Social dancing is a popular type of dancing that involves dancing with a partner. Swing, ballroom, and contra dancing are all examples of social dances.
These dances first originated in the 14th century and took the form of simple dances that were repetitive so that the partners could talk. Some dances even included switching partners during the dance. Social dancing started out as being a formal dance but expanded to a more casual and enjoyable form.
One of the more popular social dances of the 18th century is called contra, or square, dancing. It originates from a mixed form of English country, Scottish, and French dances. This form of dancing involved dancers to form in lines across from their partners to follow the called instructions of the dance. A well-known dance of this kind is the Virginia Reel. Although it originated years ago, contra dancing is still a popular form of dancing today.
Another popular form of social dancing is swing dancing. Including a broad range of different types of dancing, swing is a dance that is typically danced to music that has a swing beat. Some of the main types of swing dance are East Coast, West Coast, Hussle, Jitterbug, and Lindy Hop. It originated in the late 1920s with the version called Lindy Hop and continues to be danced today.
Ballroom dancing is one of the broadest forms of social dancing. It includes dances like salsa, waltz, cha-cha, and more.
The first ballroom dance was introduced in the 16th century but did not gain popularity in the US until the early 20th century. The waltz is one of the most recognizable forms of ballroom dancing. It was at first opposed by many due to the closed position of dancing, but quickly gained popularity.
Social dancing is a great opportunity to try out dancing, even if you’ve never danced before. If you’ve done any of these dances before, let us know in the poll!
