| Style |
Dance |
Description |
| American Smooth |
Waltz |
The oldest competitive dance leading to the genesis of modern-day ballroom dance. |
|
Tango |
A passionate Smooth dance originating in Cuba and then refined in Argentina. |
|
Foxtrot |
A syncopated rag-time dance started in the 1910’s by vaudeville comedian Harry Fox. |
|
Viennese Waltz |
The original waltz dance based on the music of Johan Strauss II and the predecessor to Smooth and International waltzes. |
| American Rhythm |
Cha Cha |
Designed in the 1950’s as a slower version of the Cuban Mambo and now a mainstay of social and competitive dance. |
|
Rumba |
An offshoot of the Afro-Cuban dance known as son. Rumba started in the city of Matanzas, Cuba, a city known in the middle 1800s as a gathering place for musicians and writers. |
|
East Coast Swing |
A modern derivation of swing dances usable for many “rock” songs of a faster pace. |
|
Bolero |
A slow dance which originated as one of two forms of Rumba. Slower tempo than Rumba. |
|
Mambo |
An American Rhythm dance similar to Salsa characterized by starting on the second beat of the song. |
| International Standard |
Waltz |
The International version of Waltz which mandates that the dancers remain in Closed Position. |
|
Tango |
The International version of Tango which mandates that the dancers remain in Closed Position. |
|
Foxtrot |
The International version of Foxtrot which mandates that the dancers remain in Closed Position. |
|
Quickstep |
An International Standard dance akin to a very fast Foxtrot. |
|
Viennese Waltz |
The International version of Viennese Waltz which mandates that the dancers remain in Closed Position. |
| International Latin |
Cha Cha |
The International version of Cha Cha, danced at a faster tempo. |
|
Samba |
A Brazilian dance executed in 2/4 time and part of both American and International styles. |
|
Rumba |
The International version of Rumba, danced at a slower tempo. |
|
Paso Doble |
A marching dance where the Leader plays the role of a matador in a bull fight and the Responder plays the role of his cape. |
|
Jive |
The International version of East Coast Swing, danced at a faster tempo. |
| Swing |
Lindy Hop |
A swing dance originating in New York in the 1920’s named after the legendary aviator Charles Lindbergh. |
|
East Coast Swing |
A modern derivation of swing dances usable for many “rock” songs of a faster pace. |
|
West Coast Swing |
An improvisational dance derived from the Lindy Hop executed with elastic movements in a slotted area of the dance floor. |
| Club |
Salsa |
Salsa originates from the Cuban Son dance and is a fast and popular club dance danced to a 1-2-3, 5-6-7 tempo with holds on the 4 and 8 counts. |
|
Merengue |
A Latin marching dance from the Dominican Republic which employs Cuban Motion in multiple patterns using 8-count steps. |
|
Bachata |
This dance from the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean is a basic dance sequence in a full 8 count moving within a square. |
|
Hustle |
A faster swing dance based on the “disco ’70s”. Hustle is characterized by fast and fancy spins and turns for the responder. |
|
Nightclub Two Step |
A slow and expressive dance created in the 1960’s danced in a Slow-Quick-Quick time. The classic “slow dance” at a disco. |
| Country & Western |
Two Step |
The country/western two-step, often called the “Texas two-step” or simply the “two-step,” is a country/western dance usually danced to country music. |
|
Cha Cha |
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Waltz |
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Polka |
A fast and lively Bohemian dance of Polish origin with patterns containing three steps and a hop. |
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