Social dancing is one of the most fun forms of dancing and this is probably why it has consistently been a part of my life for 8 years and I still keep learning new styles, my favorites being Latin American ones. It’s a hobby with no pressure to compete or perform and it’s a great way to make friends. What I also like is that social dancing gives an opportunity to go out during the weekends and have dance as the main activity, rather than drinking alcohol. Let’s discuss what social dance is and how social dancing works.
Definition
Social dances are a category of partner dance styles that focus on socialising and having fun, instead of performing or competing. Dances are improvised and rely on leading and following techniques. There are dedicated parties and festivals for dancers where everyone can dance without having a fixed partner.
There is also “ballroom dance”, but social dance is a wider term since you can also dance at street parties, pool parties or beach parties. Competitive ballroom aka dancesport is not considered social dancing, but there are non-competitive forms of danesport that can be.
Explanation of How It Works
For example, salsa is one of the most widely known social dance styles. If you wanted to get into salsa, you would first join a salsa class in your city to learn the basic steps. After you gain confidence, you can start attending salsa parties in your city on a weekly basis. You don’t need a partner since there is rotation in the class and you switch partners every few minutes. Every song at parties would also be danced with a new person. Same applies for other styles like bachata, zouk, kizomba, tango, forró, samba de gafieira etc.
Social dancing is an improvisational dance. You take classes to learn moves of a certain dance style, but you’ll put them together on the dance floor in the moment, based on the music and how you feel. Men are normally the “leaders” who decide what move comes next, and women are “followers”, who respond to the leader’s invitation. What makes the dance look seamless are the leading and following techniques. These allow dance partners to understand each other without words and within a split second.
Intermediate and advanced level dancers who become passionate about social dance often travel abroad to big international festivals to take classes from the top teachers and dance with new people.
Social Dance Examples
Above is an example video of a couple dancing salsa (mambo) at what looks like an evening party of a big international festival. (Read more about why I think salsa might be one of the best social dance styles out there.) There are many social dance styles in the world and there’s something for everyone.
Social Dances From Latin-America
- Argentinian tango
- Dominican bachata
- Brazilian zouk
- Cha Cha Chá
- Forró
- Merengue
- Salsa
- Samba de gafieira
- Bolero
- Cumbia
- …and more
(see video examples of Latin dances here)
Social Dances From the United States
- West Coast Swing
- East Coast Swing
- Lindy Hop
- Street Swing
- Balboa
- Hustle
- Foxtrot
- … and more
Social Dances From Africa
- Kizomba
- Semba
- … and more
Social Dances From Europe
- Waltz
- Quadrille
- Polka
- Urban Kiz
- Sensual bachata
- … and more
The Paradoxical Future of Social Dances
As I said, the way I would define social dance is that the focus isn’t to compete or perform and just to dance for fun. Even so, some social dance styles are now introducing competitions to their communities, which are gaining popularity rapidly.
For example, West Coast Swing, Brazilian Zouk and Sensual Bachata now have competitions as part of their events. Dancers can take part, win prizes and there are now even training bootcamps for people who wish to improve their competition skills.
What I am seeing, is social dances heading in the same direction as competitive ballroom aka dancesport. Is this a healthy direction? You can look at what is happening in dancesport and decide for yourself. In a way, competitions motivate people to train and learn more. However the need to impress judges will take away from the fun and connection with your partner.
The difference still remains though, that at ballroom competitions you are competing with your dance partner whom you also train with, but in social dance competitions, you will be randomly paired up with someone or even be switching partners every few minutes. Perhaps all social dances will end up with a competitive and non-competitive version of the dance.
Conclusion
Social dances are partner dance styles from all over the world that bring people together to enjoy music and have a good time. It’s an excellent hobby to have if you’re looking for something that improves both your mental and physical health. Take a look at which styles your local dance schools offer and pick something that interests you – you might become addicted!
*
Subscribe to this blog by entering your e-mail below and get new articles straight to your inbox.
Subscribe to the Blog
Source: https://www.libraryofdance.org was a great help on putting together lists of different social dance styles by continents.