STYLES OF DANCE
SALSA BASICS
Starting with the basics! In our beginning Salsa class you will learn the fundamental elements of Salsa dancing. This class will include musicality & rhythm, the basic footwork, and the introduction to lead and follow. You will also learn some of the basic steps that are the building blocks for Salsa dancing. This class will give you the confidence to social dance while having a blast!
SALSA I
Go a bit further with your music and rhythm skills! We also take the patterns up a level in the intermediate class. You will learn to add on to the patterns that you learned in your beginning classes. We also will be elaborating many of the lead and follow techniques, as well as some styling and shining.
SALSA II
This class will teach you how to mix steps and have endless variety of patterns. We will concentrate on lead and follow techniques so you could perform“smooth” transitions from step to step. We will continue to teach turns techniques.
INTERNATIONAL LATIN & RHYTHM DANCES
CHA CHA
The cha-cha is a popular, social Latin dance. Lively and flirtatious, the cha-cha is full of passion and energy. The cha-cha is a vibrant, flamboyant and playful dance. The light and bubbly feel of the cha-cha gives it a unique sense of fun. The cha-cha requires small steps and lots of hip motion (Cuban motion), as it is danced in 4/4 time.
JIVE
Jive is a lively, and uninhibited variation of the jitterbug. Many of its basic patterns are similar to those of the East Coast swing. Jive is one of the five International Latin dances, although it has an African-American origin.
PASO DOBLE
The Paso Doble, or Pasodoble, is a lively dance modeled after the drama of the Spanish bullfight. In Spanish, "Paso Doble" means "two-step" and refers to the marching nature of the steps. This theatrical dance has an interesting background that involves role-playing of sorts.
RUMBA
The Rumba is a very slow, serious, romantic dance that exudes flirtation between the partners -- good chemistry makes the movements even more impactful. The dance is fun to watch, as many of its basic dance figures of the dance have a teasing theme in which the lady flirts with and then rejects her male partner, often with apparent sexual aggression. The Rumba spotlights the lady's rhythmic body movements and hip actions resulting in intense -- almost steamy -- scenes of passion.
SAMBA
Before samba became a ballroom dance style, there were many styles of partner dances as well as solo samba dances. As with the solo samba, partnered ballroom samba has a quick beat that requires fast footwork. Over the years, the samba has incorporated elaborate tricks, turns and acrobatic feats into its basic set of figures. The main characteristics of the samba are rapid steps taken on quarter beats and a rocking, sexy swaying motion of the dancers.
MAMBO
A ballroom dance of Cuban origin that resembles the rumba and the cha-cha. It is termed "mambo on 2" because the break, or direction change, in the basic step occurs on count 2. The dance known as Mambo is one of the competition dances in American Rhythm ballroom dance category.
BOLERO
The dance known as Bolero is one of the competition dances in American Rhythm ballroom dance category. The first step is typically taken on the first beat, held during the second beat with two more steps falling on beats three and four (cued as "slow-quick-quick"). In competitive dance the music is in 4 time and will range between 96 and 104 bpm. This dance is quite different from the other American Rhythm dances in that it not only requires cuban motion but rises and falls such as found in waltz and contra body movement. Popular music for this dance style need not be Latin in origin.
STANDARD & SMOOTH DANCES
QUICKSTEP
Much like a fast version of the Foxtrot, the Quickstep is a ballroom dance style composed of extremely quick stepping and syncopated feet rhythms in time to fast-paced music. Although difficult to master and perform, the Quickstep is lots of fun to watch.
TANGO
One of the most fascinating of all dances, the tango is a sensual ballroom dance that originated in Buenos Aires, Argentina in the early twentieth century. The tango dance is usually performed by a man and a woman, expressing an element of romance in their synchronized movements. Originally, the tango was performed only by women, but once it spread beyond Buenos Aires, it developed into a dance for couples.
ARGENTINE TANGO
Learn how to Tango! Argentine Tango is a fun and challenging dance! In our beginning class we go over the basics of music, and footwork, as well as partnering. In this class you will also learn about the unique embrace and styling!
VIENNESSE WALTZ
The Viennese Waltz is the classic, original Waltz often featured in old films. The elegance and charm of the Viennese Waltz remind us of glamorous balls in the palaces of Europe. A waltzing couple rotates around the floor, revolving gracefully around each other. The Viennese Waltz is a quick, rotating dance, much faster-paced than the classic, slow Waltz. This simplified social version is a beautiful, non-strenuous dance that dancers of all abilities can enjoy.
FOXTROT
The slow foxtrot is a favorite among many ballroom dancers. Think about the smooth dancing of Fred and Ginger. Because of its elegance, it is often referred to as the smoothest of the standard dances. Once you learn the foxtrot, you really feel like a dancer. The quicker version of the foxtrot developed into the quickstep, leaving the slow foxtrot with the name of foxtrot.
WALTZ
The Waltz is danced all over the world. It was introduced in the Royal Courts Of Europe, and is known for it’s unique 3 beats-to-a-measure count. It is a romantic dance and at one time was considered to be a sinful dance because the dancers embraced each other. It is by far the most popular wedding dance.
SWING
Swing is a fast-paced, joyful dance that became popular when 50’s rock & roll was all the rage. Whether you are going to a wedding or posh super club, your company Christmas party, or a Retro night out – you have a chance to swing. We teach the popular patterns and partnership skills.