| Rumba |
A ballroom dance of Afro-Cuban folk-dance origin that became internationally popular
in the early 20th century. Best known for the dancers' subtle side to side hip movements
with the torso erect, the rumba is danced with a basic pattern of two quick side steps and
a slow forward step. The music is in 4/4 time - one beat for the first step, one for the
second and two for the third. |
| Cha Cha |
The most popular of the Latin dances Cha Cha is a fast and rhythmic ballroom dance
derived from the Latin-American mambo and having a basic pattern of three steps and a
shuffle, with a rocking of the hips. It originates fron Cuba and was invented in about
1948 by the Cuban violinist (later band leader) Enrique Jorrín and became a craze in the
Americas and Europe after about 5 years. |
| Jive | The Jive originated in the United States of America and was brought to England in World War II by the American Gis. The Rock-n-Roll is also based on the same moves as the Jive, but with an easier, less energetic timing. Both the Jive and Rock-n-Roll are well suited to dancing to what is known as the 'Big Band Sound'.
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| Samba |
A ballroom dance of Brazilian origin, popularized in western Europe and America in the
early 1940s. Its characterized by simple forward and backward steps and tilting, rocking
body movements. Couples, in ballroom position, dance in place or around the floor but
partners may separate to execute variant steps. |
| Mambo |
A ballroom dance of Cuban origin, internationally popular in the late 1940s. It was
performed as an offbeat rumba in which a step taken on the last beat of music is held
through to the first beat of the following measure. Mambo foot patterns are essentially
the same as in the rumba. For the mambo, couples often abandoned the standard ballroom
embrace position and danced holding one hand or without touching. The related cha-cha-cha
of the late 1950s evolved from a rhythmical innovation done on the mambo's offbeat step to
its present form, in which a quick change of step is performed on the last two beats. |