| Video Dance Lesson | Dance As Seen On The Show | About The Dance |
The Cha Cha
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The Cha Cha by Cheryl Burke and Gilles Marini
| The Cha Cha is a cheeky, lively and flirtatious dance. There are five distinctive foot movements that are danced in 4 beats, giving it it's recognisable "One, Two, Cha Cha Cha".
Distinctive Moves:
-Triple Steps (Chassez)
- Rock steps
-Cuban motion (hip movement resulting from the alternating bending and straightening of the knees)
- Synchronised dance movement as the dancers work in parallel to each other
- The New Yorker is another move characteristic of this dance, where one dancer steps across their partner and then checks to change direction. |
The Foxtrot
| The Foxtrot by Kym Johnson and Joey Fatone
| The Foxtrot is a dance that was created as a result of an act that an actor named Harry Fox did. Dancers began copying his act and they called it Fox's Trot. It is referred to as the Rolls Royce of the standard dances due to it's smooth style with continuous forward and backward movements. It's timing is "slow- quick-quick-slow".
Distinctive Moves :
- The Weave.. Six quick steps in a row ( all done on the toes)
- The Feather Step... When the man steps outside the girl
- Zigzag patterns that the dancers create on the dance-floor. |
The Jive
| The Jive by Julianne and Derek Hough
| The Jive has it's roots in New York's Harlem, and derives influences from Boogie, Rock'n Roll, Swing and the Lindyhop. It is fast, rhythmical and swinging with lots of kicks, flicks and twirling of the woman. The feet and knees remain under the body and the knees should be close together.
Distinctive Moves:
- The basic moves are right and left Chassez's,and rock steps where the weight is changed from one foot to the other.
- The "flick-ball-change" movements.
- The kicks are distinctive because the toes are always pointed to the floor during the kick.
- The American Spin (the man lets go of his partner allowing her to spin on her own. |
The Paso Doble
| The Paso Doble by Julianne Hough and Apollo Anton Ono
| The Paso Doble is dramatic and should make us think of bull fighting. This dance favors the man as the Matador, with the woman's role varying from his cape, to the bull, to reflections of the Matador himself. Aspects of the dance include marching-like steps, and cape-like movements.
Distinctive Moves:
- Chassez Cape, where the man uses the woman as a cape to bring her around.
- The Apel, where the man stams his foot. These movemants are meant to be strong.
- Strong Flamenco influences as noted in the arm and hand movements.
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The Quickstep
| The Quickstep by Alec Mazo and Toni Braxton
| The Quickstep was born out of the 1920's when the Foxtrot was played too fast. It evolved over time with a faster pace and added other elements like the Chareston. It is light, fast paced, and springy with tricky foot work. The flow is "slow-quick-quick-slow-quick-quick", with slow moves on the heel and the quick moves on the toe.
Distinctive Moves:
- A fast paced up and down swing motion.
- Powerful movements while seeming light footed
- The partners, while dancing quickly, require a high degree of synchronization, with the same tension in the feet and legs.
-Lots of work on the balls of the feet and spring from the feet.
-Runs (quick little repetative movements)
- This dance requires more floorcraft than any other of the ballroom dances. |
The Rumba
| The Rumba by Tony Dovolani and Melissa Rycroft
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The Samba
| The Samba by Mark Ballas and Shawn Johnson
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The Tango
| The Tango by Maxim Chmerkovsky and Mel B.
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The Waltz
| The Waltz by Derek Hough and Brooke Burke
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The Salsa
| The Salsa by Tony Dovolani and Melissa Rycroft
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