{"id":16512,"date":"2018-11-27T13:47:55","date_gmt":"2018-11-27T19:47:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.passion4dancing.com\/?p=16512"},"modified":"2019-02-12T11:02:57","modified_gmt":"2019-02-12T17:02:57","slug":"best-dances-to-learn-for-social-dancing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.passion4dancing.com\/best-dances-to-learn-for-social-dancing\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Dances To Learn For Social Dancing"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Best
\nIn this article I’ll be exploring the 5 best dances to learn<\/strong> for partner dancing.<\/p>\n

As of this moment we have lessons for 18 Ballroom dances<\/a> available here on passion4dancing.com. We cover all the major styles including: American style, International style, as well as Club dance style.<\/p>\n

While we consider Cha Cha, Rumba, Swing, Salsa, Foxtrot, Tango, Waltz and Merengue to be the core dances for Latin and Ballroom dancing, it may be overwhelming to start learning so many dances at the same time.<\/p>\n

I recommend for beginners to start with 3-5 dances at most. Then later you can expand!<\/p>\n

The 5 best dances to learn<\/strong> – Ones we’d recommend beginners to start with are: Rumba<\/a>, Foxtrot<\/a>, Swing<\/a>, Cha Cha<\/a> and Salsa<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I will dive into why these are the best dances to learn for social dancing in a second but let me address the other dances that I didn’t include.<\/p>\n

Some of the other dances like the Samba, Merengue, Waltz, Tango tend to need special type of music that is not played in most social dance situations\u2026 Of course in specific places like Latin nightclubs you will get tons of Merengue and Bachata songs playing, but in most house parties, weddings and other events the music will rarely fit those dances.<\/p>\n

The same goes for Waltz and Tango. Waltz, while a beautiful dance has a special music structure which is 3\/4 – And many songs are simply not structured in this way. And Tango is also a little bit more specialized. It would be danced in places like Milongas (Argentinian Tango dance practices) and Ballroom dance parties, but Tango music is not usually played in most social events.<\/p>\n

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Now, a dive into the 5 best dances to learn:<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

Let\u2019s take a closer look as to why starting with the Rumba, Foxtrot, Swing, Cha Cha and Salsa makes the most sense for most people.<\/p>\n

Firstly, all of these 5 dances use a 4\/4 musical structure, and I am not a music expert but I know enough to understand that all it means is that MOST of the songs that you hear on the radio today will fit them. So yes, you can pretty much bet that one of these 5 dances will fit many popular songs at any social event.<\/p>\n

Secondly, these dances will fit in character and style to many of the songs that would be played at weddings, parties and any other mainstream social events.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at which dance to use when with some song examples.<\/p>\n

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Rumba<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div>\nYou can dance the Rumba to almost any pop song that comes on. Since the Rumba is more grounded and has lots of hip movement, it would fit many of the R&B songs. This dance is good to do if you are limited in space since it doesn\u2019t take up that much space. Try “The box step” next time a John Legend song comes on.<\/p>\n

Songs that fit the Rumba:
\nJohn Legend – Save room
\nIngrid Michaelson – The way I am <\/p>\n

Basic Rumba dance steps<\/a><\/p>\n

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Foxtrot<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div>\nThis dance is perfect for those songs that are a bit slower in tempo. Many of the songs that use big band type of instruments would work very well – like “oldies” and Frank Sinatra. This dance is great if you have lots of space as it’s a travelling dance.<\/p>\n

Songs that fit Foxtrot:
\nFrank Sinatra – New York, New York
\nJack Johnson – Banana Pancakes<\/p>\n

Learn the Foxtrot basic steps for free<\/a><\/p>\n

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Swing<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div>\nThe Swing is an upbeat, energetic dance so use it to dance to faster songs. Modern pop songs and rock and roll songs work very well. This dance has lots of turns and spins and is also great for small spaces as it doesn\u2019t travel much.<\/p>\n

Songs that fit Swing:
\nBob Seger – Old Time Rock and Roll
\nWalk The Moon – Shut Up and Dance<\/p>\n

Learn the East coast Swing basic steps for free<\/a><\/p>\n

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Cha Cha<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div>\nThe Cha Cha is one of the fastest Latin dances and has a lot of quick, sharp steps to accent the rhythmicality of this dance. Both Latin and non-Latin music can fit this dance.<\/p>\n

Songs that fit Cha Cha:
\nMarc Anthony – I need to know
\nSantana – Smooth<\/p>\n

Learn how to Cha Cha here<\/a><\/p>\n

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Salsa<\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div>\nSalsa is one of the hottest Latin dances<\/a> today. It has a lot of turns, hip movement and footwork patterns. Many of the modern pop songs also fit this dance.<\/p>\n

Songs that fit Salsa:
\nEnrique Iglesias – Bailando
\nLuis Fonsi – Despacito<\/p>\n

Learn Salsa basic steps here<\/a><\/p>\n

Pro Tip: Many of these dances can fit the same songs… So it is up to you to decide which dance you\u2019d like to do. You should weigh’ different factors like: The character of the song, How slow\/fast it is, and how much space you have!<\/p>\n

Watch a video summary of this article:
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