The Dances
Defined
Argentine Tango This style of Tango originated in the
streets and salons of Buenos Aires and is characterized by its passionate hold
and complex leg and foot movements.
Bolero
A slow Latin dance which originated as one of two forms of Rumba
(Bolero Rumba and Son Rumba), and still shares many of the same figures. Bolero
differs from Rumba in its tempo and style of music and
movement.
Cha Cha
An exciting, syncopated Latin dance which originated in the 1950's as a
slowed-down Mambo. The Cha Cha gets its name and character from its distinct
repetitive foot rhythm, 1-2-3 step-step which
is similar to Swing.,
East
Coast Swing Also called American or Triple Step Swing due to the rhythm
of the basic triple step, this dance consists of six and eight count patterns.
It is a circular dance that is danced with a bounce and is very grounded and not
high in the legs. This bounce requires the dancer to stay very smooth and not
jump around much. East Coast Swing, derived from Lindy Hop and Jitterbug, is the
base for all swing dances.
Foxtrot
A smooth dance introduced to the public in 1913 by Harry Fox, noted for
being the first dance to incorporate into the rhythm a combination of Slows and
Quicks. Foxtrot is characterized by smooth, walkingstyle movements, but can be
adapted to fit a variety of musical tempi and style, or to fit onto small,
crowded nightclub dance floors.
Hustle
Often associated with retro disco music, the hustle is the perfect
dance for dance-beat, nightclub music including everything from pop to rap and
hip hop.
Jive
The European version of the East Coast Swing, this dance uses six and
eight count patterns. However, it is danced quite bouncy with very sharp foot
kicks and "flicks," to faster tempo swing music and is meant for competitive
style dancing.
Mambo
A fast Latin dance, similar to Salsa, which comes from Cuba. Mambo was
brought to America in the 1940's and 50's and eventually adapted as an American
style ballroom dance. Most of the movements emphasize the second beat in the
measure, suggestive of the Clave rhythm which is fundamental to Mambo
music.
Merengue
An energetic Latin-style march which originated in the Dominican
Republic, which emphasizes a straight-ahead 8-count rhythm taken with Cuban
Motion. Merengue is now also a subset of the modern club-style Salsa
dances.
Night
Club Two Step An easy-going social dance, similar in movement to the
Bossa Nova, first introduced in the 80's by Buddy Schwimmer and popular amongst
the West Coast Swing crowd. Nightclub 2-Step is normally danced to medium-tempo
pop songs and ballads, using combinations of Slow-Quick-Quick and
Quick-Quick-Slow rhythms.
Paso
Doble A dramatic French-Spanish Flamenco-style march danced in 2/4
time, with man portraying the matador in a bullfight, the lady as his cape. The
character of the dance is arrogant and
passionate.
Peabody
A dance developed in the United States around 1920, which was created
as a fast version of the Foxtrot characterized by rapid progression and frequent
use of Right Outside Position and locking
actions.
Quickstep The dance began as a quick version of Foxtrot
mixed with the Charleston, and musical "Jazz" influences. It is characterized by
fast movement, often including a variety of hops, kicks, skips, lock steps and
chassés.
Rumba
A Latin dance characterized by Cuban motion done to romantic Latin
songs and music, the Rumba is a slow, sensuous, romantic dance which spotlights
the lady and features much flirtation.
Salsa
A hot Latin dance similar to Mambo, which, when danced correctly,
displays a lot of shaking, shimmying, and hip
action.
Samba
This is the official dance of Brazil. Characterized by "bounce" action,
it is danced to fast music in 2/4 time.
Tango
The Tango originated in Argentina. A progressive dance that moves along
the line of dance, it is characterized by staccato movements of the feet and
flexed knees, and stylized poses that highlight its dramatic
style
Viennese
Waltz A fast ballroom dance in 3/4 or 6/8 meter, often associated with
the music of Johann Strauss.
Waltz
The oldest and best known of all the Ballroom dances, Waltz is a
progressive dance using rise and fall and danced to 3/4 Time music. Slow Waltz
evolved from the fast paced Viennese Waltz.
West
Coast Swing A slotted swing dance in 4/4 time, characterized by its
smooth and linear style.
