Dancesport: Not your mother's Ballroom Dancing!
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Dancesport When Dancing meets Sport
Competitive Ballroom Dancing isn't a gentle foxtrot and chance to chat with your partner while you amble around the floor. In terms of energy output a quickstep or jive equates to middle-distance running - except that you have to do it with a smile, full make up, hair and high heels!
The competition form of Ballroom Dance got renamed Dancesport a number of years ago: mainly a marketing exercise, unfortunately sports get a lot more sponsorship than dancing or the arts in general.
Photo Credit: WigWam Jones on Flickr, some rights reserved.
The competition form of Ballroom Dance got renamed Dancesport a number of years ago: mainly a marketing exercise, unfortunately sports get a lot more sponsorship than dancing or the arts in general.
Photo Credit: WigWam Jones on Flickr, some rights reserved.
Dancers in Action
Dancesport - Ballroom Dancing on Steriods!
To do well in this sport you don't just have to look good you have to be very fit too!
International Style Ballroom Dancing
In the American Smooth dancing dancers can break hold and dance apart, side by side or at arm's length. In International style Standard dancers are in close hold the entire dance. International Latin and American Rhythm are similar in style but have different dances and timings.
Competition Dancing compared to Social Dancing
Many people start dancing socially but some of us eventually get bored. To take dancing to another level you have to push your limits and to do that you need to compete.
If you race cars you can't practice on your suburban street - if you competitively dance you can't really practice at a local social dance! Check out the videos below to see the difference!
If you race cars you can't practice on your suburban street - if you competitively dance you can't really practice at a local social dance! Check out the videos below to see the difference!
Ballroom Dancing - the sport
UK Open Pro Latin Ballroom Dancesport Championship 2007
ChaCha: (Love Potion #5 is one of my favourite pieces of Cha Cha music); Samba; Rhumba; Paso Doble; Jive.
Dance Shoes
Well fitting dance shoes are critical
If you spend money on 1 item spend it on dance shoes, a good pair of dance shoes can make a huge difference to your dancing and you are really wasting your money on lessons without them. You must have leather soled shoes (men and women) to move correctly across the floor, you can't slide a sneaker. Ladies need a secure shoe which gives them enough height - at least 2" to get their weight in the right place on their foot.
Anyone can Compete in Ballroom Dancing
The videos on this lens show some of the world's best dancing. However anyone of any age of fitness can dance. In fact the appeal of the TV show "Dancing with the Stars" is to see the more unlikely stars really improve their dancing.
Sure some of us are too old or the wrong physical shape but the benefits of dance are not only physical but also mental - it's now thought that degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's are also helped by dancing.
Sure some of us are too old or the wrong physical shape but the benefits of dance are not only physical but also mental - it's now thought that degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's are also helped by dancing.
Where to buy
Dancewear doesn't have to cost a fortune! Check out cheap dancewear here:
- Cheap Dance Wear
- Need a dance recital costume, cheap junior clothing or some square dance clothing, you should find something to suit here
International Style Dancesport
UK Open 2006 Professional Standard Finals Part 1 of 2
The first 3 dances: Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz. The Viennese is the oldest of the dances and the basis of Waltz and Foxtrot. In International style, as compared to American style, the couples must not break hold and dance the entire piece in close hold.
International Standard Style Dancesport
UK Open 2006 Professional Standard Finals Part 2 of 2
Foxtrot and Quickstep. in the foxtrot look for the long flowing style- superficially simple- its in fact the most technically difficult of all the dances - the dancers dance. The quickstep- fast its the jive of the standard dances with echoes of the charleston!
Rainbow Shiu Dancewear
Custom Made Dancewear
This dancer from Hong Kong makes beautiful dancewear suitable for everyone from the social dancers to competitors. Her designs are customisable and very cost effective. I have used her personally for a number of years.
More Articles on Competitive Dancing
Competitive dancing from a dancers perspective.
- Competitive Ballroom Dance - Dancesport
- The popular TV show "Dancing with the Stars" has been a huge hit across the world, spreading from the original in the UK to versions in the US, Australia and New Zealand. It has also brought a surge of interest in ballroom dancing, as armchair judges, decide that they could do better themselves!
- Preparing for a Dance Competition
- Count Down to a Ballroom Dance Competition
I am specifically talking about a Ballroom Dance competition but I suspect the same basic steps will work for any type of dance competition be it ballet or tap dance! - Ballroom Dance Music
- Ballroom Dance's music used to be strictly boring. Many people probably still expect to hear gorgeous dancers to be accompanied by the ever-green light orchestra which somehow manages to make everything from a waltz to a paso doble sound the same, and heaven forbid that there would be a vocalist! Thank goodness times have changed,
- New Vogue Style Dance
- New Vogue is a uniquely Australian version of ballroom dancing. The New Vogue style is recognised in Australia and New Zealand dancesport along with International Standard (Ballroom) and Latin styles.
- Competitive Wheelchair Dancing
- Wheelchair Dancesport
So you think you are too old, to fat, too unfit, too inflexible to compete in ballroom dance? You're worried about competing against the young and beautiful ?
Please Leave me a Comment
I'd love to hear from you
Spam will be deleted but relevant links are welcome!
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ImproveBallet
Jul 4, 2009 @ 4:32 am | delete
- I did ballroom for a while and then gave ti up for ballet. Sometimes I wonder if I made the right choice. Have to admit though, I cannot imagine what my life would have been without both ballroom and ballet!
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Janet21
Apr 19, 2008 @ 9:45 pm | delete
- Very nice lens! Thank you for joining the Dance Group. :)
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Cheap Dance Wear
EBay has revolutionized dance wear. It used to be difficult and expensive to find specialized clothing and shoes - not any more!
Check out: dance recital gear
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