All dancing is related! All dance is related AND constantly evolving - dance is alive and has a rich ancestry.

Some anthropologist/researchers theorize that dance was the 'first artform' expressed by hominids upon ascending to bi-pedal erect stature, before language and singing, before music, art and architecture.

Something learned by watching the birds and the bees and the deer and panthers and the other vertebrates.

Dance is also the most civilizing art form, because in most cultures, to learn the dance of one's heritage is to become acculturated with the acceptable gender-specific manners and mannerisms of one's social environment - to fit in!

Ballroom is NOT even ballroom anymore! - They will admit anyone who appears in almost any apparel and can pay the door price into a 'ballroom dance', unless it is a private party! There are very few real "Ballrooms" left!

The Social Couple Dances of meeting members of the opposite gender for eventual courtship and romance includes learning manners and dance figures for socialization in many different cultures. Dance has evolved over the centuries from folk dancing in the meadows and streets to elegant soirees in palatial ballrooms and theatrical stages to barns to bars to grange halls and public schools, church recreation halls, private country clubs, 'studios', City recreation centers, Community centers, Senior Activity Centers and to convention hotels and centers where portable floors are laid over carpet/on concrete to accomodate dancers maintaining their heritage dances as well as dance/athletes who practice and compete in DanceSport International, American and 'other' rhythms.

Many of the figures used in Round Dancing are extracted from the English based International style Ballroom Dances in the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance = ISTD syllabus. Some also come from the Ballet: Pas d' Basque = waltz balances; some come from 'Folk dances': Schottische shuffle steps, Argentine Tango Corte', Cuban Rumba, Dominican Merengue, American Bandstand East Coast Swing = Jive.

Is Round Dancing related to Ballroom ? - YES, most of the top Cuer/Instructor/Choreographers have ballroom coaches. Do ballroom dancers memorize amalgamations of figures to fit a particular rhythm? YES and so did Round Dancers in the 1970's BC, before cuers. Ballroom instructors teach
introductory lessons by 'cueing' the dancers through a string of figures.

But is Ballroom really the same as Round Dancing? An independent maverick of individuality compared with group effort and effective synchronicity. A dance form of chaotic competitiveness with at least 3 American Syllabus and many dance manuals and evolving standards. Ballroom - A name that does put some people off because of the historical association with high society, wealth and status; snooty people wearing expensive shoes, gowns, jewelry and tuxedos. And more expensive since the introduction of International competitions.

My 'Arthur Murray Gold level dancing on T.V. Dad' and later Fred Astaire franchise owning father's favorite joke: "What is the 'Upper Crust'? Just a bunch of crumbs held together by a lot of dough."

Similarily, Round Dancing puts some people off due to the assumed associations with Square Dancing as rowdy, working class, barn dancing, home-made matching shirts and dress-wearing urban and rural cowboys and gals.

Change being the only constant in life, the music used is merging into a 'same source' for both venues, with a growing repertoire of dance rhythms. Fewer Ballroom dances feature 'live musicians', preferring recorded CD's and DJ's for strict tempo and greater variety of rhythms than most dance bands and orchestras can perform. Even the Round Dance costume is changing to a more 'purchased' social/ DanceSport / Ballroom style.

If it has come to a class-consciousness debate over whether Ballroom and Round Dancing are similar, there seems to be a growing class-cross-over on both sides. Only the very wealthy or singularily dedicated can afford studio lesson contracts in the hundreds and thousands of dollars, but introductory lessons are very reasonable, if not free. Round Dance lessons cost a LOT less than they are worth; they were originally intended for the middle working class in this American society and continue to be affordable to seniors on fixed incomes. Most of the RD income other than snowbird resort contracts goes to rental of appropriate dance facilities and equipment.

Often there is an article in Ballroom Journals calling 'Round Dancing' the best kept secret in social couple dancing. Many more dance couples do both Round Dancing and Ballroom Dancing. As the people socialize, I think we will see more cross-over amongst people who just live and love to dance!

Dance is a civilizing and socializing activity and a variable expression of emotion set to music, all at the same time.

Dancing technique may start at the feet, one step at a time, and work up through the entire body to the Top Line.

If you turn off the music and watch a video of a floor of Ph 5-6 Round Dancers, you would conclude that they were amazing Ballroom dancers - a formation team - much more highly organized and executing a far greater number of difficult figures than the random, independent, colliding, not necessarily 'on the beat' typical ballroom dance couples.

So in my humble opinion, Round Dancing is a more highly evolved form of Social Dancing than what is still called 'Ballroom', however is currently evolving in a transitional phase to being named the new buzzword "DanceSport" in order to capture International Olympic status and attract young athletes.

Robin Young, http://www.rockinrs.com

RAL instructor http://www.roundalab.org
Member of USABDA http://www.usabda.org
Boise Chapter http://www.rockinrs.com/usabda.htm
WSF http://www.worldsalsafederation.com
DRDC http://www.dixierounddance.org/index.asp and
URDC http://www.danceurdc.org

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