The term "ballroom dancing" is derived from the word ball, which in turn originates from the Latin word ballare which means "to dance." In times past, ballroom dancing was "social dancing" for the privileged, leaving "folk dancing" for the lower classes. These boundaries have since become blurred, and it should be noted even in times long gone, many "ballroom" dances were really elevated folk dances.
Today, the term "ballroom dance" applies to any one of several dances in which two individuals, a "leader" and a "follower," dance with physical contact through their upper or lower bodies, or simply their arms depending on the particular variety dance. Since most social dancing is unchoreographed, this contact is necessary for the leader to communicate the next dance move to the follower, and for the follower to respond to the insinuation. Dance historians usually mark the appearance of the twist in the early 1960s as the end of social partner dancing.
American School of Dance Ballroom Dance Classes
Ballroom dance classes are taught by a "leader" (typically the male instructor) and a "follower" (typically the female instructor).
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Two kids (11 and 12 years old) perform their samba dance at a competition:
