Cha-Cha - Syncopated rhythm,
strong use of Cuban motion and feet. Adaptable to contemporary music.
Ballroom, Latin, Country, Western and Club variations show its versatility.
Rumba - A romantic dance where
the basic pattern is the same box step as the Waltz, only danced as
slow-quick-quick. A more subtle Cuban motion and arm styling is used.
Older generations may know it as "Bossa Nova".
Salsa - This is one of the most popular club
dances. It plays to fast, fiery music, and strong percussion dominate
this dance. Great foot and body control is required as the music
is generally very fast. This is one of the most requested dances.
Mambo - Similar to Salsa except
that all the breaks occur on the #2 beat in Mambo, whereas it occurs
on the #1 beat in Salsa.
Bolero - By far the most expressive
and romantic dance. The very slow music allows for more timing variations
and body style as compared to other dances. This is considered to
be the most elegant Latin dance.
Merengue - Many people see
this dance as a march. All stops are based on an eight count basic.
This is a good dance to develop the Cuban motion. Leg and foot action
are required for the other Latin dances.
Samba - Infectious music makes
this a great dance to learn, but totally different use of legs and
footwork versus the other dances makes this a challenge. The ballroom
style of Samba is radically different to the Samba seen in Carnival
in Brazil.