Text 4 Ballroom Dances

Text 4
Pre-reading activity.
Discuss the following questions.
1. What Ballroom dances do you know?

2. What do you think are there any differences between Latin and Ballroom
dances?
3. What famous Ballroom dance competitions are you familiar with?
Ballroom dances
Ballroom dance is a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed

both socially and competitively around the world. Because of
its performance and entertainment aspects, ballroom dance is also widely enjoyed on
stage, film, and television.
Ballroom dance may refer, at its widest definition, to almost any type of partner
dancing as recreation. However, with the emergence of dance sport in modern times,
the term has become narrower in scope and traditionally refers to the four
International Standard dances.
These dances started appearing first in Italy, during the early years of Renaissance.
Popularity of this kind of entertainment quickly swept over the Europe, United States
and the World. Although many other simpler and more easily preformed types of
dances caused the ballroom dances to lose some of their influence, modern worldwide
dancing audience started resurrecting these immortal dances in ever increasing pace.
The term 'ballroom dancing' is derived from the word ball which in turn originates
from the Latin word ballare which means 'to dance' (a ball-room being a large room
specially designed for such dances). In times past, ballroom dancing was social
dancing for the privileged, leaving folk dancing for the lower classes. These
boundaries have since become blurred.
Waltz
Waltz began as a country folk dance in Austria and Bavaria in the 17th century. In
the early 19th century it was introduced in England. It was greatly popularized by the
music of the famous composer Johann Strauss. It was the first dance where a man
held a woman close to his body. When performing the dance, the upper body is kept
to the left throughout all figures, woman's body leaves the right side of the man while
the head is extended to follow the elbow. Figures with rotation have little rise. Sway
is also used on the second step to make the step longer and also to slow down the
momentum by bringing the feet together. Waltz is performed for both International
Standard and American Smooth. Today this dance represents gold standard and the
most famous dance of the ballrooms around the world.
Viennese Waltz
Original form of waltz, first performed at the Italian courts is today remembered as
Viennese Waltz. It differs from the much more famous "English Slow Waltz" by
having much faster 180 beats per minute and was the first who introduced "closed
hold" between performers.
Viennese waltz originated in Provence area in France in 1559 and is recognized as
the oldest of all ballroom dances. It was introduced in England as German waltz in
1812 and became popular throughout the 19th century by the music
of Josef and Johann Strauss. It is often referred to as the classic “old-school”
ballroom. Viennese Waltz music is quite fast. Slight shaping of the body moves
towards the inside of the turn and shaping forward and up to lengthen the opposite
side from direction. Reverse turn is used to travel down long side and is overturned.
While natural turn is used to travel short side and is underturned to go around the
corners. Viennese waltz is performed for both International Standard and American
Smooth.
Foxtrot
The foxtrot is an American dance, credited by a vaudeville performer Harry Fox in
1914. Fox was rapidly trotting step to ragtime music. The dance was originally named
as the “Fox’s trot”. The foxtrot can be danced at slow, medium, or fast tempos
depending on the speed of the jazz or big band music. The partners are facing one
another and frame rotates from one side to another, changing direction after a
measure. The dance is flat, with no rise and fall like the waltz. The walking steps are
taken as slow for the two beats per steps and quick for one beat per step. Foxtrot is
performed for both International Standard and American Smooth.
Quickstep
The quickstep is an English dance and was invented in the 1920s as a combination
of faster tempo of Foxtrot and the Charleston. It is a fast moving dance, so men are
allowed to close their feet and the couples move in short syncopated steps. Quickstep
includes the walks, runs, chasses, and turns of the original foxtrot dance, with some
other fast figures such as locks, hops, and skips. Quickstep is performed as an
International Standard dance.
Glossary
To sweep over արագ տարածվել

To resurrect վերականգնել, վերակենդանացնել
Immortal հավերժ, անմահ
Privileged արտոնյալներ
Rotation պտույտ, պտույտ գալը, պտտվելը
Sway ճոճվելը, օրորվելը
Momentum մղում, իմպուլս, շարժիչ ուժ
To be credited մեկին վերագրվել
Vaudeville վոդևիլ, վարյետե
Rag-time ռեգթայմ (պարային ռիթմ)
Flat պարզ կամ միապաղաղ
Combination միաձուլում, միակցություն
To syncopate սինկոպա՝ շեշտաշարժ կատարել
Hop ցատկ, թռիչք, ոստյուն
Skip թռչկոտում
Post-reading activities.
Task 1. Answer the following questions.
1. What kind of dances are Ballroom dances?

2. When and where did they appear first?
3. How can you explain the meaning of the phrase “ballroom dancing”?
4. For which class was Ballroom dancing designed for in times past?
5. Where else are Ballroom dances widely enjoyed nowadays?
Task 2. Are the sentences True or False?
1. Today Waltz represents gold standard and the most famous dance of the
ballrooms around the world. …….
2. Viennese Waltz differs from the much more famous "Italian Slow Waltz" by
having much faster 180 beats per minute. …….
3. Foxtrot is a flat dance, with no rise and fall like the waltz. …….
4. The quickstep was invented in the 1920s as a combination of slower tempo of
foxtrot and the Charleston. …….
5. Many more easily preformed types of dances caused the ballroom dances to
lose some of their influence. …….
Task 3. Match the words with their definitions.
1. Folk dance a. as good as or better than others.

2. Combination b. a number of things or people joined or mixed
together
3. Competitive c. the official residence of a king or queen.
4. Trot d. a traditional dance of a community or country.
5. Court e. move at a steady pace that is faster than a walk
Task 4. Fill in the gaps with the following words or word-combinations.

(Competing organizations, amateur, annual championships,
professional, individual dances)
World Championships of a sort have been held in ballroom dancing since 1909

when Camille de Rhynal held …………………….. in Paris. Records of the years
prior to the First World War are sketchy, and it is only since 1922 when the sport split
into professional and …………… levels that complete records have been kept. The
1922 championships were also the first to award a single 'world championship' as
opposed to titles in the ………………….. . The World Championships were held in
France from 1925 to 1939, in Paris except for one year in Nice.
These annual competitions only became official in 1936, and since 1937 the title
was held by dancers from the United Kingdom for the rest of that century. With the
outbreak of the Second World War, the championships were put on hold for six years.
Following its revival, the professional ballroom dancing world was becoming more
and more fragmented as ………………………….. vied for domination. Finally, in
September 1950 the ICBD (International Council of Ballroom Dancing) was founded,
becoming the world's first international ………………………. dance organization,
and all other competitions claiming to be the 'World Championships' were boycotted
by member nations.
Task 5. Translate the following sentences.
1. Վալսը ծագել է Ավստրիայում և Բավարիայում դեռևս 17-րդ

դարում և միայն 19-րդ դարում ներկայացվել Անգլիական
հանդիսատեսի դատին:
2. Հետաքրքիր է, որ Վիեննական Վալսը զարգացել է
ֆրանսիայում 1559թ-ին, սակայն Անգլիայում ներկայացվել է
արդեն 1812թ որպես Գերմանական Վալս:
3. Քուիքսթեփը անգլիական պար է, զարգացել է 1920-
ականներին և իրենից ներկայացնում է ավելի արագ
Ֆոքստրոտի և Չառլզստոնի համակցություն:
4. Ֆոքստրոտ պարն անվանվել է ի պատիվ ամերիկացի
վոդեվիլյան պարող Հարրի Ֆոքսի: Այն կարող է ներկայացվել
երեք՝ դանդաղ, միջին և արագ տեմպերով:
5. Անցյալում Պարահանդեսային պարերը համարվում էին
ազնվակիրթ պարեր միայն արտոնյալների համար, իսկ ցածր
խավի ներկայացուցիչները պարում էին միայն
ժողովրդական պարեր:
Task 6. Speaking activity.
Please watch the video using the link given below and speak about the evolution
of the ballroom dances.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43a_Aq1mIKM

Text 4 Ballroom Dances

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Text 4 Ballroom Dances

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Text 4 Ballroom Dances

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Text 4

Discuss the following questions.

1. What Ballroom dances do you know?

Ballroom dance is a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed

To sweep over արագ տարածվել

1. What kind of dances are Ballroom dances?

Task 2. Are the sentences True or False?

Task 3. Match the words with their definitions.

1. Folk dance a. as good as or better than others.

Task 4. Fill in the gaps with the following words or word-combinations.

World Championships of a sort have been held in ballroom dancing since 1909

Task 5. Translate the following sentences.

1. Վալսը ծագել է Ավստրիայում և Բավարիայում դեռևս 17-րդ

Task 6. Speaking activity.

You might also like