| Ballroom dancing weekends have become increasingly | | | | tuneful music that doesn't rely on a heavy, thumping, |
| popular across the country. This is partly due to | | | | monotonous beat for its dubious appeal. |
| television programmes, such as Strictly Come Dancing | | | | Because of the increased popularity of ballroom |
| and the annual Eurovision Dance Contest, which have | | | | dancing, organisations and companies have sprung up |
| elevated the activity from a social pleasure into a | | | | all over the country to cope with the demand. They |
| competitive sport. | | | | coordinate with large hotels and advertise ballroom |
| Organised ballroom dancing weekends can combine | | | | dancing weekends, taking bookings from individuals |
| both. The emphasis is always on enjoyment and the | | | | and couples, all eager to experience the old world |
| sheer love of dancing, but dancing competitions are | | | | charm of a dance art form that seems unwilling and |
| also often part of the weekend, which have the | | | | unlikely to ever lose its popularity. |
| effect of keeping everyone on their toes - literally. | | | | There's something wholesome and healthy about |
| In the world of competitive ballroom dancing there | | | | ballroom dancing. Weekends spent in the company of |
| are ten basic dances used in competitions. Five of | | | | others of like minds, whirling around a ballroom in |
| them are classic standard dances, and five are Latin | | | | sequined dress under the sparkling reflections of a |
| American dances. The quickstep and the slow | | | | rotating mirror ball has a certain magical quality about |
| foxtrot, tango and the waltz, as well as the Viennese | | | | it. The elegance and smooth easy motion, whether |
| waltz make up the standard ballroom dances, while | | | | performed by amateur or professional, has an abiding |
| the pasa doble, samba, rumba, cha cha and jive | | | | appeal that stays, weekend after weekend, for |
| make up the Latin American offerings. | | | | thousands of people. |
| Those attending ballroom weekends will be very | | | | Ballroom dancing breaks are merely the culmination of |
| familiar with all these dances, whether in competition | | | | many centuries of such activity. It's difficult to |
| or just spending a weekend enjoying the atmosphere | | | | pinpoint an origin to this. However, the 16th century |
| of social interaction and healthy exercise. | | | | is when the courts of Europe started to see those |
| Ballroom weekends are not just for the older person | | | | of the noble class enjoying a form of social dancing |
| any more. Ballroom dancing is increasingly attracting | | | | that was more refined than the more course folk |
| younger people who are discovering at first hand the | | | | dancing enjoyed by the masses. This evolved into |
| fun and excitement of mastering complicated dance | | | | what is known today as ballroom dancing. |
| movements with fluid elegance to the rhythm of | | | | |