Different Styles of Dance

Latin: New to Sebastians Dance School!

Merengue:
Having its origins in Puerto Rico this energetic and lively 2-beat step is a traveling dance. It’s great for beginners to master the isolation of the hips and get them moving, the Latin way! It’s extremely versatile and widely danced to authentic Latin and English Pop.
Cha Cha Cha :
An offshoot from the Mambo, this is a cheeky and flirtatious rhythm. It’s a basic 5-step and is danced to authentic and contemporary Latin music.
Salsa:
Having its origins in Cuba this is a fresh, sensual and energetic basic 3-step, hold on 4 dance. It has lots of rotation, occupying a fixed area on the floor and is danced to traditional salsa and reggaeton (African influenced) music.

Lindy Hop: Lindy Hop dates back to the 1920’s where the black community while dancing to contemporary Jazz music discovered the Charleston and the Lindy Hop.

On March 26, 1926 the Savoy Ballroom opened its doors in New York and was an immediate success with its long dance floor and raised double bandstand. Nightly dancing attracted most of the best dancers in New York and the best swinging jazz black bands. One evening in 1927 following Lindburgh’s flight to Paris a local dance enthusiast named "Shorty George" Snowden was watching some of the dance couples. A newspaper reporter asked him what they were doing and it just so happened there was a newspaper next to him with n article titled "Lindy Hops the Atlantic" and George read that and said, "Lindy Hop", and the name stuck.

The communities began dancing to contemporary jazz and swing as it was evolving at that time, led by Benny Goodman, and dancers soon incorporated tap and jazz steps into their dancing.

Lindy Hop is an extremely fun, energetic swing variant with 8 & 12 beat steps with lots of jumps, triples and fast tricks, incorporating jazz and tap steps.

6 Beat Swing aka (East Coast Swing): In the mid 30's a bouncy 6-beat variant was named the Jitterbug by the band leader Cab Calloway when introduced a tune in 1934 entitled "Jitterbug". 6 Beat swing is very closely linked to Lindy Hop and can be danced interchangeably, and is just as exciting to dance but a less jumpy version.

West Coast Swing: West Coast Swing (WCS) is the nominated state dance of California (in 1989) and has its origins in Lindy Hop. In the 1930's it was called "Sophisticated Swing" by Aurthur Murray. In the lated 1940’s when Lindy Hop was banned form many dance halls because of injuries (to self and others from kick & jumps) Sophisticated Swing began to flourish. Believe it not, Aurthur Murray can be credited with the first codifications of WCS with the "walk forward" replacing the "rock back".

Current styles of WCS called "Modern West Coast Swing" or "Hollywood Style" is a conservative, upright-postured, smooth and warm, or a funky, hot-partnered jazz dance.

Aussie Rock'n'Roll: Originated in the pubs and clubs of Australia in the late 50's & early 60's, and is uniquely Australian. It has no set foot pattern although it has definite leads in the trick and manoeuvres. It is a break away from the American swing versions as the leading is all done in the hand-holds. There is more spinning and turns, and has a more circular look and is danced extremely well to boppy music like Bill Haley and Elvis Presley and goes well to a classic rockabilly beat.