Dancing schools
- ballet: academic dance form telling a story using acting, dance and mime. Specialised dance area with dedicated dancing schools.
- belly dance: Middle-Eastern dance style performed in a sari-type top and pants, leaving midriff exposed for belly-wobbling. Great for waist-trimming, though a less common option at dancing schools.
- ceroc: "modern jive" developed in the UK in the 1980s that combines elements of salsa and jive. Energetic and fun, it's a popular evening and social event at dancing schools.
- cha cha cha: Cuban dance thought to get its name from the sound the dancer's feet make on the floor. Has its roots in mambo, and frequently offered by dancing schools that specialise in Latin styles.
- Charleston: named after the city in South Carolina, and popularised by a 1923 tune of the same name. Associated with 1920s flapper girls and prohibition clubs, it's a high-tempo, upbeat series of stepping legs and swinging arms.
- flamenco: the classic dance style consists of three elements—singing, dancing and guitar-strumming, often accompanied by hand-clapping. Tends to be offered by specialist dancing schools.
- foxtrot: Vaudeville actor Harry Fox invented this ballroom dance in 1914, with its distinctive "slow-slow-quick-quick" rhythm. May be offered by dancing schools specialising in ballroom.
- Irish: immortalised by the 1990s Irish show, Riverdance, whose star Michael Flatley made light work of the quick-stepping tippy-toe style. Dancers use rapid leg movements and virtually no upper body movements. More for spectators than for a dancing school class.
- jitterbug: developed primarily from lindy hop moves, the jitterbug was also danced to early rock 'n' roll.
- jive: an Afro-American form of swing dance from the 1940s.
- lambada: sensual Latin dance from the 1980s, immortalised by the song of the same name by French pop group Kaoma. Involves lots of cheeky gyrating.
- lindy hop: energetic African American dance, for couples or solo dancers, developed in New York City in the 1920s and 1930s.
- line dance: dancers follow set patterns, usually to country western music.
- mambo: a blend of European and African influences created this slinky dance movement, which reached its peak in 1950s dancehalls. Popular in dancing schools.
- pole dancing: sensual dancing around a vertical pole, often in a club setting. Great for upper body muscle strength. Not often found in dancing schools.
- polka: fast-gliding European dance from the mid-19th century.
- salsa: This dancing school favourite, named after the Spanish word for "sauce", is a spicy blend of Latin and North American styles. Couples rotate around each other and get very close.
- square dance: a type of folk dance with teams of couples making formulaic moves given by a caller, with country or folk music accompaniment (often Irish).
- tango: dramatic dance for couples, pressed close together, featuring strong, determined movements. A dancing school staple.
- waltz: a gliding dance that became fashionable in late 18th-century Vienna. Dancers twirl each other around the floor in 2-4, 6-8 or 5-4 time.
All guides on Yell.com are provided for general guidance only, do not constitute legal or professional advice and are not intended to be exhaustive.
Favorites
del.icio.us
reddit
Google Bookmarks
Facebook
StumbleUpon
digg
Yahoo ! My Web
