis on weak beats of the beat, the pace is from moderately mobile to fast. In the late 1920s rumba became widespread in the USA and European countries as a pop dance.

Paso doble - This is a dance of the bullfighter, implying a stylization of his movements during the bullfight. Unlike other Latin American dances, where the partner, as a rule, dances for the partner, in paso doble, the partner plays the main role, and the partner in this case performs an auxiliary function. For the first time, bullfights appeared on the island of Crete, in the Middle Ages they gained popularity in Spain. Since the 1700s, they began to be held in Spain in a close to modern form. The dance was first performed in France in 1920, became popular in high Parisian society in the 1930s, so many steps and figures have French names. After World War II, the paso doble was included in the Latin American program of sports ballroom dancing. The first name of the dance is "one Spanish step", since steps are taken at every count. Paso doble was one of many Spanish folk dances related to various aspects of Spanish life. The nature of the music corresponds to the procession before the bullfight, which usually goes to the accompaniment of paso doble.

Jive.

The Latin American program ends with a sparkling, jumping jive. No less incendiary than samba or cha-cha-cha, similar in pace and basic movements to rock and roll, the jive came to Europe during the Second World War and was somewhat simplified. As a result of such an experiment, several dances appeared that were actively performed on dance floors of the mid-twentieth century, including the incredibly popular rock and roll.

Originally from the southeastern United States, where he is very popular among black people for over 100 years. He reminds and ritual dances of the Indians of Florida. Historians suggest that its origins still lie in Africa, and the Indians adopted the jive a little later. In the 1880s, in the south of America, blacks staged real competitions for the best performance of this dance. It was performed to music with a very syncopated rhythm, called Ragtime. Ragtime is still popular among the black population. At the very beginning, only young people were fond of Jive. The older generation even tried to prohibit its performance in dance halls, because it was danced on the spot and it interfered with the progress along the line of dance. Jive later transformed into other forms like boogie-woogie, b-bop, rock, twist, disco and hustle. In modern dance sport tournaments, Jive is always performed last, which requires dancers of high endurance, especially in finals, where dances are performed in succession one after another.

Ballroom dancing

Ballroom dance

Ballroom dancing  - A group of different pair dances, some of which have folk origins. Performed at balls, which were held in rooms covered with parquet. From a huge variety of both elite (historical and everyday) and folk dances, the group of ballroom dances included two characteristics: all ballroom dances are paired; a couple are man and woman.

The term "ballroom dancing" now means the phrase "sports dancing" ( SBT, "sports ballroom dancing") and "dance sports." This is displayed in the names of various dance organizations, for example: "Moscow Federation of Sports Dance" or "Moscow Federation of Dance Sports".

Throughout the dance world, sports dance competitions are divided into 2 programs: European (Standart or Modern), Latin American (Latin), or they are sometimes called the top ten dances.

The European program includes: slow waltz, tango, Viennese waltz, slow foxtrot and quickstep (fast foxtrot). In Latin American: samba, cha-cha-cha, rumba, paso doble and jive.

History and Definition

Young Princess Marie Antoinette in class

The term "ballroom" refers to the pair of unprofessional secular dances that arose in medieval Europe. These dances are very strongly altered: any era of European history - Renaissance, Enlightenment, classicism, romanticism - gave rise to a kind of dance complex. Throughout European cultural development, a variety of ethnic sources, as well as professional dance, influenced ballroom dancing.

Ballroom dancing of the XX century was formed on the basis of European dance, into which at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries African and Latin American musical and dance culture breathed new life. The vast majority of modern ballroom dancing has African "roots", already well camouflaged by the technical processing of the European dance school.

In the 1920s, a special Ballroom Dance Council emerged in England under the Imperial Society of Dance Teachers. English experts standardized all the dances known by then - waltz, fast and slow foxtrot, tango. So there were competitive dances, and since then ballroom dance has been divided into two areas - sports and social dance. In the 1930s and 1950s, the number of standard ballroom dances increased due to the addition of five Latin American dances (in this order: rumba, samba, jive, paso doble, cha-cha-cha).

Now competitions in sports dancing are held. Several programs were formed: European, Latin American, biathlon (ten dances), European and Latin American sequey (three-minute show with original music), European and Latin American formation (competition of ensembles of 8 pairs). Amateur world championships are held under the auspices of the WDSF (formerly IDSF), while professional championships are held under the auspices of the World Dance Council. The most prestigious in the world continue to be English contests, in particular, the UK Open and the Blackpool Festival. Blackpool dance festival) Another area of \u200b\u200bcompetitive dance is the competition of mixed pairs Professional-Amateur (Pro-Am). This area is especially developed in the USA and Canada.

In the United States of America, a peculiar national version of both some ballroom dances and the holding of competitions for them - "American Smooth", "American Rhythm" - is preserved.

The word "ball" came to the Russian language from French and comes from the Latin verb ballare, which means "dance." From the huge variety of both elite (historical and everyday) and folk dances, the group of ballroom dances included the following features.

All ballroom dances are paired. A couple are a gentleman and a lady dancing in compliance with points of contact. In the European program, this contact is more dense. It persists throughout the dance. In the Latin American program, contact is more free, most often due to joined hands, and sometimes it can either be lost altogether or amplified due to tension when performing figures.

Since the performance of ballroom dancing requires certain skills and training, their popularity in society has declined over time. The appearance of a twist in the 1960s marked the end of pair dancing. Dances such as waltz, tango, foxtrot, etc., in fact, ceased to serve for mass entertainment. A new page has opened in the history of ballroom dancing.

European program

The European program (in another way, “Standard” or “Ballroom”) includes 5 dances: slow waltz (tempo - 28-30 beats per minute), tango (tempo - 31-33 beats per minute), Viennese waltz (tempo - 58 -60 beats per minute), slow foxtrot (tempo - 28-30 beats per minute) and quickstep (fast foxtrot) (tempo - 50-52 beats per minute). All dances of the European program are performed with advancement along the line of dance (in a circle counterclockwise). Ladies should wear matching ball gowns. Cavaliers should be dressed in tailcoats of black or dark blue color and wear a bow-tie or tie. Instead of a tailcoat, dancing in a tuxedo or in a vest is allowed. A modern dance costume differs from everyday in the first place in cut, one of the peculiarities of which is that the shoulders of the partner's costume should remain level when the arms are raised to the sides.

Latin American Program

The Latin American program (Latin) includes dances: samba (pace - 50-52 beats per minute), cha-cha-cha (pace - 30-32 beats per minute), rumba (pace - 25-27 beats per minute), paso doble (tempo - 60-62 beats per minute) and jive (tempo - 42-44 beats per minute). Of the Latin American dances, only samba and paso doble dance with progress along the line of dance. In the other dances, the dancers more or less remain in one place, although in these dances the dancers can also move around the dance floor with or without returning to the starting point. Currently, ladies' competitive dresses are usually short, very open and tight. The modern competitive costume of the gentlemen is also quite tight-fitting, emphasizing the courageous lines of the body.

Classification of Dancers

In order to create more or less equivalent competition on the dance floor, a class system has been introduced in sports ballroom dancing that displays the level of training of dancers and a system of age categories that distributes dancers by age group. To enter the first competition, they are assigned one of the lowest classes (H), which they can subsequently change to a higher one, taking certain places in the competition and earning certain points. In lower classes, not all dances and not all elements are allowed to dance. The highest class of mastery among dancers of the M class.

Classification of dancers by level of training (FTSD Rules)

H class  (the letter "H" means "beginner" or "zero class") or ShbtBallroom Dance School. Competitions for this class are not held, the Class is part of the mass sport system.

N-3 is the starting class, in which a slow waltz, cha-cha-cha and samba are performed. The set of elements is limited to the most basic movements. H-4 is the next class in which only 4 dances are performed: slow waltz, jive, samba and cha-cha-cha. Quickstep is added to H-5, the same dances as to E-class in H-6. There is the term "hobby class." It applies to beginner adult athletes who would like to dance more dances and with a wide range of movements than beginner children. Often in this case, the organizers of the competition do not impose restrictions on suits and performed items. Such a Hobby class has a semi-official status.

E class: sports class, which can also be the starting one. In this class, 6 dances are performed: slow waltz, Viennese waltz, quickstep, samba, cha-cha-cha and jive. To move to the next class you need to score 20 points in competitions

D class: in this class all E-class dances are performed and 2 dances are added: tango and rumba. To move to the next class you need to score points in competitions.

C class: choreography not allowed from the basic list of figures is allowed.

B class: athletes of this class get the opportunity to perform poses, support.

A class: class of professionals.

S class: From Sonder - “special” - assigned by decision of the Presidium of the national federation based on the results of the national Championship or Championship.

Latin American dances have been famous for their beauty, energy and ease for more than a century. But, despite the length of the history of such dance styles as cha-cha-cha, samba, rumba, jive, paso doble, their stage fame was embodied relatively recently. These five dances formed the Latin American ballroom dance program, receiving some standards that went to emotional directions only to the benefit.

Jyav

The roots of the dance are African, but he gained fame only in the United States of America in 1940. Since that time, the dance does not lose its popularity, but only gains more fans. Swing, rock and roll, boogie-woogie - each of these dances diversified the jive arsenal with some of its elements, thanks to which it is still at the top.

Cha cha cha

This dance is considered the youngest representative of the Latin American ballroom dance program. The dance was originally called Danzon Mambo, after which this popular Cuban dance received a different name. 120 beats per minute - such an active rhythm looked very impressive in the performance of professional dancers.

Rumba

Rumba has Cuban-African roots. The plot in this dance is extremely simple: a woman plays with a man in sexual movements, and he, in turn, tries to demonstrate her superiority to her.

Paso doble

The dance appeared in Spain. In Europe, gained popularity in 1920. The distinctive features of the dance are its fast pace and plot, according to which a woman and a man lead a dance-conflict among themselves, outwardly similar to bullfighting.

Samba

Samba has always been famous for its plasticity and rhythm. All these qualities are well represented in the Latin American ballroom dance program.

Program ten dances or "ten"

The program of ten dances, or it is also called the "ten," includes all dances: five dances of the European and five dances of the Latin American program. At the tournament for the program of ten dances for each program, their respective costume is with the dancers, which has to be changed from the European program to the Latin American one and vice versa.

Dancers performing the "top ten", although they are considered universal, but some of the programs give more preference and, accordingly, the duet is stronger in this program.
   Ten dances or “ten” is the most difficult program due to the fact that you need to train for both programs, throughout the tournament you constantly have to switch from one program to another.

Sequey

Sequey  it is an arbitrary composition, like a dance number performed by a dance couple for about 3 minutes. Sequey  it happens latin American and European. Variation in sex is allowed from the choreography of all five dances of one of sports ballroom dancing programs, it is allowed to use from 1 to 5 rhythms of the Latin American or European programs, respectively.

Despite the fact that the sequey is more like a show, there are certain rules and some restrictions in the sequel.

In the sequel  not allowed:

• the use of items that are not part of the costume and if such an item is part of the costume, it is not allowed to change its location,
• support is allowed only in the introduction (first 8 measures) and in the final part (last 8 measures) of the number,
• in the European sequel, separate performance by dance duets is allowed only for 4 bars in the introduction and in the final part of the number, as well as between dances.

Initially, only professionals danced the sequels. But since 2000, sequoia competitions have been held among amateur dance duets.

Ballroom dancing is not just dancing, it is a whole art, and at the same time science, sport, passion, in a word - a whole life embodied in movement. Also, ballroom dancing is not in vain called sports - this is a tremendous workout for all the muscles of the body, as well as a correct and healthy cardiological load.

During the dance, the couple communicates with each other and with the audience in body language, which can express both a huge message of positive energy, and a gentle, peaceful, perhaps even dreary mood - an anguish of the soul, and this depends on the type of ballroom dance.

At the moment, these types of ballroom dancing are often ranked as, for example, bachata or solo latina for girls, but this is not entirely correct. The traditional program of ballroom dances (they are necessarily paired) includes ten dances, divided into a European direction or program (otherwise called “standard”) and Latin American (“Latin”). So, what types of ballroom dancing exist - let's start in order.

Dance King - Waltz

The most noble and solemn dance of the classical program is the slow waltz. This direction of the waltz originated at the beginning of the last century and has not undergone any changes since then. Dance has a very measured movement in three counts, like all waltz types of ballroom dancing ,   and is accompanied by lyrical music.

There is another waltz in the standard program - Viennese, which is distinguished by an abundance of rotations at a fairly high speed and dances to a fast melody, thereby creating simply enchanting sensations for the audience.

Other elements of the European program

Filled with the breath of Argentinean passion, tango is another element of the European program, very sensual, combining fast and slow movements. All types of ballroom dancing play the leading role as a partner, but it is the tango that particularly emphasizes this.

Also, the standard program includes a slow foxtrot (dancing at the expense of up to 4), characterized by a moderate pace with some transitions from slow and fast, and quickstep. The latter is the most mischievous dance of the entire program, based on jumping, fast cornering. The dancer’s task is to combine these abrupt movements with smooth transitions to very energetic music.

Dancing to incendiary Latin American rhythms

Types of ballroom dancing in the Latin program are, firstly, no less exciting than tango, but at the same time, a very gentle dance - rumba.

The rhythm is slow, with an emphasis on even slower beats. Secondly, the exact opposite of rumba is jive, incredibly positive and very fast, the most modern and constantly gaining new movements.

The carefree Latin American dance cha-cha-cha is an amazing notion of humanity, it is characterized by movements of the hips and legs, which cannot be confused with anything, and a very interesting manner of counting (“cha-cha-1-2-3”).

Akin to the incendiary cha-cha-cha - samba dance, which can be both quite slow and incredibly fast, so much so that the dancers have to show the highest level of skill.

Samba is based on "spring" movements of the legs, combined with smooth movements of the hips. And of course, both samba and other types of ballroom dancing in the Latin program are a clear rhythm and frantic energy that spreads to the dancers and spectators themselves, even if the dance is performed by non-professionals.