Case 1: You attend a dance venue where a waltz is being played. The female dancers all have their heads tilted and the dancers have prescribed posture and movement.

Case 2: You attend a dance venue where a waltz is being played. There is no head tilting and most dancers although keeping time to the music are not overly concerned with posture.

I would like to know some accurate term(s) to describe and contrast each case. I may be wrong but I assume must of you reading this question would not attend a Case 2 venue if for no other reason then to avoid developing habits contrary to prescribed dance style. Nevertheless many Case 2 venues exit.


Case 1: Formal Dance?, Proper Dance?, Competitive Dance?, Serious Dance? Ballroom Dance?, Other?

Case 2; Informal Dance?, Improper Dance?, Non-competitive Dance?, Fun Dance?, Social Dance?, Other?

I am hoping to reach a consensus on this.

Also I am considering starting another discussion (PLEASE NOT HERE) on the similarities and differences between Case 1 and Case 2 venues. I want to know if this would be a proper forum for this discussion and if not any suggestions where to post such a string.

Case 1) Competitive dancers

Case 2) Social dancing

Why not attend Case 2? It's a place where you can go relax and have some fun. Generally there will be dancers of varying degrees of abilities as well as progression through lesson levels. Some of the girls might dance in a closed contact position with the head in the proper position provided the GUY can lead properly and does not freak out with 2 bodies touching.

If you ONLY going to attend Case 1) Your pretty much going to be on the competitive floor.

However there does come a time when you might not enjoy social dancing. Once you've had enough years of lessons you might find yourself wanting to work on proper technique. If you have a dance partner that's great and you can do that. If your dancing Pro/Am your kinda sunk.

Case 1: Serious dancers or Ballroom dancers - Not necessarily competitive dancers, the competitors I know do not do any social dancing - they are either competing or practicing.
Case 2: Social dancers - can be fun, but they can be frustrating because they don't observe the line of dance and generally don't move well (or much) around the floor.
I would rather attend Case 1 - I like to be with serious dancers who move and are interesting to watch. More fun for my husband and I who dance international standard and want to move. We do not compete but take our dancing seriously. We concentrate on technique, posture as well as steps.

So Case 2 is best referred to as "social dancing". This also gets my vote even though Case 1 would have elements of social dancing as apposed to private practice or actual competition.

I still have a problem with Case 1.

As ladydance pointed out competitive dancers will not be attending many Case 1 or Case 2 dances.

Also many Case 2 dancers are also "serious" but not "orthodox" or "formal". Should Case 1 dancers have the exclusive title of "ballroom" even though many Case 2 dances are held in a ballroom with ballroom music?

If you that concerned about a venue, anything with Dancesport in the name will be for competitive dancers.

Any other type of venue can have a mixutre of both types of dancers.

I don't think anyone should have exclusive use of the word 'ballroom'. If Case #2 - social dancers - want to call their dancing 'ballroom' then so be it. I like the rules of 'ballroom and latin' and I want to dance where they are observed. So if people suddenly go against the line of dance or do a rumba during a waltz then it is going to annoy me and I won't dance there anymore. You can't make up your own rules when you aren't the only people on the floor. So what do you mean by unorthodox? What is formal to you? Often people say they don't want to be formal when they really mean that they don't want to dance properly. They just want to learn a few steps, and won't take the time to learn proper footwork or posture. Well, you know what? They look like crap on the floor and because they are looking at the floor, they have no idea. Sometimes they suddenly realize they are horrible dancers and then resent all the money spent on learning steps but still looking like beginners. Others get all defensive and attack the good dancers because the good dancers make them look bad and they know it.