The homogeneous nature of competitive ballroom & latin dancing

By Gregg Rosen

I believe there are three factors today in the homogeneous nature (of a similar kind) of competitive ballroom & latin dancing. They are:

1. Pursuit of “correct technique.”
2. Biomechanical science and video technology in training
3. The culture of YOUTUBE.

Allow me to expand a bit on all three.

1. Pursuit of “correct technique.” This implies that there is one way to do something; or “perfect technique.” Through modern ideas we have acertained that there is a best and most efficient way of doing. Video playback tells us instanly what is “wrong.” This is also prevelent in other sports. The identical golf swings on the PGA Tour. The teaching of how to throw a ball or shooting technique in basketball. There is a universal approach to “perfecting” these physical motions. In decades past, there were “home made golf swings. Funky looking jump shots and throwing motions. If different, many produced great results, and lent to the individuality of their sports.


2. Biomechanical science and video technology in training. We now have the technology to put bodies on the screen and examine the spine angel and how they distribute it.In practice one can correct movement on video playback in the studio. Christie Bosworth recently wrote an article entitled,”Crafting from the inside out.” Why rely on the touch of partnering, learning to trust our feelings and insticts to make a dialogue withing the body and mind bettering our awareness,partnering, and musicality? The scientific approach is to completely learn and dance from the “outside in.”


3. The culture of YOUTUBE. This has without doubt increased dancesport popularity throughout the globe. The danceworld while global, is still in many ways a small esoteric community.”Six degrees of seperation,” or even less.Through Youtube we know our idols on a first name basis: Riccardo & Yulia, Michale & Johanna, Sergey & Melia,Arunus&Katusha, Slavik, Stefano, Anna, etc. We may be lucky enough to have received coaching form them or seen them perform. Certainly, we wait with baited breath of the first audience video from Blackpool or Superstars. Young dancers and coaches can take bits,moves,mannerisims,choreography from our heroes.

The quest for authenticity relies in the pursuit and very being of art. “Art for art sake.” Maybe Dancesport can promote and elevate the status of the showdance category.

Perhaps this is the best arena to express one’s self with no limits and rules, the possibilitie and variety can be endless. How do I know this? I saw it on Youtube.

Gregg Rosen

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