Overview

Ballroom dancing encompasses a wide variety of partner dances. The basic 6 dances in ballroom dancing are Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Cha Cha, Rumba, and EC Swing. However, there are many more listed on the left menu. Some of the dances fall under the "Night Club" section. These are dances that are not as standardized and are sometimes known as "Street Dances". In addition to that, many dances fall under American Style and International Style. The dots on the left correspond to the style from which they belong. Many are in both styles. American Style International Style Night Club

American Style & International Style?

In the USA, including the CPBDC, most group lessons are taught in American Style. The dances include Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Cha Cha, Rumba, Samba, EC Swing, Mambo, and Bolero. Everywhere else (ie. Europe, Japan, etc.), International Style is taught. International Style is taught in America as well, but mostly to those that compete. The international dances include Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Quickstep, Cha Cha, Rumba, Samba, Jive, and Paso Doble. So what is the difference? Some dances are quite different. For example, American Foxtrot are danced to faster tempos than International Foxtrot and both have completely different basic movements. Some dances have only subtleties differences. For example, Waltz is very similar in both styles except American Waltz allows more open choreography.

Night Club?

In ballroom dancing, there is a syllabus for each dance. This syllabus is a list of moves and are organized by level of difficulty. However, Night Club dances are less standardized and have no set syllabus. These dances include (but are not limited to) Hustle, West Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Salsa, Merengue, and Argentine Tango.