Drawing on recent media portrayals and her own experience, author and dancer Caroline Joan S. Picart explores ballroom dancing and its more "sporty" equivalent, DanceSport, suggesting that they are reflective of larger social, political, and cultural tensions. The past several years have seen a resurgence in the popularity of ballroom dance as well as an increasing international anxiety over how and whether to transform ballroom into an Olympic sport. Writing as a participant-critic, Picart suggests that both are crucial sites where bodies are packaged as racialized, sexualized, nationalized, and classed objects. In addition, Picart argues, as the choreography, costuming, and genre of ballroom and DanceSport continue to evolve, these theatrical productions are aestheticized and constructed to encourage commercial appeal, using the narrative frame of the competitive melodrama to heighten audience interest.

An introduction to popular dance, from ballroom to hip-hop, discussing the history, styles, and famous dancers and choreographers.

Competitive ballroom is much more than a style of dance. Rather, it is a continually evolving and increasingly global social and cultural arena of fashion, performance, art, sport, gender, and more. Ballroom explores the intersection of dance cultures, dress, and the body. the book presents the author's experiences at a range of international dance events in Europe, the US and UK, as well as featuring the views of individual dancers. Ballroom shows how dancing influences mind and body alike. For students of anthropology, dance, cultural, and performance studies, this book provides an ethnographic picture of how dancers and others live their lives both on and off the dance floor.

Ballroom dancing is back! And now anyone can move like a pro. DVD included! In addition to the step-by-step photos, footwork illustrations, and instruction covering all the common ballroom dances, this new edition of the bestselling Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Ballroom Dancing includes a 90-minute instructional DVD featuring award-winning dancer and dance instructor Jeff Allen. It corresponds with the text seamlessly, giving readers the next best thing to one-on-one instruction, at a fraction of the cost. • The #1 selling ballroom dancing book • Includes a fantastic, new instructional DVD and hundreds of illustrations and instructions • Allen is a renowned, award-winning ballroom-dance teacher

This book is designed to take the questions out of ballroom dancing. This book is designed for anyone who is interested in taking the mystery out of ballroom dancing. It explains many of the questions that arise while learning ballroom dance that your instructor may or may not be able to address appropriately. Many dance instructors dance great; however, they are unable to help you adjust your dancing by explaining what they are doing. Those instructors generally show you a figure and continue to show you the figure until you get it. This is very time-consuming and expensive to the student. The goal of this book is to simplify some of these intricate movements as well as explain the dance connection in dance. This book also helps give new students a better understanding of how dancing works, which will help them improve their dancing a lot more rapidly. The book also gives some examples of bad dancing habits versus good dancing habits. There are specific exercises in the book to help improve connection, body movement, and self-control with specific steps. The book points out the kind of qualities you are looking for in an instructor, which include excellent dance knowledge, professionalism, enthusiasm, etc. There are many typical questions that every new ballroom dancer has while learning the dance. There are questions provided that, if asked, will provide you (the student) with some insight about your instructor's knowledge of ballroom dancing. This is critical because an instructor cannot correct your dancing if they do not understand how to do it correctly themselves. Finally, the book has been written in an effort to raise awareness of good ballroom dancing. It is open to interpretation and vulnerable to criticism as well as other dancers' opinions. Keep in mind, every ballroom-dance organization has dissenters in their organization about how things should be done. This, in part, is what creates different styles of dance. The end result is improved dancing knowledge for all concerned. Always keep one thing in mind: If what you are doing hurts, stop doing it. Dancing correctly will not hurt.

Keen amateur dancers of the world: At last, a single authoritative book encapsulating everything necessary to move from social ballroom to performance and competitive DanceSport and on to the Olympics. Includes history, definitions, syllabi, dance notation, and the power of dance with its unique ability to change lives. Printed version includes full research index.

This vintage book is a detailed guide to learning a variety of ballroom dances, with step-by-step instructions, simple diagrams, tips on etiquette, and much more. This volume will be of considerable utility to anyone with an interest in learning a range of dances from the foxtrot to the tango, and it would make for a fantastic addition to collections of related literature. Contents include: “Section I. The Waltz”, “Section II. The Foxtrot”, “Section III. The Tango”, “Section IV. Round Dances”, “Section V. The Quadrilles”, and “Section VI. Etiquette”. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on dance.

This is a concise illustrated guide to each dance and its movements, so you can learn at home and see what you are aiming to achieve. It is an easy-to-follow handbook suitable for dancers of all ages and any level of experience. It is the perfect book to introduce you to the great ballroom dances and engage in this popular pastime. You can learn the traditions, steps and routines - what to wear, the holds and techniques, the dos and don'ts - with tips throughout to guide you through every movement. Dancing is a great exercise that keeps you fit and active. This book is the ideal introduction for anyone interested in starting out in ballroom dance, as well as for those with some experience too. The author explains the background, traditions and rules, what to wear and when, and how to get started on the dance floor. The classic ballroom dances included - the social foxtrot, waltz, quickstep, modern tango, slow foxtrot, the Viennese waltz and the jive - are then explained with easy-to-follow lessons. The basic routines are built up in step-by-step movements with a simple and clear teaching system to study at home.

This book presents an engaging sociological investigation into how gender is negotiated and performed in ballroom and Latin dancing that draws on extensive ethnographic research, as well as the author’s own experience as a dancer. It explores the key factors underpinning the popularity of this leisure activity and highlights what this reveals more broadly about the nature of gender roles at the current time. The author begins with an overview of its rich social history and shifting class status, establishing the context within which contemporary masculinities and femininities in this community are explored. Real and imagined gendered traditions are examined across a range of dancer experiences that follows the trajectory of a typical learner: from finding a partner, attending lessons and forming networks, through to taking part in competitions. The analysis of these narratives creates a nuanced picture of a dance culture that is empowering, yet also highly consumerist and image-conscious; a highly ritualised set of practices that both reinstate and transgress gender roles. This innovative contribution to the feminist leisure literature will appeal to students and scholars of anthropology, dance, sport, gender, cultural and media studies.

This early work on dancing is a fascinating read for any dance enthusiast. Extensively illustrated with 72 diagrams and photographs to complement comprehensive step-by-step guides to a variety of dance steps. Contents Include: The Quickstep, The Waltz, The Foxtrot, The Tango, Popular Dances, Old Time Dances, Ballroom Novelty Dances and Games, and The Practical Side of Teaching. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.