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What do you know about latin music? and about latin dance? Many offers are out there so we want to help you to make the best choice. Here you have a sort introduction about latin dance and music. And if you want to practice we recommend you do so in the country that these dances come from. Check this out: language and fun programs.
The term Latin American
as used here encompasses the Americas south of the United States, as well as
the entire Caribbean. Latin dance originated in Africa. Immigrants
brought it to Latin America
and then it interacted with local folk dance
fusion. Gradually it formed, as we often see today, the cha-cha, rumba, cowboy, samba, salsa and some other new
dances. Shoulder, abdomen and waist movements contribute to the art
of Latin dance. The most represented
Latin dance is
the rumba, which has become the most
classic of all Latin American dances. It is known as "Latin Soul". Cha cha cha, originated in Mexico,
follows a 4/4 beat, with a speed of about 31 sections
per minute. Cha
Cha Cha, an interesting music,
with its strong sense of
rhythm, is widely
popular all over the world!
Samba, originated in Brazil, has a 4/4 beat or 2/4 beat, with a speed of about 51 sections per minute. Samba music is very warm and dynamic! Paso Doble originated in France and was developed in Spain. The music follows a 2/4 beat, at about 62 sections per minute. Paso majestic music, uninhibited and with a powerful pace, is an exciting style. Cowboy originated in the United States and evolved from a dance called "jitterbug". Salsa means sauce in Spanish and in this case the sauce can be hot and spicy! Like many dances, the creation of the dance followed the creation of the music. New Yorkers of Cuban and Puerto Rican ancestry are credited as the pioneers of Salsa music - a music that grew out of Mambo and Cuban Son roots. Some of the basic steps in Salsa dancing are from the Mambo basic. Salsa soon became popular in Puerto Rica, Cuba and Columbia. Simultaneously, the popularity of Salsa music and dance spread across North America and the West coast of North America, where they developed their own brand of Salsa dancing.
There are International Ballroom Competitions where dancers from around the world compete and there is an exclusive category called International Latin. Of these dances, the most popular Latin dance for competition is the Pase Doble. The Pase Doble is derived from the bullfights in Spain and in the dance the Man is the bullfighter and the woman is his cape. It has a kind of marching rhythm and is danced to traditional bull-fighting music - Espana Cani. Usually the dancers will wear a traditional Spanish costume for the woman and the bull-fighting costume for the man. It is a very exciting dance. You can imagine you are at a real bullfight when watching the dancers perform.
Another dance I want to talk about is the Merengue, which is a Latin dance of social style, originally from the Dominican Republic, often considered the National Dance of D.R. It was named after meringue, a dessert made from egg whites and sugar. Merengue's early years began in brothels and bars in the valley region around Santiago. However, Latin dance, which also blends African and European traits, has been a great influence on popular music and dance around the world.
