MODULE 6

SOCIAL DANCE

 •  Social dancing is a non-competitive version of ballroom and Latin dancing.  It is comprised of
all the same dances, like Foxtrot, Tango, Swing, or Cha-Cha, but designed to be used in practical
settings like wedding receptions, nightclubs, business functions, or informal gatherings. 

 •Social dancing is different from American ballroom dancing which is sometimes called social
ballroom dancing. Ballroom dancing is meant to be danced in ballrooms, and social dancing is
suited for dancing on small or crowded floors, such as dance floors found in restaurants and
pubs.  

Important Skills in Social Dancing

LEADING and FOLLOWING

 •This is the non-verbal communication from the leader to the follower indicating the direction,
timing, and style. 

POSTURE and DANCE FRAME

• • good posture and dance frame are the antenna broadcasting the signal.

DANCE FRAME

OPEN POSITION

CLOSED POSITION

Multi-tasking

 • Being able to multi-task, like chatting about work or the weather while dancing, takes some
practice but allows dancing to develop into natural use much quicker.  

TYPES OF SOCIAL DANCE

Spot or Slot Dance

 •Once a couple establishes their dance spot or slot on the dance floor, they do not drift around
the dance floor. Spot or slot dances are best suited for nightclub type dance floors. 
Progressive Dances

 •dance that travels around the dance floor in an anti-clockwise direction. Progressive social
dances generally need a somewhat larger floor than those best suited for spot dancing - a floor
size that permits traveling around the dance floor - but not one as large as a dance hall or
ballroom. 

SOCIAL DANCE ETIQUETTE

PROPER HYGIENE

 •Take a bath 

 •Brush your teeth/ apply mouthwash 

 •Wear appropriate clothes 

 •Avoid smelly food such as onions, garlic, etc. 

IF YOU ARE ASKED TO DANCE

 •You Are Not Obligated to Say Yes. 

 •Saying “No Thanks” – If you are asked to dance and have a good reason to refuse, do not
accept an invitation from someone else during that song. 

WHILE DANCING

 •Don’t Correct Your Partner’s Dancing 

 • It is dangerous to expect someone to be willing to perform such moves with you and can be
dangerous for others around you. Lifts, dips, and drops should be avoided. 

 •Have small chats with your partner while dancing. 

 •Dance from up to one to two dances only. 

 •Do not stop in the middle of the song. 

 
AFTER DANCING

 •escort your partner back on her seat. 

 •do not leave your partner in he middle of he dance floor. 

 •show gratitude to your partner after dancing.  

MODULE 7

SOCIAL BALLROOM
DANCES

SOCIAL BALLROOM DANCES

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD DANCES

INTERNATIONAL LATIN DANCES

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD DANCES

INTERNATIONAL WALTZ

ORIGIN: Southern Germany (17th Century)

TEMPO: 84-90 beats per minute

TIME SIGNATURE: 3/4

BASIC RHYTHM: 123 123 (strong accent on 1)

DESCRIPTION:

 •“to glide” 

 •also known as Slow Waltz or English Waltz 

 •It is the “backbone dance” of the ballroom and is the basis for many dances.  

 •Characterized by its “rise and fall” action, the Waltz 

 •popularized by Johann Strauss  in 20th century 

INTERNATIONAL TANGO

ORIGIN: Buenos Aires, Argentina (19th century)

TEMPO: 128 beats per minute

TIME SIGNATURE: 2/4 or 4/4

BASIC RHYTHM: Quick-Quick-Slow, where the Quick is one beat and the slow is 2 beats
DESCRIPTION:

 •formerly known as English Tango 

 •Tango was originally danced in theaters in Europe in 1912 

 •Tango dance was included in competitions in 1922 

INTERNATIONAL TANGO

MOVEMENTS ASSOCIATED IN TANGO

 •No rise and fall action. 

 •International Tango contrasts quick steps with slow counts. No foot swivel is apparent in
International Tango. 

 •The hold used in International Tango is always closed. 

INTERNATIONAL VIENNESE WALTZ

ORIGIN: Austria

TEMPO: 180 beats per minute

TIME SIGNATURE: 3/4

BASIC RHYTHM: 123 123 (strong accent on 1)

DESCRIPTION:

 •it is the original version of waltz 

 •It is a fast pacedrotary dance where the dancers are constantly turning either in a clockwise
(natural) or counter-clockwise (reverse) direction interspersed with non-rotating change steps
to switch between the directions of rotation.  

INTERNATIONAL FOXTROT

ORIGIN: USA, 1914

TEMPO: 112 beats per minute

TIME SIGNATURE: 4/4
BASIC RHYTHM: Slow-Quick-Quick

DESCRIPTION:

 • a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the
dance floor. 

 •popularized by the vaudaville actor, Harry Fox. 

INTERNATIONAL QUICKSTEP

ORIGIN: New York (1920's)

TEMPO: 200 beats per minute

TIME SIGNATURE: 4/4

BASIC RHYTHM: Slow-Quick-Quick

DESCRIPTION:

 •The movement of the dance is fast and powerfully flowing and sprinkled with syncopations. 

 •The quickstep evolved  from a combination of the foxtrot, Charleston, shag, peabody, and one-
step. 

INTERNATIONAL LATIN DANCES

SAMBA

ORIGIN: Bahia Region in Brazil (1910)

TEMPO: 192 beats per minute

TIME SIGNATURE: 2/4 or 4/4

BASIC RHYTHM: 1,2, 1-a-2

DESCRIPTION:

 •a lively, rhythmical partner dance that differs from Latin dances in that it progresses around
the floor with various combinations of timings and beat values as well as a variety of partner
positions.  
CHA-CHA

ORIGIN: Cuba (1950's)

TEMPO: 90 beats per minute

TIME SIGNATURE: 4/4

BASIC RHYTHM: one-two-three, cha-cha-cha (chasse)

DESCRIPTION:

 •popularized by Enrique Jorrín 

 • developed in the 1960s by Walter Laird  

 •distinct hip movement 

RUMBA

ORIGIN: East Coast of USA (1930's)

TEMPO: 104 beats per minute

TIME SIGNATURE: 4/4

BASIC RHYTHM: moves in a forward and back pattern

DESCRIPTION:

 •typically the vision that comes to mind is a romantic, slow dance–a rendezvous of two lovers
on the dance floor. 

 •It contains a hip sway over the standing leg and like the cha-cha, the steps are kept compact
and done with no rise and fall. 

PASO DOBLE

ORIGIN: Spain (1780)

TEMPO: 120 steps per minute

TIME SIGNATURE: 2/4

BASIC RHYTHM: Marching movement

DESCRIPTION:

 • "pas-redouble", a form of speedy march of the French infantry during the late 18th century. 

 • patterned after the drama of a Spanish bullfight.  

PASO DOBLE

 • It was developed in Southern France. 

 • Like the Samba, this is a progressive Latin dance meaning that it moves around the dance
floor.  

 •It requires a commitment to the drama of the dance entailing dramatic steps with the heels,
powerful, expressive frames and artistic hand movements. 

INTERNATIONAL WALTZ

ORIGIN: USA by the Afro-Americans (1930's)

TEMPO: 168 beats per minute

TIME SIGNATURE: 4/4

BASIC RHYTHM: rock step, 1 and 2

DESCRIPTION:

 •It has taken on many names including the Lindyhop, the Jitterbug, the Boogie Woogie. 

 •Jive was accepted as the fifth Latin dance in ballroom competitions. 

 •a very happy and boppy dance, the lifting of knees and the bending or rocking of the hips often
occurs. 
MODULE 7.1

CHA-CHA

Description

This is a fun, flirty dance that grew out of the Cuban Mambo and became immensely popular in the
United States in the 1950’s. It consists of triple chasse steps (cha cha cha’s) and rock steps.

Cha Cha has a modified Cuban Motion hip action, because of the speed. This is an exuberant dance that
will get your heart pumping and put a smile on your face.

History

Cha Cha originated in Cuba and evolved from a slow version of Mambo called “Triple Mambo” or
Mambo with guiro rhythm.  This musical rhythm inspired dancers to dance a hip syncopation to the
forward and back breaks of a mambo which late evolved to a triple step.

Mambo evolved from a fusion of danzon, son and American jazz.  Danzon has its origins from Europe
(chamber music) and African/Haitian drum rhythms. Enrique Jorrin, a Cuban Violinist created the first
cha cha song in 1948.  He named it after the shuffling sound the dancers shoes made when they dance
to this type of music.

In 1952, an English dance teacher Pierre Lavelle visited Cuba and saw dancers dancing this triple step to
slow rumba and mambo music.  On his return to Britain, he taught this as a separate dance and it has
since evolved to Ballroom Cha Cha.

Cha Cha was introduced to the US in 1954 which replaced mambo as the latest dance craze.  After its
introduction to the US, the traditional violins and flutes were exchanged with big band instruments such
as trumpets, trombones and saxophones.

Dance Characteristics

Cha Cha is a lively, fun, cheeky and playful dance.  It is a non-progressive dance that emphasizes Cuban
motion, distinguished by the chasses (cha-cha-cha) typically danced during the 4&1 counts of the music.
Cuban motion in Cha Cha is more staccato than Rumba to reflect the music with emphasis on count 1. 
The Cha Cha frame is a typical Rhythm frame.

Basic Steps

1. Rock Step

2. Chasse- Step-Together-Step

3. Two-Step Turn
MODULE 8:

CHEERDANCE

 • derived from the words “cheer” and “dance”. 

 •To “cheer” is to shout out words or phrases that may well motivate team and perform
better during the game. 

 •To “dance” is to expresse emotions or gestures while performing bodily movement

usually In Time with rhythm. 

CHEERDANCE

•Cheerdance is rooted from cheerleading.

•Cheerleading is developed in USA but cheerdancing is developed in the Philippines.

•Cheerdancing in the Elementary, High School and College levels has always been the opening
salvo for intramurals in campuses in the Philippines.

ARM MOVEMENTS IN CHEERDANCE