The Dances We Dance

What is the style of that dance? What technique do you use? What is the character of that dance? What type of dance do you like? Below are brief summarizations of each dance we learn.

International Standard Style

Waltz:
Waltz is characterized by grace and elegance. It is a moving dance (it travels the floor) and is popular at wedding dances or other social gatherings. Technique for Waltz includes the most dramatic rise and fall of all the dances. It is counted as "One, Two, Three" with "One" being the downbeat.

Tango:
Staccato and sharp, Tango is a moving dance whose character is catlike. This dance is most characterized by intense passion. Unlike the other Standard dances, there is no rise and fall in Tango. Footwork includes the picking and placing of the feet. Counted in Slows and Quicks.

Foxtrot:
Socially it is a walking dance. Competitively a moving dance characterized by smooth and flowing movements with feet that brush the floor. With the exception of the brushing technique, Foxtrot uses many similar figures to those found in Waltz. Counted in Slows and Quicks.

V. Waltz:
Viennese Waltz can be thought of as the combination of Waltz’s grace and elegance with the inclusion of speed. Due to the fast timing of the music, many Waltz steps may not be executed in V. Waltz, and therefore the syllabus includes fewer figures. Viennese Waltz can be most characterized as a swirling traveling dance. Counted "One, Two, Three" with "One" being the downbeat and roughly double time of Waltz.

Quickstep:
Quickstep is the fusion of Waltz and Foxtrot with a speed more comparable to V. Waltz. This is a regal dance characterized by grandeur and showmanship. The figures are almost identical to those of Waltz. Not as fast as V. Waltz, the technique includes less rise and fall to compensate for the speed. Quickstep is counted in Slows and Quicks, or if using numbers "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8", with "One" being the downbeat.

International Latin Style

Rumba:
Rumba is characterized as romantic and sexy (sometimes called "The Dance of Love"). It is a spot dance (danced in one place) and is expressed through body movement. Technique for Rumba uses Cuban motion of the hips. The timing is "hold 1, 2, 3, 4" with the musical accent on "two".

Cha Cha:
Cha Cha is fun, flirtatious, and playful. The dance is named after its distinct syncopated triple steps "Cha, Cha, Cha". It is a spot dance and is expressed through body rhythm. Technique used includes Cuban hip motion and syncopated steps. Counted "1, 2, 3, 4 and 1", where the "4 and 1" segment may be replaced respectively with "Cha, Cha, Cha".

Samba:
Samba is characterized by its joyfully contagious tribal beat. It is a moving dance (it travels the floor) and uses a pronounced rhythmic bounce action. Samba is counted most simply "1, 2", more commonly "1, uh, 2", and most complexly "1 and, uh 2" to clearly signal the bounce action relative to the steps.

Paso Doble:
Paso Doble is characterized as a very theatrical moving dance. The man represents a Spanish Matador with his proud, upright chest, arched back, and erect poise. The lady dances a role symbolic to the man’s cape. Technique involves moving forward in a heel/flat march-like manner while rising to the toes should be like defiantly prancing. There is no Cuban motion of the hips. Counted "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8" with "One" as the downbeat.

Jive:
Jive is an exuberant spot (at times a line) dance characterized as being a fast version of swing. Sometimes Jive is even called "Triple Step Swing". Competition Jive is danced to fast-paced Swing music. Technique includes downward kicking actions with side triple-steps and backward rock steps. Six beat figures are intuitively counted "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6", and eight beat figures counted "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8".