Dance Styles

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 dances.

The Tango is a Ballroom dance that branched away from its original Argentine roots by allowing European, American, Hollywood, and competitive influences into the style and execution of the dance.

The Foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. Developed in the 1910’s, the Foxtrot reached its height of popularity in the 1930’s, and remains practiced today.

The Viennese Waltz is a genre of Ballroom Style. It’s the oldest of all Ballroom dances, emerging in the second half of the 18th century influenced by German and Austrian dance styles.

The Cha-Cha (originally known as the Cha-Cha-Cha) is one of the five dances of the “Latin American” program of international ballroom dance competitions. It was originated in Cuba in the early 1950’s, and was derived from the Rumba and the Mambo.

The Samba refers to a style of ballroom dancing included in DanceSport categories of competition. It is a rhythmical dance with elements taken from the Brazilian Samba, its originator. The history of the dance began in Brazil at the beginning of the 20th century.

The Rumba originates back to Cuba in the late 19th century. It refers to a style of Ballroom dancing included in DanceSport categories of competition.

The Paso Doble (meaning “double-step” in Spanish) refers to a style of ballroom dancing included in DanceSport categories of competition that began in the 16th century in the country of France. This dance became popular in Spain because it became based on the sound, drama, and movement of the Spanish bullfight.

The Jive originated in the United States in the 1930’s and refers to a style of ballroom dancing included in DanceSport categories of competition. African Americans began performing a series of steps to Swing and Rock & Roll music and therefore created what we know today as the Jive.

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 dances.

The Tango is a Ballroom dance that branched away from its original Argentine roots by allowing European, American, Hollywood, and competitive influences into the style and execution of the dance.

The Viennese Waltz is a genre of Ballroom Style. It’s the oldest of all Ballroom dances, emerging in the second half of the 18th century influenced by German and Austrian dance styles.

The Foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. Developed in the 1910’s, the Foxtrot reached its height of popularity in the 1930’s, and remains practiced today.

Much like a fast version of the Foxtrot, the Quickstep is a Ballroom Dance style composed of extremely quick stepping and syncopated feet rhythms in time to fast-paced music. Although difficult to master and perform, the Quickstep is lots of fun to watch.

The Salsa is a popular form of Social Dance that originated in Cuba and Puerto Rico in the late 1890’s. A distillation of many Latin and Afro-Caribbean dances whose movements have roots in the Mambo, Cha-Cha and other dance forms, the evolution of Salsa was in large part due to this intricate mix of styles.

The sexy Bachata is a style of Social Dance from the Dominican Republic, which is now danced all over the world.

The Merengue is the national dance of the Dominican Republic. It was introduced in the United States in the New York area.

The Argentine Tango is a partner dance that developed over the last century in Argentina’s capital city, Buenos Aires. It is very different from the Ballroom Tango.

The West Coast Swing is an evolving Social Dance with roots in Lindy Hop that has gone through many changes throughout its short history, over time incorporating techniques from numerous dance styles.

The Hustle is the most versatile of all the disco dances, which were extremely popular in the 1970s. Today it mostly refers to the unique partner dance done in ballrooms and nightclubs to disco music.

The Night Club Two Step (NC2S) is a partner dance initially developed in the mid-1960’s. The dance is also known as “Two Step” and was “one of the most popular forms of contemporary Social Dance” as a Disco Couples Dance in 1978.