Why is the direction of ballroom dancing always in the anti-clockwise?

In ballroom dancing parlance, this movement in the anti-clockwise direction is usually known as “line of dance”, “line of direction”, or “ballroom direction”.

According to Don Herbison-Evans*,

the origins of the convention of progressing anti-clockwise around the ballroom dancefloor are obscure. It was clearly already evident in the the early 19th Century, when the Viennese Waltz became popular. Paradoxically this was achieved by only dancing ‘natural turns’, in which the couple turns clockwise. Not until the 20th Century did the ‘reverse turn’ become equally popular. Progressing anticlockwise while dancing the anticlockwise ‘reverse turns’ requires considerable skill and practice, and until the 20th Century was considered antisocial.

Perhaps the convention arose much earlier when dancing was disapproved of by the Church, and dancing was the [sic] associated with witches, and hence had to progress ‘widdershins’. Alternatively, perhaps doing ‘natural turns’ was considered more natural, as the turning direction was the same as the movement of the sun (in the Northern Hemisphere), and the anticlockwise progression around the floor was found by inexperienced dancers to be easier doing these turns.

Another possibility is that it has something to do with the men wearing swords on their left hip. This was the normal position for a scabbard, as it enabled the sword to be drawn more easily with the right hand than if the sword were worn on the right hip. Thus in an Allemande, the lady would normally be on the man’s right to avoid tripping over the scabbard, and it would be reasonable to progress anticlockwise, putting the man inside the circle, to avoid hitting the legs of the audience with the scabbard also (Herbison-Evans).

The last theory, that the anti-clockwise direction of ballroom dancing has its roots in men wearing swords on their left hip, is also mentioned by another website, DanceTutors.co.uk.

In addition, they suggest it may also have something to do with the lengths of the ladies’ skirts. As the experts from DanceTutors, with reference to the “closed hold [of hands when dancing]” write:

The ‘closed hold’ descended from the courts of Western Europe. It probably saw its origins around the 1500s, when men carried swords on their left side. As a result, ladies danced on the right of the man. In making turning, the men traditionally took the inside of the circle, to avoid hitting the surrounding audience with their sword. Also, ladies could not promenade backwards as the length of their skirts would become caught beneath their feet, As a result, couples promenaded anti-clockwise, which is why modern ballroom dances progress anti-clockwise around the floor (”The History of Ballroom Dancing”).

Finally, as books like The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Ballroom Dancing and The Complete Book of Ballroom Dancing explain, there is a very practical reason to standardise the movement of dancers around the dance floor: “It is a matter of courtesy to other dancers on the floor, and if everyone follows this progression there is less likelihood of interference or collision between couples” (Stephenson & Iaccarino 67) and also, a determined movement pattern like this helps to “maximise the available space for dance couples (Allen 122).

*Mr. Herbison-Evans is a member of the Advisory Panel of the Bachelor in Dance Education degree at the Australian College for Physical Education.

List of Works Cited

• Allen, Jeff.  The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Ballroom Dancing. Indianapolis, IN: Alpha, 2002. Call No.: q793.33 ALL
  

• Herbison-Evans, Don. “Symmetry and Dance.” 16 Jan 2009. http://linus.socs.uts.edu.au/~don. 19 Jan 2009.

• Stephenson, Richard M., Joseph Iaccarino. The Complete Book of Ballroom Dancing. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1992. Call No.: q793.33 STE

• “The History of Ballroom Dancing.” DanceTutors.co.uk. 19 Jan 2009. http://www.dancetutors.co.uk/TheHistoryOfBallroomDancing.html. 19 Jan 2009.