Dance Style Definitions
In general, partnership dancing implies two people dancing together with one leading or deciding what steps the couple will do and the other one following. Ballroom dancing focuses on six dances in particular, although there are a number of other dances commonly taught in ballroom dance studios. The most popular Ballroom dances are Foxtrot, Waltz, Tango, Rumba, Cha Cha, and Swing. A person skilled in these six dances can go anywhere in the world and find someone to dance with.
There are two different styles of American Style Ballroom dancing, Smooth dances and Rhythm dances. American Style is what most people in the US mean when they say "Ballroom Dancing." It was developed in the United States as an alternative to the International Style of dance, which is a standardized form of ballroom dance throughout the world. The simple basic figures and flexible choreography of American Style make it easy to dance with different partners, leading to its tremendous popularity. Although many dances have the same names as International Style, they are not the same. The music is a different tempo and many figures are different. In American Style Smooth, partners can release their arm hold, allowing spins, dips, and other embellishments that are not permitted in the International Standard style of dancing.
American Smooth Dances (aka Ballroom Dances)
Foxtrot is a great social dance: it's fun, not hard to learn, and easy to lead and follow. Traditionally danced to Big Band music, it is smooth and sexy. Its basic timing is slow-slow-quick-quick. The Foxtrot originated in 1914 in New York City by Harry Fox. It is one of the most versatile of all the ballroom dances as it can be danced to a wide variety of music with varying tempos. Foxtrot shares many of the same steps with the Waltz.
Waltz is the traditional Wedding Dance. Originating in the suburbs of Vienna and the Alpine region of Austria, by the 17th Century waltz was danced in the Ballrooms of the Hapsburg Court in Germany. The character is elegant, regal, graceful, and has a lovely swooping rise and fall. The timing is ONE - two - three with the "one" being the downbeat. The basic Waltz step is the box step, a sequence of six steps, which, if you were to draw a line connecting all six, would form a box.
Viennese Waltz is about twice the speed of Waltz, and features simple footwork with lots of twirls and arm expression. Viennese Waltz is the dance most often seen in movies depicting Ballroom Dancing.
Tango is passionate, with dramatic poses. Its story is of a love affair that is sometimes amorous, sometimes angry, but always intense! The basic timing is slow-slow-quick-quick-slow, spelling out its name: T-A-N-G-O.
Argentine Tango is the original Tango, not to be confused with its Ballroom derivatives American and International Tango. It has an intimate, compact hold and features intricate footwork and a sensuous, passionate character. This is the dance featured in the internationally renowned Tango Argentina, and the recent hit Forever Tango.
American Rhythm Dances (aka Latin Dances)
Swing encompasses more than 10 different dances that vary in tempo, character, and music. Swing is one of the most fun, relaxed, and entertaining styles of dancing. There are a great many varieties that are extremely different in music, tempo, and character. All of the Swings are can be done to Big Band music, and several styles have evolved to dance to Jazz, Blues, Pop, Rockabilly, and more.
East Coast Swing, sometimes referred to as Jitterbug, is the most common Swing dance. It is one of the American Rhythm dances, and has a bouncy character with a basic timing of triple-step, triple-step, rock-step. Despite its name, East Coast Swing is danced all over the country, and is the Swing many dancers learn first.
Single-time Swing, also known as. "City Swing," is directly derived from East Coast Swing. Instead of dancing triple-steps, you take a single step to each side, making the basic timing step, step, rock step. This simpler basic makes City Swing easy to dance to very fast music, such as you are likely to encounter at parties or in clubs!
Cha-Cha was created by replacing the "slow" in Rumba with a fast "side-close-side" (cha-cha-cha). It is a fast, spicy, flirtatious dance. Originally known as Cha-Cha-Cha, it has its origins in the Cuban Mambo and came to this country in the mid-1950's. The Cha Cha is also a spot dance and is characterized by dramatic body movements and a lot of energy. Cha Cha shares many of the same steps as Mambo or Salsa with the cha cha triple step thrown in.
Mambo is similar to Salsa (very fast!). The basic timing is quick-quick-slow. It is one of the Ballroom Rhythm competition dances, the others being Rumba, Cha-Cha, Bolero, and East Coast Swing.
Rumba is a modified version of the "Son" a popular dance in middle class Cuba before World War II. Known as the "dance of love", Rumba is the simplest rhythm dance and is the dance from which most of the other Rhythm dances were derived. It was introduced in this country in the 1920's and 1930's and is slow and rhythmical. Sometimes called the "Latin Waltz" or the "Waltz with a wiggle", the Rumba is a "spot dance". It is danced in one spot with a slow-quick-quick timing and is characterized by sexy hip motion, turns, breaks and rolls. Many of the steps danced in the Waltz can be danced in the Rumba with Rumba timing, cuban motion, and Latin arm styling.
Salsa is currently the most popular Latin Club dance.
Salsa is a sexy, flashy, and lively Latin American dance that you can enjoy with your friends almost any night of the week! The basic step takes 6 steps for every 8 beats of music, and is counted Quick, Quick, Slow, Quick, Quick, Slow. You step on beats 1, 2, and 3, holding 4, and step on 5, 6, 7, holding 8. Leaders start with the left foot, and followers with the right.
Salsa can be danced "on the 1," "on the 2," or even "on the 3!" This refers to the beat of the music where a dancer breaks forward or backward. "On 1" dancers are often dancing to the melody of the song, where "on 2" dancers are dancing to the clave, or percussion. Both styles have flair and many salseros know how to dance both ways.
Dancing "on the 1" is the most common way to dance Salsa, and it is often known as the L.A. Style. Dancing "on the 2" is the more traditional Mambo beat, and is known as the NY style.
We teach "on 1" at Bluegrass Dance Center.
Most Salseros agree that the Afro-Cuban son, with its syncopated clave rhythms and its undulating melody can be called a direct ancestor of modern salsa. During the 1930's, 40's and 50's, son developed into mambo, which became a popular craze at dance halls. Mambo used the same clave ( 1 2 3...12) rhythm as did son, but had now expanded to use a wider range of musical instruments, combining the big band sounds of Harlem Jazz with the tropical Latin rhythms of the Cubanos and Nuyoricans.
The trend quickly spread, largely due to musical giants like Perez Prado, Celia Cruz, Tito Rodriguez, and Tito Puente.
The term salsa, (literally "hot sauce") was initially used to describe all popular latin dance forms, including mambo, rhumba, bugalœ, and cha-cha-cha.
Today, salsa refers primarily to modern versions of mambo, which come in several forms. Salsa romantica, (also known as salsa erotica) the most mainstream version of salsa, can be heard from great performers like Marc Anthony, Michael Stuart and DLG (Dark Latin Groove).
More traditional (and just as great) salsas are still composed by artists such as Cubanismo,Joe Cuba, and Josè Alberto. Many of these musicians also create great mixes of old and new styles.
Salsa has become truly global, with enthusiasts from Germany to Bolivia to Scotland to Japan. It is a dance for everyone, not just those of Latin descent. No short description could in any way sum up this exciting musical phenomenon. The best way to get to know salsa is to listen to its infectious melodies and rhythms, then get dancing! Once you've gotten started, we're sure you'll agree.
Merengue is danced to really fast Latin music. It consists of very simple steps organized into sets of 8, and features a characteristic hip swing and graceful arm flourishes. It's an easy dance to learn and to dance with different partners, making it great for clubs with fast music!
