It doesn't make as much sense going for the beautiful line when social dancing. In that case, you're dancing for your partner (and vice versa). In competitive dancing, you're dancing for a judge.

Your partner is hopefully a little too close to see that line, so who would you be trying to impress? OK, there are plenty of answers, but if your reason for social dancing is to have fun dancing with your partner, those all fall away.

In competitive dancing, you may be having fun, but fun is not the point. Winning is, and to do that you have to impress the judges, and good lines are part of that. You only have to look like you are having fun.

For me, the point of the lines is that it FEELS good. I enjoy knowing that what I am doing is both for my partner and I to enjoy and is pleasing to the eye. Same reason I used to ride Dressage--it was a joy to fit so subtly with my equine partner--and useful on trail rides too. LOL!

I enjoy knowing I look good dancing, even if hubby and I are dancing alone.

One of the bigger differences I've noticed between the two....especially with the latin dances, is the latin motion. In American Rhythm, we step onto a bent knee. It's interesting trying to dance say, Rumba, with my friend who teaches Intn. Style.

I do have one question about this ( I posted a message about it). In International Rhythm, is the frame used the same as smoooth or standard dances? It's something I see at the International studio I visit, and I catch myself wanting to correct it, but not sure if I am in the wrong.

First-- Not Intern Rhumba.-- It is Intern. Latin.

The frame and posture in latin , can go thru various changes during the course of a given dance .
Its like comparing apples to oranges-- both fruit== both from a tree-- but different flavors .

Amer. style " rhythm ", has many similarities ( and many things identical ) to Intern Latin . The techniques, sometimes, take different paths .
The most obvious examples, are the commencement of Cha. And Rhumba ( in bronze ) is still Square ( the way we USED to dance it )

have done several dissertations on the authenticity of the Latin genre .Its posted on-- salsa forums -- also some postings on -- dance forums .
These will give you a much better understanding , about the development of the dances we " choose " to include in our social and competitive arena .

I believe RHUMBA is the international spelling.

As it is with the Australian New Vogue as well as the American Smooth there is no Quickstep Tempo. To get a Quickstep we have to borrow one from English Old Time called the Mayfair Quickstep. Not for use in competitions though. There is a patent on it.

The Mayfair is not really a quickstep, more of a swing (English Old Time, not East or West Coast).

It was published in 1956 so depending on the prevailing laws it could be regarded as out of copyright now.