History Of Each Dance (part 1)

All of this history was found in various books and sites which you should be able to find through google using key words such as “the history of dance, ballroom dance or change the word dance for a specific dance, ex. Salsa”.

Rumba: (click here)

the rumba was at the beginning of the Cuban and Latin American dance craze. Dancing to music inspired by African rythms 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.

Cha Cha: (click here)

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: (click here)

There are two schools of thought as to how this captivating dance began. One says it started as a peasant dance in the Dominican Republic by African Slaves. Another says that a returning War hero, “General Maringie”, danced dragging an injured leg. Whatever it’s origin, today’s exciting rhythm of the merengue inspires dancers all over the world to move to it’s intoxicating beat.

Swing:(click here)

The Lindy (Swing) picked up where the Charleston left off. It had “swing-outs”, “break-aways” and “shine-steps”. With the birth of “Swing” music in the mid 1930’s the Lindy climbed the social ladder. The dance craze swept the nation, and depending on where you lived, it was the Jitterbug, the Lindy Hop or the Swing Since those days, each successive generation has discuvored the fun of Swing. This most uniquely American dance is enjoyed all over the world.

Hustle: (click here)

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 today.

Mambo: (click here)

In the 1940’s Americans became fascinated by Latin American rhythms. The original Mambo music, El Guardia, Gon El Tolete, had it’s beginning in 1944 as a Rumba with a riff improvisation. The Mambo combined American Jazz with the Afro-Cuban beat.

Samba: (click here)

The history of Samba is that it is an old Brazilian style of dance with many variations. It is also African in origin. It has been performed as a street dance at carnivals.
Before 1914 it was known under a Brazilian name “Maxixe”. As early as 1923 an international meeting of professors of dancing took note of the rise of the Samba’s popularity, particularly in France. A French dance book published by Paul Boucher in 1928 included Samba instructions. The dance was introduced to United States movie audiences in 1933 when Fred Astaire and Dolores Del Rio danced the Carioca in Flying Down to Rio and several years later, Carmen Miranda danced the Samba in That Night in Rio. A Samba exhibition was given at the November 1938 meeting of the New York Society of Teachers of Dancing. General interest in the Samba was stimulated at the 1939 World’s Fair in New York, where Samba music was played at the Brazilian Pavilion. A few years later the Brazilian composer Ary Barroso wrote the classic Samba, “Brasil,” which quickly became a hit.
The Samba (also known as the Brazilian Waltz) is now a moderately popular ballroom dance.

Tango: (click here)

The Tango began in the West Indies and found it’s way to Argentina where it was stylized by the Gauchos. It became the rage in 1921 after the silent screen star Rudolph Valentino brought this romantic dance to millions in “The Hour Horsemen of the Apocalypse”. More recently, it has been danced in movies such as True Lies and Scent Of A Woman. Today, the Tango is considered the “dancer’s dance” and becomes a favorite of all who learn it.[/lang_en-us]