This romantic dance is a fusion evolving from folk dances in Spain and Afro-Cuban dances arriving to the United States in the mid-1930s. Spanish Bolero originated in Spain in 1770s as a fusion of popular social dances and ballet extensively evolving throughout to the 1900s. The Cuban Bolero originated in Santiago Cuba at the end of the 19th century becoming the “Cuban Dance of Love” with its slower, dream-like, romantic musical tempos. Traditionally, associated with Spanish love songs, this sensuous dance is a mixture of tango, waltz, and rumba. Its movements are slow, smooth, with rise and fall, dramatic arm styling and gliding movements.

This dance is for all you cool cats out there! Named for vaudeville star Harry Fox and originally danced to ragtime music, the foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous movements across the dance floor. Its walk-like elements make it easy to unlock the skills to master other ballroom dances.

Get ready to move, move, move as this is the fastest of the Latin ballroom dances! Jive originated in the United States by the African American culture, influenced by Boogie, Lindy and Rock & Roll. This lively variation of the Jitterbug is highly energetic with high pumping knees and fast feet with kicks and flicks. This was first musically demonstrated by the ever-popular musician Cab Calloway in 1934 and became popular in the U.S. in the 1940s.

Get your shimmy on! Based off-street dancing and feeling the music, Mambo originated from Cuba emerging in the 1940s and popularized in New York in the late 1960s. This feel-good, fancy feet dance is considered the “most fashionable Latin Dance.” It is very similar to Salsa and is often called “Salsa on 2” based on its varying movement break on the “second beat.”

Awe your audience with this light-hearted, fast dance with powerful flow and fun musical accents! This is very energetic as dancers appear light on their feet while maintaining the effortless elegance, smooth movements, and glamour. English in origin, Quick Step evolved in the 1920s featuring hops, runs, momentum and rotation. Originally developed and danced to Ragtime Era Jazz music, the tempo very brisk!

Salsa is danced at nightclubs across the world! Salsa music and dance were born in Cuba in the 1900s. Visitors to Cuba fell in love with the music and dance expanding Salsa to the United States. Salsa was further developed in the 1960s by Puerto Ricans living in New York. The simple back and forward steps and figure-eight hip motions are quick to learn and look as great in the ballroom as they do in the club.

Fun and flirty, this rhythm dance began in African – American communities in the 1920s–1940s centered at the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. Named after the swinging style of jazz music which inspired the dance, Swing is an upbeat dance with quick triple-step movements and a bouncy vigor.

Born in the suburbs of Vienna Austria, this is the oldest of the ballroom dances dating back to the 13th century. Initially a dance of scandal due to close body contact this was once called the “Forbidden Dance.” Gaining popularity, it evolved into the dance of the elite, and is now one of the most popular of all ballroom dances around the world. Viennese waltz, faster in tempo, circles the floor with constant quick rotations and beautiful flowing motions.

Slinky, social and adaptive, West Coast Swing roots hearken back to an earlier dance known as the Savoy Style Lindy, formally performed at the Savoy Ballroom in New York in the early 1930’s. It became the official California State Dance in 1988 and today is danced widely throughout the United States and Canada. West Coast Swing evolved throughout the years as a smoother, bluesier, sexier version of Lindy Hop, that adopts the music and movement trends of each decade.