CHACHA-CHA

Origin
The modern style of dancing the cha-cha-ch comes from studies made by dance teacher Monsieur Pierre (Pierre Zurcher-Margolle), who partnered Doris Lavelle.[5] Pierre, then from London, visited Cuba in 1952 to find out how and what Cubans were dancing at the time. He noted that this new dance had a split fourth beat, and to dance it one started on the second beat, not the first. He brought this dance idea to England and eventually created what is now known as ballroom cha-cha-cha.[6] The validity of his analysis is well established for that time, and some forms of evidence exist today. First, there is in existence film of Orquesta Jorrin playing to a cha-cha-cha dance contest in Cuba; second, the rhythm of the Benny More classic Santa Isabel de las Lajas written and recorded at about the same time is quite clearly syncopated on the fourth beat. Also, note that the slower bolero-son ("rumba") was always danced on the second beat. que is virtually identical to the International Latin style.

Basic Steps and rhythm

The basic pattern involves the lead (usually the man) taking a checked forward step with the left foot retaining some weight on the right foot, the knee of the right leg must stay straight and close to the back of the left knee, the left leg having straightened just prior to receiving part weight. This step is taken on the second beat of the bar. Full weight is returned to the right leg on the second step (beat three). The fourth beat is split in two so the count of the next three steps is 4-and-1. These three steps constitute the cha-cha-cha chasse. A step to the side is taken with the left foot, the right foot is half closed towards the left foot (typically leaving both feet under the hips or perhaps closed together), and finally there is a last step to the left with the left foot. The length of the steps in the chasse depends very much on the effect the dancer is attempting to make. [8] The partner takes a step back on the right foot, the knee being straightened as full weight is taken. The other leg is allowed to remain straight. It is possible it will shoot slightly but no deliberate flexing of the free leg is attempted. This is quite different from technique associated with salsa, for instance. On the next beat (beat three) weight is returned to the left leg. Then a cha-cha-cha chasse is danced RLR. Each partner is now in a position to dance the bar their partner just danced. Hence the fundamental construction of Cha-cha-cha extends over two bars. The checked first step is a later development in the International Cha-cha-cha. Because of the action used during the forward step (the one taking only part weight) the basic pattern turns left, whereas in earlier times Cha-cha-cha was danced without rotation of the alignment. Hip actions are allowed to occur at the end of every step. For steps taking a single beat the first half

of the beat constitutes the foot movement and the second half is taken up by the hip movement. The hip sway eliminates any increase in height as the feet are brought towards each other.

Rhythm
It is danced to the music of the same name introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrn in 1953. This rhythm was developed from the danznby a syncopation of the fourth beat. The name is onomatopoeic, derived from the rhythm of the giro (scraper) and the shuffling of the dancers' feet.

WALTZ
Origin
The origin of the word "waltz" is vague. Some sources claim that it derives from a German word "walzen" meaning to glide or turn. Other sources say that it is derived from the Italian word "Volver" meaning, to turn. The first music to be labelled "Waltzen" apparently was recorded in Germany about 1754 (Sadie 1980). The dance may have developed as an outgrowth of a heavy-footed German folkdance called the Landler, but at least one source says that the Landler came later as a form of waltz after 1800. So the origin of the name and of the dance is somewhat obscure.

Basic steps and rhythm

The leader starts with the left foot and executes a forward half box, followed by a backward half box. The follower performs the opposite she starts with the right foot and executes a backward half box, followed by a forward half box. The basic box step pattern uses three counts - slow, quick, quick, which is repeated twice to create the box step. Timing is 1,2,3,1,2,3 or 1,2,3,4,5,6. When dancing waltz someone has to lead and someone has to follow. Usually the man will lead and the woman will follow. There is quite a lot of information available about waltzes. For more authoritative views, check your local music library... One of the points I want to make is, that there were lots of 3-time dances before the waltz, some fast, some slow. So all tunes in 3time or 3/4 time are not waltzes and do not have to be accented heavily on the first beat.The head should turn in the direction of the turn, otherwise the man's head is upright and looking over the right shoulder of the lady.The American Waltz is similar to the International style

except it has both open and closed dance positions. This allows the American style dancer a unique freedom of expression, including the ability to showcase character and theatrical presentation. The slow waltz is danced to music written in 3/4 meter with 30 - 32 measures per minute.
Men's Steps for Waltz:

Here is the basic waltz steps diagram for the leader. 1. Step forward with the left foot 2. Right foot step sideways to the right 3. Bring your left foot next to your right foot 4. Step back with the right foot 5. Step back sideways with the left foot 6. Bring your right foot next to your left foot
Lady's Steps for Waltz:

And here is the box step for the follower: 1. Step back with the right foot 2. Left foot step sideways to the left 3. Bring your right foot next to your left foot 4. Step forward with the left foot 5. Step forward sideways with the right foot 6. Bring your left foot next to your right foot

Rhythm
A waltz, or valse from the French term, is a piece of music in triple meter, most often written in time signature 3/4-beat (helpinfo) but sometimes in 3/8 or 3/2. Waltzes typically have one chord per measure, and the accompaniment style particularly associated with the waltz is (as seen in the example to the right) to play the root of the chord on the first beat, the upper notes on the second and third beats. This is known as an "oom-pa-pa" beat.

TANGO
Origin
Tango (the dance with the stop "Baille Con Carte") is one of the most fascinating of all dances. Originating in Spain or Morocco, the Tango was introduced to the New World by the Spanish settlers, eventually coming back to Spain with Black and Creole influences. In the early 19th Century, the Tango was a solo dance performed by the woman. The Andalusian Tango was later done by one or two couples walking together using castanets. The dance was soon considered immoral with its flirting music! Ballroom Tango originated in the lower class of Buenos Aires, especially in the "Bario de las Ranas". Clothing was dictated by full skirts for the woman and gauchos with high boots and spurs for the man.

Basic steps and rhythm

Teaching meter and rhythm of tango music through body movements is quite straightforward. The Argentine tango is a walking dance with a standard meter of 2/4. For the basic step, dancers walk to the driving marcato quarter-note pulse. A subdivided beat creates "quick-quick" steps called the corrida, or running steps. Students can feel not only the metric groupings of strong-weak by walking to the beat, but also the simple eighth-note subdivisions throughout the corrida. Different instrumental layers of the musical texture define the tangos rhythmic patterns. The bass line often carries the driving dance pulse, while the accompanying middle parts (the bandoneon or the strings) subdivide the quarter-note pulse into rhythmic syncopations on the level of the sixteenth-note, often a sixteenth-eighth-sixteenth-note figure. These rhythmic figures are translated into a syncopated walk by the leader or into playful embellishments by the follower. When students try the syncopated walk, they cannot help but feel the syncopated rhythm.

Answer the following. 1. What are the benefits we can derived from performing ballroom dance?
Muscle Toning Ballroom dancing helps tone and strengthen the muscles in your calves, thighs and buttocks. Specific ballroom dance moves work these muscles differently than more familiar exercises, such as walking, jogging or cycling, do. If you're performing a style that involves lifting or dipping your partner, you can also get a pretty good upper body workout. Ballroom dancing will also help strengthen the core muscles of the abdomen and back. Conditioning Any regular exercise performed continuously for 30 to 40 minutes three or four times a week will help condition your cardiovascular system, strengthening your heart and lowering your cholesterol and blood pressure. It will also increase your lung capacity and your general stamina. Bones and Joints Dancing is a weight-bearing exercise, so it helps maintain bone density and prevent osteoporosis. It can also help rehabilitate your knees after surgery, as it's lower impact than jogging or aerobics. Brain Food A 2003 study published in the "New England Journal of Medicine" suggests that social dancing has a special benefit for seniors: it reduces the chances of dementia. As it's an activity that one performs with a partner, it can also lessen loneliness and depression in the elderly. Calories Burned Thirty minutes of dancing burns between 200 and 400 calories -- the same amount burned by swimming or cycling. \Better Blood. New research has discovered that it is necessary to measure both good and bad cholesterol
levels when determining our health. Dancing aids in lipid control, which raises our HDL (good cholesterol), and lowers our LDL (bad cholesterol). Dancing is also great for diabetics because it aids in blood sugar control.

Socially Satisfying. Dancing is recreational and entertaining. It creates a social life for us, while affording us
the opportunity to make new friends. Friends helps us grow, make us laugh and support us as we learn.

Culturally Diverse.

Dancing has no cultural barriers. People from all parts of the world, with different ideologies,

meet on the dance floor. Cultural interaction improves our health by expanding our mind and sharing our spirit!

Groomed to perfection. Dancing is not only fun and romantic, but it helps promote good grooming because everybody wants to look his or her best while they dance. Good grooming keeps us healthy by keeping us high on hygiene. A Happy Self. Dance elevates our mood by raising our endorphin levels. This is what allows us to heal stress and depression - two of our immune system's biggest enemies! It helps us establish our self-confidence and selfdiscipline. It improves the harmony between our mind and body, giving us a sense of well-being.

2.how do you differentiate ballroom from folk dancing?

Ballroom dance refers to a set of partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world. Because of its performance and entertainment aspects, ballroom dance is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and television. Ballroom dance may refer, at its widest, to almost any type of social dancing as recreation. However, with the emergence of dancesport in modern times, the term has become narrower in scope. It usually refers to the International Standard and International Latin style dances (see dance categories below). These styles were developed in England,[1] and are now regulated by the World Dance Council (WDC). In the United States, two additional variations are popular:American Smooth and American Rhythm.

Folk dance is a form of dance developed by a group of people that reflects the traditional life of the people of a certain country or region. Folk dancing originated in the 18th century to distinguish dance forms of common people from those of the upper classes. The steps of folk dances are passed through generations, rarely being changed. Folk dancing is usually associated with social activities, although some folk dances are performed competitively.