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Craig Revel Horwood's Ballroom Dancing: Social dancing

by Craig Revel Horwood

As the name suggests social dancing has as its main aim socializing and meeting other people. The dancers are not professionals and there is no performance or competitive aspect, although many of the dances are also danced professionally and in competition.

Social dances are often partner dances but there are other social forms of dance, such as line dancing and solo dancing in clubs. Ballroom dancing is a well-established form of social dance but many people also enjoy country-and-western dance, English and Scottish country dancing, folk and ethnic dancing, ceilidhs and square dancing to mention just a few.

In all its forms social dancing tends to be relaxed and easy and the few rules are aimed at making things enjoyable for everyone, such as avoiding collisions and, in ballroom, always dancing anticlockwise.

In many cultures social dance is one of the few ways men and women can meet each other and interact, so there is often a courtship element to both the dances and the whole event.

Social dance is nearly always done to music, although this is sometimes in the form of simple percussion.

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