WHAT IS LATIN DANCE?
Known for its sensual hip action and sexy flair, Latin dance is gaining popularity on dance floors everywhere. Movies about Latin dancing, ones that portray the beauty of the art of Latin dancing, seem to be favorites among dancers and non-dancers alike. Besides being a staple in the ballroom, many Latin dances are also being taken to country-western dance floors. Learning Latin dances is fairly easy, as most of the dances are made up of the same basic foot steps.Latin Dance Basics:The term “Latin dance” may be used in two different ways: to denote dances that originated in Latin America and to name a category of International style ballroom dances.Many popular dances originated in Latin America, and so are referred to as Latin dances. International Latin is the name of a category of International style ballroom dances. International Latin consists of the following five dances: Cha-Cha, Rumba, Samba, Paso Doble and Jive. These dances are now performed all over the world as Latin-American dances in international DanceSport competitions, as well as being danced socially.International Latin Dances:
Cha-Cha:
Energetic and sassy, the Cha-Cha is danced to authentic Latin music or Latin Pop. It is an offshoot of the Mambo.
Rumba:
The Rumba is known as the “dance of love.” Danced to romantic, Latin love songs, it is fun and quite easy to learn.
Samba:
Often difficult to master, the Samba is a lively Brazilian dance consisting of many jumps and turns. The Samba is an extremely fast dance.
Paso Doble:
Meaning “two step” in Spanish, Pasa Doble is a lively, march-like dance with significantly less hip movement.
Jive
