Knowra International Standard International Standard International Standard is a competitive ballroom division comprising five traveling partner dances performed in closed hold: Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, and Quickstep.
International Waltz : A smooth ballroom dance in triple meter, characterized by continuous rise and fall and flowing turns. It establishes the division’s characteristic rise and fall in a three-beat rhythm.
Closed position : A partner-dance stance in which partners face one another and maintain a defined connection through their upper bodies and arms. It is the defining partner connection used throughout International Standard.
International Latin : A competitive ballroom division comprising Cha-Cha-Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, and Jive. Latin uses more open partner positions and distinct dances rather than Standard’s continuous closed hold.
Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing : A British organization founded in 1904 to promote standards and professional training in dance teaching. Its ballroom syllabi helped codify the figures taught in International Standard.
International Tango : A ballroom dance marked by sharp, grounded movement, staccato rhythms, and close partner connection. Its clipped action and grounded posture contrast with the division’s smoother dances.
Dance frame : The organized shape and muscular tone of a dancer’s arms, shoulders, and torso during partnered dancing. A stable frame transmits movement and preserves connection while partners travel.
American Smooth : A competitive ballroom division comprising Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, and Viennese Waltz, with open choreography permitted. Smooth shares four dances with Standard but allows partners to separate into open positions.
English style ballroom dancing : A ballroom tradition associated with British teaching and competition, known for standardized technique and closed-position dancing. International Standard developed through the codification of English-style ballroom technique.
International Viennese Waltz : A fast ballroom dance in triple meter built around continuous turning and traveling movement. It intensifies the Waltz’s triple-time flow into rapid, sustained rotation.
Rise and fall : The coordinated lowering and upward elevation of dancers during steps, especially prominent in waltz-based ballroom dances. Its use distinguishes smooth Standard movement, though the amount varies by dance.
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