Ballroom: Standard
Ballroom Standard is a programme of five partner dances danced in a closed hold, travelling round the floor: the waltz, the tango, the Viennese waltz, the slow foxtrot and the quickstep. In Ukraine and much of Eastern Europe it is also called the European programme. It is taught both as a social dance for pleasure and as a competitive sport.
What it is for
Section titled “What it is for”- Five dances, each with its own character: the slow, flowing waltz; the sharp, staccato tango (ballroom tango, not the same as Argentine tango); the fast, turning Viennese waltz; the smooth, gliding slow foxtrot; and the light, quick quickstep, with runs and hops.
- Posture and poise: the upright frame of the hold stays with you off the floor.
- Partnership: two people move as one, one leading and one following.
- Endurance and leg strength — a quickstep or a Viennese waltz is real cardio.
- A social skill for parties, weddings and dance evenings.
Equipment
Section titled “Equipment”- For the first classes: comfortable clothes and shoes with a smooth sole — not trainers, whose rubber grips the floor.
- Ballroom shoes when you continue: for men, low-heeled lace-up leather shoes; for women, closed court shoes with a medium heel. Both have suede soles that turn and glide.
- Competitive couples later need a tailsuit and a ballroom gown; social dancers do not.
How a class goes
Section titled “How a class goes”- 60–90 minutes. Group classes and individual lessons for one couple are both common.
- A warm-up, then posture and the hold: the frame of the arms, where the partners touch, and how the lead is given and felt.
- Basic figures of one or two dances — for example the closed change in the waltz — first alone, then as a couple.
- Couples move anticlockwise round the room, along the line of dance, so everybody learns to share the floor. The class ends with the figures danced to music.
- Social classes: you learn enough figures to dance for pleasure, often alongside the Latin dances. Partners usually rotate, so you can come alone.
- Competitive (sport) ballroom: a fixed couple trains several times a week, with individual lessons. Couples compete by age group and level under the rules of a dance sport federation; judges score posture, footwork, movement and musicality.
Who it suits best
Section titled “Who it suits best”- Couples looking for a shared hobby, and couples preparing a wedding dance.
- Adults who want better posture and a classic, elegant dance.
- Children and teenagers who want a sport with competitions — many competitive dancers start young.
- Beginners of any age: social classes start from the very first step. For the other ballroom programme, see Ballroom: Latin.
- It suits less somebody who wants to dance alone or improvise freely: the figures are set and you dance in a hold. With back or knee problems, ask your doctor and tell the teacher — the hold and fast turns load both.