Dances We Teach

Bolero - Originally a Spanish dance 3/4 time, it was changed in Cuba initially in 2/4 time then eventually in 4/4. It is now present as a very slow type of Rumba rhythm. The music is frequently arranged with Spanish vocals and subtle percussion effect, usually implemented with Conga or Bongos.

Carolina Shag – A very popular Swing style from Virginia down the Carolinas into areas of Georgia. Most often danced to “Beach Music” performed by such groups as the Tams, The Embers, The Drifters, and a wide range of “Motown” recording artists. The dance showcases the man and resembles West Coast Swing with the same slot movement, shuffles, coaster steps, and pronounced lean resulting in roll of the partner movement. The music tempo is slow to medium and can be danced comfortably by all ages.

Cha Cha – From the less inhibited nightclubs and dance halls the Mambo underwent subtle changes. It was first known as triple Mambo, and then peculiar scraping and shuffling sounds during the “tripling” produced the imitative sound of Cha, Cha, Cha. This then became a dance in itself. Mambo or triple Mambo, or Cha Cha, as it is now called, is but an advanced state in interpretive social dancing born of the fusion or progressive American and Latin music.

Charleston - Originated in the early 1920’s in illegal drinking places during the time of prohibition. The combination of a particular type of Jazz music and the highly polished, slippery floors of the Speakeasies gave rise to an in and out flicking of the feet which essentially characterized the dance. It was theatricized and embellished with typical Vaudeville moves in a Ziegfield Follies production in 1921. It has since been feature in many films and theater productions, its most blatant revival being its utilization within the Broadway musical “The Boy Friend”.

Cotton-eyed Joe – A Country Western dance enjoyed throughout the United States and elsewhere for its enthusiastic music and energetic movements. Characteristic movements include kicks, stomps, shuffles, and turns in place or traveling around the room. The man and the lady generally are in shadow position, and they use the same foot on the same beat of music throughout their patterns.

Fox Trot - Said by some to have been originated by Harry Fox in 1913. It is now a standard ballroom dance the world over and serves as a good foundation for social dances in 2/4 or 4/4 time. See also Two Step

Hustle or Swing Hustle – A number of similar style disco dances which had its beginning in the mid 1970’s and enjoys some continuing popularity as a swing style today. The record “Do The Hustle” by Van McCoy, was followed by the move “Saturday Night Fever”. This movie portrayal of partner dancing by John Travolta to the popular beat of top selling music from the Bee Gees and the introduction to America of the Discotheque setting, popular for some years in Europe, took America by storm. Flashing lights, mirrors everywhere, loud throbbing beat and high fashion were in. Large numbers of popular Disco’s sprang up in every city and everyone was waiting in lien to dance.

Jitterbug – A toned down version of a Lindy Hop, which is faster and happier than the American Rock ‘n’ Roll Swing.

Latin American Dances – These are essentially divided into two categories: 1) The authentic, traditional dances that fall lately into the domain of the folkloric dances, many of which vary from region to region, and generally involve a rhythmic character as opposed to a set of choreographic distinctions; and 2) The standardized expression of popular Latin dances embraced by cultures other than Hispanic, such as: Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Bolero, Mambo, and Paso Dole. These dances are danced both on a social and competitive level.

Lindy Hop – Named by Ray Bolger after Colonel Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic. This Swing had as much “getting into the air” as possible. However, the violently acrobatic style use for exhibitions is not the same as the quietly rhythmic Lindy enjoyed by good dancers on the ballroom floor. The rhythmic patterns takes place over two measures of music. The more acrobatic version were limited to ballrooms of which the most famous was the New York’s Savoy Harlem. At one time the Jitterbug included the Charleston, Black bottom, Shag and the Lindy Hop. It has now been consolidated in Lindy Hop in the Eastern United States and the West Coast Swing on the West Coast.

Line Dancing – A choreographed series of steps performed by a group of dancers assembled inline, which involves a variety of walking, kicking, swiveling or turning movements done in unison to a many different recordings, each song having its own unique patterns. Line Dancing has become a part of all types of social gatherings sometimes with the help of a DJ’s direction. It started in the late 1970’s after Saturday Night Fever disco line dancing became popular. Additionally, it was great for people without partners. Line Dancing is performed by individuals, groups or “dance teams” and is danced all over the world. Some of the more popular line dances used at parties in recent times are: the “Chicken Dance”, “New York, New York”, the “Electric Side” and the “Cotton-eyed Joe”. The most recent addition to this list is the “Macarena”.

Mambo – The fusion of Swing and Cuban music produced this fascinating rhythm and in turn created a new sensational dance. The Mambo could not have been conceived earlier since up until that time Cuba and American Jazz still were not wedded. The Victor records of Anselmo Sacaras entitled “Mambo” in 1944 were probably the beginning and since then other Latin American band leaders such as Tito Rodriquez, Pupi Campo, Tito Puente, Perez Pardo, Machito, and Xavier Cugat have achieved styling of their own and furthered the Mambo craze. The Mambo was originally played as any Rumba with a riff ending. It may be described as a riff or a Rumba with emphasis on the fourth beat in 4/4 time. Originally played with some musicians in 2/4 time with a break or emphasis on 2 and 4. Native Cubans or dancers without any training would break on any beat.

Merengue Dominican – This is 2/4 time with syncopation of the first beat interpreted by the dancers as slight limp. It became popular in 1957

Paso Doble – The Spanish March or One Step. It makes an especially good exhibition routine when the man styles his body movements to look like a bullfighter’s and leads his partner in and out of the patterns as if she were a cape. It is usually in 2/4 time.


Polka – This dance was introduced to society in 1844. Every now and then it is revived because of its boisterous charm. It was supposed to have been originally created by a Bohemian girl. The basis step consists of a preparatory hop followed by a chasse done first to the left then to the right. Curiously enough, it reappeared in the 1940’s in the Cha Cha as one of the more popular steps. Still danced quite often throughout the country with particular popularity in the German and Hispanic communities.

Quickstep – The English version of the Fast Fox Trot, which was quick hopping steps set in the smoother gliding figures. It is very popular in Europe as a competition dance. It ranks among the “big five”, the other four being the Slow Fox Trot, the Waltz, the Tango, and the Viennese Waltz.

Rumba – The Rumba was originally a marriage dance. Many of its movements and actions, which seem to have an erotic meaning, are merely depiction of simple farm tasks. The showing of the mare, the climbing of a rope, the courtship of the rooster and the hen, etc. It was done for amusement on the farms of Cuba. However, it became a popular ballroom dance and was introduced in the United States about 1933. It was the Americanized version of the Cuban Son and Danzon. It is in 4/4 time. The characteristic feature is to take each step without initially placing the weight on that step. Steps are made with a slightly bent knee, which, when straightened, causes the hips to sway from side to side in what has come to be known as “Cuban Motion.”

Salsa – This is a favored name for a type of Latin music, which for the most part, has its roots in Cuban culture and is enhanced by jazz textures. The word, Salsa, means sauce denoting a “hot” flavor and is best distinguished from other Latin music styles by defining it as the New York sound developed by Puerto Rican musicians in New York. The dance structure is largely associated with mambo type patterns and has a particular feeling that is associated mainly with the Clave and the Montuno.

Samba - The Brazilian dance was first introduced in 1917 but was finally adopted by Brazilian society in 1930 as a ballroom dance. It is sometimes referred to as a Samba, Carioca, a Baion or a Batucado. The difference is mostly in the temp played since the steps in all three dances are very similar. The style is to bounce steadily and smoothly in 2/4 meter. They say that the late Carmen Miranda introduced the Samba to the United States in 1939.

Swing – An every popular blend of several African American dances, which include Lindy and Ragtime Jazz and Blues, was well as all the other dance music to accompanying dances of the past ninety years. Today it generally refers to the ballroom and nightclub version, which is based on two slow and two quick counts or the slow and two quick counts of rhythm dances.

Tango – (Continental/English see Tango: International) There are essentially three types of Tango: Argentine, American and International Style. Argentine Tango (Arrabalero): A dance created by the Gauchos in Buenos Aires. It was actually an attempt on their part to imitate the Spanish dance expect that they danced it in a closed ballroom position. The Tango caused a sensation and was soon to be seen the world over in a more subdued version. American Tango: Unlike the Argentine Tango, in which the dancer interprets the music spontaneously without any predetermined, slows or quicks, the American Tango features a structure which is correlated to the musical phrasing. The dance is executed both in closed position and in various types of extravagant dance relationships, which incorporate a particular freedom of expression that is not present in the International Style. International Tango: This is a highly disciplined and distinctively structured form of the Tango which is accepted worldwide as the format for dancesport events. The dancers remain in traditional closed position throughout and express both legato and staccato aspects of the type of music appropriate to this style.

Two-Step – The Two-Step is a simple dance, more ore less a double quick march with a skip in each step done as rapidly as the couple can go forward, backward and turning. Still quite popular in many areas of the country. Two-Step is a Western dance whose popularity has spread all over the United States.

Viennese Waltz – With such wonderful composers as Johann Strauss and others, the Waltz became more and more refined. The steps became smaller with the turns smoother and more compact. Adding the graceful lilt of the flowing skirts, we have today’s Viennese Waltz. It is the fastest of the Waltz tempos.

Waltz – The real origin of the Waltz is rather obscure, but a dance of turns and glides, leaping and stomping appeared in various parts of Europe at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th Century. In Italy it was the Volta, France had its Volte, Germany the Weller, and Austria had its Landler. These were round dances but at the end of the dance itself there was a short period in which the circle would break up into couples who would whirl madly around and round and finish with a jump in the air. In the Landler the hopping gave way more to a gliding motion and that is why it is considered the forerunner for the Waltz. The Waltz can be traced back as far as 400+ years. The Waltz regained its real popularity in the 20th Century. The Waltz blossomed out as the Hesitation Waltz in 1913. Until the development of the hesitation, couples had waltzed in one direction until dizzy and the reversed until ready to drop. The Waltz had degenerated into an endurance contest. The Hesitation resulted in the Waltz as it is done today. The slow Waltz was once known as the Boston Waltz. Today the slow Waltz is the American Waltz, English Waltz, or the faster Viennese Waltz.

West Coast Swing – A stylized Swing dance popular west of the Mississippi from Kansas to California. Danced to slow to medium Swing or Disco music and characterized by slot movements, taps and shuffles, coaster steps, and push and pull action of the dancers.