Ballroom & Latin

There are two main styles of ballroom dancing: International and American. American style is danced primarily in the US while International is an internationally recognized style of ballroom dancing and is danced just about everywhere else in the world as well as in the US. In the US American style is more often seen in social dancing while International style tends to be used primarily in competitions. However, many people dance either American or International or both styles socially, and both styles are normally included in competitions as well.

Each the International and the American styles are divided into two categories: Standard and Latin in the International style, and Smooth and Rhythm in the American style.

The International Standard is where (mainly in competitions and major social events) the partners remain in closed position throughout the dance and movements tend to be elegant and sweeping. The dances are progressive moving anti-clockwise round the floor. Men typically wear evening dress (coattails, vests and white bow ties), while women wear elegant and colorful gowns often with sheer fabric draped from the shoulders or arms. The International Standard dances consist of: Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, and Quickstep.

In the International Latin more variation in movement is allowed than in the Standard dances, so hip action and athletic maneuvers such as dips are common. The Latin dances are more overtly sensual and the costumes tend to be shorter and more revealing for women and tighter-fitting for men. The International Latin dances consist of: Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, and Jive.

In the American Smooth, while elegance and flow remain the goal as in International Standard, dancers do not remain in closed position exclusively, instead breaking away from each other periodically and experimenting with open footwork. The American Smooth dances consist of: Foxtrot, Waltz, Tango, and Viennese Waltz.

The American Rhythm is also influenced by American dancers of the post-WWII era but the differences between it and International Latin are more subtle. Costumes are similar and while step patterns are not identical movements are as free and explicitly sensual as in Latin. The American Rhythm dances consist of: Cha Cha, Rumba, East Coast Swing, Bolero, and Mambo.

There are many other dances that do not fall under the above categories and are generally not considered as Ballroom dances but bear resemblance to those that do. These include the South American dances: Salsa, Merengue, and Bachata, the many types of Swing amongst which are: West Coast Swing, Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, and Rock n’ Roll to name a few, and Argentine Tango which is quite different from the Ballroom Tango.

At Pure Dance the main focus is on both the social and competitive American and International styles. However requests can be made if any of the other dances mentioned or others similar are of interest.