“

SOCIAL &
BALLROOM
DANCES
INTRODUCTION
Long gone, we have been surrounded by different folk dances we tamed by nature
and within its origin, also with some dances with foreign influences. At present, these
folk dances have been elevated into a form of social dances creating more complex
dance routines to enjoy by people of different ages as a form of highly entertaining
dance genres. Some of the historical dances being molded as social and ballroom
dances are the Mazurka Polka, Minuet, etc. These dances have had its evolution into
the classifications of the social and ballroom dances. The meaning of ballroom dances
varies from the dance genres of today.
 HISTORY
People are exposed to several ballroom dances as performed in social
gatherings as a sort of entertainment. These began and recorded toward
the end of the 16" century. As token of gratitude to Jehan Tabourot with
his pen name ̎Thoinot- Arbeau̎ when he first published and studied
social dance throughout the Renaissance period of the 16 century. It was
first recorded with five basic dance steps as Shakespeare acknowledged
the dance as "cing pace".
HISTORY
In the 20th century, the ballroom modern dance became
popular on the screen when dance referred to as a competition
known as the dance sport was modulated by the World Dance
Council (WDC), from beginners to numerous professional
levels namely the International Standard and International
Latin.
COMMON DANCE
TERMS
Alignment
o the directions the feet face in relationship to the room.
o the positioning of the body's "building blocks" (head, shoulders,
abdomen, hips) in top of each other.
Amalgamation
o A combination of two or more figures; more generally: a
sequence of figures that a couple wants to dance.
Body Contact
o Body contact is a style of closed position in partner
dancing (closed position with body contact); it is also a type
of physical connection, mainly of the right-hand sides of the
partners' costal arches.
Arm Styling
o Positioning and movement of the arm, reflecting the character
and style of the dance.
Basic Figure
o A standardized step pattern, which together with other patterns
constitute the basics of a dance.
Choreography
o A creation or compilation of steps, patterns and movements
which make up the dance or a dance routine.
Combination
o A group of consecutive patterns and choreography. It is similar
to amalgamation but sometimes involves a slightly more
advanced set of patterns.
Chassé
o A figure of three steps in which the feet are closed on the second step.
Continuity Movement
o is the continuous passing of the feet from one step to the next.
Dance Sport
o the official name given to competitive Ballroom Dancing. It relates to the
more athletic form of ballroom dancing.
Drop
o A theatrical type of movement in which the follower’s body remains in
contact with the floor.
Figure
❑ A standardized step pattern that, together with the owner patterns,
constitutes the dance.
Floor Craft
o The ability of the leader to maneuver around the dance floor in a skilled
and controlled manner as to avoid colliding with the other dancers.
Following
o The ability of the follower to react correctly to the signals given by the
leader through physical and visual connections.
Formation Team
o A group of three or more dancers who perform ballroom style routines.
Hip Motion
o A very general term to mean any type of hip movement used in Latin
dancing.
Natural Turn
o Any dance pattern that turns to the right.
Line Dancing
o A type of non-partner dancing where everyone starts in the line and learns a set
pattern that repeats over and over again through the music.
Lift
o A theatrical type of movement in which the follower’s body weight is completely
supported by the leader held aloft.
Step
o Is frequently used to mean the same as figure or pattern.
Variation
o A varied or more advanced pattern than the corresponding basic figure which still
contains the same main elements.
Leading
o Effective communication of intended actions by the leader through the use of
leader’s own body movements and through one or more physical or visual
connections to the follower.
Frame
o Are the positions of the upper bodies of the dancers (hands, arms, shoulders,
neck, head, and upper torso).A strong frame is where your arms and upper
body are held firmly in place without relying on your partner to maintain
your frame nor applying force that would move your partner or your
partner's frame.
Rise and Fall
o Refers to the body ascending and descending by use of feet, ankles, and legs,
to create dynamic movement.
Syncopation
o In dancing, the term syncopation has two meanings. The first one is similar to
the musical terminology: stepping on an unstressed musical beat. The second
one is making more (and/or different) steps than required by the standard
description of a figure, to address more rhythmical nuances of the music.
 HOLDS AND
POSITIONS
Disclaimer: Photos presented / attached in this module were taken inside Batangas State
University. The presenter/s strictly follows the University health guidelines in fighting
against CoViD-19. Proper sanitation was done after the shoot.
CLOSE BALLROOM
RIGHT PARALLEL
OPEN BALLROOM
FACING POSITION
CONVERSATION
BACK CROSS
ESCORT POSITION
SIDE BY SIDE
PROMENADE
VARSOVIENNE
WRAP POST
SWING OUT POSITION
REVERSE VARSOVIENNE
START POST
REVERSE OPEN POST
CHA CHA CHA
Cha cha cha is a dance of Latin America. The definition
of the dance and the origin of its name comprise from
sound of the performers’ sandals slapping against the
floor. From the original name Cha-Cha, it became
different primarily with the addition of a triple step
replacing the sole steps of Mambo and Rumba
Cha-Cha-Cha Basic Steps

MEN’S PART
1. Step right (R) foot forward
2. Left (L) foot in place
3. Do the shuffle and step L backward

WOMAN’S PART
1. Step L foot backward
2. R foot in place
3. Do the shuffle and step R forward
Basic Cha-Cha-Cha
Please click the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEg2klPvtro
SWING
Swing is the most commonly known social dance among group
of dances and it was being developed with the music of Jazz
genre in the 1920’s – 1950’s. It began in African – American
communities and one of the popular couple dances and still
popular nowadays is the Lindy Hop which originated in Harlem
in the year 1927. This dance is relatively easy dance made its
very reason why people of all ages live dancing it.
SWING BASIC STEPS

1. Step right (R) foot forward, transferring the weight of the body.

2. Step Left (L) in place, then step R foot forward

https://youtu.be/S8zG3pG4cIY
 REFERENCES
BOOKS:
MILAGROS, Aguinaldo et.al (1998), Ballroom Dancing: A new lifestyle.
Quezon City, Philippines
ORLANDA, Marilou M. (2012), Indak Sayaw. Manila, Philippines
SILVESTRE, Victor (1990), Modern Ballroom Dancing
Great Britain

VIDEOS:
BatSU DHK YT Channel
UC-SHS PE Dept YT Channel