Ballroom dancing is not one particular style of dancing.
Rather, the name encompasses a group of styles that include varying types of partner dance.
The most popular styles of ballroom dance are the waltz, the fox trot and Latin dances like salsa, tango, and the cha-cha.
The varying styles are enjoyed both socially and competitively.
Though it is now enjoyed by all walks of life, ballroom dancing was reserved for the royal, wealthy and privileged historically.
Ballroom Dancing burst into the common man's scene in the early 20th century, spurred on by the popularity of jazz music and a movement across dance styles towards independent movement for men and women.
The jitter bug, charleston, fox and turkey trots are some of the many ragtime dance crazes that took America by storm in the pre-WWI era.
Dancing slowed in popularity due to the war, but Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers two-stepped it back into our hearts in the 1930's.
There are many national and international competitions.
International competition standards are more rigid than American ones; both require the bars per minute to be regulated but international competition also regulates the time signature.
There is a World Dance Council that oversees international competition.
The International Olympic Comittee recognizes ballroom dancing as a sport, as well, though there is currently no Olympic dance competition.
Though dancing is less popular today, swing and salsa dancing are still popular American pastimes.
Watching ballroom competitions like Dancing With the Stars has proved to be more popular than dancing itself in the 21st century.