Ballroom

The Ballroom (or standard) dances consist of
           Waltz (English)
           Foxtrot
           Quickstep
           Viennese Waltz
           Tango (English)
The first four are known as swing dances because of the body swing employed. Tango has no body swing. Although Waltzing goes back two centuries the other dances developed around or after the First World War.

Latin American

The international Latin dances consist of
           Cha cha cha
           Rumba
           Jive
           Samba
           Paso Doble
The first two are danced to music derived from Cuban Son. (There is a Cuban dance generically termed Rumba but both it and its music are distinct from the international form.) Jive is actually North American in origin, deriving from the wartime Jitterbug. Samba is derived from Brazilian dancing; Paso Doble came to us from Spain by way of France. None of the Latin dances in their international form represent native styles that you would now see in their places of origin.

Contemporary Latin

There are two Latin dances we teach that do represent contemporary styles of dance in their native countries:
           Salsa
           Tango (Argentine)
Salsa, like Cha cha and our Rumba, is danced to music derived from Cuban Son. There are several styles of Salsa dancing that have shot up. Worldwide the native Cuban style and the more showy LA style probably enjoy the greatest popularity. Present day Argentine Tango is the modern development of the dance that was the original root of Ballroom Tango before the latter was adapted to be compatible with a tailsuit and a ballgown.