In 1913 Harry Fox, a Vaudeville Comedian, introduced a trot to a ragtime song in the 1913 Ziegfeld Follies that pushed other trots into the background. It became America's most popular dance and remains so to this day as the standard of social dances. The Fox Trot is the foundation for all dances and therefore, is often called the "get-acquainted" or "first impression" dance.
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The wickedly wonderful Waltz… There are several misconceptions about the Waltz. One, it is difficult to learn. Two, it was originally a dance for royalty and the wealthy. Three, it is staid and matronly. As quick as you can say one-two-three, you are dancing the first steps in the Waltz. Perhaps the reason it was originally a dance for royalty was because of the air of supreme confidence people exhibited when they Waltzed. This air of confidence came from simply standing straight with your shoulders back, chin up, and a smile, and finding a comfortable position to give you the correct posture for dancing the Waltz. Staid and matronly? A dance which involves revolutions, turns, fast movement, and sure footwork, makes the Waltz more risqué and radical than first imagined. In the 1700s, rural Germans and Austrians began doing a dance using the unheard of positioning of facing your partner, instead of dancing side-by-side. Then lightly clasping hands, keeping each other at arm's length, and embracing your partner with one arm around the waist. The more moral and upright city dwellers of Germany and other European and American cities, condemned it because it was too difficult to learn and because of its pace and positioning were considered too brazen for polite society, especially impressionable unmarried women. Eventually though, spurred by the increasing numbers of middle class wage-earners, and freedoms people were gaining through the various political and social revolutions of the 1800s, everyone took to the Walzen (German for revolving). You will too, if you give it a chance!
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Want to get passionate about something, try Argentine Tango . . . a different Tango, a different dance. This intriguing dance has levels of subtlety that will capture the beginner and the most experienced dancer. If you give it a chance, it will win your heart! Originating in Buenos Aries toward the end of the 1800's, the Tango began in the poorer areas of this port city. Gradually the dance, once called the "reptile from the brothel" was refined and after 1900 was being danced in more respectable places. By 1913, the dance floors of Paris and London were invaded by the Tango. This embrace of the Argentine Tango by European high society was very instrumental in Argentine society's willingness to bring the dance into its homes and salons. The Golden Age of Tango began in the 1920's when the most famous singer in Argentina, Carlos Gardel, began singing tangos. He was Tangos greatest folk hero. This golden age ended in the 1940's, but in more recent times, interest in the Tango has been renewed by the popularity of shows such as Tango Argentina and Tango Por Dos. Today, this dance seems to be experiencing another revival. Groups of devoted dancers in cities all over the country are learning and dancing the authentic way to Tango -- Argentine style at LOS TANGUISTAS DE LOCURTO'S. Classes are offered throughout the year and newcomers are wholeheartedly welcomed with the hope that they too will find something to be passionate about!
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Salsa Mania - In the 1940's Cuban musicians and salseros began playing music that combined jazz and Latin American music. This revolutionary sound mixed perfectly with the syncopated movement of workers as they toiled in the sugarcane fields and on the docks of their country. Thus was created the Mambo. The basic pattern is two quick steps followed by a slow step. Unlike most dances, danced in 4/4 time, the Mambo actually rest for one beat of music, then resumes the pattern. Which beat you rest on and which beat you begin on varies by couple. The rhythm, also, has a different timing, like the Swing, couples may dance a single, double or triple rhythm Mambo. And, in certain parts of the world, if a person asks you to Mambo, they may be saying "Mambo" to describe any Salsa dance. So, instead of doing an actual Mambo, you may end up doing the Cha-Cha or Merengue. Confused? How about this: the Mambo is such a versatile dance, that on the same dance floor, you can have couples dancing the Mambo as an explosive and passionate dance, or perhaps a sensual and elegant dance. But do not be intimidated. You will find a style that suits you. Dirty Dancing fans know that "Johnny's Mambo" was a highlight of the movie. Antonio Banderos fans may have seen The Mambo Kings, and been intrigued by the Mambo music and Salsa dancing featured in the movie. If you have seen Shall We Dance, you know that the Mambo is the first dance the students learned in their group lesson. So, if you have not ventured into the world of Latin sport dancing, why not make the Mambo your entry into the ballroom dance world?
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The Swing, also known as, . . . Lots of people do the Swing when they dance. Depending on the music you're dancing it to, it can be called the – Jitterbug - Texas Two-Step - Disco - West Coast Swing - East Coast Swing - Shag (the latest dance craze) or the first Swing dance, the Lindy Hop. Whatever you call the Swing dance, it is a dance meant for fun, and letting your exuberance for dancing show. The Swing dance genre uses a one, two, or three-step rhythm. Most people began dancing these steps in the 1920s and '30s as Big Band Music became popular. Then, as Rock and Roll, Country and Western, and Disco music, became popular, people realized that these basic patterns could be applied to any type of music, which had a 4/4 beat. Swing dance styles can be contradictory. Sometimes in the Swing a couple appears to be dancing an intricately choreographed number, because of the precise footwork and complex, crisp turns. Another couple dancing on the dance floor at the same time may be doing a Swing dance, which is wildly improvised and lively with lifts off the floor and solo dancing. The way a lot of us dance the Swing is somewhere in between, and who cares as long as you are having fun?
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Get Ready to Rumba! But before you do, you may want to choose your partner carefully. The Rumba is a dance focusing entirely on the woman and her suggestive or blatant seduction of her partner. A man who is not careful may be unwittingly beguiled by his partner's romantic charms. Or happily surprised by the attention his partner is lavishing on him as her dancing shows him why he is so special. The Rumba is another of those sultry, sensuous Latin American dances (from Cuba) which means do not be shy with your hip and arm movements, or how close you dance to your partner. The original Rumba was flamboyant and uninhibited, traveling all over the dance space. But, as "polite society" adapted the dance, it toned down most of the flamboyance and adopted a box step with less traveling. The hip movement and sensual feel of the dance still remain for ballroom dancing. Today, the Rumba is one of the most popular ballroom dances with all age groups. Its slow, basic steps and rhythm make this a simple dance to learn and enjoy. Then, as your confidence increases, take more lessons to learn moves such as the Alemana, Cucarachas, Aida or Kiki walks. Do not worry about your partner's intentions -- a little romance is good for everyone.
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CHA-CHA-CHA! The Cha-Cha is a Cuban dance based on the rhythm of the triple Mambo; three quick steps preceded or followed by two slow steps. When the dance was introduced in the 1950s, Big Band Music was still popular and had begun fusing with Latin American music to create a unique, exotically rhythmic sound. The dance may have been named the Cha-Cha-Cha (abbreviated to Cha-Cha) a couple of ways. People were going to nightclubs, listening to Tito Puente and other Latin and South American singers and bands, and enjoying the resurgence of Salsa dances. Suddenly, as someone was doing the three quick steps, the singer said "Cha-Cha-Cha!" just for the fun of it, and eventually everyone was using "Cha-Cha" to describe the dance. Or, just as coincidentally, a Cuban woman wearing the heelless slippers popular during this era picked up on the "Cha-Cha-Cha" sounds her shoes made when she did the three quick steps. Either amused or irritated by the sounds, she said "Cha-Cha-Cha!" and soon everyone was calling the latest popular dance the “Cha-Cha-Cha”. Since this is a salsa dance, sensuousness and mood are important. Instead of being passionate as in the Argentine Tango or romantic as in the Rumba, why not adopt a flirtatious attitude for the Cha-Cha. Doing a crossover pattern, you are looking at your partner, then turn away from your partner and look at something else. Then you turn back toward your partner, a brief look -- maybe your partner smiles and winks at you -- and you turn away from each other again. You return to a standard, face-to-face pattern, then after a few steps together blow your partner a kiss and go into a following pattern. You want to take lessons to learn the dance and have some fun, don't you? Once you learn the basic steps in group lessons, indulge in private lessons to perfect the foot, leg, hip and arm movements of this and other Salsa dances. Maybe your instructor will even give you a few hints on how to flirt as you Cha-Cha-Cha!.
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Last Updated: December 31, 2002