There are many types of dances that fall into the "ballroom dancing" category, and the types that are available include Waltz and Foxtrot, plus several Latin styles that are also considered Ballroom (such as Tango, Cha-Cha, etc.), and the Nightclub Two-Step, which is also often considered a Country style (especially in Colorado).

Waltz

Waltz is a rather old style of dance, invented in the 1600s, and its music is in 3/4 time. Its name comes from the old German word walzen, which means "to roll, turn, or glide," and these words describe well the smoothness and grace that a well-done waltz exhibits. Born in the suburbs of Vienna and in the alpine region of Austria in the seventeenth century, many of the familiar waltz tunes can be traced back to simple peasant yodeling melodies.

The Dancing Masters of the day saw the Waltz as a serious threat to their profession, because it could be learned easily, whereas the minuet and other court dances of that era required years of considerable practice, not only to learn the many complex figures, but also to develop suitable postures and deportment. The Waltz was also criticized on moral grounds by those opposed to its closer hold and rapid turning movements. Religious leaders of the 1600s almost unanimously regarded it as vulgar and crude because the gentleman put his hand—get ready for this—on the lady's back!

As you can see below, quite a few Waltz moves have counterparts in Foxtrot. These moves are not identical, of course, because Waltz uses 3/4 music and Foxtrot uses 4/4 music, but if you are familiar the Waltz version of a shared move, you'll easily pick up the Foxtrot version, and vice versa. Below is what is typically taught in a Level 1 Waltz class:

Foxtrot

The Foxtrot originated in the summer of 1914 by Vaudeville actor Harry Fox. Born Arthur Carringford in Pomona, California, in 1882, he adopted the stage name of "Fox" after his grandfather.

In early 1914, Fox was appearing in various vaudeville shows in the New York area. In April he teamed up with Yansci Dolly of the famous Dolly Sisters in an act of Hammerstein's. At the same time, the New York Theatre, one of the largest in the world, was being converted into a movie house. As an extra attraction, the theater's management decided to try vaudeville acts between the shows. They selected Harry Fox and his company of "American Beauties" to put on a dancing act. An article in Variety Magazine stated "Harry Fox will appear for a month or longer at a large salary with billing that will occupy the front of the theatre in electrics."

At the same time, the roof of the theatre was converted to a "Jardin de Danse" ("Dance Garden"), and the Foxtrot originated there. As part of his act downstairs, Harry Fox was doing trotting steps to ragtime music, and people referred to his dance as "Fox's Trot."

The Foxtrot has been called the most significant development in all of ballroom dancing. The combination of quick and slow steps permits more flexibility and gives much greater dancing pleasure than the one-step and two-step, which it largely replaced. Part of Foxtrot's versatility—and the source of some of the trickiness in learning it—is the fact that Foxtrot has some 6-count moves and some 8-count moves, even though the music is in eights. Correct transitioning between these two lengths of steps can be an adventure!

Since Foxtrot includes both 6-count steps and 8-count steps, which kind should you learn first? If you learn the 6-count steps first (commonly done), it will train you to not pay attention to the rhythm of the music—which is 8-count music—because you are rarely in sync with the musical measures, and that is a disservice to the student in the long run. On the other hand, if you learn the 8-count steps first, it trains you to pay attention to the music, because you are always in sync with the 8-count measures. Then, once you've learned to hear the music, you'll be able to do the 6-count steps, and know when to come back to the 8-count steps; i.e., you'll still be dancing in sync with the music (which always looks better).

As you can see below, quite a few Foxtrot moves have counterparts in Waltz. These moves are not identical, of course, because Waltz uses 3/4 music and Foxtrot uses 4/4 music, but if you are familiar the Foxtrot version of a shared move, you'll easily pick up the Waltz version, and vice versa. Below is what is typically taught in a Level 1 Foxtrot class:

Argentine Tango

The Argentine Tango is a Ballroom dance that is also a Latin dance; see the description on the Latin page.

Cha-Cha

The Cha-Cha is a Ballroom dance that is also a Latin dance; see the description on the Latin page.

Salsa

Some people and dance organizations consider the Salsa to be a Ballroom dance. But it is also a Latin dance, so the description is on the Latin page.

Merengue

Some people and dance organizations consider the Merengue to be a Ballroom dance. But it is also a Latin dance, so the description is on the Latin page.