Ballroom DancesA Simple Guide to the 10 Traditional Dances of Ballroom Dance

Learning the most widely known partner dances can make you a star in any social gathering, and bring some fun and culture to your life at the same time. When you sign up for ballroom dance lessons, the information in this post can help you understand more about the various types of ballroom dance. When someone refers to the “International Ballroom” style of dance, for example, they are talking about 10 different dances. Below you will find a simple explanation of the top ten most popular styles of  ballroom dance:

Waltz

This is the most commonly thought-of dance when someone mentions ballroom dancing. It is 28 bars per minute, done in 3/4 time, and it can be fairly romantic.

Tango

Ballroom tango is different when compared with Argentine tango. It has a 2/4 time signature, and it is 32 bars per minute. While ballroom tango can certainly be romantic, sensual might be a better word to describe this popular dance.

Foxtrot

This is an all-American dance set to jazz music and can be fast or slow depending on the band.

Quickstep

This dance is inspired by the foxtrot, but it takes on a much quicker tempo, hence the name.

Viennese Waltz

As soon as the 3/4 time music starts, the ballroom studio will become ablaze with the quick and passionate flow of this ‘old school’ waltz.

International Latin Samba

A bouncy dance that is partnered for competitions, but as the national dance of Brazil, it is solo.

Cha-Cha

This flirtatious dance can be thought of as a slower mamba. Much hip movement will be involved.

Rumba

Many people consider the rumba to be the most passionate and romantic dance on this list. It is incredibly complex and involves many different hip movements.

Jive

A spicy swing dance set to big band music in which the man leads and the women encourage more men to ask them to dance.

Paso Doble

The man dances as if he was a bull, and the woman as if she was a bullfighter.