Ballroom Dancing consists of several traditional Latin and Western styles of partner dancing including Swing, Bachata, Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Salsa and Samba. Ballroom dancing styles are meant to be smooth and rhythmic which can only be achieved when partners work together.
Want to find out if Ballroom dancing is for you? Not sure which style? Or simply want to try something new to keep fit?
Ballroom dancing is incredibly fun, has many social and health benefits, is a great way to meet new people and can really help a couple bond over something new and exciting.
There are many benefits to Ballroom Dancing and we will look at both the social and health benefits.
Ballroom Dancing all starts with your first baby steps towards dancing like a pro! Joining a reputable dance school and jumping in the deep-end is simply the best way to start learning. An experienced dance school will have structured beginner programs. to improve how fast you progress and ensure the learning experience is more enjoyable.
CareToDance offers many different first time programs catered to individual needs and ambitions. No one is born a pro and our teachers understand that each individual learns differently. That is why our specialised instructors know what to look for to improve individual technique.
There are many different styles that are considered ballroom dance styles including:
All of these styles are taught at CareToDance. We have a variety of instructors that specialise in certain styles to ensure you’re getting the best training in Sydney.
At CareToDance we pride ourselves on offering personalised lessons for every type of student. Our beginners who start as social dancers and want to progress, are invited to join our Beginner Programs.
To see our Students perform different styles of Ballroom Dancing, scroll down. All these different styles are currently taught at CareToDance.
To the untrained eye our students might even come across as seasoned dancers, but many of them had only taken classes for a few months before performing in the videos you are about to see.
Cha-cha-cha is danced to authentic Cuban music, although in ballroom it is often danced to Latin Pop or Latin Rock. The music for the cha-cha-cha is energetic with a steady beat.
Cha-cha-cha Music:
Tito Puente – Oye Como Va
Santana – Black Magic Woman
The Hustle is a catchall name for some disco dances which were extremely popular in the 1970s. Today it mostly refers to the unique partner dance done to disco music. It has some strong features in common with Swing.
Hustle Music:
Alexandra Stan – Saxobeat
Pharrell Williams – Happy
The Foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is danced to big band (usually vocal) music and it’s the first dance that permitted people to hold each other closer than arm’s length.
Foxtrot Music:
Michael Bublé – All Of Me
Harry Connick Jnr – She Belongs To Me
Introduced by band leader Anselmo Sacaras in 1944, the Mambo – a merger of Swing and Rumba – didn’t really catch on until the 1950s, but remains very popular today.
Mambo Music:
DLG – Juliana
Ricky Martin – Livin’ La Vida Loca
Considered too scandalous when it was introduced to the United States in 1941, the Merengue went into eclipse until 1957 when Xavier Cugat resurrected it. Although the tempo of the music may be frenetic, the upper body is kept majestic and turns are slow, typically four beats/steps per complete turn
Merengue Music:
Eyci and Cody – Te Amo Con Locura
Jim Carey – Cuban Pete
The couple version of Samba is a lively, rhythmical dance with elements from Brazilian samba. It is sometimes referred to as a Carioca, a Baion or a Batucada.
Samba Music:
Celia Cruz – La Negra Tiene Tumbao
Sia – Cheap Thrills
The Rumba is an increasingly popular romantic Latin dance dating back some 400 years ago, and is better known as the Latin get acquainted dance.
Rumba Music:
Elvis Presley – It’s Now Or Never
Besame Mucho – Xavier Cugat
The Viennese Waltz, so called to distinguish it from the Waltz and the French Waltz, is the oldest of the current ballroom dances. The Viennese Waltz developed in Central Europe from the Austrian dance known as the Landler.
Viennese Waltz Music:
Bryan Adams – Have You Ever Really Loves A Woman?
Christina Perri – A Thousand Years
Salsa is a popular form of social dance that originated in New York City with strong influences from Latin America. The movements of salsa have origins in, Cha-cha-cha, Mambo and other dance forms whilst being performed to a fiery, faster tempo.
Salsa Music:
Marc Anthony – Valio La Pena
Celia Cruz – La Vida Es Un Carnaval
West Coast Swing is characterized by a distinctive elastic look that results from its basic technique of partner connection, and is danced primarily in a slotted area on the dance floor.
West Coast Swing Music:
Rolling Stones – Brown Sugar
Elvis Presley – All Shook Up
Bachata is a style of social dance from the Dominican Republic which is now danced all over the world. The dance is a direct reflection of the music played in the night clubs during the 1960’s.
Bachata Music:
Prince Royce – Darte Un Beso
Xtreme – Te Extrano
The Lindy Hop is an American dance that evolved in Harlem, New York City, in the 1920s and 1930s and originally evolved with the jazz music of that time. Although both the music and the dance have evolved from the big band days, the nostalgic appeal of that era lives on in new music and this exciting retro style swing dance.
Lindy Hop Music:
Louis Jordan – Squirrel Nut Zippers
Benny Goodman – The Flying Newtrinos
Swing was first known as the Lindy (in honor of Charles Lindberg and his historic hop across the Atlantic), this perennially popular dance emerged in the late 1920s. It’s easy and intuitive and fits perfectly with jukebox swing tunes.
Swing Music:
Jace Everett – Bad Things
The Rolling Stones – Start Me Up
Argentine Tango is an interpretive, improvisational social dance that allows the dancers to develop a deep connection between themselves, the music, and the environment in which they are dancing.
Argentine Tango:
Francesca Gagnon – Querer
Carlos Gardel – Por Una Cabeza
Bolero is a very slow type of Rumba rhythm. The music in Bolero dance classes is frequently arranged with Spanish vocals and a subtle percussion effect, usually implemented with Conga or Bongos.
Bolero Music:
Andrea Bocelli – Love In Portofino
Frank Sinatra – From Here To Eternity
Although widely believed to have originated in Argentina, it actually may have come from Spain. Tango is dramatic and exciting with stunning and sharp head-turns.
Tango Music:
Julio Iglesias – La Cumparsita
Scent Of A Woman – Por Una Cabeza
Dating back about 300 years and popular all over the world, the Waltz is “mother of all dances”. Its easy-to-hear rhythm pattern and simple box step foundation pattern, make this dance so easy to learn.
Waltz Music:
Andy Williams – Moon River
Mariah Carey – Open Arms
Please use the map below to check the location of your nearest CareToDance Ballroom Dancing Studio.