Hi there,

I m Hitesh from Mumbai,India.I m 32/m/Mumbai single.I have recently started learning ballroom dance in Mumbai.

I will appreciate if u solve my following queries.Or please give link to site which might have answer to these queries.

In ballroom Dance,two people of opposite sex come physically close.This does not generally happen in any other social situation.

1)What is the purpose of Ballroom Dance?Why was it started?Is it to encourage people of opposite sex to mix or flirt and find a life-partner?

2)What should be the attitude of one towards his or her partner while Ballroom Dancing?Is it supposed to be a romantic attitude?or is it just like any other game and the attitude should be platonic like that of a sportsperson?

If the attitude is supposed to be romantic,then we change many partners in the same session.Should the attitude be romantic towards all partners?is that not immoral?

Please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

Hitesh

Hitesh. For a start you could go to WWW.Dancesport UK. Then on your right
Articles Interviews. On your left at the bottom you will see History of Ballroom Dancing. Not spoken about in that article, but from other sources. Even as late as 1920 some of the churches were opposing Social Dancing
according to Victor Silvester whose father was the Bishop of Wembley. The Tango was the dance that mostly came under fire.

Interesting questions.

Simply put-- the religious backgrounds of many cultures, will reject the physical contact that is required to some degree in the Social and or competitive dance world .

Look upon the experience as a way to meet new people . A social gathering if you will .
peoples motives for learning are numerous, but the many aspects of dance are not primarily a tool for dating ( if that comes about ok ) more the point,it will broaden your horizons musically and physically .
Lastly, the origins of partner dance dates back 200 plus yrs ( not as you would now know them )

Youve made a wise desicion . Enjoy the journey

There are no answers to these questions: only opinions.

A dancers attitude to his or her partner, surely, depends on WHY they are dancing together. If I dance with my own spouse, or someone with whom I have an emotional involvement, then our dance is an expression of our relationship: and particularly in the Latin dances, all that eye contact, and seductive movement is for real - all perfectly proper, and it underpins and informs our dancing.

However, if I switch partners, and dance with anyone else, then unless by mutual consent, a non-dance relationship is developing and welcome, then exactly the same physical responses to each other are play-acting. If you like, this is playful and non-sexual flirtation. I can happily dance with ten partners in an hour, and feel nothing whatever for any of them. Except at the highest levels of dance performance, you shouldn't see any difference: but MY attitute to my partner is fundamentally different from that with my OWN partner. You see?

The primary consideration here is courtesy: we dance together because we enjoy partner dancing. We might also be looking for a partner on a different basis, and if one's attentions in that area are reciprocated and welcome, then the happy situation exists where all our requirements are met in one relationship.

Some of the cavorting of latin competitive dances looks, frankly, as though it would be more at home in a brothel. Each to their own, I suppose.

Thanks for a quick response !

That was quite helpful…!

But I am still wondering…

1)in any social situation,you don't get physically so close to a person of opposite sex as much as u do in ballroom dancing.So Ballroom dancing is different from any other social situations or games. So why is it so different?What is the purpose….?

2)Secondly,most of us agree that one's attitude towards his or her partner varies from person to person….Some couple may get romantically involved and some may not….But the question is if you don't want to get romantically involved,then y ballroom dance with that person at all? Just 4 fun…? or just for socializing?...there are many other ways of socializing than getting physically so close…Well, so in that case,I still believe that the ultimate goal of ballroom dancing is to encourage people to date….or to make them better lovers….

Let's see an example…..Boxing is a sport…..two boxers fight not because they are personally against each other….( they are not enemies).They fight because the game demands of them to fight….But the ultimate goal of boxing is to create better fighters…..boxers who box well in the game can protect themselves and their loved ones from their enemies/villains in real life and real world too…. So the purpose of the game of boxing is to create better fighters…..

..similarly,2 partners in ballroom dancing ,dance together not because they personally love each other…..But because the game demands of them to be together….finally if they meet sb in real world who they love….they become better lovers with the expertise in Ballroom dancing…That is the purpose of ballroom dancing…to make better lovers….

Did I get it right…?

U people agree?

Thanks

Cheers !

Hitesh…