Rumba is the most sensual and most romantic of all Latin dances. It’s a dance that tells a story about love and affection between a male lover and a bashful teasing woman. The Rumba is a slow dance that is said to be the “Grandfather “of the Latin dances and the dance of love. To pull off a great rumba dancers must show a very soft hip. When dancing this dance dancers must never do heels leads all steps are taken using the balls of the feet and the walks should be strong and straight. The original Rumba originated from African slaves during the 16th century but during WW2 another dance known as “The Son” became popular in Cuba it was still the Rumba but slower.
Paso Doble
“Paso Doble” meaning double step in Spanish is the most masculine and dramatic dance of all Latin dances. Traditionally the Paso Doble is about the matador killing the bull in which the man is the matador and the women is either the cape or the bull. This dance is different from other Latin dances because it didn’t come from Latin America it originated from southern France but it is modeled after the drama, movement and sound of the Spanish bullfight, because the dance came from France the steps are in French. In Paso Doble there has to be tension between the dancers and dancers take strong steps forward and include artistic hand movements.
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Samba is a fun, fast and energetic party dance from Brazil’s Rio Carnaval. This dance not like the other ones is made up of different South American dances incorporated into one. It requires a lot of hip action and is meant to look bouncy and effortless. It is the hardest dance of all Latin dances. Samba begun in Brazil in the 19th century and it is performed as a street dance at Brazil’s carnaval. Samba is very popular in Rio and in the United States. It was first introduced in the U.S in 1933. Samba is danced by using the balls of the feet. Many samba dances include a move called Botafogo. The basic step is called a Volta.
Mambo
Sensual, Passionate, fast and all about the hips the Mambo is a fun dance that has Cuban and African rhythms. It originated from the Haitians living in Cuba. Mambo is popular around the world as both a competitive and social dance.
Waltz
The Waltz is danced all over the world whether in weddings, parties or competitions. It is a very elegant dance that is meant to look effortless and graceful. In Waltz your posture, frame, and foot work have to be excellent to make it look pleasant. Throughout the dance couples must rise, fall, and turn while keeping a closed hold. The character for this dance should be romantic, smooth, and gentle. The word Waltz comes from the German word “Waltzen” which means to turn. The Waltz originated in the 17th century in southern Germany and then became popular in France and England.
Tango
Tango is one of the most intriguing Ballroom dances. It’s a very passionate and very seductive dance. Tango is one of the most common and classic ballroom dances worldwide. Most people that watch the tango get easily confused with the argentine tango. Even though the tango is inspired by the argentine tango they are both completely different dances in which the argentine tango is more passionate and fiery while the tango is a more progressive dance. The Tango originated in Buenos Aires, Argentina in the late 19th Century. The story behind the tango is that the Gauchos would ride their horses all day and later would go to the bar and dance with the ladies and since they hadn’t showered they would usually dance with their faces away from each other.
Foxtrot
The Foxtrot is a very classy and very elegant dance. It is similar to the quickstep but slower. It is one of the most popular ballroom dances in history. It’s known for its smooth style. The foxtrot was developed in the 1920s in the United States. It was invented by American vaudeville actor Harry Fox who performed it with his wife regularly at shows in New York. As a result People fell in love with its smooth movements. In Foxtrot the slow steps are performed with the heel while the quick steps are performed with the toe. The timing in foxtrot is very important.
Quickstep
The Quickstep is a fast and happy dance with difficult footwork. It is the fastest ballroom dance but fun and easy to learn. This dance originated in a place that doesn’t exist now-a-days, called Black Bottom in Detroit. During the 1920’s while people danced the foxtrot many bands would play the music too fast for them to keep up and then eventually over time a fast version was formed. Like the Foxtrot Quickstep is elegant. In Quickstep in must include fast kicks, and smooth gliding action. The basic feel of the Quickstep is Slow-Quick-Quick-Slow where the “Quick” is performed on the balls of the feet and the ‘Slow” on the heel. To make this dance look effortless dancers must be light on their feet.
The costumes in dancing are as important as the dance. And like the dance the costumes are complex.
If you have the right music and the right choreography but the wrong costume the whole dance is going to look completely off. The costumes should help tell the story of the dance.
Dance costumes have changed so much since the 19th century women’s dresses have gotten shorter, more revealing and are showier. And men’s trousers were more fitted.
The costumes in dancing take a while to design and make as they are so difficult and often have a lot of patterns and sequences. So shows like Dancing with the stars, strictly come dancing and many more usually design their costumes at least 6 months in advanced. Latin and ballroom dance costumes are completely different from each other. Ballroom dance costumes men were tuxedos sometimes with tails and women wear long-mid half dresses because ballroom costumes can’t be flashy but have to be light, long, and not glitzy so it can highlight the story and style of dance. While the Latin dances have to be short, exotic, and glitzy to show how spicy the dance is. For this type of dance women wear short colorful dresses with a lot of sequences and rhinestones while the men wear shirts and trousers.
The make-up is also important. In ballroom is soft but in Latin it’s more dramatic
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