Frequenty Asked Questions
Here's a quick reference to the answers for all of you who might be interested in joining us:
Q: What is Ballroom? What are the dances?
A :The traditional ballroom dances are broken into two major styles, American and International. American Style is only danced in the United States. In other parts of the world, they only dance International Style. American Style is broken into two types of dance: Smooth and Rhythm. Likewise, International Style is separated into two divisions - Standard (aka "Ballroom") and Latin.
American Smooth: Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz
American Rhythm: Cha-cha, Rumba, Swing, Bolero, Mambo
International Standard: Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, Quickstep
International Latin: Cha-cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, Jive
The categories differ by the steps allowed in each dance and the styling employed in dancing the steps. International Standard is distinctive in that it is danced in a closed dance position, whereas American Smooth allows the partnership to "open up" in several steps. International Latin is distinctive in that the hip action is achieved after stepping onto a “straight leg," as opposed to American Rhythm in which the Cuban motion (hip action) is achieved by flexing the knee after taking a step.
Q: How can I join the ballroom club?
A : Go to the club section of this site and fill out the online form with your name and e-mail. This will put you on the mailing list for upcoming events and lessons. Come to any of the dance lessons we host. That's it!
Q: Is there a major commitment to the club/team?
A: There is no commitment for the club. You just attend the lessons you want to learn. However, there is a commitment for the team. We urge you to attend the practices and all of the competitions. This is to ensure that you have a regular dance partner and a routine dance schedule. You will become a better competitive dancer if you come to the practices.
Q: Do I need a partner to join either the club or the team?
A: NO! Not at all...come with friends or by yourself. We pair everyone up with different people so you can learn different styles of dancing and also get a chance to meet everyone!
Q: Are there any dance lessons offered during the summer?
A: Sorry, we do not offer any club lessons during the summer.
Q: If I want to take lessons on my own, who should I contact?
A: There are many dance studios in and around the Boston area that specialize in ballroom dancing. See our links.
Q: What kind of shoes should I wear?
A: Dancing shoes are not required, but if you're interested, we recommend Latin and Standard Dancing Shoes. The dances require different types of shoes (thinner heel and usually open toe for ladies' Latin shoes, thicker heel and closed toe for ladies' standard shoes; small heel for men's Latin, no heel for standard).
Q: Where can I get these dance shoes?
A: Patterson's Back Bay Dance Store, 181 Massachusetts Ave, 2nd Floor, Boston. Phone: 617-536-2281 http://www.backbaydancewear.com/OnlineCatalog1.html
By T: Hynes Convention Ctr on the Green Line (cross Mass Ave and walk down Mass Ave to your left -- keep a look out for the red door!)
Or By Bus: 96 Bus to Harvard Square, #1 bus from Harvard Square to Mass Ave.