LINDY / SWING – The Lindy picked up where the Charleston left off. It had “swing-outs,” “break-aways” and “shine steps.” With the birth of Swing music in the mid-1930s, the Lindy climbed the social ladder. The dance craze swept the nation, depending on where you lived, it was the Jitterbug, the Lindy or the Swing.
MAMBO – In the 1940s Americans became fascinated by Latin American rhythms. The Mambo combined American Jazz with Afro-Cuban beat. For dancers, the Mambo was an exciting challenge. Arthur Murray Studios became famous for turning out the best Mambo dancers of the Era.
CHA CHA – Probably the most popular Latin dance in the US, the Cha Cha began as part of the Mambo. It was so easy and so much fun, it became the rage of the early 1950s. Its infectious one-two, one-two-three rhythm demands that sitters become dancers.
SALSA – Salsa is the Spanish word for “sauce” denoting a spicy or hot flavor. As a dance, it can be danced to a variety of rhythms. There is the ‘L.A.’ or ‘On-1 Style’ breaking on the 1 beat. And the ‘New York’ or ‘On-2 Style’ which breaks on the 2 and 6 beats of the music. Generally, salsa music encompasses many Afro-Latin rhythms driven by the clave (two wooden sticks struck together). Many of the Salsa patterns are closely related to those of the Mambo.
RUMBA – The Rumba began the Cuban and Latin American dance crazes. Danced to music inspired by African rhythms and Spanish melodies, the Americanized Rumba was the basis for the Mambo and Cha Cha in the U.S.
WEST COAST SWING – First called the “Sophisticated Swing” in the 1940s Arthur Murray himself developed and documented several swing steps. This was the beginning of what is now called West Coast Swing. Today there are over 5000 documented West Coast Swing step patterns and more are added every year. This dance is considered a “living dance” in that it is constantly evolving, growing and changing to the music styles currently in vogue.
MERENGUE – The exciting rhythms of the Merengue inspire dancers all over the world to move to the intoxicating beat. There are two schools of thought as to how this captivating dance began. One says it started as a peasant dance in the Dominican Republic by African slaves. The dragging of one leg relieved the chafing of leg irons. Another says a returning war hero, a General Maringie, danced, dragging an injured leg. Wherever it began, the Merengue is an exciting Latin dance that is Fun.
SAMBA – The national dance of Brazil, often called, “The South American Waltz” became the rage of Brazilian society in the 1930s but began as an exhibition dance in Paris in 1905.
SMOOTH DANCING
TANGO – The Argentine Tango began in the West Indies and found it’s way to Argentina where it was stylized by the Gauchos to its present form. Today it is considered the “Dancer’s Dance” and is a favorite of all who learn it.
WALTZ – The Waltz began in 17th century southern Germany. The popularity of the Waltz grew with the music of Johann Strauss and eventually blossomed in the 20th century as the Hesitation Waltz. It is the basis for many dances and is popular today all over the world.
FOXTROT – In 1913 Harry Fox, a Vaudeville comedian, introduced a Trot to a ragtime song in the 1913 Ziegfeld Follies that pushed other Trots into the background. It became America’s most popular dance and remains today as the standard of social dances.
