FOLK DANCE is a traditional recreational dance of an indigenous society showing the

cultural characteristics of a specific people at a given time and place. It is the people’s social
expression through movements with rhythmic accompaniment where the characteristics of their
community life are reflected. Moreover, the vivid, intimate bond of customs, ideals, culture and
traditions of the past through which a multitude of national characteristics in music, steps and
costumes are preserved. Developed spontaneously and naturally by a specific folk, it was handed
down from one generation to another generation and followed a fixed pattern.

ASIAN DANCE

One authority declared that “The main idea of Oriental dance is found in the Japanese
word asobi which means play, and comes from the idea of the play of the gods (Clarke and
Crisp, 1980)”. Religion and magic are major themes of most Asian dances.

Many dances describe through gestures a historical event, a legend, or a myth. A

famous theatrical dance performance that takes place outdoors and last all nights which is held in
Burma is called pwe. Spectators may shout out comments, tease the performers, and go
backstage to watch them put on costumes and makeup.

Ancient Hindus believed that dance was given to them by the gods and goddesses. From
the earliest times, dance has been important part of Indian life. Bharata Natyam is the oldest
dance in the world that is still performed today. It is a dance originally performed in the temples of
India, combines rhythmically complicated dancing with Hindu legends told in song and
pantomime. Like other Indian dance forms, this temple dance uses mudras – hand gestures that
have recognized meanings. Mudras often stand for animals, plants, or feelings. Indian classic
dance contains three components – natya which represents the dramatic quality, nritta, the
rhythmic aspect of the dance, and nritya, which has something to do with the expressive
possibilities, the conveying of rasa (sentiment) and bhava (mood) through facial expression and
bodily gestures.

China is not historically a nation in which dance was of any real importance. One of the
rare indications about the earliest and uniquely Chinese dances has to do with the use of a long
sleeve (known as the “water sleeve”) as a technical and expressive side to dance. It appears
that the use of sleeves was part of shamanistic worship. Sleeve dancing was widespread in
China. CHINESE FAN DANCE is a simple but interesting dance from China suitable for girls.

Korean dance reflects the historical and strategic importance of the country. The earliest
clear record of it can be dated back to the third century. It was an essential factor of religious
worship and of the nature cult that surrounded the planting and harvesting of crops.

Japanese dance is more spiritual than technical. At its most intense, Japanese dance
partakes of rituals and the performance of certain dances demands fasting and purification of the
body in order to prepare the interpreter spiritually as well as physically. There are two basic styles
of dance in Japan: the first embraces religious ritualistic dances, the court dances and the
dances of the Noh drama, and the second is concerned with Kabuki drama, deriving from
rustic dances and the popular dances of folk and festivals.Those elements which have been
taken over from the severely beautiful and ancient Noh plays are called mai. The popular style
taken from folk art is called odori. Furi are realistic mime movements and gestures which have
been introduced from daily life. BON DANCE is a Japanese folk dance performed during the
blooming of the Cherry Blossoms or during full moon. JAPANESE PARASOL DANCE is an easy,
very colorful dance for girls. It is customary with the Japanese girls to use umbrella for rain or
shine.
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In Southeast Asia, trance dances blend superstitions with Buddhist, Hindu, and Islamic
beliefs. During the Barong, a theatrical dance form performed on the Indonesian island of Bali,
dancers in a trance act out a legendary battle between a dragon and a witch. The dancers turn
knives on themselves. But in most cases, the trance prevents them from feeling pain and helps
to protect them from injury.

The themes of Thai classical dance are religious traditional stories. A theatrical dance
form exclusively for women is the lakon, whose libretti come from both legendary and historical
and legendary sources. The purer dance forms are those relating to exercises performed by
warriors.

In its ethnic tradition, Philippine dance is classified into three: Ritual dances that connect
the material world to the supernatural; LIfe cycle dances that celebrate birth, baptism, marriage,
and death; and Occupational dances where life defenses and works are transformed into
celebratory dances.

The most famous art of Indonesia include dances of the old royal courts of Java, and the
dramatic folk dances of Bali. The Javanese dancers use slow, elaborate motions in which even
finger movements have particular meaning. The dances represent scenes of adventure, battle, or
love. Many Balinese dances are based on ancient Hindu stories, and have forceful rhythms and
movements.

EUROPEAN FOLK DANCE

The folk dances of Europe are precise indication of the social characteristics of its folk
songs and legends. They contain memories and references to religious or magical dances.The
ring dances, the maypole dances, the bonfire dances, sword dances, processional
celebrations, and early religious dances are usual traditions of folk dances throughout Europe.
SOME EXAMPLES OF EUROPEAN FOLK DANCES (Source: Aquino, Francisca R. FOREIGN
FOLK DANCES .Manila, 1967.)

 ARKADSKY is a very lively dance for big men due to the characteristic gesture of the
arms and the energetic steps inherent among Russian dancers.
 BAVARIAN LANDLER is a traditional dance of farmers in Alemania.
 BARBARY BELL is an old –fashioned country dance among the village people in
England.
 BLEKING is a vigorous dance named after the province of Bleking in Sweden, where
it is popular among the peasants.
 CZARDAS Csarda or Czarda means “village inn”. The Czardas derived its name
from the peasant dances performed outside the village inns. Gypsy musicians popularized the
Czardas. These tunes and dances are divided into 2 parts: a slow stately part and a quick part
called “frishka”.
 CSHEBOGAR is a Hungarian “grief dance”
 DANISH DANCE OF GREETINGS is a simple dance showing the national traits of
the Danish people – friendly, kind, and helpful.
 DUTCH COUPLE DANCE is a humorous dance of Holland depicting how the boy
teasingly asks a bite from an apple.
 HIGHLAND FLING is a vigorous folk dance from Scotland especially adapted for
boys.
 IRISH LILT is a very lively dance especially suitable for girls.
 KALVELIS is an occupational dance which means “little smith” where the clapping of
the hands suggest the hammer and the anvil of the blacksmith.
 LA PETITE UKRAINIENNE. The peasant population of Ukraine, sometimes called
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“Little Russia” is very fond of dancing and this little dance gives a simplified version of the way
they do it when fairs or festivals draw them together in merry-making.
 NORWEGIAN MOUNTAIN MARCH is a dance from Norway that depicts mountain
climbing with the boy at the center as guide of the two girls behind him.
 OYDA is a dance which is a good example of round dances performed in the earlier
centuries
 PUTTJENTER originated in the province of Westphalia, is a popular dance among
the peasants of Germany.
 RHEINLANDER FOR THREE is a German couple dance that grown out of the
youthful enthusiasm and creativeness of an east Prussian youth group.
 SWEDISH CLAP DANCE from Sweden is another example of a round dance in its
polished form.
 TROPANKA is Bulgarian stamping dance.
 VARSOVIENNE is a German delightful dance for girls.

DANCE IN LATIN AMERICA

Dance in Latin America continues to play a major role in the religious ceremonies and
community celebrations of the people. Indians and blacks developed it to accompany religious
worship, to celebrate such events as birth and marriage, and to mourn the dead. It is also a highly
popular form of recreation. Most Latin American countries have their own traditional dances that
include steps from Spanish or Portuguese folk dances: the Spanish zapateado (heel beating
steps) is part of the Cuenca of Bolivia and Chile; the joropo of Venezuela; and the jarabe tapatio
or Mexican hat dance of Mexico.

In the West Indies, African and Spanish influences were combined in such ballroom
dances as the rumba, and cha-cha-cha. The rumba, cha-cha-cha, and some other Latin American
dances including the Argentine tango, Brazilian samba, and Cuban Congo are popular outside
Latin America.

In the various regions of Mexico, there are dances which serve as reminders of hunting
rites and religious beliefs. Among the surviving religious dances is that Concheros, who dance at
fiestas, and in their performance the sacred impulse of the dances were evident.
 Los Moros is a relic of Spanish occupation, a dance usually given by four men, whose
leader is identified as St. James.
 Los Viejetos (the little old men) is danced by young men who disguised themselves with
masks and lean on sticks.
 Los Inditos (the little Indians) is a maypole dance. The dance performed in May is
presided over by the “senior” (Our Lord) of Chalma, and offerings of eggs, necklaces,
beads and flowers can be made after each dance.
 LA COSTILLA is a popular couple dance among the rancheros of Mexico. “Costilla” is an
affection term used in Mexico for wives.
 LA CUCARACHA means the “little cockroach” is a dance known all over Mexico.
 LA VIRGENCITA which means “the little maiden” is a dance popular in Mexico.

SOCIAL DANCE

Carole which involved song and simple dance steps was the perpetuation of the most
ancient of the social dance forms. In its linked form in single file, it evolved into Farandole, in its
circular form, the Branle, and became a couple dance in the South of France as Estampie, where
the man and the woman hold hands and move forward side by side. The professional influence of
the early Italian dancing masters and the social activity in the Italian courts impelled social dance
forward to its remarkable path. The processional Basse Danse, known since 1400 as the Queen
of Dances, and the Pavanes were formal and stately dances with gliding steps danced by
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couples. The group dance Brando was the counterpart of branle. With the desire to follow the
quiet gliding dance estampie and the grave measured basse danse, the lighter and gayer dance
Saltarello emerged. As always, the youth needed to be served, and a lively young people’s
dance, the Galliard emerged as an after-dance to the slow peacocking dance of great dignity, the
Pavane.

Other forms of dance emerged in the 16th and 17th centuries. The Courante, which was a
pantomimic dance in origin suggesting courtship and with quite fast tempo, was especially
popular. It had been codified in a much slower and graver form in France by the middle of the 17 th
century. The Sarabande which was originated in Spain where in the latter part of the 16 th century
it combined songs and dances thought of to be indecent and “repulsive” due to its physical
frankness and unsuited to be performed by respectable people. The boisterous La Volta with lots
of moving, turning, and high leaping steps in a closed embrace was considered bold, if not
indecent.

Minuet, a lively dance in triple meter where small steps were essential part of the dance
gained popularity during the time of King Louis XIV, the Sun King. Its development from a rustic
dance into a dance of the gentry indicates its process of refinement.

In the following centuries in Europe, when fashions changed, dances went with it. By
1588 the stately basse dance was outdated. Gavotte and minuet disappeared in 1789 when
revolution swept away the court of France. When Europe’s ideas of freedom replaced ideals of
courtly refinement despite the disapproving dancing masters, simple country steps grew more
popular than the complex patterns of minuet. So-called country dances became fashionable at
elegant city balls.These English country dances were later o transformed into French
contredanses, where the dance figures were grouped into a general title of Cotillion, which was
in vogue in the 18th century. Its name was derived from the French cotte, which was a short
petticoat worn by peasants. Descendant of the Cotillion was the Quadrille, a square dance that
emerged during the Napoleonic years in France at about 1740.

America in the 19th century was to turn to the ballroom dance as an expression of polite
social ambition. This is when the country was to shift from agricultural to industrial identity.
VIRGINIA REEL is a traditional American dance. It is the ancestor of the square dance popular
during the colonial days in America. European social dance forms were adopted. Waltz was
accepted in 1830. Polka swept America. However by the latter years of the century, an authentic
American dance emerged, the Military Schottische or Barn Dance, a simple and ebullient dance
with foot stamps and slightly refined in manner. The term “barn dance” was derived form the tune
“Dancing in the Barn” when schottische was first danced to its tune. OH SUSANA is an American
round dance mixer and it is used as a prerequisite to square dancing. RED RIVER VALLEY is an
American dance traditionally performed with one boy at the middle and two girls in each set of
three. The dancers sing aloud as they perform the dance.

By the early 20th century, two-step, one step foxtrot, and tango were introduced.
Quadrilles, lancers, and other open-couple dances had essentially disappeared, and the usual
ballroom dance program consisted entirely of the accepted closed-couple dances. John Philip
Sousa, the King of March produced many popular marches. The Boston Two-Step, which is
basically a marching step with interpolated skips, became popular. One Step, which followed the
Boston two-step, was the most popular of the dances. Inspired by the ragtime music, it required
performers to dance one step to a beat.

In 1900, the jerky Negro rhythms of the Cakewalk challenge the smoothly gliding waltz.
Dances derived from “savage” Africa swamp the dance halls of the Western world. This began
when West African slaves, shipped to North America, brought with them tribal songs and dances.
When the slaves gained freedom, Negroes performed native music and dances in New Orleans’
Congo Square.
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In 1910, Tango arrived from Argentine. Its origin can be traced to a slave dance in Cuba,
and by no means respectable. It was introduced into Europe at the beginning of the 20 th century,
and in France, where it was transformed into a more polite form. In 1912 Argentina’s tango
gained fame in Paris within a year. Mid-century rock n’ roll swept first in the United States, then
Europe, in mere months. Modern mambo, rumba, and jive represent changing fashion in social
dance. Foxtrot which was originated by a comedian, Harry Fox, who worked in the Ziegfeld
Follies, emerged in 1914. But as early as 1913, he had introduced some quick trotting steps into
a dance to ragtime music in his act. By 1914, it became a popular dance form.

The most vital impulse to social ballroom dancing in the 20 th century was the emergence
of Jazz from New Orleans. It became synonymous with freedom, good times, and an
abandonment of many of the social attitudes and taboos after World War I. One dance that
epitomized the freedom and wildness of the 1920s was Charleston. Swing or boogie-woogie and
lindy or widely, jitterbug superseded the jazz rhythm in the 1930s. Jitterbugging was an American
pastime at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. The dance provided a release from wartime
pressures.The basic technique of the so-called “a new form of sexual display typified by the
gigolo image of the sultry Southern male – the Rumba, which was accepted by the public in
1930.For the first time in centuries, dancers abandoned the physical contact when the Twist,
which went to the other extreme, was the next craze. It was a very simple dance that amounted to
little more pelvic gyrations “as if drying your back with a towel” accompanying a foot movement
that resembled the treading of a cigarette-end into the ground. Samba is dance of Brazil. Paso
Doble, with its imitation of the bull fight stems from Spain but was refined for the ballroom in the
Southern region in France, The man represents the matador, the lady his cape. Cha Cha Cha is a
descendant of the Cuban Mambo.

Youth oriented form of music and dance exemplified by rock n’ roll was introduced to
delighted teenagers by the film Rock Around the Clock made in 1956. With this birth of rock n’
roll, social dance styles became freer. Partners did not touch each other, and they made their own
dance movements.

During the 1980s, young black males popularized break dancing, which consisted largely
of acrobatic movements performed to rock music. “Slam” dancing was another dance craze that
was popularized in the early 1980’s, where dancers literally slammed into each other. Rap music
which was developed in the 1970s, but became popular in the late 1980s as a voice for inner-city
minority groups, came a new, popular form of dance known as “hip-hop”- also known as “street
dancing”. It combines several movements from African and jazz dance vocabularies with newly
created movements.

OTHER DANCE FORMS

BALLET

Ballet can be traced to Italy during the 1400’s at the time of the Renaissance. Catherine
de Medici, a member of the ruling family of Florence, became the queen of France in 1547. She
introduced into the French court the same kind of entertainment that she had known in Italy. They
were staged by Balthazar de Beaujoyeuolx, a gifted musician who had come from Italy to be
Catherine’s chief musician. Beaujoyeulx created in 1573 Ballet des Polonais, a court
entertainment performed by sixteen women who each represented one of the French provinces.
He went on to create. Ballet Comique de la Reine in 1581 commissioned by de Medici. The
spectacle lasted from 10;00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The ballet told the ancient Greek myth of Circe,
who had the magical power to turn men into beasts. The ballet included specially written
instrumental music, singing, and spoken verses as well as dancing. Dance technique was
 6
extremely limited, and so Beaujoyeulx depended on spectacular costumes and scenery to
impress the audience. Printed copies of the verses used in the ballet were distributed so that the
audience is sure to understand the story. The ballet was a great success. Ballet Comique de la
Reine established Paris as the capital of the ballet world. King Louis XIV who ruled France during
the late 1600’s and early 1700’s strengthened that leadership. The king enjoyed dancing, and he
took part in all the ballets given at his court.The court ballets were performed by and for members
of the nobility. King Louis XIV founded the Royal Academy of Dancing to train professional
dancers to perform for him and his court. Professional ballets began in the king’s dancing
academy.

In 1900s, ballet took on a new look, philosophy and aesthetic, which is referred to as
“classical” ballet. Classical ballet can be traced back in Russia when a choreographer named
Marius Petipa began to create ballets. Several characteristics and features are always found –
performed on a proscenium stage, spectacular scenery fills the upstage and side areas of the
stage, dancers are always dressed in elaborate costumes typical of the character they are
portraying- all of which enhance the storyline of the ballet, which is usually a fairy-tale or fable.
Sleeping Beauty was choreographed in 1890 by Petipa and first performed in Russia. Swan
Lake was choreographed by Petipa and Lev Ivanov in 1895.

Contemporary ballet evolved in Russia in the early to mid 1900s due mainly to the work
of a choreographer named Michel Fokine. It is similar to classical ballet. The striking difference
between the two is that contemporary ballet lacks storyline or plot. It is usually concerned with
movement as the primary focus. It rejected the use of pantomime and literal gestures and
abstracted the movements that appeared within the dance. George Balanchine, Russian
choreographer who defected to America in 1933 was one of ballet’s greatest innovators and is
considered by many to be the greatest contemporary ballet choreographer. He eliminated the
elaborate sets and costumes used in classical ballet and presented the dancers as equal on
stage, not as principals and corps. Two of his plotless ballets are Concerto Barocco in 1941 and
Agon in 1957. He did however choreograph narrative ballets – The Prodigal Son in 1929 and
revised in 1950; and A midsummer Night’s Dream in 1962.

Since the 1900s, the length of ballets has varied from short works to full length ballets
that are several hours long. Some modern ballets tell a story; others describe a mood or express
the feelings and movements aroused by the music or by some other factors, such as painting and
nature. Current dance styles reflect the speed, pressures, and complexity of modern life.

MODERN DANCE

Modern dance was developed in the early 1900s pioneered by Isadora Duncan, Louie
Fuller, and Ruth St. Dennis in the United states; Emile Jacques-Dalcroze of Switzerland, and
Rudolf Von Laban of Hungary. These leaders of the modern dance movements believed that the
techniques of ballet were artificial and meaningless. They searched for fresher, more personal
ways to express ideas through dancing.

Isadora Duncan, one of the most spirited pioneers, danced in her bare feet and wore
loose-fitting garments that allowed her freedom of movements. She did not permit scenery
onstage which might draw attention from her dancing, ignored the formal, set movements of
ballet. Her flowing movements were inspired by nature, classical music, and Greek drama and
sculpture.

TAP DANCE

Tap dancing is believed to have been created by the blending of the Irish jig and the
English clog with the Negro Shuffle. It dominated the Vaudeville shows of the late 1800s and
remained popular well into the 19h century. Tap dancing is a style of dance in which rhythmic
 7
sounds are produced by moving the feet. Shoes are worn with metal taps on the bottom, which
produce the distinctive tap sound against the floor. Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was one of the
first of many African-American artists who popularized tap dance

INTERNATIONAL FOLK DANCING

SOME INTERNATIONAL DANCE TERMS

 ADDRESS PARTNER. Same as honor your partner or bow to your partner.

 ALLEMANDE LEFT. The boy turns to the girl at his left and takes her L hand in his L
hand and turns her once around counterclockwise, then both falling back to places.
 ALLEMANDE RIGHT. The boy faces his partner, takes her right hand in his right hand
and turns her once around clockwise, then falling back to places.
 BOW/ SALUDO. Partners bow to each other, to opposite dancer or to the
audience. This is of Spanish origin.
 CABECERAS The couples occupying the width of the dance floor in a square
formation.
 CAST OFF. When dancers are in long formation, the leader or the head couple counter
marches outward to the end of the line where the last couple was, then counter-march inward to
proper places.
 CIRCLE LEFT AND RIGHT. The designated couples or dancers join hands and walk to
left with light springy steps clockwise and then to the right counter clockwise, falling to home
positions.
 COSTADOS The couples occupying the length of the dance floor in a square
formation.
 CROSS OVER. Two couples are facing each other, each couple proceeds in a straight
line to the opposite place. The girls pass by their L shoulders between the boys. Boys bow to
each other when the meet at the middle or about one-third of the way, then proceed to the
opposite place. Upon reaching the opposite place, partners turn about; girls stand at partner’s left
shoulder.
 DRAW . The free foot is drawn toward the supporting foot, by pressing the toes against
the floor as the close is made, with or without transfer of weight.

 DO-SI –DO Two people walk towards each other, pass by the right shoulders, step
sideward to the right, and walk backward passing by left shoulders to original position.
 ELBOW SWING. Two dancers link right elbows and swing clockwise with either springy
walking steps or buzz steps.
 HOME POSITION. The couples’ original position in a set.
 FOLDED ARMS. Arms raised in front at shoulder level, with one forearm on top of the
other.
 PLACE. To put the foot flat on the floor in any desired position without putting weight on
it.
 PROMENADE. Partners are side by side, L shoulders toward the center holding in a
skating position (R hands joined over the joined L hands) at waist level or in varsouvienne
position; they walk around in a counterclockwise direction until they reach their home position.
 SET A unit formation of two or more couples.
 STAR RIGHT AND LEFT. Also known as Mill or Wheel Right and Left. Dancers put their
R hands in the center and walk around clockwise, and at the caller’s command, they turn right
about, put the Left hands in the center and walk counterclockwise.

MODERN BALLROOM DANCE

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Over the centuries every kind of ballroom dance rhythm had been tried out, some being
discarded, others going on to become popular dance. The original steps differ considerably from
those used at the height of their popularity. The dance must be in keeping with the spirit of the
times. Impressive modifications will probably be made. Movements changed or omitted or new
ones included.
Dance in the ballroom maintained its continuing identity as a polite art, standard four
dances” – the foxtrot, the waltz, the tango, and the quick step had been codified in England. The
insidious rhythm of the so-called Latin-American dances were introduced throughout the 1920’s
and 1930’s.

THE WALTZ

The waltz was derived from an old German word walzen, meaning to turn, to roll or to
glide. It was born in the suburbs of Vienna and in the alpine regions of Austria. It is a progressive
dance written in ¾ time where the first beat measure is accented.

Basic Step: Commence and end in Closed Ballroom Hold

Man: Step L forward (ct. 1), step R sideward (ct. 2), close L to R (ct. 3)
Woman does the opposite moving backward

CHA – CHA – CHA

In 1953, the Cuban Orchestra America started playing the time-honored danzon with a
new syncopated beat. It sounded like a slow mambo, and Cuban dancers used a slight triple hip
undulation on the slow count. This was change gradually into triple step on the slow count, thus
cha-cha-cha was born. It was introduced in the US in 1954.
Cha-cha-cha- is written in “cut” time with four count rhythm. It is the most popular of the
Latin dances. It has a catchy rhythm.

Timing: Take the forward of leading step off the second beat of the bar of music.

Rhythm: Slow Slow Quick Quick Slow

2 3 4 and 1

Side Basic: For man :A. L forward, R in place, chasses sideward L (slide, close, slide)
B. R backward, L in place, chasses sideward R
Woman does the opposite.

THE TANGO

The word “Tango” is thought to be African in origin, and denotes a “meeting place” or
“special place”. This does not mean that Tango itself is of African origin. The Cuban Habanera,
the Spanish Contradanza and the Afro-Argentinian Candombe all influenced the evolution of
Tango, but no dance more than the Milonga. Milonga means “party” or “fiesta”. Ballroom tango
originated among the lower classes in Buenos Aires, Argentina during the 19 th century. It was
called baile con corte, a dance with a stop. To produce a more dreamy effect, the original rhythm
was substituted to habanera rhythm, resulting in a dance called Milonga. The music itself was
lively, vivacious and joyful. Although initially popular with the lower classes, by the turn of the 20 th
century it gained acceptance among the upper classes. It was introduced in France at the turn of
the century and into England in 1912.
Tango Argentino is a much more intimate style of dance than the modern Tango, and is
well suited to dancing in small settings.

Basic rhythm: Slow Slow Quick Quick Slow

 9
1,2 3,4 5 6 7,8
or:
1 2 1 and 2

Progressive Walk: Man - Step L forward, step R forward, step L forward (small step), step R
forward (small step), step L forward.
Woman does the opposite moving backward.

ROCK ‘N’ ROLL

When Benny Goodman ‘s swing band gave a concert at the Paramount theater in new
York, in 1937, teenagers went wild and poured into the aisles to “Jitterbug” as the newspaper
called the dance. The craze swept across America. Variations in techniques led to styles such as
Boogie woogie and Swing boogie, with “jive” gradually emerging as the generic that covered
Lindy Hop, Jitterbug and Boogie Woogie dances. Whichever term used in the 1940’s, the music
was Swing. After the Second world War, bands got smaller and the music changed. By the
1950’s, the music was no longer as smooth and polished as Swing but it had huge popular
appeal; this music was Rock ‘N’ Roll. From Lindy Hop emerged another dance style, the Rock ‘n’
roll.
JIVE

The main difference between the Rock n’ Roll and jive is that Jive is danced in what is
called Triple Rhythm while Rock n’ Roll uses “quick a quick” rhythm in place of “Slow” rhythm. the
music is written in 44 time, and two different rhythms form its basis;

1 –Bar construction; Step Step Jive Chasse

1 2 3a4
Quick Quick Quick a Quick

2-Bar Construction: Step Step Jive chasse Jive Chasse

1 2 3a4 3a4
Quick Quick Quick a Quick Quick a Quick

FOXTROT

The foxtrot is a “smooth” dance where the movements are flowing, the weight of the body
traveling continuously. It is written in 44 time. There are types of foxtrot. the International (English)
quickstep where the figures are not exceptionally different but are challenging because of the
tempo of the music; the Peabody which is a fast foxtrot; the graceful Roseland foxtrot where the
music is played at a moderate tempo and combines a quick – quick- slow rhythm with frequent
use of the outside position; the slow foxtrot sometimes called “music to hug by” ; and the slow to
medium foxtrot which is suited for beginners. The rhythm may be slow- slow- quick – quick or
slow- quick – quick.

Basic Step: Man: Step L forward, step R forward, step forward on ball of L, step forward on
ball of R.

Woman does the opposite moving backward.

RUMBA

The “international” style Rumba owes an inestimable debt to the Cuban “Guajira”, an
earlier folklore dance, and the name of which points to its rural origin. In the Cuban tradition, the
verb rumbiar simply means to dance, and “Rumba” is a generic term that can refer to a variety of
dances or even a “dance party. In the Spanish-speaking world, the Rumba to which we now refer
 10
is often known as the “Bolero-Rumba”. The “Square Rumba”, an even more compact close-hold
style than the current form, first came to prominence in the early 1930s. By the late 1940s, as the
style developed in Europe and the United States, the perhaps somewhat –inaccurately called
“Cuban Rumba” was beginning to emerge, with more figures danced in open hold, enabling a
more dynamic approach and greater fluency in the dance.
The dancer normally makes the actual foot movements only on beats 2, 3, 4, with a
controlled and very slight lateral hip action on beat 1.

Count: 2 3 4-1
Quick Quick Slow

Basic: Man: Step L forward, step R in place, step L sideward

Woman does the opposite.

SAMBA

The original Brazilian sambas were written in 24 time, but the dance we know today is
almost always played in “cut” time with a syncopated pulsing beat. The rhythm consists of three
steps to two counts of music, which many dancers call step-and-cut.

Basic Steps:
Man: Step forward on left foot (3/4 count), nearly close right foot to left foot, taking partial
weight on the ball of the foot (1/4 count), almost simultaneously closing the left foot to the right foot
with a pulling action from the hip (the cut) to take full weight for one count.
Woman does the counterpart.

The PASO DOBLE

Paso Doble is a Spanish dance and the movements danced by the man are symbolic of
those made by the torero (or matador) in the bullring. The lady represents the cape and her
movements suggest the cape passes made during a bull fight. The music is played in a March
time.

Basic Movement:
Man or Lady: Normally begin with right foot as man and left foot as lady on the first beat
of the bar of music. Dance a series of small steps forward or back (straight or curved either to
Right or Left), changing weight from one foot to the other (on the ball of each foot) with the knees
very slightly relaxed. The steps are taken with pressure into the floor……..count 1, 2, 1, 2

MAMBO

The mambo is written in “cut” time with a four-count rhythm corresponding to four quarter
notes. The primary accent is on the second count of the measure, and there is a secondary
accent on the fourth count of the measure. Syncopation is often achieved by tying an accented
note to the following weak note, thereby providing a jerky staccato effect.