www.newageballroom.com

Style

International Style

International style ballroom dance is enjoyed recreationally and competitively all over the world. There are ten dances

in two groups that make up International ballroom dancing, or as some people like to call it DanceSport. The first group

is International Standard, and the second group is International Latin. Standard dances travel gracefully around the

floor while the dancers remain in dance frame and body contact. Standard dances are smooth, elegant, and refined.

The Standard group consists of Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, and Quickstep. In the International Latin

Samba, Cha Cha, Rumba, Paso Double and Jive.

Waltz

Waltz is a smooth progressive dance characterized by long, flowing movements, continuous turns, sway, and rise and

fall. Graceful and elegant, Waltz glides around the floor almost effortlessly. The slow, expressive quality of the music

often invites very powerful and dynamic movement from dancers.

Tango

International Standard Tango has its roots in Argentine Tango, but is deeply influenced by European culture and music.

Danced in closed position, Tango is known for its drama, fast directional changes, and staccato movements. Tango is

by far the most passionate of the Standard dances.

Viennese Waltz

What is now called the Viennese Waltz is actually the original form of the Waltz. It is a truly romantic dance, most

commonly thought of as the “Cinderella” Waltz. The Viennese Waltz is almost mesmerizing, as the dancers are

constantly turning either toward the leader’s right or toward the leader’s left. A true Viennese Waltz consists only of

turns and change steps.

Foxtrot

Foxtrot is a dance of grace and style, which is customarily danced to Jazz, and the same Big Band music to which

Swing is also danced. The Foxtrot of the Standard category is elegantly built around a slow-quick-quick rhythm. It is a

smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor.

Quickstep

Quickstep is fun and energetic, and is danced to the fastest tempo of all the ballroom dances. From its early beginning

as a faster Foxtrot, the Quickstep gradually evolved into a very dynamic dance with a lot of movement on the dance

floor, with many advanced patterns including hops, runs, quick steps with a lot of momentum, and rotation.

Cha Cha

The Cha Cha is a dance of Cuban origin, but today’s International Latin Cha Cha has a style all its own. Cha Cha is

fast, flirtatious, and sexy, and can be danced to Latin, Pop, Dance, and a variety of other musical styles. Cha Cha is

based on Cuban Motion of the hips, and quick, precise footwork.

Samba

Samba is a fun, lively, rhythmical dance. It is related to the traditional Samba styles of Brazil, but differs from them

considerably, as most steps are danced with a slight downward bouncing or dropping action. The constant circular hip

movements in Samba set it apart from the other Latin dances, and give it a festive and exotic energy.

Rumba

Rumba is the slowest of the five competitive International Latin dances. Rumba is a love story, it is a romantic and

emotional dance. It is dynamic, with long lines and extensions, as well as Cuban Motion in the hips, and a very close

connection between the dancers.

Paso Double

Paso Double is a theatrical dance, and is usually quite serious and dramatic. Paso Doble is based on music played at

bullfights during the bullfighters’ entrance, or during the passes just before the kill. The leader of this dance plays the

part of the matador. The follower generally plays the part of the matador’s cape, the shadow of the matador, the bull, or

even a flamenco dancer.

Jive

Jive is a dance style that originated in the United States with African-American social dances in the early 1930′s. Jive is

a lively and uninhibited variation of the Jitterbug, a form of Swing dance. Many of its basic

patterns are similar to those

of East Coast Swing, with a faster rhythm, higher kicks, and far more

complex footwork. The high energy and fun of

Jive make it infectious and exciting.

American Style

Very popular In the United States and Canada there is the American Style, there are two groups American Smooth and

American Rhythm. The American Smooth consist of Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot and Viennese Waltz, the dance technique

used for both International and American styles is similar, but International Ballroom allows only close dance positions

whereas American Smooth allows closed, open and separated dance movements. In addition, different sets of dance

figures are usually taught for the two styles. In the American Rhythm group there are Cha Cha, Rumba, Swing, Bolero

and Mambo. International Latin and American Rhythm have different styling, and have different dance figures in their

respective syllabi.

Argentin Tango

Originating at the ending of 19th century in the suburbs of Buenos Aires and Montevideo Uruguay, it quickly grew in

popularity and spread internationally. Argentine Tango is danced in an embrace that can vary from very connect at

arm’s length, to very closed, in which the connection is chest to chest, or

anywhere in between. Dancing appropriately

to the emotion and speed of a tango is extremely

important to transmit the real character of this dance.

We are a well-rounded ballroom dance studio, where most of our students pursue social dancing skills, have fun,

make new friends, and enjoy all the health and social benefits of learning to dance. We teach smooth and rhythm dances,

and our instructors will help you gain the leading and following skills you need to be a successful social dancer.

Following the different Style that you will can know in the our Studio: