Cross-Style Dancing: General Overview

Many collegiate ballroom programs focus heavily on International Style.  The nature of collegiate competitions being what it is, many dancers wish to enter as many dances, levels, and styles as possible with a variety of dance partners.  No American Style routines?  No problem!  Just dance my International routines, right?

Unfortunately, this way of thinking can lead to run-ins with the Invigilator.  In some comparable American Style dances, dancers can “get away with” dancing routines obviously from the International Style.  Body and leg action in International Cha Cha and Jive differ from American Cha Cha and Swing but conceptually the dances are quite similar (specific problem figures will be addressed in a future post).  Similarly, dancing International Waltz in American heats will be odd due to the lack of breaking frame, but mostly not prohibited (again, specific figures to come). 

Foxtrot is where serious problems occur.  International Foxtrot is characterized by progression; the full Foxtrot syllabus offers twenty-five plus answers to the question: How many ways can I get around the floor without closing my feet (heel turns notwithstanding)?  By contrast, American Foxtrot requires dancers to close their feet at the Bronze level.  Higher level dancers may pass their feet using Continuity Styling but the feel of the dance remains quite different from Slow Foxtrot.  American Foxtrot is snappy, upbeat, and jazzy – think grapevines, Fred and Ginger, rival gangs dancing in the streets.

Dancing International Foxtrot in a Bronze American Foxtrot heat WILL earn you a potentially uncomfortable conversation with the Invigilator.  You will not be asked to remove or change a figure; you will be instructed to scrap your entire routine.  You are much better off learning one or two American Style figures and dancing them over and over.  Your routine might feel less than exciting but at least it would be allowed!

Whether or not higher level dancers can score well dancing International Style in an American Style heat is Adjudicator, not Invigilator, territory.  Generally speaking, judges really want to see competitors dancing International Style in International heats and American Style in American heats – it’s part of the process and demonstrates that the dancers know their material.  It is true that “cross-style” dancing is overlooked more frequently in collegiate competitions, but dancers could still have difficulty achieving desired results without distinct routines for each style.  And of course, the higher level you dance, the more the judges will expect you to know the differences between styles. 

I do want to make a quick mention of dancing International Tango and Rumba in American heats.  Neither will earn you a trip to talk to the Invigilator, most likely, but dancing International Style Tango or Rumba in American heats is basically a bad idea if you want to do well.  In both cases, the core figures in International Style are different from the core figures in American Style.  Even though there are some similar figures, your routine will stick out in a way that is not likely to win you favor.  Much better, as with Foxtrot, to learn a few style-appropriate basics and run with them.