Some of the popular Afro-Latin social dances include Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, Kizumba and Argentine Tango. American social dances are based on the various swing forms such as Lindy Hop, East and West Coast Swing. Disco forms consist of Disco Hustle and Night Club Two Step. Country Western social dances add Two Step and Double Shuffle.
Afro-Latin
Salsa
is a popular form of social dance originating in Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Columbia. It was brought to the USA by Latin American immigrants and is danced to music that is a mixture of Afro Cuban folk with Jazz . The movements of Salsa are a combination of the Afro-Cuban dances Son, cha-cha-cha, Mambo, Rumba, and the Danzón.
Bachata
was generally considered a Latin ‘slow dance’ but has recently gained popularity in the west as a sensual dance with various complex movement patterns. It’s music originated in the Dominican Republic in the first half of the 20th century with Indigenous, African and European musical elements.
Bachata originates from Bolero and Son dances of Latin America.
Merengue
is a style of Dominican music and dance. It is a fast paced and intimate dance with 2/4 beat. Usually the first to be taught to beginners due to its relatively simple marching foot patterns permitting various complex and exciting partnering positions.
Kizumba
is a genre of Angolan dance and a musical genre developed in 1980s. Relatively unknown in the west until recent years when it sprung to popularity alongside other Afrocarribean genres including Reggaeton and Zouk. It is a slow intimate dance characterized by fluid undulating pelvic movements.
Argentine Tango
originated in the slums of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The official story tells us that male immigrant workers would gather in the brothels and dance with each other to gain the attention of the desired courtesans who would then dance with the ‘winner’ of the dance. After becoming popular around the world it was adopted by the higher classes as a new social dance form. It is known for its dramatically stoic presentation and intimate embrace.
Swing
Lindy Hop
is an American dance coming out of Harlem, New York City, in the 1930s and 1940s. Very popular during the Swing Era it was a fusion of Jazz, Tap, and Charleston. It is danced to Big Band swing music and includes rhythmical partnering movements involving kicks, jumps, and lifts.
East Coast Swing
or Jive is a derivative of Lindy Hop that was codified and simplified for teaching purposes in the early 20th century. It uses a swinging action of the hips and kicks as well as rock steps as its basis. The music is usually quite fast with a 6/8 tempo used by the dancers.
West Coast Swing
is also a derivative of Lindy Hop but is very different in character and content to its parent dance. It is a much more grounded style that uses partnering connection to create impressive turns and dips for follower while allowing the leader to remain in control. It can be danced to any 4/4 rhythm and is said to be originate in California.
Disco
Hustle
, was invented by Puerto Rican teenagers in New York and spread around the United States after the release of the movie ‘Saturday Night Fever’. It is a partnering form of Disco dancing popular during the 1970s. Today it is enjoying a resurrection in the Hip Hop community who have developed new approach to this lively dance.
Night Club Two Step
a popular form of social dance as a slow form of disco partnering. It is frequently danced to mid-tempo ballads in 4/4 time that have a characteristic quick-quick-slow beat.
Country
Two Step
is the most widely know of the Country Western dances. It is said to have originated in Texas and consists of two quick and two slow steps to relatively fast country music with the couple continuously moving around the floor. It is not overtly structured except for the various positions and timing necessary for partnering skills.
Double Shuffle
is a derivative of Two Step which utilizes two triple steps and two walking steps to move around the floor. It is typically danced to slow to medium tempo country swing music and uses similar patterns to east coast swing and two step.
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