• RUMBA: Steamy! The most famous Latin American dance to gain popularity in
North America and Europe is, without doubt, the rumba. Slow and
romantic, the Rumba is the most sensual of the Latin dances. Motion is
produced through a transfer of body weight and not from direct movement
of the hips. Couples dance very closely together, using their body language to
express emotion between them. The Rumba is sometimes referred to as the
“Dance Of Love” because couples stare deeply into each other’s eyes
while they dance.
• BOLERO: The Bolero, originating in Spain, is danced to a very slow type of
Rumba rhythm. With its slip pivot and body rise danced to dreamy music
usually accompanied by vocals, the Bolero has a very romantic and soft
feel to it. The Bolero is all about being one with your partner in a slow, sweeping motion.
• CHA-CHA-CHA:
The mid-tempo Cha-Cha-Cha is a spin-off of the Rumba and the Mambo. With
its two slow steps followed by three quick ones (rock step,
cha-cha-cha), this sensual, energetic dance is extraordinarily popular
with old and young alike. The tempo is slow and staccato, making it easy for dancers to inject
their own personality into the patterns. The Cha-Cha-Cha rhythm can
still be heard in the music of contemporary performers like Ricky
Martin, Enrique Iglesias and Gloria Estefan.
• HUSTLE:
The 1970s was the time to do the Hustle! Predated by the line dance
with the same name, the Hustle exploded onto the scene after John
Travolta danced his way to stardom in the famous movie, Saturday Night
Fever. The Hustle is a fast moving, energetic dance characterized by its
many turns. The lady spins almost constantly while her partner draws her
close and sends her away. Although disco has come and gone, the hustle
is here to stay!
• JIVE:
The Jive is a fast swing dance style that originated in North America
from African-Americans in the early 1940s. It is a lively and
uninhibited variation of the Jitterbug, a form of Swing dance. Jive is a very happy, boppy, energetic dance, with plenty of kicks,
knee-lifting, bending, and rocking of the hips. The fastest of the Latin
dances. Many of its basic patterns are similar to these of the East Coast
Swing with the major difference of highly syncopated rhythm of the
Triple Steps (Chasses), which use straight eighths in hard swing in
Jive.
• MAMBO:
A Cuban bandleader named Perez Prado is credited with starting the
Mambo dance craze in the mid-1950s. The Mambo is a Rumba with a break
on 2 and 4 in 4/4 time, danced according to the individual dancer’s
temperament. While conservative dancers can maintain a closed position, daring
dancers can perform breakaway steps and completely separate themselves
from each other.
• MERENGUE:
The Merengue, the national dance of the Dominican Republic, was
created in the mid-1950s. With its simple steps and 1-2 march-like
rhythm, it was rumored to be initially performed by the guests of a
crippled general in the Dominican Republic who wanted to imitate him as
he dragged his lame right leg across the floor! The Merengue is known for its liveliness, with a step on every beat,
knee action, and wiggles from side to side. Since it doesn’t move around
the dance floor, it’s perfect for small, crowded dance floors.
• PASO DOBLE:
The Paso Doble is a lively, theatrical Spanish dance modeled after
the drama of the Spanish bullfight. (Paso Doble literal meaning in
Spanish: double-step). Traditionally, the man is characterized as the
matador (bullfighter) and the lady as his cape in the drama of a Spanish
bullfight. It actually originated in southern France, but is modeled after the
sound, drama, and movement of the Spanish bullfight. Based on Flamenco
dancing, the Paso Doble is both arrogant and passionate and is performed
often as a competition dance. Paso Doble is danced to a typical Spanish march-like musical style.
It is the type of music typically played in bullfights during the
bullfighters’ entrance to the ring (paseo) or during the passes just
before the kill. Famous bullfighters have been honored with pasodoble tunes named
after them. Others are inspired in patriotic motives or local
characters.
• SALSA:
Salsa, a fusion of Cuban, Puerto Rican and American styles, describes
the fast, Latin music coming out of New York City in the late 1960s.
Salsa dancing is characterized by a complicated rhythm, small steps,
Cuban motion, and a compact hold. Salsa has a recurring 8-beat pattern, with patterns using 3 steps
during each 4 beats. The skipped beat is usually marked by a tap or a
kick. Salsa dancing is always sassy, sexy, and fun!
• SAMBA: The spirited Samba always gets feet tapping! Originally from Brazil,
the festive Samba was popularized in the movies of Carmen Miranda. The Samba is characterized by a steady bounce in 2/4 meter achieved
by flexing and straightening the knees while weight is transferred from
the ball to the flat of the foot. This happy and bouncy dance is always
fun!
• POLKA:
The Polka, coming from Bohemia in the 1800s, has an unforgettable
rhythm – da-da-dum, da-da-dum. The name is Czech for “half-step,” much
used in the dance. The Polka is danced in pairs either face-to-face or
standing side-by-side. Polka music has a 2/4 beat and is notable for its happy sound. The
Polka has consistently remained a very popular dance worldwide.
• EAST COAST SWING:
Back in the good old days of Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry, the East
Coast Swing originated as a simplified 6-count triple step dance. The East Coast Swing dance pattern moves smoothly either forward/back
or side to side while circling freely around the floor. The basic step
is triple step, triple step, rock step. Danced to a wide variety of
music, you can “swing” to almost anything!
• WEST COAST SWING:
The official state dance of California, the West Coast Swing
originated from the Savoy Style Lindy dance. Brought to Hollywood by
Dean Collins, a famous movie dancer and choreographer, this dance soon
became popular in California nightclubs during the 1930s and 1940s. The West Coast Swing is known for its “dancing in a slot” appearance
where the man dances in place while the woman travels back and forth.
SMOOTH DANCE STYLES
• FOXTROT: While most people think that Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers created
the Foxtrot, it was really a vaudeville performer named Harry Fox who
introduced this fun, theatrical dance to the world. Foxtrot dancers travel around the perimeter of the room in a
counterclockwise direction in a basic rhythm of slow-slow-quick-quick.
Still a classic dance for wedding receptions, the Foxtrot is a true
American favorite.
• QUICKSTEP:
A child of the jazz era, Quickstep is characterized by bright, happy
music, a light-hearted mood, and tricky steps. While it evolved from the
Foxtrot, the Quickstep now is quite separate. This dance gradually evolved into a very dynamic one with a lot of
movement on the dance floor, with many advanced patterns including hops,
runs, quick steps with a lot of momentum, and rotation. The tempo of Quickstep dance is rather brisk and fast-paced when
compared to other dance music.. It is danced to the fastest tempo of the
ballroom dances.
• TANGO:
The Tango, a sensual, dramatic dance made famous by Rudolph
Valentino, originated in Buenos Aires and was stylized by the Gauchos in
Argentina before making it to the United States. The Tango is known for flexing steps and posed pauses. Widely
considered to be the “dancer’s dance,” it has become even more popular
due to its presence in films like “The Scent Of A Woman” and “Evita.”
• VIENNESE WALTZ:
The Viennese Waltz, made popular in the 1880s by the invigorating
music of Johann Strauss, is a very fast version of the waltz at a tempo
of about 180 beats a minute. This dance is characterized by its fast
pace and continuous circling. A beautiful dance to watch and perform, the Viennese Waltz is a glamorous, uplifting, whirling experience for everyone to enjoy.
• WALTZ:
The Waltz, with its ¾ rhythms and strong accent on the first beat, was born in the suburbs of Vienna. When the dance was first introduced in the early 19th century, people
were shocked since it was the first ballroom dance where the man put
his hand on a woman’s waist! But the Waltz gained in popularity and
quickly became one of the most popular of all dances. This easy and
flowing dance is still commonly seen at weddings and other social
events.
• NIGHT CLUB TWO STEP:
The Waltz, with its ¾ rhythms and strong accent on the first beat, was born in the suburbs of Vienna. When the dance was first introduced in the early 19th century, people
were shocked since it was the first ballroom dance where the man put
his hand on a woman’s waist! But the Waltz gained in popularity and
quickly became one of the most popular of all dances. This easy and
flowing dance is still commonly seen at weddings and other social
events.
