Dances
- Country Couple Dances
- East Coast Swing
- Jive
- Slow Waltz
- Swing
- Texas 3-Step
- West Coast Swing
- Argentine Tango
- Cha-cha-cha
- Foxtrot
- Tango
- Paso Doble
- Merengue
- Newfoundland Lancers
- Quickstep
- Mambo
- Polka
- Rumba
- Salsa
- Samba
- Viennese Waltz
- Newfoundland Waltz
- Texas 2-Step
- Country Line Dance
- Slow Dance
Tango
In 1912 tango was introduced to British audiences, showcased in the successful musical comedy The Sunshine Girl. Concurrently, the dance became popular elsewhere in Europe, particularly in Paris. As the European dancers enjoyed the music and passion of the dance, they began to inject their own culture, style and technique into the dance.
In an effort to teach a standardized version of the tango, the English eventually codified their own version of tango for instruction in dance schools and for performance in competitions in 1922. The resulting style was referred to as English style, but eventually took on the name International style, as this became the competitive ballroom version practiced around the world.
Eventually, championships in the international style tango were organized all over Europe with numerous participating countries. Adjudicators were able to judge against a standardized syllabus and book of techniques, thereby creating a more objective means of picking the champions, even though artistic interpretation remains an important element of competition.
Initially, the English dominated the International style tango, but eventually, technicians from other backgrounds, most notably the Italians, have chipped away at the English standard and created a dynamic style that continues to raise the competitive bar.
