Saturday, February 17, 2007

DanceSport: Latin, Rock 'n' Roll, Standard








In dance sport, male and female athletes pair up to compete together on the same field of play, for the same awards. The first world championships in what was then called 'ballroom dancing' took place in 1909, in Paris. Dance sport championships under the auspices of the International DanceSport Federation (IDSF) are held in four disciplines:
Standard Dances
Standard comprises altogether five different dances: the Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Slow Foxtrot and Quickstep.
Latin American Dances
Latin American comprises five different dances as well: the Samba, Cha Cha Cha, Rumba, Paso Doble and Jive.

Ten Dance
Ten Dance is the combination of the above, all the Standard and Latin American dances performed as a one-day event.
Formation Dance
Formation features eight couples dancing a fixed choreography - in either Standard or Latin American disciplines - to their own music.
Rock' n' Roll
Championships in Rock 'n' Roll are conducted under the separate rules and regulations of the World Rock 'n' Roll Confederation. For the first time ever, competition Rock 'n' Roll features alongside the IDSF's disciplines in The World Games 2005 Duisburg.

Proper technique is the foundation of dance sport. The music for all IDSF disciplines except Formation is selected by the organizers or the orchestra. The athletes do not know which melodies they will dance to; although the basic rhythm and the tempo for the music are both governed by the Competition Rules of the IDSF. Through elimination rounds couples taking part in a competition are reduced to the final between the six best. In the finals of every dance, the judges place each couple from first to sixth. Winners are the couple with the most 'firsts' accumulated in the different dances.

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