Bachata
The Bachata originated in the Dominican Republic about forty years in the rural bars and brothels of this Caribbean Island. Although Bachata music gained worldwide acceptance in other countries during the last forty years, because of the circumstances related to its origin, the Bachata did not gain acceptance in its native land, the Dominican Republic, until approximately ten years ago. Bachata guitar music has a pleasant romantic melody which incorporates sounds associated with Merengue and Bolero music. The Bachata is a romantic dance that consists of simple yet sensuous side to side and back and forth dance patterns that are done in close proximity to a partner.

Bolero
The Bolero, which originated in Spain in the late 18th century, was strongly influenced by Cuba in the 19th century and then later on in Mexico and Latin America. The Bolero took root in the United States in the 1930’s. Because of the beautiful, slow and sensual music associated with Rumba and Bolero, both these dances are known as the “Dance of Love”. Although Rumba and Bolero are similar in nature, Bolero has the distinction of being the slowest rhythm dance. Bolero is a dance that inspires love and romance and is a perfect dance to do as a wedding or anniversary dance.

ChaCha
The ChaCha originated in 1954 when night clubs made some subtle rhythmic changes to the normal Mambo music tempo. Dancers adapted by shuffling their feet with a triple Mambo step which made a peculiar noise that sounded like “chachacha” and thus the ChaCha was born. Today, ChaCha remains one of the most popular Latin dances and can be danced to many oldies and disco songs, as well as to the contemporary music of today.

East Coast Swing/Lindy
The Swing got its start back in the 1920’s when the black community created new dance movements that adapted well to the jazz music that was being played at the Savoy in Harlem. By the late 1930’s Swing dancing became the rage with the dance being referred to by many names, including Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, Lindy and Swing. Today, the Lindy is characterized by single step timing, while the Swing, which is also referred to as East Coast Swing, is characterized by triple step timing. The Lindy and Swing are light, carefree and fun to dance and because they are highly adaptable to a variety of dance tempos, these two dances are a must learn for all beginner dancers.

Foxtrot
The Foxtrot was introduced in 1913 by a Vaudeville comedian and dancer, Mr. Harry Fox. Since that time, with a little assistance from Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, the Foxtrot has become one of America’s most popular dances. The Foxtrot is a must do dance for all beginners, as it helps new dancers establish a dance posture, develop lead and follow techniques, and learn how to execute progressive step patterns in a counter-clockwise motion. Most of our slow music today can be adapted to the Foxtrot’s four/four timing, which makes this classic dance the one that’s most commonly used for for wedding and anniversary dances.

Hustle
Compared to the history of other dances, the Hustle is a relative baby, born in New York in the 1970’s. Approximately forty years ago in the night clubs of NYC, singles became tired of dancing solo and decided to try something new by partnering up to dance to the popular music of the day and thus the Hustle was born. Of course, who can forget John Travolta’s performance in the movie “Saturday Night Fever”. This movie started a disco dance contest craze which stretched all across America and Europe.. Strongly influenced by other dances such as Foxtrot, Lindy/Swing and several Latin dances, Hustle evolved from its original form which was a four count dance into a much quicker more exciting three count dance. Hustle, which is characterized by numerous spins and quick leads makes this fun dance an ideal dance to do to disco music which is still very popular today.

Merengue
The Merengue is the national dance of the Dominican Republic and is also very popular in Haiti as well as other Caribbean Islands, Mexico and Latin America. Two interesting theories exist pertaining to the creation of the Merengue. One theory attributes the beginning of Merengue to a group of slaves being chained together and dragging one leg as they cut sugar to the beat of the drums. The second theory alleges that in honor of a great local hero who was wounded in the leg in one of the Dominican Republic’s many battles, the town celebrated by imitating his limp with a drag of the foot. The Merengue is the easiest dance to learn and the most fun of all the Latin dances because of its consistent beat and light and happy sound.

Quickstep
The Quickstep got its origin in New York during World War I when big bands began playing music with tempos that were way too fast for the slow tempo of the Foxtrot. As time progressed and the Charleston became the rage, the English combined many Foxtrot and Charleston steps and renamed the dance the “QuickTime Foxtrot and Charleston”. Thankfully, this joyful and energetic fast moving dance eventually became known as the Quickstep. Before attempting the Quickstep, prior experience in Foxtrot is recommended.

Rumba
The Rumba was first danced as a sex pantomime folk dance back in the 16th century by black African slaves. As time progressed, the dance took root in Cuba where many of the exaggerated African moves evolved into a more subtle and romantic dance. Rumba was first introduced in the United States in 1913 and with the help of Xavier Cougat became a very popular Latin dance by the late 1920’s. Today, Rumba stands as the cornerstone of Latin dancing. The slow, romantic, sensual feel of Rumba music makes this dance easy to learn and a pleasure to dance.

Salsa
The Salsa we know today has been influenced by the cultures of Cuba, Puerto Rico, and many Latin and Afro-Caribbean countries, such as Mexico, Columbia, Haiti and the Dominican Republic.. The word “Salsa” means sauce and symbolizes a “hot” flavor, which clearly depicts this spicy, energetic dance. Salsa evolved in this country mainly in NYC and Florida when dancers combined Mambo moves with Hustle moves. Although there are some subtle dance step distinctions, the main difference between Mambo and Salsa is that Mambo starts on the second beat and Salsa starts on the first beat. Salsa music, which is filled with percussion sounds and musical changes, is ideal for personal expression because it sparks the mind and body to accentuate certain beats and downplay others. This why Salsa is such a fun dance to do and is considered one of America’s most popular social dances.

Samba
The Samba originated in Brazil in the 16th century where the dance was influenced by African, Native Indian and Iberian dance traditions. The Samba, which was originally known as the Maxixe, has been danced as a street dance at Carnival for approximately 100 years now. In 1941, Carmen Miranda introduced this dance to the United States by dancing the Samba in the movie “That Night in Rio”. Since that time, Samba has been influenced by other music cultures such as rap, Caribbean reggae and rock. Today, Samba is a happy, energetic flirtatious dance that incorporates pelvic tilts, hip movements and rapid footwork.

Tango
Tango is a dance of romance and power. Tango was first introduced in the 1920’s by none other than that silent screen movie great, Rudolph Valentino in “Four Horseman of the Apocalypse”. Since that time, we have seen Al Pacino in “Scent of a Woman” and Arnold Schwarzenegger in “True Lies” also perform their versions of this sensuous, enticing dance. Tango steps have a very grounded, slow stalking nature that are often contrasted by sharp staccato movements, thus creating a sense of intimacy and drama.

Viennese Waltz
The Viennese Waltz is the oldest of the current ballroom dances originating in Austria in the second half of the 18th century. Although this dance was the original Waltz, the slow Waltz is more popular today and as a result is danced more often. The tempo of the Viennese Waltz is double the tempo of the slow Waltz and thus requires prior slow Waltz experience and a higher level of dance skill. The Viennese Waltz is a fast paced energetic, elegant dance, which is comprised of right and left turns that rotate around the floor in a swirling counterclockwise direction.

Waltz
Although this dance originated over 400 years ago, the Waltz still remains the most beautiful and elegant dance two people can do. It’s distinct 1-2-3 timing, rise and fall, continuous turns and graceful glide make this dance a joy to observe as well as experience.

West Coast Swing
Although derived from the Lindy Hop of the East Coast, the West Coast Swing was born in the dance halls of San Diego in the late 1930’s. Theory has it that while animated jitterbug dancers were exerting energy in the center of the floor, US Navy personnel, who were perhaps a little too tipsy to swing to that degree, adopted a smoother more grounded style that led women back and forth in a dancing alignment that is known as a “slot”. Thus, the West Coast Swing was born. The rhythm and feel of West Coast Swing music varies greatly and taps into Country, Blues, Jazz, Funk and Contemporary sounds. Accordingly, dancers respond to the mood of the music by exhibiting a range of body movements that reflect the feel of the music which may vary from smooth, warm and conservative to sexy, jazzy and accentuated.