Copyright 2024. Arthur Murray Amman. Powered by QTech Networks
The Foxtrot was the most significant development in all of ballroom dancing.
In 1913, Harry Fox a musical comedian introduced a trot to a ragtime song and since then it became America’s most popular dance and remains so to this day as the standard of social dances.
The Rumba was at the beginning of the Cuban and Latin American dance crazes. Danced to music inspired by African rhythms and Spanish melodies, the Americanized Rumba was the basis for the Mambo and Cha Cha in the U.S.
Rumba rhythms have found their way into Country Western, Blues, Rock & Roll and other popular forms of music.
Rumba is considered the most romantic of all Latin Dances.
The Hustle gives us the fusion of Swing and Disco. Hustle originated in the 1970’s Disco Era and was popularized by John Travolta in the movie “Saturday Fever”. Both the music and the dance swept the country like wildfire and although the white suits and gold chains have faded away, the dance has stayed. It is still one of the most popular nightclub dances today.
Mambo is a fusion of Cuban and American dancing. The music is characterized by a stirring Afro-Cuban beat. Mambo is an exciting dance which allows you to develop your own feeling and expression.
Because Mambo is such a fun dance, good Mambo dancers are always popular and in demand as partners.
Swing (East coast Swing) is perhaps the most uniquely American of all ‘Rock n’ Roll’ dances, bringing forth a buoyant carefree movement. With its fun, fast-paced nature it’s one of the dances that easily become contagious. The Lindy (Swing) picked up where the Charleston left off. Throughout its development, it had “swing-outs”, “breakaways” and “shine-steps”. With the birth of “Swing” music in the mid 1930’s the Lindy climbed the social ladder. The dance craze swept the nation, and depending on where you lived, it was the Jitterbug, the Lindy hop or the Swing. Jive shares the same step patterns as Swing only performed with a vertical bouncing action while raising the knees.
The Tango is one of the most beautiful of all the dances. It is characterized by earthy and dramatic movements.
The Tango began in the West Indies and later found its way to Argentina where it was stylized by the Gauchos. It became the rage in 1921 after the silent screen star Rudolph Valentino brought this romantic dance to millions in “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”. More recently, it has been danced in movies such as True Lies and Scent of a Woman.
Today, The Tango is considered to be the “dancer’s dance” and becomes a favorite of all who learn it.
West Coast Swing is a partner dance with Rock n Roll and Jazz roots. It is characterized by an elastic look that results from its extension-compression technique of partner connection and is danced primarily in a linear fashion on the dance floor.
A partner dance that was derived from the cabaret clubs of Paris, it is based on the Spanish Flamenco dance only danced as a couple. The music is passionate and dramatic. During the dance, the man portrays the matador and the lady his cape, Spanish Gypsy dancer and sometimes the Bull.
The Samba, which is native to Brazil, started out as a festival dance during the street festivals and celebrations. Its first introduction in the U.S. was through a Broadway play called “Street Carnival” in the late twenties. The festive style and energetic mood of the dance have kept it alive and popular to this day. Samba is a fun dance that fits most of today’s popular music.
The Salsa is the unique blending of
traditional Latin music and dance steps
with the freedom of turning actions.
The Bachata has simple footwork that is
easy to do and can be danced to many
different styles of music. Both are great
nightclub dances and a must for Latin
social dancing.
The Lindy Hop (or Lindy) is a high-speed partner dance that originated in 1920’s and 30’s Harlem, New York. The Dance itself consists of both 8 and 6 count steps and it includes footwork borrowed from the Charleston and Tap.
Copyright 2023 by Arthur Murray Jordan, Powered By QTech Networks
