Most of us will understand what a ballroom is, but have you ever considered why ‘ball’ appears in this word? Given that ballrooms have been around since the French Renaissance, it’s unlikely there was a 16th century disco ball hanging over the dancers on the dance floor. Actually, the word ball here has nothing to do with spherical-shaped objects, but derives from the French word bal meaning ‘a dance’ which itself derives from the late Latin verb ballare ‘to dance’ and ultimately from the two Greek verbs ballizein ‘to dance’ and ballein ‘to throw’.
Ballroom dancing was popularised in the Court of King Louis XIV, though it was conservative, restrained and not much like 20th century ballroom dancing. It was the Germans who were, in part, to blame for introducing racier moves on the dancefloor with their creation of the Waltz. At the start of the 19th century this dance made its way over to the UK causing shock and outrage because of its closed hold position between the two dancers. By the start of the 20th century, however, jazz music took hold and developed the dance scene even further to bring us a variety of ballroom dances including the Foxtrot and Quickstep.
Some of us may have vague memories of grandparents spinning around the living room together at Christmas time doing the Waltz to old classics. The footwork is never forgotten and they smile as they remember being on the dancefloor years ago. It’s Saturday night and everyone takes the floor with their partner, ready to do a bit of foxtrot to Glenn Millers exquisite Moonlight Serenade. A little bit of glamour and fun in difficult times and a mood in the air for breaking down conservative traditions on the dancefloor.
Some people blame the introduction of TV and staying at home to watch the Queen’s Coronation to the decline in ballroom dancing; others site the departure of singers such as Frank Sinatra from the Big Band scene for a solo career as the start of an era when people preferred simply to listen to music rather than to dance to it.
Nowadays, ballroom dancing is largely confined to the world of competitive dance. Instead of holding a partner close, dancers on a Saturday night are more likely to be clutching a bottle of beer. Romance has left the dancefloor and King Louis would be dumbfounded!
