Category: Smooth Dances

Foxtrot

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Foxtrot is a smooth slow dance that has a gentle lilt characterized by lovely gliding steps with a touch of suave movement to it. It can be danced to certain jazzy type songs, swing type songs, or some of the classic Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin songs, and many songs by Michael Buble’. 

It moves counter clockwise around the room and is a popular dance that quickly fills the dance floor. Foxtrot is a smooth sophisticated dance in which dancers move in a counter clockwise direction around the floor. Foxtrot also has a gentle lilt or rise and fall. Picture Fred and Ginger as they glided effortlessly around a dance floor together.

Foxtrot is most often danced to big band music and swing music, but can be danced to many types of music. It is typically danced to music written in 4/4 time, with a tempo around 120 to 136 beats per minute.

The basic step in foxtrot is counted slow-slow-quick-quick (SSQQ). The more advanced foxtrot dance pattern is counted slow-quick-quick (SQQ).

Examples of Fox Trot music:

  • Sinatra- The Way You Look Tonight
  • Patti Page- I Can’t Get Started With You
  • Sarah Vaugh- Summertime
  • Bobby Darin- Fly Me To the Moon
  • Dean Martin- Call Me Irresponsible

Foxtrot History

In 1914, Vaudeville actor Arthur Carringford, who went by the name Harry Fox, originated the dance Carringford, danced at the New York Theater. Once he was dancing to some rag time music and started trotting his dance steps, and the foxtrot was born. Onlookers thought the dance was one of the most original and exciting of its time and referred to it as “Fox’s Trot.” Over the years it evolved like many dances do to the various forms we see today!

Contact The Dancing Duo today about Foxtrot Lessons! Also check our calendar to see if this is currently being taught!

Nightclub 2 Step

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Nightclub 2 Step can be danced to songs that no other ballroom dance fits. It can be danced to many types of music, from country, pop, Latin, and is a very versatile and practical dance to learn.

Nightclub 2 Step is danced to medium tempo music and is characterized by a long side step, followed by a rock step (or break step) and another side step and rock step.

Dance instructors vary in how the Nightclub 2 Step should be started, with either a rock step or a side step. In San Diego, the side step became the most popular form which became the standard in country western competitions. Some dancers prefer to start with a rock step, which has no effect on the dance itself.

It is danced using a slow-quick-quick rhythm or quick-quick-slow.

Nightclub 2 Step Music (Varies!)

  • Chris De Burgh – Lady In Red
  • Keith Urban – Tonight I Wanna Cry
  • Adele – Lovesong
  • Lee Ann Womack – I Hope You Dance 
  • Shania Twain – You’re Still The One

Nightclub 2 Step History

Nightclub 2 Step was created in the mid 1970s by Buddy Schwimmer. You may have seen his son, Benji, who performed on one of the early seasons of the TV show, So You Think You Can Dance. Nightclub 2 Step grew in popularity until it became a standard dance in country western circles and competitions.

Contact The Dancing Duo today about Nightclub 2 Step Lessons! Also check our calendar to see if this is currently being taught!

Tango

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Tango is very dramatic, powerful and romantic, reflecting the interplay between man and woman. It is mostly danced with bent knees, staccato steps, sharp movements and dramatic head snaps. Other common features of tango include fans, flicks, and lunges.

Tango is a progressive smooth dance that is danced counterclockwise around the floor. Tango differs from other smooth dances in that there is less flow, gliding and continuity of movement than in other smooth dances in part resulting from the staccato footwork, creating a stalking cat-like movement.

There are several popular styles today – International, American and Argentine tango.

Tango music you’ve heard in movies:

  • John Williams- Scent of a Woman
  • Queen Latifa- Cell Block Tango (Chicago)
  • John Powell- Assassin’s Tango (Mr. & Mrs. Smith)
  • Jacek Koman- El tango de Roxanne (Moulin Rouge)
  • Lucas Gitano Family- Spanish Tango (The Mask of Zorro)

Tango History

This dance originated in working class Buenoa Aires, Argentina, moved through Europe in the 1900s and then to the United States and quickly became popular. As with many dances, tango evolved into different styles and was standardized for competitions. There are several popular styles today – International, American and Argentine tango.

Contact The Dancing Duo today about Tango Lessons! Also check our calendar to see if this is currently being taught!

Waltz

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Waltz is a very elegant and glamorous smooth dance, a favorite among many dancers. Waltz is characterized by graceful fluid movements progressing around the floor interspersed with a variety of turns, spins and pivots.

A distinctive element of the waltz is the rise and fall, which is created by flexing and bending the knees with a lowering of the body followed by straightening the knees and rising up onto the toes.

Waltz progresses counter-clockwise around the dance floor and when large gliding steps are taken, can cover a lot of the dance floor.

Waltz dance music is written in 3/4 time and is counted 1 2 3, 1 2 3. Each beat is a quick, or one beat of music. Many people find waltz music to be beautiful, creating an ambiance that compels them dance and glide around the floor.

 Examples of Waltz music:

  • Curtis Stigers- I Wonder Why
  • Dee C Lee- See The Day
  • Pink Martini- What’ll I Do
  • John Denver- Today
  • Simply Red- If You Don’t Know Me By Now

WALTZ HISTORY
Based on basic techniques originating during the 1920s, the Waltz has continued to develop throughout the 20th century. The Waltz was born as an Austro-German folk dance known as the Landler, which was characterized by the rotating movements of partners dancing together. The music of Johann Strauss helped to popularize the Waltz.

Contact The Dancing Duo today about Waltz Lessons! Also check our calendar to see if this is currently being taught!

West Coast Swing

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West Coast Swing is a smooth and playful dance, with no bounce like its swing relatives. It is also typically danced to slower music (around 90 to 130 beats per minute) than East Coast Swing, but advanced West Coast Swing dancers will often dance to faster tempos.

West Coast Swing is danced in a slot with the lady going up and down the slot as the man goes from one side to the other leading her in turns, spins, walks, whips, tucks and passes. This slotted movement allows for the characteristic expansion and contractions in the movements of West Coast Swing which creates a sense of stretching away from each other and then coming back together.

West Coast Swing is a dance that allows a maximum of freedom of expression and improvisation between the partners, typically seen at the higher levels. Because of these characteristics, West Coast Swing is not one of the easiest dances for a beginner dancer to learn.

West Coast Swing can be danced to a wide variety of music genres such as pop, rock, country western, jazz, funk, R&B, and has a wide range of tempos from 100 to 130 beat per minute. The music for west coast swing is written in 4/4 time and for the basic step, is composed of 2 walking steps and 2 triple steps.

Popular West Coast Swing Music

  • Alannah Myles- Black Velvet
  • U2- Angel of Harlem
  • Michael Bublé- Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)
  • Marvin Gaye- Heard it Through the Grapevine
  • En Vogue – Beat Of Love

West Coast Swing History

West Coast Swing is one of the many dances that evolved from swing. It was created in the 1950s in Los Angeles as a smoother Lindy Hop style of swing, danced to slower music. West Coast Swing continued to evolve, grow in popularity and spread around the country and eventually around the world. Even today, west coast swing is an evolving and changing dance to accommodate contemporary music and individual and regional styles.

Contact The Dancing Duo today about West Coast Swing Lessons! Also check our calendar to see if this is currently being taught!