These are the American style dances that are primarily danced in the
American Style Foxtrot
Commonly referred to as "the most popular social dance", the Foxtrot is both the easiest to pick up and the hardest to master. The dance is credited to one Harry Fox, a vaudeville performer who used it in his act.
Today, the Foxtrot is danced to popular standards such as those of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett; it is versatile enough of a dance, however, that it can be done to anything from fast country-western music to slow Tangos. While it's obviously best to be able to do the correct dance to its respective music, the Foxtrot is a staple of the social dancer's repertoire and can be relied upon when all else fails.
Technically, Foxtrot is classified as a "Smooth" dance in the American style, or a "Standard" or "Modern" dance in the International style. This means that it progresses along the line of dance, or counter-clockwise around the floor. It is also characterized by its continuity, as well as rotation and a rhythmic rise and fall.
In the American style, the Bronze level of Foxtrot is distinguished from the higher levels by chasse figures that require a closing of the feet after side steps; in the Silver and higher levels, a "continuity style" is applied that results in greater movement and fluidity.
The International style at one time had two Foxtrots, slow and fast; today, the fast Foxtrot is known as Quickstep and is considered a separate dance.
The popular country-western dance known as Two-Step is also a variation on the Foxtrot.
At the beginning level, the American Foxtrot is an easy to learn dance that is essentially walking with rhythm. This dance is also known as "Rhythm Foxtrot", or "The Rhythm Dance". At the intermediate and advanced level, the American Foxtrot is similar to, and in many cases, exactly the same as, the Standard Foxtrot. It uses many of the same figures from the Standard Foxtrot, and also has figures where the man and the woman dance apart from each other. The tempo of American Foxtrot music is 30-34 BPM. At the intermediate and advanced levels the American Foxtrot is primarily danced in shows and competitions and is not well suited for social dancing.
Waltz
The American Waltz is a slow dance characterized by rise and fall. At the beginning level it is similar to, and in many cases exactly the same as, the Standard Waltz. At the intermediate and advanced levels, many of the figures more closely resemble the Foxtrot, although the technique and character are still like the Standard Waltz. The American Waltz uses many of the figures from the Standard Waltz, and also has figures where the man and woman dance apart from each other. The tempo of American Waltz music is 28-30 BPM. At the intermediate and advanced levels, the American Waltz is primarily danced in shows and competitions and is not well suited for social dancing.The Standard Waltz, sometimes referred to as the English Waltz, is a slow and elegant dance characterized by rise and fall, swing, and beautiful turns. The Standard Waltz is both a competition dance and social dance, and is the type of Waltz best suited for social dancing. The tempo of Standard Waltz music is 28-30 BPM.
The commencing stance for the Tango uses a parallel Third Foot Position; the resultant "torque" will place the man's right hand further across the lady's spine.
Because of this position, forward walks with the left foot will be taken in CBMP, while forward walks with the right will be taken with the right side leading; conversely, back walks on the left foot will be taken with the left side leading, and back steps on the right foot will be in CBMP.
As a consequence, the walks will curve to the left. There is no rise and fall in the Tango. The footwork on all forward walks should be H and on back walks should be BH.
The Tango is correctly danced with contact through the lower torso, and, to some degree, the thighs.
American style Tango differs from International Style in that partners may dance in open or apart positions; in addition, American style figures tend to be constructed in eight-beat phrases or multiples thereof. The American Tango is also similar to the Standard Tango but is a bit smoother and also has movements where the man and woman dance apart from each other. The tempo of American Tango music is 30-32 BPM.
The Standard Tango is a very deliberate, aggressive, cat like dance. It has flashy head movements and quick turns. The Standard Tango is both a competition dance and a social dance and is the type of Tango best suited for social dancing. The tempo of Standard Tango music is 31-33 BPM.
Viennese Waltz
The Viennese Waltz is known for its graceful turns across the floor. Because of the speed of this dance it is not as complicated as the slower Standard or English Waltz. The Viennese Waltz is both a competition dance and a social dance and is the type of Viennese Waltz best suited for social dancing. The tempo of Viennese Waltz music is 58-60 BPM.
The American Viennese Waltz is very similar to the Standard Viennese Waltz, but also has movements where the man and woman dance apart from each other. These open movements require a slower tempo of music. The tempo of American Viennese Waltz music is 54 BPM. The American Viennese Waltz is primarily danced in shows and competitions and is not well suited for social dancing.
The Quickstep is the fastest of the ballroom dances. It is known for lots of hops, skips, jumps, and fast footwork. The Quickstep is both a social dance and a competition dance. The tempo of Quickstep music is 50-52 BPM.
The standard Latin dances that are recognized, taught, and danced the same way around the world. The term "Latin" refers to these dances and this style of dance. All of the standard Latin dances progress consistently in difficulty from the beginning level to the advanced level, with the basic figures still used and danced at the advanced level. The Latin dances are recommended for all dancers.
The Rhythm dances are the American style dances that are primarily danced in the
Cha Cha is a rhythmical Latin dance which started out as a modified form of Mambo. It's fun, energetic, sexy, and flirtatious. It is easily distinguished from other dances by its unique timing. The Cha Cha is both a social dance and a competition dance. The tempo of Cha Cha music is 30-32 BPM.
American Cha Cha is similar to the Latin Cha Cha. It has the same timing, and many of the same figures. It uses a delayed hip action rather than direct hip action. The tempo of American Cha Cha music is 30-31 BPM.Samba is a very rhythmical dance where the rhythm of the music is expressed in the whole body, rather than just in the feet and the hips. The Samba is both a social dance and a competition dance. The tempo of Samba music is 48-52 BPM.
The Rumba is both a social dance and a competition dance. The tempo of Rumba music is 25-27 BPM.
The American Rumba is similar to the Latin Rumba. It uses many of the same figures. There are two different versions of the timing used to dance the American Rumba, which can make it confusing if you have learned one version and your partner has learned the other. Like the American Cha Cha, it uses delayed hip action rather than direct hip action. The tempo of American Rumba music is 32-36 BPM.
Bolero |
The Latin Dance of Love" |
Often called the dance of love, Bolero is a very slow, sensual dance characterized by rise and fall, and slow flirtatious movements. Although similar in structure to Rumba, the style and timing of Bolero give it a look and feel all its own. The tempo of Bolero music is 24-26 BPM.
Bolero is an American style Rhythm dance of Carribbean origin. It is a spot dance, not moving along the line of dance. Musically, Bolero is danced to very slow, lyrical Rumbas at 24-26 measures a minute. While it may be danced using latin hip motion, it is more commonly characterized by a dance hold similar to the Smooth dances, using body contact, and should include some rise and fall.
The Paso Doble is primarily danced in competitions with lots of showy movements and flashy arms. Although the beginning level figures are quite simple and are appropriate for social dancing, it is only danced as a social dance in a few places. The tempo of Paso Doble music is 60-62 BPM.
The Jive is primarily a competition dance that somewhat resembles East Coast Swing. It has a Latin leg action that is quite different from the East Coast Swing. Although the Jive is an excellent social dance, what you normally see on the social dance floor is East Coast Swing. The tempo of Jive music is 42-46 BPM.
The American Swing is essentially a version of the Jive. The tempo of American Swing music is 34-36 BPM.
Mambo is related to Cha Cha but has a pattern of six steps danced over eight counts of music. The tempo of Mambo music is 47-51 BPM.
These dances are not considered ballroom dances but are popular with many ballroom dancers.
West Coast Swing |
West Coast Swing is danced to slower Swing tempos. It differs from the Eastern versions in that it is what is known as a "Slot Dance"; the lady moves back and forth along a "slot" that remains unchanged throughout the dance, while the man moves into and out of the slot to allow the lady to pass.
The dance is composed of "elements". These consist of "links", "triples", "coasters" and "whips".All of these elements have a time value of two beats apiece, but they differ in the following ways:
Hustle is a popular night club dance that is danced in a slot and is well suited for a crowded dance floor. It is characterized by lots of turns, rolling movements, and flashy arm styling. Hustle was a very popular dance in the 1970's and 1980's but it's place in the spotlight has been replaced by other trends. Hustle is still very popular in the night clubs because it can be danced in a compact space and fits much of the contemporary music. The tempo of Hustle music is 28-30 BPM.
Salsa can be thought of as a club or street version of the Mambo that is danced with less of a frame, less technique, and different timing. Both the Mambo and the Salsa have a pattern of six steps danced over eight counts of music. The dances share many of the same moves. In Salsa, turns have become an important feature, so the overall look and feel are a bit different from those of Mambo. Salsa music and Mambo music are almost identical, although Salsa music sometimes sounds a bit more like Samba music, and Mambo music is a bit more rhythmical. Salsa is typically danced in "Salsa Clubs" or on specific "Salsa Nights" at regular night clubs. The tempo of Salsa music is 47-51 BPM.
The Nite Club 2 Step is a slow, soft and romantic dance that is danced to the slower sounding night club music. It has the characteristics of a ballroom dance but gets a lot of its figures from rumba, bolero, and samba. This dance is also known by many other names including "Ballroom 2 Step", "Disco 2 Step", "Slow 2 Step", and perhaps others. The tempo of Nite Club 2 Step music is 35-41 BPM.
These common dance terms should be learned early; their purpose is to build a strong foundation on which to build your dancing.
| The Four Basic Elements:
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| The Five Foot Positions:
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| The Five Points of Contact:
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| The Five Dance Positions:
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| Line of Dance (L.O.D.) : The counter-clockwise direction of movement around the room used in Ballroom and Standard Dances. |
| Follow-Through: The brushing action of the legs as one passes the other between steps. |
| Rhythm and Timing:
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