Technical Specifications |
International Style:
Standard Dances |
American Style
Smooth Dances |
Waltz
• Style: Intl Standard (Ballroom)
• Meter: 3/4
• Tempo: 84 - 90 beats per minute
• Basic Rhythm: 123 123 (strong accent on 1)
• Music Style: Slow ballads or instrumental music in 3/4 time. |
Waltz
• Style: American Smooth (Ballroom)
• Meter: 3/4
• Tempo: 84 - 96 beats per minute
• Basic Rhythm: 123 123 (strong accent on 1)
• Music Style: Slow ballads or instrumental music in 3/4 time. |
Tango
• Style: Intl Standard (Ballroom)
• Meter: 4/4
• Tempo: 128 - 132 beats per minute
• Basic Rhythm: Quick-Quick-Slow
• Music Style: Medium tempo orchestral, often march-like. |
Tango
• Style: American Smooth (Ballroom)
• Meter: 4/4
• Tempo: 120 - 128 beats per minute
• Basic Rhythm: Quick-Quick-Slow
• Music Style: Medium tempo orchestral, sometimes march-like. |
Foxtrot
• Style: Intl Standard (Ballroom)
• Meter: 4/4
• Tempo: 112 - 120 beats per minute
• Basic Rhythm: Slow-Quick-Quick
• Music Style: Medium-slow jazz/swing music. |
Foxtrot
• Style: American Smooth (Ballroom)
• Meter: 4/4
• Tempo: 120 - 136 beats per minute
• Basic Rhythm: Slow-Quick-Quick or Slow-Slow-Quick-Quick
• Music Style: Medium-tempo jazz/swing music. |
International Style:
Latin Dances |
American Style
Rhythm Dances |
Cha Cha
• Style: International Latin
• Meter: 4/4
• Tempo: 128 beats per minute
• Basic Rhythm: 2, 3, 4&1, 2, 3, 4&1 (accent on count 1)
• Music Style: Medium-tempo Latin music. |
Cha Cha
• Style: American Rhythm
• Meter: 4/4
• Tempo: 112 - 120 beats per minute
• Basic Rhythm: 2, 3, 4&1, 2, 3, 4&1 (accent on count 1)
• Music Style: Medium-tempo Latin music. |
Samba
• Style: International Latin
• Meter: 2/4
• Tempo: 100 beats per minute
• Basic Rhythm: 1 a2 1 a2 (accent on downbeat)
• Music Style: Medium tempo Brazilian Latin music with strong downbeat. |
Samba |
Rumba
• Style: International Latin
• Meter: 4/4
• Tempo: 104 beats per minute
• Basic Rhythm: 2 3 4 (1), 2 3 4 (1)
• Music Style: Slow Latin ballad. |
Rumba
• Style: American Rhythm
• Meter: 4/4
• Tempo: 128 - 144 beats per minute
• Basic Rhythm: Slow-Quick-Quick
• Music Style: Medium-tempo Latin music. |
- Learning dance routines
For a new dancer, one of the most important abilities is being able to learn the steps of a dance routine. Your skill to learn a routine rapidly can really influence your overall dance ability. Not only must a dancer be able to perform various dance steps, he or she must also be able to remember the steps in a set order. If you are slow to learn dance routines, this can obstruct with your skill to concentrate on finer points such as technique and expression. This problem can filter down, affecting how far you are able to advance in your classes and how efficient you are in dance auditions. Choreographers and directors select dancers who are able to catch on quick. The following tips will help you memorize dance routines.
- Know Your Steps
Learning a routine is one thing, but the complexity is compounded when you are also trying to learn the steps themselves. Every dance routine can be broken down into a sequence of familiar steps and mixtures. Good dance instructors make an effort to introduce core abilities in preliminary classes, urging students to learn both the step as well as the name of the step.
Obviously, if you are familiar with the individual steps used in the routine, easier you will be able to join them together to memorize a routine.
- Watch Your Dance Instructor Closely
Choreography is usually trained in series of step mixtures. Watch your dance instructor closely, some dance teachers will stand in front of the class and demonstrate each step slowly. When the teacher has finished demonstrating the steps, then you can begin to practice. It is better to watch first, and then try.
- Mental List
A good way you can mental list of series is to making a dialogue that you can say to yourself in your head. For each movement you are demonstrating in a series, think of one word that will remind you of it. Then repeat the list of movements in your head during breaks and while performing the movements themselves.
- Understand the Music
Understand the music is important because the dance generally joins movements with music. The selected music is very significant to the success of the dance. A piece of music is frequently chosen because it possesses certain beats and tempo varies. Use signs in the music (such as instruments, tempo, dynamics, and lyrics) to remind you of the steps in the dance series. Often step blends are repeated each time the chorus of a song.
- Practice
Just as other new skill, you must exercise your memorizing muscle if you hope to improve. Your skill to learn routines rapidly will improve over time, as your mind will grow habituated to structuring associations. Practice will make you easier to learn difficult step sequences and will help you improve in all areas of your dancing.
- Sequence
A good dance routine is more than just a list of moves. Each movement should run naturally from the one that came before and lead to the one that comes after. If you see each movement as a part of a whole rather than a piece on the list, you may find it easier.