LATIN Dances

Samba-Cha cha cha-Rumba-Paso doble-Jive

SAMBA (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈsɐ̃bɐ] (About this soundlisten)) is a Brazilian music genre and dance style, with its roots in
Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions, particularly of Angola and the Congo, through the samba de
roda genre of the northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia, from which it derived.[1] Although there were various forms of samba in Brazil
with popular rhythms originated from drumming, samba as a music genre has its origins in Rio de Janeiro.Samba is recognized
around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival. Considered one of the most popular Brazilian cultural expressions,
the samba has become an icon of Brazilian national identity.[2][3][4][5] The Bahian Samba de Roda (dance circle), was added to the
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2005. It is the main root of the samba carioca, the samba that is played and danced in
Rio de Janeiro.The modern samba that emerged at the beginning of the 20th century is predominantly in a 2/4 time signature varied
with the conscious use of a sung chorus to a batucada rhythm, with various stanzas of declaratory verses. Traditionally, the samba is
played by strings (cavaquinho and various types of guitar) and various percussion instruments such as tamborim. Influenced by
American orchestras in vogue since the Second World War and the cultural impact of US music post-war, samba began to use
trombones, trumpets, choros, flutes, and clarinets.[7]In addition to distinct rhythms and meters, samba brings a whole historical
culture of food, varied dances (miudinho, coco, samba de roda, and pernada), parties, clothes such as linen shirts, and the Naif
painting of established names such as Nelson Sargento, Guilherme de Brito, and Heitor dos Prazeres. Anonymous community artists,
including painters, sculptors, designers, and stylists, make the clothes, costumes, carnival floats, and cars, opening the doors of
schools of samba. There is also a great tradition of ballroom samba in Brazil, with many styles. Samba de Gafieira is the style more
famous in Rio de Janeiro, where common people used to go to the gafieira parties since the 1930s, and where the moves and identity
of this dance emerged, getting more and more different from its African, European, and Cuban[further explanation needed] origins
and influences.The National Samba Day is celebrated on December 2. The date was established at the initiative of Luis Monteiro da
Costa, an alderman of Salvador, in honor of Ary Barroso. He composed "Na Baixa do sapateiro" even though he had never been in
Bahia. Thus 2 December marked the first visit of Ary Barroso to Salvador. Initially, this day was celebrated only in Salvador, but
eventually it turned into a national holiday.Samba is a local style in Southeastern Brazil and Northeast Brazil, especially in Rio de
Janeiro, São Paulo, Salvador and Recife. Its importance as Brazil's national music transcends region, however; samba schools, samba
musicians, and carnival organizations centered on the performance of samba exist in every region of the country, even though other
musical styles prevail in various regions (for instance, in Southern Brazil, Center-West Brazil, and all of the Brazilian countryside,
música sertaneja, music of the sertão, or Brazilian country music, is the most popular style).[8]

The CHA-CHA-CHA, informally called cha-cha, is a dance of Cuban origin.[1][2] It is danced to the music of the same name
introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrin in the early 1950s. This rhythm was developed from the danzón-mambo.
The name of the dance is an onomatopoeia derived from the shuffling sound of the dancers' feet when they dance the three
consecutive quick steps that characterize the dance.[3]In the early 1950s, Enrique Jorrín worked as a violinist and composer with the
charanga group Orquesta América. The group performed at dance halls in Havana where they played danzón, danzonete, and danzon-
mambo for dance-oriented crowds. Jorrín noticed that many of the dancers at these gigs had difficulty with the syncopated rhythms of
the danzón-mambo. To make his music more appealing to dancers, Jorrín began composing songs where the melody was marked
strongly on the first downbeat and the rhythm was less syncopated.[4] When Orquesta América performed these new compositions at
the Silver Star Club in Havana, it was noticed that the dancers had improvised a triple step in their footwork producing the sound
"cha-cha-cha". Thus, the new style came to be known as "cha-cha-chá" and became associated with a dance where dancers perform a
triple step.[5]The basic footwork pattern of cha-cha-chá (two, three, cha-cha-cha) is also found in several Afro-Cuban dances from the
Santería religion. For example, one of the steps used in the dance for the orisha Ogun uses an identical footwork pattern. These Afro-
Cuban dances predate the development of cha-cha-chá and were known by many Cubans in the 1950s, especially those of African
origin.[6] Thus, the footwork of the cha-cha-chá was likely inspired by these Afro-Cuban dances.[7]In 1953, Orquesta América
released two of Jorrin's compositions, "La Engañadora" and "Silver Star", on the Cuban record label Panart. These were the first cha-
cha-chá compositions ever recorded. They immediately became hits in Havana, and other Cuban charanga orchestras quickly
imitated this new style. Soon, there was a cha-cha-chá craze in Havana's dance halls, popularizing both the music and the associated
dance. This craze soon spread to Mexico City, and by 1955 the music and dance of the cha cha cha had become popular in Latin
America, the United States, and Western Europe, following in the footsteps of the mambo, which had been a worldwide craze a few
years earlier.[8]

The term RUMBA may refer to a variety of unrelated music styles. Originally, "rumba" was used as a synonym for "party" in northern
Cuba, and by the late 19th century it was used to denote the complex of secular music styles known as Cuban rumba.[1][2] Since the
early 20th century the term has been used in different countries to refer to distinct styles of music and dance, most of which are only
tangentially related to the original Cuban rumba, if at all. The vague etymological origin of the term rumba, as well as its
interchangeable use with guaracha in settings such as bufo theatre,[3] is largely responsible for such worldwide polysemy of the
term. In addition, "rumba" was the primary marketing term for Cuban music in North America, as well as West and Central Africa,
during much of the 20th century, before the rise of mambo, pachanga and salsa."Rumba" entered the English lexicon in the early
20th century, at least as early as 1919, and by 1932 it was used a verb to denote the ballroom dance.[4] In this sense, the anglicised
spelling "rhumba" became prevalent and is now recommended to distinguish it from traditional Cuban rumba.[5] Also in the first third
of the 20th century, "rumba" entered the Spanish flamenco world as a fast-paced palo (style) inspired in the Cuban guaracha, and
which gave rise to other forms of urban music now known as "rumba". Throughout Latin America, "rumba" acquired different
connotations, mostly referring to Cubanized, danceable, local styles, such as Colombian rumba criolla (creole rumba). At the same
time, "rumba" began to be used a catch-all term for Afro-Cuban music in most African countries, later giving rise to re-Africanized
Cuban-based styles such as Congolese rumba.[6]

PASODOBLE (Spanish: double step) is a fast-paced Spanish military march used by infantry troops. Its speed allowed troops to give
120 steps per minute (double the average of a regular unit, hence its name). This march gave rise to a traditional Spanish dance, a
musical genre including both voice and instruments, and a genre of instrumental music often played during bullfight. Both the dance
and the non martial compositions are also called pasodoble

. In latin dancing, the JIVE is a dance style that originated in the United States from African-Americans in the early 1930s. It was
popularized in 1934 by Cab Calloway. It is a lively and uninhibited variation of the Jitterbug, a form of Swing dance. Glenn Miller
introduced his own jive dance in 1938 with the song "Doin' the Jive" which never caught on.

STANDARD Dances

WALTZ is one of the five dances in the Standard (or Modern) category of the International Style ballroom dances. It was previously
referred to as Slow Waltz or English Waltz.Waltz is usually the first dance in the Dancesport competition rounds. It is danced
exclusively in the closed position, unlike its American Style counterpart.

TANGO is a popular partner dance and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the Río de la Plata, the natural border
between Argentina and Uruguay. It was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries, where natives mixed with slave and
European immigrant populations.[2] The tango is the result of a combination of the German Waltz, Czech Polka, Polish Mazurka, and
Bohemian Schottische with the Spanish-Cuban Habanera, African Candombe, and Argentinian Milonga.[3] The tango was frequently
practiced in the brothels and bars of ports, where business owners employed bands to entertain their patrons with music.[4] The
tango then spread to the rest of the world.[5] Many variations of this dance currently exist around the world.

VIENNESE WALTZ (German: Wiener Walzer) is a genre of ballroom dance. At least four different meanings are recognized. In the
historically first sense, the name may refer to several versions of the waltz, including the earliest waltzes done in ballroom dancing,
danced to the music of Viennese waltz.What is now called the Viennese waltz is the original form of the waltz. It was the first
ballroom dance performed in the closed hold or "waltz" position. The dance that is popularly known as the waltz is actually the
English or slow waltz, danced at approximately 90 beats per minute with 3 beats to the bar (the international standard of 30
measures per minute), while the Viennese waltz is danced at about 180 beats (58-60 measures) per minute. To this day however, in
Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, and France, the words Walzer (German), vals (Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish), and valse (French)
still implicitly refer to the original dance and not the slow waltz.The Viennese waltz is a rotary dance where the dancers are
constantly turning either toward the leader's right (natural) or toward the leader's left (reverse), interspersed with non-rotating
change steps to switch between the direction of rotation.As the waltz evolved, some of the versions that were done at about the
original fast tempo came to be called specifically "Viennese waltz" to distinguish them from the slower waltzes. In the modern
ballroom dance, two versions of Viennese waltz are recognized: International Style and American Style.Today the Viennese waltz is a
ballroom and partner dance that is part of the International Standard division of contemporary ballroom dance.

The FOXTROT is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is
danced to big band (usually vocal) music. The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is in a 4 4 time signature
instead of 3 4. Developed in the 1910s, the foxtrot reached its height of popularity in the 1930s and remains practiced today

The QUICKSTEP is a light-hearted dance of the standard ballroom dances. The movement of the dance is fast and powerfully
flowing and sprinkled with syncopations. The upbeat melodies that quickstep is danced to make it suitable for both formal and
informal events. Quickstep was developed in the 1920s in New York City and was first danced by Caribbean and African dancers. Its
origins are in combination of slow foxtrot combined with the Charleston, a dance which was one of the precursors to what today is
called swing dancing.