Dance Styles

American Style Dances

American Rhythm
Cha Cha, Rumba, East Coast Swing, Bolero and Mambo

American Smooth or Ballroom
Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Viennese Waltz

International Style Dances

International Latin
Cha Cha, Rumba, Samba, Paso Doble and Jive

International Standard
Slow Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Slow Foxtrot, Quickstep

Other Dance Styles

Nightclub
Nightclub Two-Step, Hustle

West Coast Swing
West Coast (regular or smooth style)
Lindy

East Coast Swing
Jitterbug (single time swing)
Double Time
Triple Time

Other Varieties in the Swing Family
Lindy Hop
Charleston
Carolina Shag
Collegiate Shag
Balboa

Latin Nightclub
Salsa
Merengue
Cumbia
Bachata
Cha-Cha-Cha
Samba

Dance Notes

DANCE Notes

Favorite Quote: "Live life with love and bravery and we shall lead a life un-common." - Jewel

You can dip me, you can flip me, but please don't trip me!

GUY'S... It is your responsibility to get proper training on how to lead a lady on the floor. You will only be confronted with a small handful of issues...a heavy follow, too light on her feet or possibly even a back lead. She however, is in the dark at the beginning of every dance. It is up to you to lead on time to the music, dance within her ability, keep your head back, eyes up, arms firm but not too strong & even make sure you are not out-stepping her physical capability to keep up. YOU are the lead! Yes, it is alot of work...but the payoff is awesome. Once you are a fabulous lead, you will see your partners beam with joy because you made them feel like they too can dance. If you have not taken time to learn to lead properly, be sure to share this with your partner. Otherwise, you may return her to her seat feeling totally incapable & completely embarassed when it wasn't even her fault to begin with.

DON'T...be a step hog. It is more important to lead properly than to have a bunch of messy steps in your repitoiré. Don't believe me? Ask any lady out there!

DON'T... purchase more lessons than you can reasonably use before the expiration date on your contract. Remember to read all of the fine print on your contract and don't sign it unless you are totally 100% okay with the terms. Personally, I feel that a purchase as you go method is the best. A good instructor will meet your goals without the obligation of a contract.

DO... ask someone to dance by offering your hand & saying something simple, such as "Hi, would you like to dance?" or "I really like this song; would you like to dance a Cha Cha?" This will let the person know that you're not a dance partner hog.

DON'T... throw the lady around and try to get her doing death drops after you've just met. Leave those tricks for when you have an official dance partner and when you've both had proper training. This is a BIG, BIG, NO-NO!!! Think of how humiliating it could be if you pulled her arm out of her socket or even dropped her. Ouch.. not a great way to score points!

DON'T... be one of those meanies who feels the need to tell their partner how awful he/she is doing on the dance floor. Besides being just plain rude, this will only make him/her really nervous. How on earth can they ever let loose and get the courage to try something new, if they are afraid of getting criticized? Think about it. ;)

DO... bring minty gum if you are a smoker or extravagant eater and brushing your teeth is impossible. Remember that you will breathe heavier than normal when dancing. Therefore, exhaling a nice minty fresh odor will at least camouflage nasty breath...sorry to be blunt. Totally necessary!!!

DON'T... drink TOO much alcohol!

DO... get proper training on how to warm up to avoid injuries.

DO... think happy thoughts and smile on the inside while dancing. It will automatically make you look more attractive to everyone who's watching.

DON'T... wear a tube top if your dancing style could include doing dips and tricks. You'll seriously impair your dancing finesse if you have to keep adjusting your top.

Ballroom Dancing: Technique

Ballroom Dancing: Technique

All of the dances are danced line of dance (LOD = counter-clockwise around the dance floor).

American Smooth allows couples to break apart and do side-by-side or open choreography. While dancing International Standard, the couples must remain in contact or closed dance position at all times with very strict rules on the execution of the patterns.

In both styles the frame is fairly wide and close body contact should be used while dancing closed patterns. The feet should be placed in a parallel position. Ex: II