3. Paso-Doble
Pasodoble which means double-step in Spanish, is a fast-paced Spanish military march used by infantry troops. This march gave rise to a traditional Spanish dance, a musical genre including both voice and instruments, and a genre of instrumental music often played during the bullfight. Both the dance and the non-martial compositions are called Pasodoble.
With its sharp, quick movements, Paso Doble takes up a lot of space and hence it is more of a show dance than social dancing. Many Pasodoble songs are variations of España Cañi which has breaks or “highlights” in fixed positions in the song. Highlights emphasize music and the dancers strike a dramatic pose which they hold until the end of the highlight. Traditionally, Pasodoble routines are choreographed to match these highlights, as well as musical phrases. This dance form fills the audience with energy and awe!
4. Tango :
Tango is a partner dance, and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border between Argentina and Uruguay. It was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries, where natives mixed with slave and European immigrant populations. Tango has been called the dance of ‘Sorrow’. It represents frustrated love and human fatality, although originally the dance was not so deep and serious. The original tango music had no lyrics to it and the dances were mostly improvised and in some cases were almost a combination of dance and wordless theatre. It is said that the intimate, soulful, sensual and comforting nature of tango reflects and serves their deep, inward, human needs.
5. Salsa :
Salsa is an amalgamation of Cuban dances that were popular in the ballrooms and nightclubs of Havana by the end of the 1950s. Different regions of Latin America and the United States have distinct salsa styles of their own, such as Cuban, Puerto Rican, Cali Colombia, L.A. and New York styles. Salsa has lived through eras and is still prominent in the form of dance socials which are commonly held in nightclubs, bars, ballrooms, restaurants, and outside, especially when part of an outdoor festival. In many styles of salsa dancing, as a dancer shifts their weight by stepping, the upper body remains level and nearly unaffected by the weight changes. Weight shifts cause the hips to move. Arm and shoulder movements are also incorporated. Salsa is a quick dance and it requires you to have great coordination and chemistry with your partner!
6. Bachata :
One of the most sensual and embracing dance forms, Bachata is a famous style in social dancing eves. Often referred to in the West as ‘authentic or Dominican’ bachata, the original social dance was created in the Dominican Republic during the 1960s and was danced only in a closed position, like the bolero, often in close embrace. It is said that the most sensual form was created in Cádiz, Andalusia, Spain by Korke Escalona and Judith Cordero. This dance style has a very slow beat yet quick movements that are lead by the man usually and the woman follows the lead. It has become an independent dance form with strict principles of leading and following, with mostly circular movements and body waves, but also body isolations and dips when the dancers feel the music calls for it. It is a great sight to witness the dance steps of the partners go hand in hand with the music.