American Smooth is one of two categories in the American Style. It is officially composed of four dances competed in the order of Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, and Viennese Waltz. Within the past few years, the has been a push to add a fifth dance, the Peabody, although the change has not become official. Traditionally, American Smooth was only danced in the United States and Canada, however, there has been a surge of interest in the style on an international level.
While some of the dances are often mistaken as "Ballroom or Standard," the American style is quite different. While it has retained many of the original Standard figures at more advanced levels, American Smooth features various other positions such as Shadow positions or Open Facing positions. As a result, dancers can turn and dip, unlike what you find in Standard ad Ballroom.
While Smooth shares the same technique as Standard, they have two different syllabi and lists of acceptable step figures., However, it is important to remember, that while Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, and Viennese Waltz have the same names as the Standard dances, they are in fact two different styles.
American Smooth |
| American Waltz |
| American Tango |
| American Foxtrot |
| American Viennese Waltz |
| Peabody |