Ballroom dancing has evolved to something more than just a social dance performance. Today, people train in various ballroom dancing techniques to join dancesport competitions as social events, sports activity, or even in the Olympics.

Social Dancing Or Competition?

Many classify dancesport as a type of social dancing, though this is mostly a misconception since dancers all flock to the dance floor and show off their techniques. In truth, this type of dance is classified as a sport activity that is mostly described as a competition to display assorted ballroom dancing techniques and maneuvers in front of the judges and live audience.

If you observe closely, dancesport competition follows a set of rules. Music denotes what type of ballroom dancing you are going to perform on the floor. However, dancers are free to come up with their own unique maneuvers to impress the judges and win the prize.

International Competition

The World Dance Council was once called International Council of Ballroom Dancing (ICBD) that regulates dancesport competition around the globe. The council was formed in 1950 in Edinburgh with affiliate sponsors including Ballroom Dancers Federation that helps regulate these competitions in various sectors in an international level.

The very first dancesport competition was held in 1909, the first team of ballroom dancing competition in 1932, and became a live TV broadcast in 1960.

Due to the insistence of the International DanceSport Federation (IDSF), the International Olympic Committee recognized dancesport as a sports activity in 1997 and included in their roll of sports competition though not all Olympic games have this in their main event.

In most cases, we can safely say that this ballroom dancing competition requires a sponsor before it can be included in Olympic Games with the inclusion of a vote among its council.

However, there have been many critics in the inclusion of dancesport as an Olympic event. Judging is often done through appeal and how dancers impress judges. Scoring in these competitions is considered to be dubious as well -- opening to the possibility of disguising fraudulent judgment with anonymous decisions with no definite criteria and scores.

Despite the subjective ruling of dancesport competitions, the ballroom dancing arena is still a much celebrated event in various countries around the globe.

Different Styles

Dancesport is not limited to specific ballroom dancing styles known today. Considering that it is dubbed as an International competition, various styles are known to be incorporate into dance routines that include standard ballroom, Latin American dance steps, Ten Dance, and diverse Rock and Roll maneuvers.

Today, this competitive dancing is introduced by various social groups to promote ballroom dancing to a whole new level. Television shows are known to use competitive dancing as a means to find new talents in the industry. Dancesport has also been introduced in social events, like college proms and athletic competitions.

Also, health groups reported that active maneuvers of ballroom dancing have a positive role in our body's health. Today, dancesport is being introduced as an alternative solution to main proper body function and weight loss.