The Idiot's Guide to Ballroom Dancing
Confused by all the different old-school dances?
Here's a quick low-down on some of the dances the contestants will
be challenged by this season.
Viennese Waltz:
The Viennese Waltz is the classic, authentic, simple, original waltz. A pair of waltzing contestants will rotate around each other as they elegantly glide around the room.
Well, the plan is for them to elegantly glide - what actually
happens out there on the dance floor may be something quite
different!
Cha Cha Cha:
It's a high energy, fun, flirtatious dance - get ready for the contestants to shimmy and shake for all their worth!
Contestants who dance the Cha Cha Cha will move to the beat
'two, three, cha cha cha'. Cha Cha Cha music is usually either
Cuban or Latin pop/rock.
Jive:
Prepare for the contestants to be "super-animated."
The Jive is a quick Latin dance. Couples won't move around the
dancefloor much, and there will be quick footwork, knee
bending and hip rocking.
Quickstep:
Contestants will be trying to show some fast fancy footwork when dancing the Quickstep.
Quickstep dancers should be energetic while appearing
extremely light on their feet. The dancers' feet should appear
to barely touch the ground. The beat is "slow, quick quick,
slow, quick quick.."
Foxtrot:
The Foxtrot is very similar to the Waltz. The Foxtrot is
composed of fairly simple walking steps and side steps.
Paso Doble:
In the Paso Doble, contestants will perform a "dance of aggression."
There will be strong steps forward and artistic hand
movements. The Paso Doble is a dramatic Latin dance where
the contestants must come across as arrogant and
passionate.
Tango:
Tango is considered one of the easiest of the ballroom dance styles, making it a great choice for beginners. Couples dancing the Tango will perform strong, dramatic head snaps.
As Anna Trebunskaya says, " tango is very stalky. You're stalking around each other."
