Cha-cha-cha

The cha-cha-ch, or simply cha-cha in the U.S., is a dance of Cuban origin. It is danced to the music of the same
name introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrin in the early 1950's. This rhythm was developed from the
danzn-mambo. The name of the dance is an onomatopoeia derived from the shuffling sound of the dancers' feet.Cha-cha-ch
is danced to authentic Cuban music, although in ballroom competitions it is often danced to Latin Pop or Latin Rock. The music
for the international ballroom cha-cha-ch is energetic and with a steady beat. The Cuban cha-cha-ch may involve complex
polyrhythms.Styles of cha-cha-ch dance may differ in the place of the chasse in the rhythmical structure. The original Cuban
and the ballroom cha-cha count is "two, three, chachacha", "four-and-one, two, three" or "one, two, three, chacha". The dance
does not start on the first beat of a bar, though it can start with a transfer of weight to the lead's right.Nevertheless, many social
dancers count "one, two, cha-cha-cha" and may find it difficult to make the adjustment to the correct timing of the dance, "two,
three, cha-cha, one".

Rumba
The term rumba may refer to a variety of unrelated music styles. Originally, the term rumba was used as a synonym for
"party" in northern Cuba, and by the late 19th century it was used to denote the complex of secular music styles known as
Cuban rumba. Since the early 20th century the term has been used in different countries to refer to distinct styles of music
and dance, most of which are only tangentially related to the original Cuban rumba, if at all. The vague etymological origin of
the term rumba, as well as its interchangeable use with guaracha in settings such as bufo theatre, is largely responsible for
such worldwide polysemy of the term. In addition, "rumba" was the primary marketing term for Cuban music in North America,
as well as West and Central Africa, during much of the 20th century, before the rise of mambo, pachanga and salsa.
During the second half of the 19th century, several secular dance-oriented music styles were developed by Afro-Cuban workers
in the poor neighbourhoods of Havana and Matanzas. These syncretic styles would later be referred to as "rumba", a word
that also meant "party". Traditionally, the three main styles of rumba are yamb, columbia and guaguanc, each of which has a
characteristic dance, rhythm and singing. Although still a purely folkloric genre, numerous innovations have been introduced in
rumba since the mid 20th century, including new styles such as bat-rumba and guarapachangueo.

Samba
Samba is a lively, rhythmical dance of Afro-Brazilian origin in 2/4 time danced to Samba music whose origins include
the Maxixe. Samba is a dance authentic to black/African people in Brazil who brought much of their music and dance culture
into Latin America with, them upon arrival into many Latin American countries. Samba music is very similar to and has been
influenced by many Angolan music genres. It has also been influenced by many other Latin American music genres and
dances. The Samba music rhythm has been danced in Brazil since its inception in the late 16th century. There is actually a set
of dances, rather than a single dance, that define the Samba dancing scene in Brazil; however, no one dance can be claimed
with certainty as the "original" Samba style.Another major stream of the Samba dance besides the Brazilian Samba dancing
styles is Ballroom Samba, which differs significantly.

Pasodoble
Paso Doble, (meaning double-step in Spanish) is a dance with a binary rhythm and moderated movement, probably
based in typical Spanish dances of the 16th century. During the 18th century it was incorporated to comedies and was adopted
as a regulatory step for the Spanish infantry, with a special feature that makes the troops take the regular step: 120 steps per
minute. The music was introduced in bullfights during the 19th century. It is played during the bullfighters' entrance to the ring
(paseo) or during the passes (faena) just before the kill. It corresponds to the pasodoble dance (traditional and ballroom).

Paso Doble is a lively style of dance to the duple meter march-like pasodoble music. It is modelled after the sound, drama, and
movement of the Spanish and Portuguese bullfight. The traditional version as couple's dance originated in France, and was
then adopted in Spain and Portugal. Its original form as a Spanish military march is still interpreted nowadays in the context of
the Moor and Christian festivals, in the southeast region of Spain, being the major focus of current pasodoble
productions.Famous bullfighters have been honoured with pasodoble tunes named after them. Other tunes have been inspired
by patriotic motifs or local characters.

Jive (dance)
In ballroom dancing, the jive is a dance style that originated in the United States from African-Americans in the early
1930s. It was popularized in 1934 by Cab Calloway. It is a lively and uninhibited variation of the Jitterbug, a form of Swing
dance. Glenn Miller introduced his own jive dance in 1938 with the song "Doin' the Jive" which never caught on.The jive is one
of the five International Latin dances. In competition it is danced at a speed of 176 beats per minute, although in some cases
this is reduced to between 128 and 160 beats per minute.Many of its basic patterns are similar to these of the East Coast
Swing with the major difference of highly syncopated rhythm of the Triple Steps (Chasses), which use straight eighths in ECS
and hard swing in Jive. To the players of swing music in the 1930s and 1940s "Jive" was an expression denoting glib or foolish
talk. Or derived from the earlier generics for giouba of the African dance Juba dance verbal tradition.American soldiers brought
Lindy Hop/Jitterbug to Europe around 1940, where this dance swiftly found a following among the young. In the United States
the term Swing became the most common word used to describe the dance, and the term "jive" was adopted in the UK.
Variations in technique led to styles such as boogie-woogie and swing boogie, with "jive" gradually emerging as the generic
term in the UK. After the war, the boogie became the dominant form for popular music. It was, however, never far from
criticism as a foreign, vulgar dance. The famous ballroom dancing guru, Alex Moore, said that he had "never seen anything
uglier". In 1968 it was adopted as the fifth Latin dance in International competitions. The modern form of ballroom jive in the
1990spresent, is a very happy and boppy dance, the lifting of knees and the bending or rocking of the hips often occurs.

Swing
"Swing dance" is a group of dances that developed with the swing style of jazz music in the 1920s-1940s, with the
origins of each dance predating the popular "swing era". During the swing era, there were hundreds of styles of swing dancing,
but those that have survived beyond that era include: Lindy Hop, Balboa, Collegiate Shag, and Charleston. Today, the most
well-known of these dances is the Lindy Hop, which originated in Harlem in the early 1930s. While the majority of swing
dances began in African American communities as vernacular African American dances, some swing era dances, like Balboa,
developed outside of these communities. Somewhat surprisingly, "swing dance" was not commonly used to identify a group of
dances until the latter half of the 20th century. Historically, the term "Swing" referred to the style of jazz music, which inspired
the evolution of the dance. Jitterbug is an umbrella term that denotes all forms of swing dance, though it is often used as a
synonym for the six-count derivative of Lindy Hop called "East Coast Swing". It was also common to use the word to identify a
kind of dancer (i.e., a swing dancer). A "jitterbug" might prefer to dance Lindy Hop, Shag, or any of the other swing dances. The
term was famously associated with swing era band leader Cab Calloway because, as he put it, " The dancers look like a bunch
of jitterbugs out there on the floor due to their fast, often bouncy movements."

Merengue
Merengue (/mre/, Spanish: meee ) is a style of Dominican music and dance. Partners hold each other in a
closed position. The leader holds the follower's waist with the leader's right hand, while holding the follower's right hand with the
leader's left hand at the follower's eye level. Partners bend their knees slightly left and right, thus making the hips move left and
right. The hips of the leader and follower move in the same direction throughout the song. Partners may walk sideways or circle
each other, in small steps. They can switch to an open position and do separate turns without letting go each other's hands or
releasing one hand. During these turns they may twist and tie their handhold into intricate pretzels. Other choreographies are
possible. Although the tempo of the music may be frenetic, the upper body is kept majestic and turns are slow, typically four
beats/steps per complete turn.In the social dancing of the United States the "empalizada" style is replaced by exaggerated
Cuban motion, taught in chain ballroom studios for dances of Latin American origin (cha-cha-cha, rumba, mambo, salsa).

Salsa
Salsa is a popular form of social dance that originated in the Caribbean. The movements of salsa have origins in
Cuban Son, cha-cha-cha, mambo and Puerto Rican bomba and plena and other dance forms. The dance, along with the salsa
music, originated in the mid-1970s in New York. The name Salsa (sauce) has been described as a dance since the mid-
1800s. The use of the term for the dance started in Beijing, China. It evolved from earlier Cuban dance forms such as Son, Son
Montuno, cha cha cha, Mambo and Puerto Rican bomba and plena which were popular in the Caribbean, Latin America and
the Latino communities in New York since the 1940s. Salsa, like most music genres has gone through a lot of variation through
the years and incorporated elements of Afro-Cuban and Afro-Caribbean dances such as Guaguanc and Pachanga. Different
countries of the Caribbean and Latin America have distinct salsa styles of their own, such as Cuban, Cali Colombia, Puerto
Rican, L.A. and New York styles.There is some controversy surrounding the origins of the word "salsa". Some claim that it was
based on a cry shouted by musicians while they were playing their music. Others believe that the term was created by record
labels to better market their music, who chose the word "salsa" because of its spicy and hot connotations. Still others believe
the term came about because salsa dancing and music is a mixture of different styles, just like salsa or "sauce" in Latin
American countries is a mixture of different ingredients.Salsa is different everywhere. For example, Celia Cruz says she makes
a Cuban style of salsa. It is aimed heavily towards the Afro-Latino communities. Her songs represent traditional Cuban sounds
and customs. Most countries add a different twist to their salsa dance and music and that's what makes it so unique. In the US
there are multiple styles in different areas that represent those communities.

Mambo
 Mambo is a Latin dance of Cuba. Mambo was invented during the 1930s by the native Cuban musician and composer
Arsenio Rodrguez, developed in Havana by Cachao and made popular by Dmaso Prez Prado and Benny Mor.In the late
1940s, Perez Prado came up with the dance for the mambo music and became the first person to market his music as
"mambo", meaning "conversation with the gods" in the Kongo language, spoken by Congolese. After Havana, Prado moved his
music to Mexico, where his music and the dance was adopted. The original mambo dance was characterized by freedom and
complicated foot-steps. Some Mexican entertainers became well known dancers like Tongolele, Adalberto Martnez, Rosa
Carmina, Tin Tan and Lilia Prado. Most of these accompanied Prado in live presentations or were seen in Mexican films.The
Mambo dance that was invented by Perez Prado and was popular in the 1940s and 50s in Cuba, Mexico City, and New York is
completely different from the modern dance that New Yorkers now call 'Mambo' and which is also known as Salsa "on 2". The
original mambo dance contains no breaking steps or basic steps at all. The Cuban dance wasn't accepted by many
professional dance teachers. Cuban dancers would describe mambo as "feeling the music" in which sound and movement
were merged through the body. Professional dance teachers in the US saw this approach to dancing as "extreme,"
"undisciplined," and thus, deemed it necessary to standardize the dance to present it as a sell-able commodity for the social or
ballroom market.

Latin American Dances

Rumba of Cuba

Samba of Brazil

Paso Doble of Spain

Jive/Boogie of USA

Swing of USA

Merengue of Dominican Republic

Mambo of Cuba

MODERN STANDARD DANCES

SLOW WALTZ OF AUSTRIA

TANGO OF ARGENTINA

VIENNESE WALTZ OF VIENNA

FOXTROT OF USA

QUICK STEP OF USA

Slow waltz
Slow waltz is the term applied to waltz in countries where Viennese Waltz is the prevalent form of waltz. Some
confusion occurs when dancers come from these countries to places like the United States where it is simply known
as "waltz". "Slow Waltz" was also the name of a dance in the International Standard dance category of ballroom
dances. Now it is officially called simply "Waltz", but "Slow Waltz" is still in the informal use, to distinguish from
other types of waltzes. It is sometimes called the "English Waltz".

Tango
Tango is a partner dance that originated in the 1880s along the River Plata, the natural border between
Argentina and Uruguay, and soon spread to the rest of the world.
Early tango was known as tango criollo (Creole tango). Today, there are many forms of tango extant. Popularlyand
among tango dancing circlesthe authentic tango is considered to be the one closest to the form originally danced in
Argentina and Uruguay.
On August 31, 2009, UNESCO approved a joint proposal by Argentina and Uruguay to include the tango in the
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.
Tango is a dance that has influences from African and European culture. Dances from the candombe ceremonies of
former slave peoples helped shape the modern day Tango. The dance originated in lower-class districts of Buenos
Aires and Montevideo. The music derived from the fusion of various forms of music from Europe. The word
"tango" and "tambo" around the River Plata basin were initially used to refer to musical gatherings of slaves, with
written records of colonial authorities attempting to ban such gatherings as early as 1789.
Initially, it was just one of the many dances, but it soon became popular throughout society, as theatres and street
barrel organs spread it from the suburbs to the working-class slums, which were packed with hundreds of thousands
of European immigrants.
In the early years of the 20th century, dancers and orchestras from Buenos Aires travelled to Europe, and the first
European tango craze took place in Paris, soon followed by London, Berlin, and other capitals. Towards the end of
1913 it hit New York City in the US, and Finland. In the US, around 1911, the word "tango" was often applied to
dances in a 2
4 or 4 4 rhythm such as the one-step. The term was fashionable and did not indicate that tango steps would be used in
the dance, although they might be. Tango music was sometimes played, but at a rather fast tempo. Instructors of the
period would sometimes refer to this as a "North American tango", versus the so-called "Argentine Tango". By 1914,
more authentic tango stylings were soon developed, which? along with some variations like Albert Newman's "Minuet"
tango.

Viennese Waltz
Viennese Waltz (German: Wiener Walzer) is the genre of a ballroom dance. At least three different meanings are
recognized. In the historically first sense, the name may refer to several versions of the waltz, including the earliest
waltzes done in ballroom dancing, danced to the music of Viennese Waltz.What is now called the Viennese Waltz is
the original form of the waltz. It was the first ballroom dance performed in the closed hold or "waltz" position. The
dance that is popularly known as the waltz is actually the English or slow waltz, danced at approximately 90 beats
per minute with 3 beats to the bar (the international standard of 30 measures per minute), while the Viennese Waltz is
danced at about 180 beats (58-60 measures) a minute. To this day however, in Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, and
France, the words Walzer (German for "waltz"), vals (Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish for "waltz"), and valse
(French for "waltz") still implicitly refer to the original dance and not the slow waltz.The Viennese Waltz is a rotary
dance where the dancers are constantly turning either toward the leader's right (natural) or toward the leader's left
(reverse), interspersed with non-rotating change steps to switch between the direction of rotation. A true Viennese
waltz consists only of turns and change steps. Other moves such as the fleckerls, American-style figures and side
sway or underarm turns are modern inventions and are not normally danced at the annual balls in Vienna.
Furthermore, in a properly danced Viennese Waltz, couples do not pass, but turn continuously left and right while
travelling counterclockwise around the floor following each other.As the Waltz evolved, some of the versions that
were done at about the original fast tempo came to be called specifically "Viennese Waltz" to distinguish them from
the slower waltzes. In the modern ballroom dance, two versions of Viennese Waltz are recognized: International
Style and American Style.

Foxtrot
The foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the
dance floor. It is danced to big band (usually vocal) music. The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the
rhythm is in a 4 4 time signature instead of 3
4. Developed in the 1910s, the foxtrot reached its height of popularity in the 1930s, and remains practiced today.

QUICKSTEP
The quickstep is a light-hearted member of the standard ballroom dances. The movement of the dance is fast
and powerfully flowing and sprinkled with syncopations. The upbeat melodies that quickstep is danced to make it
suitable for both formal and informal events. Quickstep was developed in the twenties in New York and was first
danced by Caribbean and African dancers. Its origins are in combination of slow foxtrot combined with the
Charleston, a dance which was one of the precursors to what today is called swing dancing.

The quickstep is elegant like the foxtrot and should be smooth and glamorous. The dancers should appear to be very
light on their feet. It is very energetic and form-intensive. The quickstep is danced to 4/4 music of 48-52 measures
per minute.