physical communication between partners, and thus Waltz was

denounced as scandalous and immoral.

Waltz Fortunately, the violent opposition faded out and the Waltz
weathered an exciting and varied career, emerging today in two
accepted forms, both reflecting the main characteristics of the
Type: American Style dance. They are known as the Modern Waltz and the Viennese
Smooth Dances (Quick) Waltz.
Description Before the 18th century, dance was strictly divided between
This is the courtly and country forms. In the courts, dances like the Minuet
granddaddy of all
were refined affairs with an elaborate language of bows and
ballroom dances. It
grew out of the curtsies. There was little physical contact between dancers and
Germanic dances of the proper form, like turned out feet was considered essential. Dance
17th and 18th century masters immediately saw the waltz (country dance) as a threat to
such as the Ländler and their profession. Court dances demanded considerable practice and
the Allemande. instruction, whereas, the basic steps of the waltz could be learned
The name ‘Waltz’ in a relatively short time, and often by observation.
comes from an old
German word walzen, As early as the seventeenth century, waltzes were played in
meaning to roll, turn, the ballrooms of the Hapsburg court. The weller, or turning dances,
or glide. Waltz was the first dance in which the man and lady
were danced by peasants in Austria and Bavaria even before that
danced with body contact, and was considered quite
scandalous in its day. time. Many of the familiar waltz tunes can be traced back to
It was immensely popular all across Europe, first with the simple peasant yodeling melodies. During the middle of the
lower classes and then with the aristocracy. Waltz features a eighteenth century, the allemande form of the waltz was very
lovely, elegant rise-and-fall action, ¾ time music and a 1-2-3 popular in France. Originally danced as one of the figures in the
rhythm. contredanse, with arms intertwining at shoulder level, it soon
became an independent dance and the close-hold was
History
introduced. By the end of the eighteenth century, this old Austrian
The name Waltz came from the Italian word “volver” peasant dance had been accepted by high society, and three-quarter
meaning to turn or revolve. It evolved from a German and rhythm was here to stay.
Austrian peasant dance called the Landler in ¾ time replacing the
The waltz was given a tremendous boost around 1830 by
heavy hopping and jumping movements with more polished and
two great Austrian composers – Franz Lanner and Johann Strauss.
graceful gliding. It was also the first widely popular dance to
These two composers were by far the most popular during the
feature a closed position. The speed of the Waltz required intimate
nineteenth century: they set the standard for the Viennese Waltz, (a
very fast version of the waltz).
Napoleon’s invading solders spread the waltz from
Germany to Paris, then it made its way to England and finally to
the United States. Reportedly, the first time the waltz was danced
in the United States was in Boston in 1834. Lorenzo Papanti, a
Boston dancing master, gave an exhibition in Mrs. Otis’ Beacon
Hill mansion. Social leaders were aghast at what they called “an
indecorous exhibition.” By the middle of the nineteenth century,
the waltz was firmly established in United States society.
Dance Characteristics
Waltz is characterized by rise and fall and by sway on the side
steps. The feet remain in contact with the floor at all times,
creating a smooth, gliding look. Waltz is a progressive dance
down the line of dance (counter-clockwise) and the Waltz frame is
the typical Smooth frame essential for balance and control. Waltz
has an elegant gracefulness with a romantic and sometimes sad,
feel.
Musical Information

During the later part of the 19th Century, waltzes were Time signature: 3/4
being written to a slower tempo than the original Viennese Tempo: 30-32 measures per minute
rhythm. Around the close of the 19th Century, two modifications Timing: 123, 123
of the waltz developed in the United States. The first was the Beat value: 1-1-1
“Boston”, a slower waltz with long gliding steps; there were fewer
and slower turns and more forward and backward movement than
in the Viennese Waltz. This version eventually stimulated the
development of the English or International Style which continues
Polka
today. The polka is originally a
The American Style Waltz is similar to the International Czech dance and genre of dance
Style except the American Style has open dance positions and the music familiar throughout
dancers legs pass instead of close. The second modification was the Europe and the Americas. It
“Hesitation Waltz”, which involves taking one step to three beats originated in the middle of the
of the measure. Although the “Hesitation Waltz” is no longer 19th century in Bohemia, now
danced, some of its step patterns are still in use today. The Waltz part of the Czech Republic. The
dominated much of the European and American dance scene until polka remains a popular folk
the First World War when the Tango and Foxtrot enraptured a music genre in many European
whole new generation. countries, and is performed by
folk artists in the Czech
Republic, Germany, Austria,Slovenia, Switzerland, and Finland,
and to a lesser extent in Poland, Latvia, Lithuania,
the Netherlands, Hungary, Italy, Ukraine, Romania, Belarus, Russi
a, and Slovakia. Local varieties of this dance are also found in century. After the Second World War, however, Polish immigrants
the Nordic countries, Spain's Basque Country, the United to the United States assumed the polka as their "national" dance.
Kingdom, Ireland, Latin America and the United States

History

The polka was initially a Czech farmer dance, developed in Eastern

Tango (American Style)
Bohemia (now part of Czechoslovakia). Polka is defined as a
lively couple dance of Bohemian source in duple time; was a basic
pattern of hop-step-close-step.
Tango (American Style)
The name of the dance (pulka) is Czech for "half-step", relating to
the swift shift from one foot to the other.
Type: American Style Smooth
Dances
Anna Slezak, a peasant girl, invented the step, in Labska Tynice in Description
1834. The polka was first introduced into the ballrooms of Prague Oh what a fiery and dramatic
in 1835. The music is played in 2/4 time (1 & 2) and sounds dance! American Style Tango
cheerful and playful. evolved as a ballroom dance from
The musical band of the Prague Sharpshooters, a military unit, the sultry Argentine Tango danced
by gauchos and prostitutes in the
brought to Vienna, in 1839. There both the music and the dance
brothels of Buenos Aires.
met with extraordinary approval. American Style Tango features
In 1840, at the Odeon Theater in Paris, Raab, a dance teacher of sharp movements, head snaps, and a
Prague, danced the Polka with tremendous applause and was soon cat-like and stealthy foot action. The
the preferred dance at all the ballrooms. music is in 4/4 time and has a marching rhythm.
The dancing teachers of Paris seized on the new dance and
sophisticated it for their salons and ballrooms. The popularity of History
the polka spread quickly into the other country in Europe. When it
Tango (the dance with the stop “Baille Con Carte”)
came to the Unites States, it was taken up by the country western originated in Spain or Morocco. The Tango was introduced to
set and today is still danced in Country Competitions. the New World by the Spanish settlers, eventually coming
back to Spain with Black and Creole influences. In the early
The polka is one of dances, originating in the nineteenth-century, 19th century, the Tango was a solo dance performed by the
which has survived. After the initial popularity, the polka woman. The Andalusian Tango was later done by one or two
progressively declined and obtained a low point with the apparition couples walking together using castanets. The dance was soon
considered immoral with its flirting music!
of ragtime, jazz, and the newer dances of the early twentieth
 The first piece of tango music called “Toma maté, ché”
was written in Argentina in 1857 but probably referred to
Tango Andaluz (Andalucian Tango), a style of music from the
area of Spain which is the home of Flamenco. Flamenco
music was very popular in Buenos Aires in the middle of the
19th century. Tango in Argentina became something
completely different from the Spanish music from which it
borrowed its name.
Tango is only the third dance in history danced with the
man and woman facing each other, the man holding the
woman’s right hand in his left, and with his right arm around
her. Tango however, was radically different from the other
couple dances because it introduced the concept of
improvisation for the first time, and was a huge influence on
all couple dancing in the 20th century.
Ballroom tango was born in the slums of Buenos Aires in
the late 19th century. There is uncertainty as to how the dance
came about. Argentine gauchos and migrating blacks were
socializing in the infamous Bario de las Ranas, trading cultural
rhythms and dance steps in and around the areas of well-
known brothels. From this melting pot emerged a highly
passionate dance, one that the respectable classes of society
shunned. Legend has it that the gauchos of Argentina wore
chaps that had hardened from the foam and sweat of the
horse’s body causing the gauchos to walk with knees
flexed. They would go to the crowded night clubs and ask the
local girls to dance. Since the gaucho hadn’t showered, the
lady would dance in the crook of the man’s right arm, holding
her head back. Her right hand was held low on his left hip,
close to his pocket, looking for a payment for dancing with
him. The man danced in a curving fashion because the floor
was small with round tables, so he danced around and
between them.
Another story talks about the terrible shortage of women
in Buenos Aires due to the massive migration of workers
(men) from Europe And Africa. A man wanting to get close to
a woman, had to visit a prostitute or dance. With so much
competition from other men on the dance floor, the women
would only dance with good dancers – defined by whether the
woman felt good when she danced with him, and not by the
number of fancy steps, or if other men thought he was a good
dancer. Therefore it was necessary for the men to practice
together to work on their leading/connection skills so they can
make a woman feel good dancing. This was a time before
recorded music and live music was not easily available. So
when a group of men heard music playing they would jump at
the chance to dance to it.
Prostitution was a thriving industry and there would be
queues in the brothels as men waited for the women to become
available. Brothel owners would employ Tango musicians to
entertain the men while waiting. These musicians were
playing the music of the poor, and brothels were amongst the
very few places in that section of society that could pay
professional musicians so the most important early musicians
often spent time working in brothels before becoming
successful to a wider audience. So where there was music, the
waiting men would use opportunity to practice their dancing
together.
It was the potential wives and sweethearts that lived in the
tenement blocks – conventillos – that they were hoping for a
chance to dance with. A prostitute took money from a man in
return for her favors, to win a sweetheart in the real world took
something more, and being a good dancer helped a lot.
Therefore, it was not in the brothels that Tango was born,
but in the courtyards of the tenement blocks where the poor
lived. With so many people living together in one building,
they would get together to play the popular tunes of the time.
And other people in the building would take the opportunity to
dance, to have a moment of joy in what might be a terribly
hard and lonely life.
 The music and dance became a common language that
united people from many different cultures. It was here that Dance Characteristics
the different music and dance styles brought by immigrants
from different countries, and by the people already in Tango is characterized by a close hold, a low center of
Argentina, blended together, and what emerged slowly became gravity and an emphasis on Contra Body
Tango. movement. Movement is stealthy, almost cat-like and has an
unmistakable staccato feel and major dramatic attitude. The
The men practicing together, looking for the best ways to Leader’s right arm is further around and lowers on the
please a woman when they danced with her, preparing for that Follower’s back than in the other Smooth dances. The
rare moment when they actually did have a woman in their Leader’s left arm is bent at 90 degree angle with left hand held
arms, were the people who created the Tango as a dance. It closed in toward the Leader’s body and face. The follower’s
evolved and became Tango, unique and glorious, under these left hand is placed behind and below the Leader’s upper right
very special and unusual circumstances. arm.
Phrasing is an important part of Tango. Most Tango
Tango spread throughout Europe in the 1900’s taking music is phrased to 16 or 32 beats of music. Tango music is
Paris by storm in 1912. The popularity of Tango in Europe, like a story. It contains paragraphs (Major phrases); sentences
and especially in Paris, made it an interesting couple dance to (Minor phrases); and the period at the end of the sentence is
the upper classes in Buenos Aires, and the Tango was re- the Tango close.
imported for their benefit. As time elapsed and the music
became more subdued, the dance was finally considered Musical Information
respectable even in Argentina.
Time signature: 4/4 or 2/4
Tango was popularized in New York in the winter of Tempo: 30-32 measures per minute in 4/4 time
1910 – 1911 becoming all the rage right before the First World Timing: SSQQS and QQS QQS plus others
War. Vernon and Irene Castle made their fortune from
Beat value: 2-2-1-1, 1-1-2 1-1-2
Tango, becoming America’s sweethearts of the dance. There
was a flurry of Tango dance hall openings and tango teas
became popular in big hotels. Couples even danced between Foxtrot
courses at the finer restaurants. Rudolph Valentino made
Tango a hit in 1921, performing a sensual Tango in the silent
film “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”. The dance varied
greatly from performer to performer and was eventually Type: American Style
standardized in the 1920’s by the Imperial Society of Teachers Smooth Dances,
of Dancing. There are several Tango styles: Argentine, International Style Dances
French, Gaucho and International. Tango has become one of (Standard)
our American ‘Standards’ regardless of its origin. The
Americanized version is a combination of the best parts of
each.
 Description
Foxtrot is the dance of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
This smooth and elegant dance had its beginnings in a New
York theatre in 1914. There, a vaudeville actor named Harry
Fox began dancing a series of trotting steps to ragtime music
as a part of his act.
Eventually the dance evolved to incorporate the walking
and brush steps that make this dance popular with beginners
and advanced dancers alike. Foxtrot is danced to music with a
4/4 time signature (think Frank Sinatra) and has two rhythms:
slow-slow-quick-quick and slow-quick-quick.
International Style Foxtrot uses the same music as their
American Style counterparts, but the dances are different and
more difficult. They are all done in closed position and the
couples pass their feet instead of close them at the end of
measures (no box steps in International Style!)
The timing is more complex and there are new technique
challenges such as heel turns. American Style Foxtrot is the
easiest Smooth dance; International Style Foxtrot is the most
difficult.
History
Around the turn of the 20th century, influential African
American musicians, such as Scott Joplin began composing
syncopated ragtime music. A smooth dance like the Waltz just did
not suit this type of fervent music and a new breed of dances
quickly evolved in response to ragtime. One of the first was called
Turkey trot, a one-step that included flapping the arms like a
turkey. Then came a flood of others like the Monkey dance, the
Horse Trot, the Grizzly Bear, the Bunny Hug and the Kangaroo
Dip. Ragtime seemed to demand dances with jerky steps, possibly
emulating the walks and the wild abandon of animals.
In 1914, a young dancer named Harry Fox did his version of
trotting in the Jardin de Danse on the roof of the New York
Theatre with the Ziegfield Follies. Fox’s fast and jerky trot became
the hot new thing in New York.
On September 3rd, 1914, the “American Society of Professors of
Dancing” started standardizing the steps of the Fox-trot. Oscar
Duryea was hired to introduce the dance to the public. Duryea
modified Fox’s dance, as the trotting could not be kept up for long
periods without tiring out the dancers, so the trot was replaced by a
glide or “Saunter.”
This “new Foxtrot” was an instant hit and has remained a stable
part in most dancing syllabus ever since. In 1914, a piece of sheet
music was created with the title “Original Foxtrot” by Jack
Mcenness and Dorothy Hunter. In the same year, the Reuben
Fox-trot was introduced by Miss Sonia Baraban and Charles C.
Grohs, another was the Kangaroo Hop which was listed as a Fox
Trot and Uriel Davy’s created the Davy’s Foxtrot as well.
There are assertions that the Castles originated the Fox-Trot
from James Reese Europe’s version of W.C. Handy’s Memphis
Blues (1912), but the Castle’s called it the Bunny Hug! How Fox’s
name got to it is unclear, however the original version had Castle
similarities.
By 1915 the Foxtrot had become the most successful dance of the
day. When the Foxtrot traveled to England, the jumps and the
high jinks of the original dance were ironed out. What remains is a
smooth, elegant dance more reminiscent of the Waltz than of the
Trot’s hyperactive past. In fact, many of the Foxtrot patterns have
been adapted directly from Waltz.
Dance Characteristics
Foxtrot has smooth gliding steps with a heel lead, controlled
movement and an easygoing look. It has less rise and fall than the
Waltz as the emphasis is on progression. The foxtrot is an all-
purpose dance that can be performed to many different styles of
music.
Musical Information Somewhat surprisingly, "swing dance" was not commonly
used to identify a group of dances until the latter half of the 20th
Time signature: 4/4 century. Historically, the term "Swing" referred to the style of jazz
Tempo: 32-34 measures per minute music, which inspired the evolution of the dance. Jitterbug is an
Timing: SSQQ and SQQ umbrella term that denotes all forms of swing dance, though it is
Beat value: 2-2-1-1 and 2-1-1 often used as a synonym for the six-count derivative of Lindy Hop
called "East Coast Swing".[4] It was also common to use the word
to identify a kind of dancer (i.e., a swing dancer). A "jitterbug"
might prefer to dance Lindy Hop, Shag, or any of the other swing
Swing dances. The term was famously associated with swing era band
leader Cab Calloway because, as he put it, "[The dancers] look like
a bunch of jitterbugs out there on the floor due to their fast, often
bouncy movements."[5]

The term "swing dancing" is often extended to include other

dances that do not have certain characteristics of traditional swing
dances: West Coast Swing, Carolina Shag, East Coast
Swing, Hand Dancing, Jive, Rock and Roll, Modern Jive, and
other dances developed during the 1940s and later. A strong
tradition of social and competitive boogie woogie and Rock 'n' Roll
in Europe add these dances to their local swing dance cultures.

Swing dance is a group of dances that developed with

the swing style of jazz music in the 1920s–1940s, with the origins Rumba
of each dance predating the popular "swing era". During the swing
era, there were hundreds of styles of swing dancing, but those that The dance known in the
have survived beyond that era include: Lindy United States as the Rumba is a
Hop, Balboa, Collegiate Shag, and Charleston.[1][2] Today, the composite of several dances
most well-known of these dances is the Lindy Hop, which popular in Cuba, including the
originated in Harlem in the early 1930s.[3] While the majority of guaracha, the Cuban bolero,
swing dances began in African American communities the Cuban son, and the rural
as vernacular African American dances, some swing era dances, rumba. All have similar
like Balboa, developed outside of these communities. rhythms that can be traced to
religious and ceremonial dances of Africa. These rhythms were
remembered by the earliest black people transported unwillingly to
Cuba and subjected to forced labor by the Spanish colonists. The
same pulsating dance rhythms may still be found in parts of Africa,
but the dances have been altered by contact with other cultures and
races. The rural rumba is a pantomimic dance originating in the
rural areas. It depicts the movements of various barnyard animals
in an amusing manner, and is basically an exhibition, rather than a
participation dance. Both the Cuban son and the Cuban bolero are
moderate tempo dances in traditional ballroom form. The guaracha
is distinguished by its fast, cheerful tempo.
As early as the second world war, the Rumba was modified
to a slower and more refined version for the Cuban middle class,
this was called the "son". The American Rumba is a modified
version of this dance which first came to this country in 1913. Ten
years later band leader Emil Coleman imported Rumba musicians
and dancers to New York but no interest developed. Real interest
in Latin music began about 1929 as a result of increased American
tourism to Latin America. In 1935 George Raft appeared with
Carole Lombard in a movie called "Rumba" in which he played a
suave dancer who wins the lady through dancing. Rumba's unique
styling and unusual musical rhythms immediately captured the
fancy of ballroom dance enthusiasts, and it has retained its
popularity to the present time.
The Cuban style is characterized by forward and backward
steps. The American version is done in a box pattern with "Cuban
motion" as its chief characteristic. "Cuban motion" is a discreet,
expressive hip motion achieved by bending and straightening the
legs and carefully timed weight changes. American Rumba is one
of the most popular ballroom dances today.
Paso Doble
Type: Club Dance
Description
Paso Doble is a stirring and
dramatic dance based on a
Spanish bull fight. The leader in
this dance represents the Matador
and the lady symbolizes his red
cape.
Paso Doble features beautiful
body shapes and sharp, flamenco-
like footwork.
History
The Pasodoble came from a French military march with the
name "Paso Redoble". It has both Spanish and French
characteristics. The steps often contain French terms, but the dance
resembles the nature of the bullfight. It is believed to have emerged
from southern French culture during the 1930s. The Pasodoble was
a way for the French to portray the techniques used in Spanish
bullfights. The name means Two-Steps and this is attributed to the
marching nature of the dance.
With a binary rhythm and moderated movement, the
Pasodoble was likely based on typical Spanish dances of the 16th
century. During the 18th century, it was incorporated into
comedies and adopted as a regulatory step for the Spanish infantry,
with a special feature that makes the troops take the regular step:
120 steps per minute. The music was introduced to bullfights in the
19th century.
Famous bullfighters have been honored with Pasodoble
tunes named for them. Other tunes have been inspired by patriotic
motifs or local characters. The Pasodoble is well-known and used steps are regular occurrences (as was the case in early foxtrot).
today for dance competitions. Three characteristic dance figures of the quickstep are the chassés,
where the feet are brought together, the quarter turns, and the lock
During the early 20th century, the pasodoble became part of
step.[2]p126
the repertoire of Italian American musicians in San Francisco
playing in the ballo liscio style.[1] Four pasodobles were collected This dance gradually evolved into a very dynamic one with
by Sidney Robertson Cowell for the WPACalifornia Folk Music a lot of movement on the dance floor, with many advanced
Project in 1939 by Mexican American wedding party band patterns including hops, runs, quick steps with a lot of momentum,
on mandolin, guitar, and violin. and rotation. The tempo of quickstep dance is rather brisk, as it
was developed to ragtime era jazz music, which is fast-paced when
compared to other dance music.
By the end of the 20th century the complexity of quickstep as done
Quickstep by advanced dancers had increased, with the extensive use of
syncopated steps with eighth notedurations. While in older times
quickstep patterns were counted with "quick" (one beat) and "slow"
(two beats) steps, many advanced patterns today are cued with split
The quickstep is a light- beats, such as "quick-and-quick-and-quick, quick, slow", with there
hearted dance of the being further steps on the 'and's.
standard ballroom dances. The
movement of the dance is fast
and powerfully flowing and
sprinkled with syncopations.
The upbeat melodies that Samba
quickstep is danced to make it
suitable for both formal and
Samba
informal events. Quickstep was developed in the 1920s in New
York City and was first danced by Caribbean and African dancers.
Its origins are in combination of slow foxtrot combined with
the Charleston, a dance which was one of the precursors to what Description – History
today is called swing dancing.

Samba is the national

History dance of Brazil, celebrated every
year during Carnival where
The quickstep evolved in the 1920s from a combination of
hundreds of thousands of
the foxtrot, Charleston, shag, peabody, and one-step. The dance is
costumed revelers parade in the
English in origin and was standardized in 1927. While it evolved
streets singing, drumming and
from the foxtrot, the quickstep now is quite separate. Unlike the
modern foxtrot, the man often closes his feet, and syncopated
 dancing. This style of Samba is not a partner dance unlike
Ballroom Samba. Mambo
Samba music originated on the Brazilian plantations
where the African rhythms of slaves fused with European
music. This new Samba music served as a kind of oral history,
relating current events, aging against inequities or simply Description
celebrating the joys of a great party. The dance is a solo art
form with rapidly moving hips and quick transfers of weight. Mambo evolved from a fusion
Samba was introduced to the US in the late 1920’s via the of danzon, son and American
Broadway play, Street Carnival and more widely exposed jazz. Danzon has its origins from
through films. Fred Astaire and Dolores del Rio danced to a Europe (chamber music) and
Brazilian beat in “Flying down to Rio” and Carmen Miranda African/Haitian drum rhythms.
shook her hips in films such as “That Night in Rio”. In the Danzon is the freer more
1960’s Brazilian music became widely popular with the release spontaneous version of “Danza”
of Stan Getz “Jazz Samba” and “The Girl from which came to Cuba in the 18th
Ipanema”. These bossa-nova standards combined samba century as “Contradanza” from
rhythms with “cool” jazz. Spain which came from
In the US, Samba evolved into a couple’s dance “Contredanse” at the French Court in the 17th century. It has
performed in most ballroom and was standardized as a the typical instruments of Chamber music – violins etc with
ballroom dance in 1956. In Brazil however, samba remains a the addition of African drums. Danzon was danced by
solo form, danced at street festivals and other celebrations with wealthy Cuban society where very small steps are taken, the
nationalistic pride. women producing a subtle tilting of the hips by bending and
straightening the knees.
Dance Characteristics
Prerez Prado is credited with introducing Mambo at a
Samba is a fun, upbeat, lively dance that progresses Havana nightclub in 1943. Tito Rodriguez, Tito Puente and
counter-clockwise around the floor. It is characterized by its Xavier Cugat also made significant contributions to Mambo’s
syncopated timing, bounce, rolling hip action and pelvic tilt growth and development.
and a great deal of rhythm is expressed throughout the torso.
The Samba frame is similar to a bolero frame with more Mambo arrived in New York around 1947, quickly
separation between the partners. becoming the new dance craze. Mambo was taught at dance
schools, resorts and nightclubs, reaching it’s height of
Musical Information popularity by the mid 1950’s. The fad waned with the birth of
Cha Cha, a dance developed from mambo. Recently, it has
Time signature: 2/4 regained its popularity, due in large part to a New York dancer
Tempo: 52 measures per minute named Eddie Torres, as well as popular Mambo songs and
Timing: 1a2* (also 1a2a3a4 and SQQ) movies.
Beat value: ¾ – ¼ – 1
 Dance Characteristics Description
Mambo is a fast and spicy dance characterized by strong
Cuban motion, staccato movement and expression of rhythm This is a fun, flirty dance that grew out of the Cuban
through the body. The dancer holds on counts 1 and break on Mambo and became immensely popular in the United States
count 2. Mambo also features press lines, many swivels and in the 1950’s. It consists of triple chasse steps (cha cha cha’s)
spins. The Mambo frame is the same as the Rhythm frame. and rock steps.
Cha Cha has a modified Cuban Motion hip action,
Musical Information because of the speed. This is an exuberant dance that will get
your heart pumping and put a smile on your face.
Time signature: 4/4
Tempo: 47-51 measures per minute History
Timing: 234(1)
Cha Cha originated in Cuba and evolved from a slow
Beat value: 1-1-2
version of Mambo called “Triple Mambo” or Mambo with
guiro rhythm. This musical rhythm inspired dancers to dance
a hip syncopation to the forward and back breaks of a mambo
Cha Cha which late evolved to a triple step.
Mambo evolved from a fusion of danzon, son and
American jazz. Danzon has its origins from Europe (chamber
music) and African/Haitian drum rhythms. Enrique Jorrin, a
Cha Cha Cuban Violinist created the first cha cha song in 1948. He
named it after the shuffling sound the dancers shoes made
Type: American Latin Dances, International Style when they dance to this type of music.
Dances (Latin) In 1952, an English dance teacher Pierre Lavelle visited
Cuba and saw dancers dancing this triple step to slow rumba
and mambo music. On his return to Britain, he taught this as
a separate dance and it has since evolved to Ballroom Cha
Cha.
Cha Cha was introduced to the US in 1954 which
replaced mambo as the latest dance craze. After its
introduction to the US, the traditional violins and flutes were
exchanged with big band instruments such as trumpets,
trombones and saxophones.

Dance Characteristics

Cha Cha is a lively, fun, cheeky and playful dance. It is a

non-progressive dance that emphasizes Cuban motion,
 distinguished by the chasses (cha-cha-cha) typically danced
during the 4&1 counts of the music. Cuban motion in Cha
In latin dancing, the jive is a dance style that originated in the
Cha is more staccato than Rumba to reflect the music with
United States from African-Americans in the early 1930s. It was
emphasis on count 1. The Cha Cha frame is a typical Rhythm
popularized in 1934 by Cab Calloway. It is a lively and uninhibited
frame.
variation of the Jitterbug, a form of Swing dance. Glenn
Miller introduced his own jive dance in 1938 with the song "Doin'
Musical Information the Jive" which never caught on.
The hand jive is one of the five International Latin dances.
Time signature – 4/4 In competition it is danced at a speed of 176 beats per minute,
Tempo – 30 measures per minute although in some cases this is reduced to between 128 and 160
Timing–1234& beats per minute.
Beat value is 1-1-1-1/2-1/2 Many of its basic patterns are similar to these of the East
Coast Swing with the major difference of
highly syncopated rhythm of the Triple Steps (Chasses), which
use straight eighths in ECS and hard swing in Jive. To the players
of swing music in the 1930s and 1940s "Jive" was an expression
denoting glib or foolish talk.[1]
Jive
American soldiers brought Lindy Hop/Jitterbug to Europe
around 1940, where this dance swiftly found a following among
the young. In the United States the term Swing became the most
common word used to describe the dance, and the term "jive" was
adopted in the UK. Variations in technique led to styles such as
boogie-woogie and swing boogie, with "jive" gradually emerging as
Type: International Style
the generic term in the UK.[2]
Dances (Latin)
After the war, the boogie became the dominant form for
Description popular music. It was, however, never far from criticism as a
Jive is similar to a triple-step foreign, vulgar dance. The famous ballroom dancing guru, Alex
East Coast Swing. Jive, however, Moore, said that he had "never seen anything uglier". In 1968 it
is much faster, arguably more was adopted as the fifth Latin dance in International competitions.
elegant (and less earthy), and The modern form of ballroom jive in the 1990s–present, is a very
uses a lot of knee and hip action. happy and boppy dance, the lifting of knees and the bending or
rocking of the hips often occurs.
 References:

Assignment
http://www.ballroomdanceacademy.com/the-
dances/descriptions-of-dances/samba/

http://www.aboutdanceschools.com/education/history/polka.asp
in
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_(dance)

http://www.dancelovers.com/rumba_history.html

Social Dance
P.E. 2
Maryz Necole E. Rosquites
Student-BSAIS 1202

Sir Celso Evasco

Professor