Dances
This year we are going to focus on six different dances - Cha-cha, Rhumba, Swing, Samba, Waltz, and West Coast Swing. But these are just a few of the dances within ballroom. Other latin dances include Paso Doble, Jive and Mambo. And of course many others like Merengue, Two-Step, Salsa, West-Coast Swing, and Lindy Hop. In the Smooth category, you have dances like Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, Quickstep, and Tango.
This section is devoted to the six dances we will be learning this year. Please read about them and watch the videos to get an idea of what they look like. In TV shows like Dancing with the Stars, the dances look cool but there are, sadly, very few actual ballroom steps in each routine. For the sake of ratings, the routines rely heavily on tricks and flashy moves that aren't necessarily ballroom steps. Below are some simple but well-danced routines that will give you a better idea of what the actual dance looks like.
This section is devoted to the six dances we will be learning this year. Please read about them and watch the videos to get an idea of what they look like. In TV shows like Dancing with the Stars, the dances look cool but there are, sadly, very few actual ballroom steps in each routine. For the sake of ratings, the routines rely heavily on tricks and flashy moves that aren't necessarily ballroom steps. Below are some simple but well-danced routines that will give you a better idea of what the actual dance looks like.
Cha-Cha
The Cha-cha is usually the first dance beginners learn in Ballroom. It's a mirror dance, which means that the basic step is the same but mirrored for men and women. This is partly what makes it so easy to learn. Cha-cha is dances to 4/4 music, so they are very common in modern music in the radio. The beat for cha-cha is 2, 3, 4 and 1. This is a great, simply danced Cha-Cha routine by professionals, Franco Formica & Oxana Lebedew.
Swing
The swing, more specifically East-Coast Swing or Triple Swing, is also considered one of the easier dances to learn as it too is a mirror dance. There several different types of swings out there--Lindy Hop, Country, etc. But the triple swing is characterized by a triple step followed by a break step. Swings are fast, but when they get REALLY fast they become a Jive. Jive has a different style and is faster, but the steps are pretty much the same. This is a video of a couple competing in swing.
Samba
Originating from Brazil, the Samba has a very distinct style and is a little more difficult than other dances. The technique is tricky as it moves in an up and down motion rather than side to side. Samba music is less common in modern pop music, though is does show up every now and then. It is more common in latin music. The beat for Samba is 2/4 tempo and as counted 1 a 2, 2 a 2.
Rumba
Rumba is known as "the dance of love." It's count is the same as cha-cha, with a 4/4 beat, but much slower. It's like a cha-cha, but without the side together side step. Rumba is characterized by very slow and movements followed by sudden quick ones. It is known as a very sexy dance, and it may look easy because it's slow. But don't be fooled--slow movement is much more difficult to flesh out and mistakes are easier to see!
Waltz
The waltz is the only smooth dance we will be learning in our first workshop. Waltzes are still common in pop culture. It is a progressive dance in 3/3 time that has been popular since the 16th century. The faster version of the waltz is called the Viennese waltz. In waltz, couples rarely break dance position. Men lead from their core, guiding the lady int he direction he wants her to go. There is also different styles of waltz--the American version is what we will be learning. It's more simple and familiar. The International style is a lot of fun but much more difficult to learn. This style glides all over the floor and is much smoother to watch.
West Coast Swing
West Coast Swing is a style of swing dancing this one of my personal favorites! It's easy to follow, but as it is NOT a mirror dance, it can be challenging to learn because the man and woman's part are very different. West Coast is counted as either a slow swing or even a slow cha-cha, as most of the movements are in 6 or 8 counts. This means that it is very easy to find the West Coast beat in contemporary music, and opportunities to dance it in social settings are plentiful. It is characterized by slow, slinky movement followed by quick turns and surprising twists.