Mambo Lessons Toronto

If you’d like to learn to dance Mambo for your wedding (remember the “Dirty Dancing” movie?), for fun and to make your social life more exciting or to prepare for Ballroom competitions, Mambo Lessons Toronto are perfect for you!

Mambo Lessons Toronto: Social Dancing

Definitely, Mambo is such a fun dance to do socially. Furthermore, you can come to the dance class alone and meet many other solos to dance with or bring your partner and learn a new hobby together. If you are interested in the Mambo, try learning it together with the Salsa, Cha Cha, Rumba, Bachata, and Merengue. These are all dance styles of the same family and have plenty of similar features and patterns which makes it easy to learn them all at the same time.

Mambo Lessons Toronto: Wedding Dance

You must have seen the classic movie “Dirty Dancing” and heard about the Mambo. Whether you want to learn the exact routine from the movie or have a unique dance routine created specifically for you, Access Ballroom‘s private consultation is the perfect place to start. First, you will meet your dance teacher, then discuss the details of your wedding and get some valuable tips about your wedding dance. We will then build a personalized wedding dance program for you to help you make your first wedding dance memorable.

Mambo Lessons Toronto “My wife and I booked 10 lessons with Gil to learn the Dirty Dancing routine for our first dance, so far we have really enjoyed our lessons and excited to show everyone what we have practiced at our wedding. We would like to thank Gill again for showing great humor and professionalism to a couple both born with two left foot.” – David W., Access Ballroom student, Google maps review

Mambo lessons toronto dirty dancing

Mambo Lessons Toronto: Ballroom Competitions

Want to take your dancing to another level? Always dreamed to be the center of the glamour, the lights, the glitter, and the polished dance floor? It is time to enter into a Pro-Am Ballroom competition and enjoy your dance growth!

Trial Private Lesson/Consultation Booking Request
Book your first lesson/consultation TODAY!
You can pick 4 or more dance styles that you'd like to try out.
Please let us know if there is anything else we need to know to help you with your Trial Lesson/Consultation Booking.

About Mambo

What is dancing without music? In this blog post, we’ll look at the history of the Mambo music, it’s characteristics, and then how it developed into dance and what we know as the Mambo nowadays.

Mambo Music

History of Mambo Music

Cuba with its rich culture and talented musicians is the country of origin for Mambo music. This fast-tempo dance beat began its history in the late 1930s from smaller Cuban big bands that merged the elements of Son into the Danzón.

The peak of Mambo’s popularity was in the 1950s. Interestingly, Cuba was not the one to popularize Mambo music. In fact, it mainly developed in two cities where the music was presented by the Cuban musicians: René Hernandez in New York City and Dámaso Pérez Prado in Mexico City.

Characteristics of Mambo Music

Mambo’s main characteristic is the big band arrangements where multiple saxophones play repeated syncopated phrases, blaring trumpets punctuate the beat, all over a full rhythm and percussion section. Moreover, you can hear a variety of percussive instruments, including maracas and cowbells, that set the rhythm in Mambo. The tempo of Mambo also varies from song to song and can range anywhere from 32 beats per minute to a challenging 56 beats per minute. This diversity in Mambo may be quite confusing for beginners; however, this is what makes Mambo so fascinating and fun.

Mambo Dance

History of Mambo Dance

In the late 1930s-1940s, around the time of popularity of Mambo music, the dance originated with the same name.

The original Mambo dance had no breaking steps or basic steps. So it would perhaps be described by the Cubans as “feeling the music” allowing the body to express itself through the sound. It was also characterized by freedom and complicated foot-steps.

In the 1940s, a Puerto Rican dancer Pedro Aguilar, known as “Cuban Pete”, and his wife danced together regularly at The Palladium, the famous Broadway dance-hall in New York. Eventually, they became known as the top Mambo dancers of all time.

This sultry partner dance was at its peak in New York’s Mambo clubs in the 1950s. However, Mambo’s popularity decreased with the advent of Rock’n’Roll, especially after the Cuban Revolution that changes the US-Cuba’s relations.

In the 1990s, Mambo finally made a comeback with the popularity of Ricky Martin (remember his famous “Livin’ La Vida Loca”?) and Lou Bega with “Mambo No. 5.”

What we now call Mambo (a.k.a. “Salsa on 2”) is completely different from the original Mambo. In fact, it is an “americanized” version that US professional dance teachers adapted and created standards for to be able to teach an everyday person.

Nowadays, Mambo is one of the favorites of ballroom dancers and audiences because of its high energy level and playful rhythms.

Characteristics of Modern-Day Mambo Dance

The Mambo uses the 4/4 beat and the basic step in Mambo is counted as “quick-quick-slow,” with the foot moving on the second beat or on 2.

Moreover, one of the main characteristics of Mambo dance is forward and backward motion with a distinctive hip movement called “the Cuban motion.” This creates the flirtatious, sensual and playful feel to the dance.

Here is a fun video breaking-down the Cuban motion by one of Access Ballroom’s dance instructors.

Mambo as the Foundation of Cha Cha and Salsa

Fun fact: Cha Cha and Salsa dance styles both derived from the Mambo. Learn more about each dance by clicking on the links.

New to Access Ballroom?

Call 416-690-3900 or email info@studioaccessballroom.com to set up your trial private lesson/consultation! We look forward to dancing with you!