The Cha Cha is one of the most popular Latin American dances. Lively and flirtatious, it is full of passion and energy. Originating in Cuba in the 1940s, the Cha Cha was developed as a variant of the Mambo and Rumba. Its emphasis is on quick hip movements and fast tempo gives it a unique, vibrant and playful style of dance.

Developed in Brazil during the 19th century, the Samba is considered the dance of celebration and joy at Carnival celebrations in Rio. In dancesport, Samba is unique to other dances in that it has a natural bounce to it that comes from within. The Samba bounce action is a gentle, rhythmic action felt through the knees and ankles. Samba has very distinctive and varied rhythms occurring simultaneously, which helps to build richness in the music and excitement in the dancing!

The Rumba is a dance that tells a story of love and passion. Full of sensual movements, the Rumba is considered by many to be the sexiest of the ballroom dances. The rumba is often referred to as the “grandfather of the Latin dances.” Originating in Cuba, it first came to the United States in the early 1920s. The Rumba is the slowest of the five competitive Latin dances. Its slow, sensuous, flirtatious movements make a very enticing performance.

The Paso Doble is a theatrical Spanish dance. Traditionally, the man is characterized as the matador (the bullfighter) and the lady as his cape in the drama of a Spanish bullfight. The dancers may choose to enact the role of the torero, picador, banderillero, bull, or Spanish dancer, and may change roles throughout the dance. One of the most dramatic of all the Latin dances, the Paso Doble is a progressive dance. In the Paso Doble, dancers take strong steps forward with the heels, and incorporate artistic hand movements. Based on Flamenco dancing, the Paso Doble is both arrogant and passionate.

Originating in the United States in the 1940s, Jive was influenced by the Boogie, Rock & Roll, African/American Swing and Lindyhop. Similar to the East Coast Swing, the Jive basic steps consist of two triple steps and a rock step. Jive is a very happy, boppy, energetic dance, with plenty of knee-lifting, bending, and rocking of the hips. The fastest of the Latin dances, Jive incorporates lots of kicks and flicks, and is very fun to watch.

The romantic Waltz is one of the most popular ballroom dances of all time. Considered by some as the “mother of present day dances” and the “backbone dance” of the ballroom, the Waltz is the basis for many ballroom dances. The Waltz was born as an Austro-German folk dance known as the Landler, which was characterized by the rotating movements of partners dancing together. The modern Waltz has developed into a beautiful smooth dance that travels around the line of dance in soft, flowing motions.

One of the most fascinating of all dances, the tango is a sensual ballroom dance that originated in South America in the early twentieth century. Several different styles of tango exist, each with its own individual flair. The international style Tango is danced in a closed frame and characterized by sharp staccato movements and strong, dramatic head snaps. Tango has become very popular in recent years, as evident by the various movies developed around the dance, such as Scent of a Woman, Take the Lead, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

The Viennese Waltz is the classic, original Waltz often featured in old films. The elegance and charm of the Viennese Waltz reminds us of glamorous balls in the palaces of Europe. The Viennese Waltz is a quick, rotating dance, much faster-paced than the classic, slow Waltz. It is characterized by sweeping turns that move gracefully around the floor.

The Foxtrot was developed in the United States in the 1920s. Named after its inventor, entertainer Harry Fox, the Foxtrot is often associated with the smooth dancing style of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. A beautiful, romantic dance, the Foxtrot is composed of fairly simple walking steps and side steps. The dance combines slow steps, which use two beats of music, and quick steps, which use one beat of music. Because of its smoothness, it is often referred to as the Rolls Royce of the standard dances.

Quickstep is an International Style ballroom dance that is similar to the Foxtrot but is faster and significantly more active in its nature. The Quickstep was developed in the 1920s in England. During this time, many bands began playing the Foxtrot at a faster pace, earning the name Quick Foxtrot. In 1927 the Charleston was combined with the Quick Foxtrot resulting in a name that was much too long: the Quick Time Fox Trot and Charleston, so it became known simply as the Quickstep. Elegant, smooth and glamorous, Quickstep dancers are energetic while appearing extremely light on their feet. Although difficult to master and perform, the Quickstep is lots of fun to watch.

The sassy Cha Cha is like a romantic comedy happening in real time on the dance floor. Leader and follower playfully chase one another around the floor, taking turns competing for the other’s attention. The American Rhythm Cha Cha, unlike its cousin, the International Latin Cha Cha, is characterized by a bent-knee action between counts two and three. This action results from the traditional Afro-Cuban roots of the Cha Cha, and leads to a rolling, smooth hip action that keeps dancers grounded in their movement.

The expressive Bolero is a unique hybrid dance, combining elements of the Waltz and Rumba together into one movement pattern. The Bolero is danced in 4/4 timing to music around 96 beats per minute, the same tempo as the International Rumba (often, the same music can be used interchangeably!). Rise and fall from Waltz works alongside the dance patterns from Rumba, fusing to become the Bolero. This dance provides dancers an opportunity to showcase sophisticated leg actions, innovative choreography, and tell a story of romance and connection.

The suave Rumba is earthy, playful, and danced much faster than the International Style Rumba. American Rumba tempo is danced around 120 beats per minute, compared to International Rumba, which is danced around 96 beats per minute. The Rumba shares Afro-Cuban roots with the Cha Cha, and showcases quick, articulate associations between the rib cage and hips, as dancers balance speed with rotational actions traditional to the American style.

The spirited Mambo is a party for all involved! The 1940s origins of this dance show great collaboration between dance and song. As bandleaders began to play a new form of music called Mambo, a creative and expressive dance style followed. Today, the Mambo is a crowd favorite, providing dancers the freedom to move their bodies to upbeat, lively music, while dancing through complicated footwork, and varying dance patterns.

The playful East Coast Swing is an energetic, jazzy dance inspired by contemporary jazz music of the 1920s, and popularized by Black Americans. The East Coast Swing integrates elements of other Swing dance styles, such as the Lindy Hop and Jitterbug, but originated as a relaxed social dance. Today, as a social dance, the East Coast Swing can be danced as a single-step or a triple-step action. The competitive East Coast Swing, central to the American Rhythm dance style, is danced as a triple step action (although much slower than the triple step of the Jive!).

Waltz music, with its gentle tunes, guide the movement across the floor, up and down. Horizontal and vertical rotations with changing speeds throw the dancers into an unusual, exciting vortex. The Waltz feels like a sophisticated and well-maintained watch.

Drama. In complete contrast to the Waltz, the Tango music sets the stage for sudden, sharp, and thrilling movements while incorporating some elements like body shapes, arm, and wrist articulations from the Paso Doble and the Flamenco. Precision and focus should be at the forefront of the dancer's attention.

The faster version of the traditional three quarter timing dance sets the stage for an exciting, heart-pounding experience of slow, then quick, some sudden but always gentle swinging actions performed by the dancers, while maintaining perfect connection and elegant posture.

Perhaps the first thing that pops into your mind - Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. And you are absolutely right! Two bodies move, first so smooth, then brisk; jazzy, cheeky, and sometimes almost burlesque ish. So much color everywhere, it is - FUN!

Salsa is one of the most popular Latin dances that is practiced worldwide. Salsa is a Latin dance, associated with the music genre of the same name, which was first popularized in the United States in the 1960s in New York City. Salsa is a mixture of Cuban dances, such as mambo, pachanga, and rumba, as well as American dances such as swing and tap.