Unfamiliar with Ballroom Dance? So were most of us!
Unfamiliar with Ballroom Dance? So were most of us!
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No Partner? No Experience? No Problem! Come see us at the INVOLVEMENT FAIR this Wednesday, January 29th to say hello and learn more!!
So we've put this page together to give you a brief introduction to this unique and fun activity that we've all grown to love!
The World of Ballroom Dance involves the learning, teaching, and enjoyment of a variety of partner dances that are practiced around the world as both a social and competitive activity. It uses patterns of established steps to teach dancers how to communicate with a partner using the inspiration of a wide range of music. The true beauty of ballroom dance is the ability to meet someone completely new and be able to dance with them even without prior practice!
STYLES OF DANCE
STYLES OF DANCE
The world of ballroom dance contains four main styles, each with their own set of dances and steps:
Smooth
Waltz
Tango
Foxtrot
Viennese Waltz
Standard
Waltz
Tango
Foxtrot
Viennese Waltz
Quickstep
Rhythm
Cha Cha
Rumba
Swing
Bolero
Mambo
Latin
Cha Cha
Rumba
Samba
Paso Doble
Jive
At UConn Ballroom Dance, we gradually learn all of these dance styles and get to socialize and practice at our events and open practice days! Most styles are typically practiced at ballroom socials in and around UConn, and we love getting the chance to visit other studios and colleges to connect with dancers outside of our own community! We even like to throw in some lessons for other partner dances such as Bachata, Country Two-Step, and Salsa!
And while we could explain at length what ballroom is and how much we love it, there really is no replacement for seeing it in action! So here are a few videos of what ballroom looks like on both the social and competitive floor!
DANCE LEVELS AND EXPERIENCE
DANCE LEVELS AND EXPERIENCE
Like most hobbies/activities, there are ways to track how much you are learning and growing in your craft! Ballroom lessons and competition brackets are categorized as Newcomer, Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Open (Pre-Champ and Champ).
NEWCOMER
NEWCOMER
The Newcomer level is typically for those who are learning ballroom for the very first time, and will generally last for one semester of lessons.
BRONZE
BRONZE
Once you have one semester of lessons as a Newcomer, you'll most likely be ready for Bronze! Where Newcomer is more like a prepatory level, Bronze is where you learn the solid foundations for each of the dance styles.
SILVER
SILVER
Silver is like the Intermediate level of ballroom. You've gotten the basics down and now want to learn more! The silver level will teach a mix of new steps along with some technique to make your communication and movement on the dance floor easier!
GOLD
GOLD
In Gold, you get to spread your wings even more! There's a chance to not only learn more fun and slightly more challenging moves, but you can start to experiment with your personal dance style and expression!
OPEN (PRE-CHAMP/CHAMP)
OPEN (PRE-CHAMP/CHAMP)
Pre-Champ and Champ are both included in the Open category. Open is the final and most advanced stage for dancers and is a place where they can truly tap into who they are as dancers, what they want to express as a partnership, and the beautiful and fun intricacies of ballroom dance!
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