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Cha
Cha
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The Cha Cha has its origins in the religious ritual dances of West Africa
and is related to the Mambo and Guajiro. Many believe that the name
is derived from the sound of the feet in the chasse, which is included
in many of the steps. It first gained popularity during the 1950s and
was made popular by the live bands at the time including musicians like
Tito Puente, Xavier Cugat, and Prez Prado. Much of today's popular music
includes the Cha Cha rhythm, making the dance easily adaptable for the
social dance club scene.
Samba
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- latin
The Samba originated from Brazil around the 19th century when it was
known as "Zemba Queca". It was first popularized by Fred Astaire and
Ginger Rogers in their first film together, "Flying Down to Rio" and
then Carmen Miranda, particularly the film, "That Night in Rio". During
the 1950s, Princess Margaret played a leading role in popularizing the
dance in British society during her flamboyant demonstrations of the
dance at events.
Rumba
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The Rumba originated from Cuba, where African slaves imported to the
country introduced dances that emphasized movements of the body rather
than feet. The rural form of the Rumba in Cuba was described as a pantomime
of barnyard animals, and was an exhibition rather than a participation
dance. It was introduced into the USA in the 1930s as a composite of
this rural Rumba with the Guaracha, the Cuban Bolero. The British dance
teacher Pierre Lavelle visited Havanna in 1947 and brought back to Britain
many steps and rhythmic interpretations. The dance continues to be an
audience favorite.
Paso
Doble top
- latin
The name "Paso Doble" in Spanish means "Two Step" and refers to the
marching nature of the steps. The dance first became popular amongst
the upper classes of Paris in the 1930s, with its dramatic and theatrical
poses. The Paso Doble portrays a Bullfight with the man as the Torero
and the woman, his cape.
Jive
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The dance has an interesting history and has been called many different
names. It was first performed competitively during the 1880s and known
as the Cakewalk because the prize was frequently a cake. During the
1920s, dances such as the Foxtrot, Charleston, Black Bottom, and various
other steps combined to form the Lindy Hop, named after Charles Lindbergh
who made the first solo non-stop transatlantic flight that year, because
of the amount of time the dancers appeared to spend in the air. In the
1930s, the dance at the Savoy in Harlem was described by Cab Calloway
as like the frenzy of jittering bugs, so it soon became known as the
Jitterbug. Now called the Jive, it is an energetic dance that is particularly
popular with youths and young adults.
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