Cuban dances are some of the most lively and passionate forms of dancing in the world today.

These dances are characterized by sensual movements. Cuban dance is as unique as the music that accompanies it. Cuban dance takes its roots from the Spanish and African settlers that first arrived on the island, who brought with them the music and dances of their homelands. Through the years, these art forms have evolved into dance techniques that are clearly Cuban and are considered to be some of the most popular and en oyable dances today. There are many kinds of Cuban dance styles and the dance techniques. A significant proportion of the population of Cuba are of African origins and this is reflected well in the dance of Cuba. !erhaps the most famous and common dance in Cuba is the rumba which is often termed as an Afro" Cuban dance because of the obvious African influences involved with this dance. The rumba dance in Cuba is performed to the accompaniment of a chorus of drums which keep the rhythm as well the shaking of maracas. Although this dance is little known outside of Cuba, it was in fact the rumba dance of Cuba that spawned the better known and internationally known dance of the #amba. $ne of the most popular of the traditional dances that are performed in Cuba is the dance known as habanera. This dance originated in Cuba during the %&th century among that part of the population of Cuba that were of Spanish origins. The 'abanera dance differs from other well known forms of dance in Cuba and is characterised primarily by its slow pace and delicate movements. The 'abanera dance is a more moderate dance than most of the other types of dance for which Cuba is well known. The habanera is the name used outside of Cuba, for the Cuban contradanza, a genre of popular dance music of the %&th century, the Cuban contradanza was never called the habanera by the people who created it. (t has a characteristic )habanera rhythm), and is performed with sung lyrics. (t was the first written music to be rhythmically based on an African motif, and the first dance music from Cuba to be e*ported all over the world. The habanera rhythm is an embellishment of tresillo, and one of the most basic rhythmic cells in Afro"+atin music. The habanera rhythm is known by several names, such as the congo, tango-congo, and tango. Some vocalizations of the habanera include )boom...ba"bop"bop),,&- and )da, ka ka kan.) The Tango has en oyed popularity in different parts of the world but it has its roots in Cuba. The Tango was derived from the traditional Cuban dance called the Habanera. Today Tango is one of the most sought after dance styles in the world, and while a century ago Tango was a simple and popular dance among the poorer population of Latin America, nowadays it is a complex and fiery dance. Characteristic of this dance is the often high pitched singing that accompanies this dance. Salsa is a +atin dance form with origins from the Cuban Son .circa %&/0s1 and Afro" Cuban dance .specifically Afro"Cuban rumba1 with strong influences from the dance of 2anzon, #ambo, 3uaguanco and other Afro"Cuban folkloric dancing. (t is generally

associated with the salsa music style, although it may be danced under other types of +atin music. Salsa can be improvised or performed with a set routine choreography and freestyle. Salsa is a popular social dance throughout +atin America as well as in 4orth America, 5urope, Australia, and some countries in Asia and the #iddle 5ast. Today there are many various styles of salsa dancing because of geographical dispersion and cultural syncretism. The most well"known styles are Cali"style .from Colombia1, Cuban"style .)Casino)1, +A"style, 4ew 6ork"style, and !uerto 7ican"style. (n many styles of Salsa dancing, as a dancer changes weight by stepping, the upper body remains level and nearly unaffected by the weight changes. Caught in the middle are the hips which end up moving quite a bit 8" famously known as the )Cuban hip movement.) !erhaps ironically, the Cuban Casino style of Salsa dancing actually has significant amounts of movement above the waist, with up"and"down shoulder movements and shifting of the ribcage. The arms are used by the )lead) dancer, to communicate or signal the )follower,) either in )open ) or )closed) position. The open position requires the two dancers to hold one or both hands, especially for moves that involve turns, putting arms behind the back, or moving around each other, to name a few e*amples. (n the closed position, the leader puts the right hand on the follower9s back, while the follower puts the left hand on the leader9s shoulder. Salsa dancing is an international dance that can be found in most metropolitan cities in the world.,:- ;estivals are held annually, often called a Salsa Congress, in various host cities aimed to attract variety of salsa dancers from other cities and countries. The events bring dancers together to share their passion for the dance, build community, and to share moves and tips with each other. These events usually include salsa dance performers, live salsa music, workshops, open dancing, and contests. 5very Salsa composition involves comple* African percussion based around the Clave 7hythm .which has four types1, though there can be moments when the clave is hidden for a while, often when quoting Charanga, Chang<= and >omba. The key instrument that provides the core groove of a salsa song is the clave. (t is often played with two wooden sticks .called clave1 that are hit together. 5very instrument in a Salsa band is either playing with the clave or playing independent of the clave rhythm, which also referes to melodic components. 'owever it is taboo to play or dance to the wrong type of clave rhythm. ?hile dancers can mark the clave rhythm directly, it is more common to do so indirectly .with, for e*ample, a shoulder movement1. Salsa9s roots are based on Afro"Cuban 7umba and Son dancing, and is open to improvisation and thus it is continuously evolving. 4ew modern salsa styles are associated and named to the original geographic areas that developed them. There are often devotees of each of these styles outside of their home territory. Characteristics that may identify a style include@ timing, basic steps, foot patterns, body rolls and movements, turns and figures, attitude, dance influences and the way that partners hold each other. The point in a musical bar music where a slightly larger step is taken .the break step1 and the direction the step moves can often be used to identify a style. (ncorporating other dance styling techniques into salsa dancing has become very common.

Colombian Salsa is based on geographical location of the Colombian City of Cali. Cali is also known as the )Capital de la Salsa)A due to salsa music being the main genre in parties, nightclubs and festivals in the /%st century. The elements of Cali"Style Salsa were strongly influenced by dances done to Colombian rhythms such as Cumbia and >oogaloo. A ma or difference of Cali Style and the other styles is the footwork which has quick rapid steps and skipping motions. Their footwork is intricate and precise, helping several Colombian Style dancers win ma or world championships. Cali hosts many annual salsa events such as the ?orld Salsa Cali ;estival. Cuban-style salsa, also known as Casino, is popular in many places around the world, including in 5urope, +atin America, 4orth America, and even in some countries in the #iddle 5ast. 2ancing Casino is an e*pression of popular social cultureA +atin Americans consider casino as part of social and cultural activities centering around their popular music. The origins of the name Casino are derived from the Spanish term for the dance halls where a lot of social Salsa dancing was done in Cuba during the mid"/0th century and onward. 'istorically, Casino traces its origin as a partner dance from Cuban Son dancing, and its rhythmic body motions from Afro" Cuban Rumba heritage. Son is considered an older version and ancestor to Salsa. Casino was popularized in the late %&B0s as the Cuban Son received upbeat and quicker arrangements by musicians. Casino has a very independent development.