Bolero: A slow Latin dance
which originated as a form of Rumba, and still shares many of the same figures.
Bolero differs from Rumba in its tempo and style of music and movement.
Mambo: A fast Latin dance, similar to Salsa, which comes from Cuba. Mambo was
brought to America in the 1940's and 50's and eventually adapted as an American
style ballroom dance. Most of the movements emphasize the second beat in the
measure, suggestive of the Clave rhythm which is fundamental to Mambo
music.
Salsa: A popular Latin nightclub dance
which evolved as a modified form of Mambo.
Merengue:
An energetic Latin-style march which originated in the
Dominican Republic, which emphasizes a straight-ahead 8-count rhythm taken with
Cuban Motion. Merengue is now also a subset of the modern club-style Salsa
dances.
Line Dancing: A type of
non-partner dancing, primarily associated with the Country & Western genre,
where a group of people will dance through a pre-choreographed sequence of
movements in unison. The choreography is generally simple, as it is intended for
mass-consumption. Examples of Line Dances are the Electric Slide, the
Tush-Push, and the Slappin'
Leather.
Lindy (Lindy Hop):
The grandfather of all forms of Swing, named after Charles
Lindberg, and originating at the Savoy ballroom in the 1930's as a modified form
of Charleston done in dance position. Lindy Hop is currently enjoying a revival
with a new generation of swing clubs, musicians, and dancers.
East Coast Swing: A subset of Swing derived
from Lindy Hop and Jitterbug, making use of refined (American Style) ballroom
technique.
West Coast Swing:
A slotted swing dance in 4/4 time, characterized by its
smooth and linear style.
Jitterbug:
An older style of Swing danced in single-rhythm, to very
fast big band jazz music of the thirties and forties.
Cabaret: A special single-dance division of Dancesoprt in which couples dance an
exhibition-style piece to their own selection of music. The dance may
incorporate lifts and/or drops, and is not limited to the pre-defined dance
styles such as Smooth or Latin.
Exhibition Ballroom
Dancing: The performing of ballroom dances in a stylized,
theatrical presentation.
