Nightclub Two Step, sometimes known as Disco Two Step or California Two Step was developed by Buddy Schwimmer in the 1960s. It was known as a Disco couples dance. Nightclub Two Step is characterized by a 5th position break and large side step in a relaxed dance hold. Nightclub is...
Merengue
Merengue is the national dance of the Dominican Republic, originating in the 1800s. Merengue is an easy and fun dance where a dancer steps on every beat of the music. The music is in 4/4 time, featuring acoustic instrumentation, especially the guitar and accordion. The dance has a marching feel...
Mambo
Mambo developed from the Cuban dance Danzon, and was heavily influenced by Cuban Haitians and American Jazz in the 1940s. Characterized by strong Cuban Motion, Mambo is fast and spicy, with staccato movement and expression of rhythm throughout the body. Mambo is danced in 4/4 time, Mambo music features a...
Lindy Hop
Lindy Hop is an American dance created by African Americans in Harlem, New York in 1928. The dance is a fusion of other dances from the 1920’s, mainly jazz, tap, breakaway, and Charleston. Lindy Hop was danced in 4/4 time to jazz and swing music and was extremely popular in...
Jive
The Jive originated with African-Americans in the United States in the early 1930s. The dance was born out of Jitterbug, another form of Swing dancing that was especially popular with the young. The Jive is a fast, happy, and boppy dance with lifted knees and rocking of the hips. It...
Jitterbug
Jitterbug was popularized by African Americans in the early part of the 20th century. It is related to Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing, and Jive. Danced in 4/4 time, Jitterbug is a dance that adapted well to faster Swing music and early rock and roll with it’s simple steps. There...
Hustle
The Hustle is a catchall name that refers to several popular disco dances from the 1970s. The Hustle is danced in 4/4 time but counted in “threes”. When Hustle was introduced, it was danced to slower disco music, but as the style became more popular in nightclubs and Discotheques in...
Foxtrot
In 1914, Harry Fox danced his version of trotting on the stage of the Ziegfield Follies. Soon after it was popularized in New York in the 1930’s and became the more refined dance we know it as today when it traveled to England. The English smoothed out the dance and...
East Coast Swing
In the 1940s there was a market for Swing Dancing, largely attributed to the Lindy Hop craze, but dance studios found Lindy Hop too difficult for beginner dancers. As a result, Dance Studios tamed and adapted Eastern Swing (later known as East Coast Swing) to include more simplified footwork. Danced...
Country Two Step
Country Two Step is danced to 4/4 time music, typically to Country music, often with a fiddle and guitar. It is generally a fast dance with many turns for the follower. Country Two Step is known by many names, Country Western Two Step, Texas Two Step, and Two Step. There...