Definition of dance styles
It is no secret that dance
is an art form. And like any art form,
there are as many different ways for it to be interpreted as there are people in
this world. After eight years of teaching,
Roa found that most of the ways of learning and teaching fell into three categories. Because of this, the Zabor Dance Instruction
offers three distinct methods of learning.
These three methods are the Social, the Show Dance and the Ballroom method.
Social
Social dancing
is perhaps the oldest and most authentic of the three methods, and is the base from
which the contemporary styles of partner dance have evolved.
Its teaching is based in the relationship that exists between the couple. Social dance is developed from the appreciation
of the music and the physical interaction of the dancers.
The objective of the students in this style of dance is to focus their training
on the execution of the movements, marking emphasis on the learning of how to lead
and follow. This form of learning is
recommended to those whose main interest is only to practice it in social situations.
Show
Show dancing
is by far the most artistic version of the three methods that we offer.
It not only focuses on the presentation of the movements, but it also narrates
a story according to the interpretation of the music.
One of the most obvious differences between social and show dance is that
in show dancing the movements are generally bigger, more decorative, and have more
of a theatrical approach to them. In
its more advanced forms, this style includes acrobatic movements with the intention
of elevating the level of excitement and surprise for the audience.
The purpose of this style is to offer a pleasing performance to those who
are observing it.
Ballroom
Ballroom dancing has been
proven to be one of the most popular styles of teaching partnering dances within
the United States and Europe. Its teachings are based on the simplification
of the moves in a condensed set of patterns. Generally the student will narrow their focus to the memorization of specific
steps that are globally known as the syllabus. The principal idea in this type of dance is the demonstration of the techniques
of the movements. For this reason the
students dedicate a great majority of their time in learning to reproduce the exact footwork of the pre-choreographed
figures that are found in the syllabus.
One of the most common syllabi is known
as the ISTD (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing).