Ice dancer in pink shown spinning on ice inspired by Ballroom Dancing
What event do you find yourself watching most when the Winter Olympics are on? For a lot of us who are drawn to the arts, it's figure skating. But did you know that ballroom dancing is the basis of a discipline of figure skating called "Ice Dancing"?
That's right, ballroom dance inspired an entire sport on the ice! Ice dancers, like ballroom dancers, learn the foxtrot, various waltzes, the cha-cha, samba, quickstep, blues, tangos and polkas. They test these dances in front of judges in order to climb the rankings in the United States Figure Skating Association. Students of this sport must study how to "feel" the down beat of every song, embody the character of each dance genre, and communicate non-verbally with a partner. Daily these athletes devote themselves and their careers to transferring the depth of ballroom dancing's fundamentals onto a slippery surface to create what is like pure magic on ice!
That is why ballroom dancing is more than a hobby, a sport, or an art. It is also a cornerstone rich in technique, principles, and theory. Whether we regularly attend lessons or just know enough to go to a social dance on the weekend, we should be honored to be part of this influential and inspiring cornerstone.
So the next time you feel like stepping onto that worn wooden floor, or strapping on a pair of shoes and counting out a waltz, contact us and we will dance knowing that we are a piece of something incredible!