Ballroom dance refers to types of social dances that require two people to dance together following a few standard steps. Ballroom dance is a derivation from the word ‘ball’ (social events attended by elites in the early 18th century), that consecutively originates from the Latin word ‘ballare’ meaning “to dance”. The most common ballroom dance forms can be distinguished into Viennese Waltz, Modern Waltz, Slow Foxtrot, Tango, Quickstep and the various forms of Latin Dances.

Ballroom dance has its origins in England, sometime between the late 18th century and early 19th century, and was performed by the elite classes of society in balls and parties. Gradually over time and during the 19th century, ballroom dance became a trend amongst the middle classes and the working classes who participated in event gatherings at public dance halls. In the 1920′s, ballroom competitions rose in popularity which led to the formation of the Ballroom Branch of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing in 1924 that bore the vision to standardize the steps, music, and technique of ballroom dance. Today, ballroom dance is performed not only in Europe, but in the Asian-Pacific and the Americas as well. It is common to find formal ballroom dance competitions, known as DanceSport, for ballroom dancers at different proficiency levels.

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