The Afton Dance Club
For Latin American and Ballroom dancing
Information in and around Edinburgh, Scotland UK
The Afton Dance ClubFor Latin American and Ballroom dancing |
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Latin American DancesThe five "Standard" Latin American dances are Samba, Cha Cha, Rumba, Paso Doble and Jive. We try to include at least one example of each of these dances into our regular Thursday and Saturday evening Ballroom and Latin Dancing programmes. The Samba The Samba is a bright, lively dance, with something of the flair of the "Carnaval" from South America. Samba is one of the most popular forms of music in Brazil. It is widely viewed as Brazil's national musical style. Danced at a lively 50 bars per minute. The name Samba most probably originally comes from the Angolan semba (mesemba), a type of ritual music. Often symbolised in mental imagery as the dance of Rio de Janeiro at "Mardi Gras" time, with colourful floats, headgear and exotic flamboyant costumes. Best known Hollywood example was probably Carmen Miranda, famed for headwear composed of real sub-tropical fruit! The Cha ChaThe Cha Cha (also known as the Cha Cha Cha) is a rhythmical Latin dance which originated in the 1940's as a modified form from the original Mambo. Cha Cha is danced at 30 bars per minute. It's fun, energetic, sexy and flirtatious, easily distinguished from other Latin Dancing favourites by it's addictive "Step, Step, Cha Cha Cha" rhythm. A high energy dance with overtones of cheek and at the same time sexy and adventurous! The RumbaA Rumba is generally considered best danced to a medium-tempo 4/4 Latin ballad, although ballroom style Rumba can be slightly more upbeat and rhythmical, at a tempo of 28 to 30 bars per minute. The Latin percussion section will often punctuate the music with syncopated accents, while bass, guitar and piano keep a steady beat and fill in the harmony. A singer or instrumental soloist may take the melody. Ballroom style Rumba is danced to a wide variety of musical genre from the most traditional of Latin sounds to modern day pop hits. By far the most sensual and sexy of the Latin Dancing favourites, the Rumba is regarded as "the vertical expression of horizontal desire". The Paso DobleThe Paso Doble originates from Spain. It is developed on the basis of movements performed by the matadors during the bull fights, and borrows also from the flamenco and Sevillana tradition. In Paso Doble the man (matador) is in focus more than in any other dance. The lady is left with playing the role of the cape ("cappa"), the red canvas of the toreador, or the bull, depending on circumstances. The dance first came into fashion around 1920. It's probably the last dance you would learn if you take up Latin American dance classes. The Paso Doble (literally translated as "Double Walk") is based around previously agreed choreography (arranged precisely to the music) and is far more difficult to lead and improvise than any other latin dance. The Paso Doble contains fixed sequences and ´breaks´ fitted to very traditional music, the ´breaks´ often coincide with fixed set-piece paused tableaux type moves and steps. Often very dramatic, and representative of the fiery tradition of flamenco and Southern Spain. Paso Doble is danced to a tempo of 50 bars per minute. The Jive "Ballroom Jive"
is the UK name for the specific competition style of the original American Jitterbug developed by the dance-teaching
establishment. Characterised by a ´chassé´ from side to side and a back replace, this style accentuates the pumping action
of the knees, as dancers shift their weight in the chassé. Currently danced at a tempo of 44 bars per minute. Included as the "American" part of the general
"Latin American" dance categories, it is widely danced today. Simplified versions are taught all over as basic
Lindy Hop and Jitterbug, (which it isn´t), or as East Coast Swing. Variations such as LeRoc, Ceroc borrow elements from
Jive, Jitterbug, Rock and Roll, and are becoming very popular as hi-energy young people's partner dances. Many social dancers
dance a simplified but very attractive self taught version often called the Palais Jive, developed as a close, small step
sequence in the halcyon days of the large crowded dance halls. This version may include various lifts and steps seen in
movies from the 50's onwards, and very popular!
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