Ballroom Dancing

Dancing With The Stars was fun to watch but made me wonder, where did ballroom dancing start.  There is debate that it may have started as folk dancing for the lower class OR as a way for the upper class to have social interaction (think of the Minuet in period piece movies or weddings with the Tarantella or the Hora).

In the early 1800s, the waltz became popular in England even though the Victorians questioned all the touching. But in the 1920s and 1930s, Irene and Vernon Castle, and Ginger and Fred brought it to the masses.  

Nowadays, competitive dancing is popular and there are specific rules and elements that are enforced different dance societies.  You can learn more about it at http://www.ballroomdancernetwork.com/2009/08/16/the-history-of-ballroom-dancing.html  Men, this is the way to a woman's heart!