Dancesport originated in ballrooms as social dance and can be traced back to court dances during the reign of the English King Henry VIII in the 16th Century.

There were many varieties of ballroom dancing including western folk dance, and over time the waltz, tango, rumba and cha-cha became popular.

Ballroom dancing has been influenced by the rhythms of comtempory music, such as rock 'n roll, the potato, the hustle and the a-go-go - favourites in the 1950s and 1960s.