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Classic
Ballroom and Latin
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Despite
the "stuffy" image conjured up by
the media, many younger people are now discovering
that they can enjoy these classic dances to
contemporary chart music. Classic Ballroom and
International Latin American dancing is now
not only included in the Olympic programme at
a competitive level but is also thriving on
campus at many Universities throughout the world.
These two styles
are combined in a world-wide standardised programme
of ten dances for both competitions and for
leisure dancing:
CLASSIC BALLROOM
AND LATIN STYLES
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| Waltz
Whether with the hope of starting a new relationship
with the evening's last dance or celebrating
a wedding or anniversary, the Waltz remains
the only dance whose innate romance links it
inextricably with life's happier moments.
The Waltz's enduring appeal is
due to its timeless romance and its ability
to adapt and change to the musical style of
the moment. Today, the romance of the Waltz
is complemented by and danced to some great
modern ballads and soft rock classics. |
Rumba
Seductive, smouldering and sensuous,
the pulsating rhythm and romantic music have made
the Rumba's appeal both ageless and universal.
The Rumba's sophisticated love-play story evokes
the legend which attributes the dance as mimicking
the courtship ritual of two love birds in the
forest of Cuba or as a representation of the movement
of slaves, legs in chains, as they swayed to the
ancient chants of their homeland.
The rhythm and music is that of the beautiful,
slow and exotic Cuban Guajira. In its original
home of Cuba, there is no particular dance called
a Rumba. There, it simply means dance. The dance
itself exudes the strength and confidence of the
archetypal machismo of the male Latin lover whose
passion tempts his partner to become lost in the
intensity and innuendo of the rhythm.
But the woman does not yield so readily. She remains
coy, teasing and toying with the man as she repeatedly
lures and then rejects his advances. There are
few more profoundly beautiful moments in dancing
than when taking up hold and feeling the pure
intensity that is Rumba. |
Samba
Samba immediately conjures up the
Carnival atmosphere of Rio and the exuberant spirit
of Party Latin America. While Carnival Samba is
a solo dance, the international style of Samba
is popular as a partner dance. The pulsating Samba
drums evoke the rhythm of Rio while the shrill
Samba whistles call you to join the Carnival. |
Quickstep
Lively, invigorating and fun, the
Quickstep developed from a combination of early
versions of the Foxtrot and the Charleston into
a pleasantly fast and powerfully flowing dance
interspersed with syncopations and, with the Waltz,
has become a firm favourite.
The Quickstep is danced to up tempo melodies and,
if your foots tapping to the music, the chances
are it's a Quickstep |
Cha
Cha Cha
The Cha Cha Cha belongs to the
Cuban family of Latin American dances including
the Rumba and the international style Mambo. The
pattern and structure are therefore very similar
but with one major difference - the Cha Cha Cha
! The Cha Cha Cha adds an irrepressible cheeky
quality to the dance and a contagiously catchy
rhythm to the music making it one of the best
loved of all Latin American dances. |
Slow
Foxtrot
The Slow Foxtrot is a beautiful
and romantic dance which has become the classic
swing dance of the Ballroom and the dance which
most Ballroom dancers aspire to dance well.
Its elegant lines and graceful sophistication
demand a high level of technical expertise, dance
experience and physical skill.
Nonetheless, hundreds of thousands of dancers
revel in the sheer enjoyment of the Slow Foxtrot
as they glide around the floor to some of the
best lilting ballads ever written. |
Jive
Jive is an umbrella term for a
dance that has so stood the test of time that
the different styles of Jive evoke the spirit
of the eras in which it has been an integral part
of the dance scene of the day. Lindy Hop in the
1920's, Jitterbug and Boogie Woogie in the 1930's,
Swing in the 1940's, Rock 'n' Roll in the 1950's,
then came the international style in the 1960's
ending up with Le Roc in the 1980's. Each style
simply reflected the mood of the era but did so
with such brilliance that it has endured as a
favourite not only in the Ballroom but at any
party any time any place. |
Paso
Doble
In France, Spain and parts of South
America, the Paso Doble is still a popular social
dance. It is a relaxed fun dance in which the
man parades the woman around the floor in party
atmosphere. Elsewhere, however, it is rarely danced
other than for formal dance assessments or competitions
where the character of the dance is portrayed
as a stylised bullfight. The man is the toreador
and the woman his cape; not the bull |
Viennese
Waltz
The faster Viennese Waltz is considerably
underrated in the UK whereas in continental Europe,
it remains a firm favourite.
There, the social version of the Viennese Waltz
is often danced as series of lilting steps using
only the first beat of each bar of music. This
style is ideal for leisure dancing and enables
even new dancers to enjoy some of the wonderful
classical Waltzes. |
Modern
Tango
By the time the Tango had evolved
from its origins in Argentina in to a Ballroom
dance, it's character had irrevocably changed.
Drums, non-existent in Argentine Tango, had been
added to the music and it became a quick march.
The head flicks which seem forever to characterise
the stereotypical Ballroom Tango came about when
German dancers introduced it in an interpretational
response to the drum roll. The head flicks were
introduced to the UK by Freddie Kemp and, when
he won the British Ballroom Championships, the
head flicks became an integral expression of the
modern Tango.
Despite the preconception of ostentation with
which the modern Tango is tarred, with no rise
and fall, it is an easier dance to learn and,
with inspiring music, dancing satisfaction always
beckons. |
Classic Ballroom and Latin Dance Lessons ...
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Salsa
Seductive tropical rhythms blend in a spicy
cocktail of hot Latino music for the Latino
partner dance experience that has made Salsa
the Club Dance phenomenon of the millennium.
Salsa is Latino dancing with attitude!
Background
Following Castro's take-over of Cuba in 1959,
many Cubans left for the USA; principally Miami
and New York. Here they developed the infrastructures
of their exile communities including a record
company producing traditional Cuban music. By
the late sixties, the young Hispanics were turning
away from the roots of their parents in favour
of Rock and other music. Facing financial straits,
the record company needed to market its Son,
Guaguanco, Charanga, Guaracha, Montuno and Guajira
music to a wider audience and hit on an umbrella
name that would make it instantly easier for
non-Latinos to buy. |
Josie Neglia - one of the world's
greatest salsa stars |
The
name was SALSA.
As Salsa became more popular, the differences
between the musical and dance traditions of
Cuba melted away. Colombia developed its own
style of Salsa with Cumbia, Vallenato and
Pachanga while, in the USA and Puerto Rico,
new stars emerged mixing Latino music with
jazz, funk and rap.
Salsa spread rapidly throughout the USA, Europe
and even beyond and is now one of he fastest
growing styles of Club partner dancing in
the world.
SALSA STYLES
Cuban
This is the most widespread and popular style
of Salsa. The man moves around the woman leading
an amazing variety of flowing turns. By following
the basic structure of the dance and the man's
leads, the woman does not need to know the
exact move that the man is dancing. Freestyle
Salsa always holds the promise of the unexpected
and the exciting as the man finds new combinations
of moves to thrill his partner.
Los
Angeles
L.A. style Salsa is based on Mambo, which
has a different structure to the classic Cuban-Miami
style and features many forward and back and
cross-body moves. Widely considered to be
one of the most exciting trends in Salsa,
L.A.'s attractive showy style is slick and
sophisticated but a little more demanding
than its more relaxed Miami cousin.
Colombian
This is a compact style of Salsa where the
man remains relatively static and features
spins rather than turns for the girl. Pachanga
focuses on some impressive and intricate footwork
fun while the simple and slower Vallenato
evokes the romantic serenade of a man to his
lover. A "trotting" rhythm instantly identifies
the classic Colombian style of Cumbia. Colombian
Salsa is less jazzy and new dancers often
find it easier to dance to the melodic
music.
New
York
The New York style of Salsa is based on Mambo
which has a different dance and musical structure.
The feel too is different as the dancers 'break'
on the second count and the moves are different
to other Salsa styles.
Merengue
Merengue is a fun and flirtatious dance from
the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean. Many
moves in Merengue can be translated easily
to and from Salsa making it an ideal combination
in any Salsa Club programme. Merengue is included
as part of Dance Matrix Introductory Salsa
Courses.
Salsa
and Merengue Dance Lessons ... |
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Tango
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Born two lifetimes
ago in the squalid gutters where hope fought
despair, the Tango lost its adolescent innocence
in the bordellos and tough back-street bars
of the Buenos Aires barrios before emerging
from the shadows of its birthplace to entrance
and inspire the world.
Tango is the dance of the
midnight encounter, of the shadows of the
back streets of Buenos Aires, of mystery and
of magic as the dancers embrace and prepare
to explore the potential of the moment and
face fate on the dance floor. The soul rending
strains of the Bandoneon reach out through
the shadows and draw them ever deeper in to
the dance that is theirs alone. In Tango,
the man and woman are equal. Each explores
the other. feet touch, probing as they weave
intricate movements. Legs intertwine. Each
may seduce. the suggestion of an embrace.
Either may be seduced. The restrained passion
of the Tango will never reach its ultimate
conclusion for its power lies in the fragile
potential of the moment; a fragility which
would be broken by its fulfilment. Tango is
the ultimate dance of man and woman. |
Ten Tango Facts
- Tango originated in the
late nineteenth century when hundreds of thousands
of immigrants found themselves unemployed in Buenos
Aires.
- 50% of the immigrants
were Italian while only a third were Spanish.
- As the influx of newcomers
grew, the male immigrants outnumbered the women
in Buenos Aires by 50 to 1. This easily lead to
duels being fought. The same sharp long-bladed
knives that, during the day, were used to butcher
meat in the Argentinean beef factories, by night,
were often the means to settle disputes over women,
territory or honour.
- Due to the shortage of
women, men had to learn to Tango and practice
with each other.
- The Tango was banned as
being politically seditious after it became a
prime unifying factor for the poorest classes.
- As the Tango reached Europe,
it was also banned in Germany and condemned by
the Pope.
- The main musical instrument
of Tango is the Bandoneon; a type of accordion
originally invented in Germany as a substitute
in churches that could not afford an organ.
- In Tango, the lead passes
back and forth between the man and the woman.
The man may offer the lead to the woman. It is
her decision to accept or reject it. The woman
may also seize the lead from the man. He must
then devise a means of regaining it and restoring
his machismo.
- A Tango dancer is called
a Milonguero; from the word Milonga - a forerunner
of the Tango and a place where Tango is danced.
- Tango is impressive, sophisticated
and showy but, despite its image, is also a lot
of fun in easy-to-learn step-by-step classes.
TANGO STYLES
Tango Orillero
This is the authentic and original style of Tango
that originated in the back street bars and cafés
of the Orillas (outskirts) of Buenos Aires. It is
a raw, earthy and compact style requiring little
floor space. The man and woman weave intricate figures
around each other as they step between each others
feet and legs entwine to perform some of the most
sensuous moves.
Tango de Salon
As the Tango migrated from the Orillas (outskirts)
to the salons (ballrooms) of the high class centre
of Buenos Aires, the Tango took on a more formal
and sophisticated feel incorporating walks to make
the dance progress around the room according to
European ballroom conventions.
Show Tango / Tango Fantasia
This style blends both Tango Orillero and Tango
de Salon in a fantasy of Tango choreographed for
the extremely popular series of Tango Shows touring
the world.
Tango Vals - Tango
Waltz
A charming variant of Tango in which the Tango
steps are danced to the rhythm of the Viennese Waltz.
Milonga
Fun and lively, the Milonga was a fore-runner of
the Tango from which the Tango originally borrowed
many of its moves. Now the Milonga is enjoyed as
part of a typical Tango programme.
Tango Dance
Lessons ...
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