Ballroom Dancing Music

Time was when the movements in ballroom dancing were precise and slow and the instruments usually used were cellos and violins. The music these instruments produced was very right for the way ballroom dancing was done then. With the passing of the years, the dancing as well as the music changed and today, ballroom dancing music incorporates a lot more instruments.

Today, the music depends on what kind of dance is being performed. Considering that there are ten different kinds of ballroom dances and so many variations of those, one can imagine the diversity of the music that goes with them too. Let's take a look at some of the music that goes with the dances.

The music for the Spanish dance, paso doble, is very fast and dramatic. The dance is about how brave and agile a bullfighter is and the girl is used like the cape which the matador uses. The music is usually instrumental but is intense and could have acoustic guitars and horns as well.

The jive is a quick, upbeat dance that has music that matches as well. You have a lot of fast movement and there is a lot of twirling and kicking. The songs that are great for the jive are �Born to Hand Jive' and Elvis's �Hound Dog'. These have just the right tempo for this dance and any music like this is great for it. It is a dance that lets the dancers express themselves.

A combination of the jive and the swing � the quickstep has very quick and concise steps and the music for this is instrumental with a tempo that is upbeat. The favorite songs for this dance are �Spoonful of Sugar', �Flash' and �Big Band'.

One of the most popular ballroom dances is the foxtrot. It is tough to learn and master this dance but the ones who perform it well are a dream to watch as they glide around the dance floor to the �slow-quick-quick-slow' rhythm. The music for this should not be too fast or too slow and needs to be chosen carefully, Shakira's �Underneath Your Clothes' or Berlin's �Take My Breath Away' are a good choice for the foxtrot. Since this dance is viewed as formal and very upper-crust, choosing the right music is very important.

One dance that is lively and rather flirty is the cha cha. This is a fast dance and has a lot of quick movement of the feet as well as shaking of the hips. It's rather easy to choose the music for this one and Johnny Cash's �Ring of Fire' and Shakira's �Whenever, Wherever' are good choices.

Exhibit fits a ballroom in Riney Gallery

The popular reality series “Dancing With the Stars” doesn’t tell the whole story about ballroom dancing, nor about the costumes the dancers wear. For a more complete look at competitive dancing and ball gowns, Prattans can visit the Delmar Riney Gallery at Pratt Community College, where Ande Hall’s exhibit will remain through this coming week.

'Dancing with the Stars' professional partner pairings announced

Dancing with the Stars' eleventh-season professional partner pairings have been announced by ABC. Noticeably absent from this season's cast is Edyta Sliwinska , the only professional dancer who had participated in all of the ABC ballroom dancing competition's first ten seasons.

Bulletin Board

Tri-City Singles Social Club meets at 7:30 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion, 2513 Clarke St., Port Moody. Club offers members 40 and older fun activities to take part in like walking, theatre, dining, biking, weekend trips and more. New members welcome.

NIGHTLIFE

dance Croatian Cultural Club: Every Friday, from 4 to 7 p.m., the club serves half chicken dinners cooked over a charcoal grill. $8. Music on Friday nights starts at 7 p.m. Saturday night music from 8 p.m. to midnight. Sunday Night Dances at the Croatian Club 6 to 10 p.m. $5 cover. Food is sold. Save These Dates: End of Summer Picnic, Sept. 12; Pork Chop Dinner, Sept. 25; Berba Grozda/Sarma ...

St. Lucie Community Calendar, updated Sept. 7

Find the latest in arts and crafts events, fundraisers, children and families events, dancing, exercise, music and more.