History of the Two Step Dance – One Good Way to Learn What is Ballroom Dancing

May 18, 2012
by Susan Todd

Many people learn more of what is ballroom dancing through assistance from the dance\’s history. Let\’s check the history of the Two Step dance.

The Two Step dance is among the preferred types of ballroom dancing today. It is notably performed in country and Western theme bars where the majority of people come just to have a good time and unwind from a busy day. There are two histories of the Two Step dance, one happened in the late 19th century, while the other in the mid-20th century.

The original Two Step dance is said to have its roots from a certain man named John Philip Sousa, a famous composer who introduced the Washington Post March in 1891. This dance became immensely popular after its introduction, while people slowly learned what is ballroom dancing. It was based on the French valse a deux temp (waltz in double time), and was composed of several chasse steps.

In the basic form of the dance, there are two occurrences of the chasse step, hence, the name Two Step. Soon after, when other forms of dances emerged, the Two Step began to vanish, but some of its techniques were notable in the other forms of dance, including the Foxtrot.

It was only after 50 years when another form of the Two Step dance appeared, the Texas Two Step. This dance, which is claimed to have started from the Collegiate Foxtrot dance that was popular in the 1910s, was popular in the square dance community in the 1940s, a point in time when individuals had the great zeal to learn what is ballroom dancing. The dance is known as the Texas Two Step or the Country Foxtrot because of its connection with country dancing. Regardless of having similar names, the most recent version of the Two Step dance and the waltz-based dance performed to Sousa\’s marches don\’t truly have a connection in any way.

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