Club Dances
Club Dances
Hustle
Hustle originated in the 1970’s Disco Era and was popularized by John Travolta in the movie “Saturday Night Fever.” Both the music and the dance swept the country like wildfire and although the white suits and gold chains have faded away the dance has stayed. It is still one of the most popular nightclub dances today. The Hustle gives us the fusion of Swing and Disco.
HISTORY OF HUSTLE:
Discotheques (Disco) with high quality sound systems, and flashing lights became a popular form of entertainment in Europe and America in the late 1960’s and throughout the 70’s.In the early 1970’s a new dance craze became popular on the crowded dance floors of New York. This “Touch Disco” was called the Hustle. The Hustle marked a return to popular dances where couples danced touching each other. The popularity of modern and “retro” music with “disco” beat keeps this dance fresh, exciting and full of energy for today.
MUSIC:
Disco music is normally written in 2/4 or 4/4 time with a strong bass beat. The melody and beat are based on rhythm and blues and the accent on each of the bass beats makes the music hard to resist.
Zouk
Zouk, more correctly called Brazilian Zouk, is a partner dance that is known for its expressive, fluid movements. Zouk has spread from its birthplace in Brazil to all over the world and is a popular nightclub dance.
HISTORY & CHARACTERISTICS:
Brazilian Zouk is a descendent of the Lambada. As the Lambada’s popularity came to an end in the 1990s, dancers continued to dance the movements but to other music such as the Caribbean music style of Zouk. It is a fast tempo carnival style of music which means ‘Party’, thus the dance became known as the ‘Party Dance’. As the Zouk developed in Brazil, couples began dancing to a slower contemporary music style with a Zouk beat and further defined today’s style of the intimate Zouk.
Zouk combines influences from Lambada, Samba de Gafieira and Bolero in many of its steps and patterns. Watching the Zouk you will see very fluid movements, swaying the hair, waving the upper bodies and stepping softly on the beat. Like other partner dances, the leader not only leads with the hands, but also uses his whole body by shifting weight or changing pressure to indicate movements. Sometimes in a basic sideways movement, it is the hips that move first, followed by the rest of the body, leading to the sensual quality of the dance. The head/hair movements and the ‘cambres’ are very characteristic movements of the Brazilian Zouk.
Salsa
Salsa is the unique blending of traditional Latin sounds and dance steps of the Mambo and the Cha Cha with the freedom and turning actions of Swing and Hustle. A true nightclub dance that fits onto small crowded floors, a real must for Latin social dancing.
HISTORY OF SALSA:
Salsa is the Spanish word for “sauce” denoting a spicy or hot flavor. As a dance it can be danced to a variety of different rhythms. Generically salsa music encompasses many Afro-Latin rhythms driven by the clave (two wooden sticks struck together). Today’s Salsa is the result of many years of rhythmical evolution due to economical, social and political change. Salsa is the national music and dance of Puerto Rico. Many of the Salsa dance patterns are closely related to those of the Mambo.
Bachata
The Bachata is a dance with simple footwork and strong hip movement. The music is romantic in nature and therefore reflects the story of love and heartbreak. Bachata steps involve many optional turns for the lady.
HISTORY OF BACHATA:
The Bachata originated in the countryside of the Dominican Republic. The dance is a direct reflection of the music being played in the night clubs during the 1960’s. The Bachata has close ties to the Cuban Bolero.
MUSIC:
The music of Bachata is the root of the dance. The tempo is slow, approximately 120 beats per minute, and is played in 4/4. Bachata music can be referred to as Latin “blues” music. It usually tells the tale of sadness in love and is the most romantic genre of guitar music this century.
Cha Cha
Cha Cha adds fun to your dancing through its syncopated steps and many open movements. When you can dance many interesting combinations with ease, you and your partner will be able to feel the pulsating Latin rhythms which make this dance so fascinating.
The energetic rhythm of the Cha Cha encourages you to cut loose and let your personality show.
HISTORY OF CHA CHA:
One of the most popular Latin dances in the U.S., the Cha Cha began as a variation of the Mambo called triple Mambo. It was so easy and so much fun, it became the rage of the early 1950’s. It’s infectious one-two, one-two-three, rhythm demands that sitters become dancers. Everybody can learn the Cha Cha.
Merengue
Merenque develops Cuban Motion and the ability to adapt to any partner.
It is the only Latin dance which combines one-step timing with Cuban Motion and therefore is a help to all Latin dances. The march type beat sharpens timing and coordination and the proper use of the accent will develop a clearer interpretation of musical rhythm.
Rumba
Learning the Rumba is a prerequisite for good Latin Dancing. The Cuban Motion is essential in most all Latin dances. The Rumba is used by good dancers everywhere and provides interesting variety suited to a limited space. Neat, attractive, precise footwork gives you confidence in your dancing.
The Rumba will sharpen your sense of rhythm, timing and muscular control.
HISTORY OF RUMBA:
The Rumba was at the beginning of the Cuban and Latin American dance crazes.
Danced to music inspired by African rhythms and Spanish melodies, the Americanized Rumba was the basis for the Mambo and Cha Cha in the U.S. Rumba rhythms have found their way into Country Western, Blues, Rock & Roll and other popular forms of music.
Night Club 2 Step
Have you ever been to a dance where a slow ballad is played? You see the floor empty out and everyone becomes a wallflower. Everyone except you, because you’ve learned The Night Club Two Step! This dance is one that will keep you moving even when the slow ballads are played!
HISTORY & CHARACTERISTICS:
The Night Club Two Step was developed for dancers who want to continue to dance even when a slow ballad is played. Its defined movements allow for a relaxed hold between partners and has a very casual approach to movement. The basic rhythm is 1 & 2, 3 & 4 and begins with a rock-step type action. The most common characteristic movement is the side-cross-side action that completes most figures.
Balboa
The Balboa is a swing dance, which originated in Southern California during the 1920s and enjoyed huge popularity during the 30s and 40s.
Balboa is an 8-count dance that is done mostly in closed position.
The earliest form of the dance (often called “Pure Balboa”) evolved in the mostly conservative dance halls of southern California where space was limited and strict codes of conduct were enforced. These dance halls usually prohibited the wild kicks of the Charleston and swing-outs of Lindy Hop. Pure Balboa is characterized by an upright posture with partners standing chest to chest. Step variations generally play with the rhythm or look and feel (style) from below the knee downwards and deal with changes in direction. Balboa is frequently danced to fast jazz (usually anything from 180 to 320BPM), though many like a slower (170-190 BPM) tempo. While most dancers differentiate between pure Balboa and Bal-Swing, both are considered to be a part of the dance. Bal-Swing evolved from Balboa when original Balboa dancers experimented with fancier variations of the dance which forced the chest to chest connection to be broken. In this form of Balboa a variety of spins, turns, dips, tricks, and even air steps are introduced.
Lindy Hop
HISTORY OF LINDY HOP:
Originally named by Ray Bolger after Colonel Lindbergh’s historic first flight across the Atlantic, this popular Swing style had as much “getting into the air” as possible. The more acrobatic versions were limited to ballrooms, of which the most famous was New York’s Savoy Ballroom in Harlem. Popular musical groups of today have revived interest in the musical styles from the original Lindy Hop era and have fired the imagination and enthusiasm for a whole new generation of Lindy Hop dancers. The acrobatic style used for exhibitions and competition is not necessary for today’s good dancers to enjoy this perennial favorite. The rhythmic patterns take place over two measures of music and can be danced to a variety of musical interpretations.
NOTE:
Related dances are the Charleston, Black Bottom, Shag, Jitterbug and more recently East Coast Swing and West Coast Swing. Many Lindy Hop patterns are used in other Swing Styles to add variety or provide a change of pace.
MUSIC:
Lindy Hop, Swing, Jitterbug, etc are normally written in 2/4 or 4/4 time with the musical accents occurring on the second or second and fourth beats of a measure. Lindy Hop has a general rhythm of 1, 2, 3 & 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 or it’s equivalent. Lindy Hop may be danced comfortably over a wide range of tempos.
CHARACTERISTICS:
Usually danced to faster swing music, Lindy Hop is danced with kicks and flicks of the foot. The more energetic, acrobatic dancers may add “airsteps” to their dancing which were first created in 1935 by a young dancer named Frankie “Musclehead” Manning.