Does anyone know why, when ballroom dancing, you seem to only go/start anti clockwise?

Originally posted by shelley1
Does anyone know why, when ballroom dancing, you seem to only go/start anti clockwise?

Well it makes sense to have a convention, so presumably it had to be clockwise or anticlockwise.

I guess for right handed/legged people anti clockwise is the most natural.

hmmm, its just where I work at night they do ballroom dancing and none of them knew why they go anti clockwise, just thought I would ask.

I do ballroom dancing and I haven't got a clue! Where do you work that does it?

i think its historical to do with the old dances where the men wore swords etc, & through into the armed forces, u know beau geste & all that spiffing stuff. it keeps the sword on the outside away from other people in the circle & easily accessible.
lots of modern conventions relate to these periods of world history, shaking hands etc.

I think it is to do with the way the earth rotates. In Australia they dance anticlockwise.:huh:

Ahh very interesting and we were just saying last about the australian one.

Thanks

the direction is irrelevant so long as everyone spins the same way.

otherwise colissions between couples could cause them to become dangerously unstable and fly apart.

it's much the same as why you have to drive down either the left or right hand side of the road, but not both.

b