Dance is your pulse, your heartbeat, your breathing. It’s the rhythm of your life. It’s the expression in time and movement, in happiness, joy, sadness and envy. Jacques d’Amboise
More and more people are choosing to learn how to dance, and in this article, we’re having a look at the different types of dance that couples can do together.
While there are many dance styles for aspiring dancers to learn, we're going to focus mainly on Latin dance, contemporary dance, and modern dance rather than classical ballet and ballroom dance.
While you can find good dance classes for some of the latter styles, we've picked styles of dance that are good for couples who want to learn to dance together or for those looking to find a new hobby where they can meet people in a dance studio.
Salsa: The Most Popular Style of Dancing
Keen on becoming a “salsero” or a salsera”, i.e. someone who dances salsa?
Salsa originated in Cuba, and is a fantastic choice, whether you're in a couple or not.
Salsa classes are a great way of meeting new people. In addition to the social interaction, the buoyant music can also help boost your mood.
If you're dancing the salsa with your partner, you will be working on your communication and teamwork skills, while having fun.
Salsa is arguably the most sensual dance for couples and it’s also one of the most popular.
The best way to learn salsa is to take dance lessons, particularly if you or your partner are a beginner. It’s important to learn the basics from a skilled salsa dancer, so that you can develop an awareness of the music and the right timing.
The basic steps of salsa are pretty easy to learn for beginners, and once you’ve mastered the fundamentals, you’ll become more confident and will be able to start expressing yourself more freely.
Salsa is dynamic and in a triple meter which means that the steps are in threes. There's no shortage of songs to dance along to, so you'll definitely find a few that you enjoy.
It’s also not that difficult to find salsa lessons near you, and there are also plenty of private tutors available to give one-on-one salsa lessons.
You may even find some free salsa lessons that you can attend. However, be warned that in this type of setup, you'll most likely be required to change partners from time to time. But we can almost guarantee that you'll be having too much fun to be stressed about this!
While the word salsa means “sauce” in Spanish, it also means “sensual” in Cuban Spanish.
If you enjoy the salsa, but are looking for a more romantic dance, consider the Viennese Waltz. You'll recognise this, as many couples dance a Waltz as the first dance at their weddings.
Dancing Bachata
During a salsa evening, it’s quite common to find others dancing Bachata.
This style of dancing originated in the Dominican Republic and was often looked down upon by the upper classes.
Originally, it was the poorer classes who danced bachata. However, bachata became more and more popular in the Dominican Republic. Nowadays, you can find it being taught alongside salsa in dance classes.
Bachata includes taking alternating steps forwards and backwards.
The music is a blend of Latin American influences applied to a Dominican style.
Guitar, drums, and bass are commonly used to make some of the most beautiful bachata songs.
Bachata is often considered to be more sensual than salsa. In fact, the dancers are often closer to one another and there are a lot of hip movements. It’s a great way to spend a romantic evening with your partner.
Ready to Rumba?
It is with your feet that you move, but it is with your heart that you dance. Unknown
Rumba is one of the most beautiful Latin dance styles, also originating from Cuba. It is a slow and sensual dance and often called “the dance of love”.
Rumba was inspired by Cuban dances such as the habanera and the guajira. Its name comes from the word rumbiar, which means “dance” in colloquial Cuban. The song Guantanamera will give you a taste of what to expect in terms of music.
You’ll be happy to hear that learning the rumba is not too difficult. This is one of the reasons that it is one of the most popular Latin dance styles.
Knowing the basic steps means that you can dance the rumba to different styles of music, from traditional to contemporary.
To learn the rumba, you can always take your partner along to a dance school that specialises in Latin dancing. You can learn the basics and start practising in a very short amount of time.
So why not give rumba a go? Embark on your dance lessons for beginners today.
Learning to Dance Merengue
Merengue is a dance related to salsa and bachata. Partners make small steps as they turn clockwise. The style also includes moves from salsa. Merengue originated in the Dominican Republic at the start of the 20th century. However, Merengue music is from the Caribbean islands.
It differs from the other styles of Latin dance we’ve mentioned since the hip movements are more distinct. In some ways, it bears some resemblance to a march.
While it’s not very common in SA, you might have heard of it. Head along to a dance school and have a look at the classes on offer (ballroom dancing, African dancing, pasodoble, tap, Viennese waltz, dancehall, Irish dancing, etc.).
With private tutorials, dance schools, and dance courses, there are plenty of ways to become more flexible.
Two to Tango
The tango was born in Argentina in the 19th century and is famous for how sensual it is. The dance involves a lot of improvisation, with the man usually guiding the woman as she positions her legs in time with the music.
This is a difficult style to follow since the rules aren’t set in stone and you need to feel the music and communicate with your partner at the same time. However, this is exactly why tango is the perfect style of dance for partners.
Traditional Argentine tango has no base steps. This makes it difficult to pick up for beginners, so the best way to learn is by taking lessons from a tango teacher.
Tango Through the Decades
Tango has a colourful history.
Would you believe that, originally, only men danced the tango?
When the dance first started at the parties in the La Boca neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, it was mostly performed by men as there were very few women living there at the time. This is because the area was inhabited mainly by freed slaves and poor European immigrants.
During the political repression in Argentina in the 1950s, tango was banned in the country because it was considered rebellious, and it became an underground activity.
Today, it forms part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage. This declaration was made by UNESCO in 2009.
Are you ready to dance the Argentine Tango?
Move to the Rhythm of Kizomba
Not to be confused with the genre of music of the same name, Kizomba is an Angolan style of dancing which arrived in Europe in the 2000s. After several transformations, it became the style you and I now recognise.
Kizomba means “party” in Kimbundu, and is a dance which alternates between fast and slow steps.
Kizomba is a sensual dance, which involves slow and smooth movements where dancers move their hips in rhythm to the music. This style was born in Angola before spreading through West Africa to Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique.
There are Latin American influences (notably from Merengue, Bachata, and tango) which have defined the style as we know it today. You'll see this by watching a performance. If you want to learn Kizomba, you need to be aware that there are several different styles of the dance because Kizomba varies depending on its geography.
Couples generally dance closely to one another though they can separate for more dynamic moves.
It’s the perfect style for blending Latin dancing with an African sound.
Discover how you can perfect your couples' dancing and discover new moves!
Zouk from the Antilles
Forget about Oriental dancing, the Waltz, Zumba, Swing, or Rock ‘n’ Roll, if you're looking for something interesting, why not check out Zouk!
Zouk was born in Guadalupe and Martinique in the French Antilles in the 1970s and is quite a simple style of dance since the two partners do the same moves. You need to put your weight on one leg or the other.
The two partners dance with each other at varying speeds with small movements. There are also slower styles of zouk. You can choose the style that works for you both in terms of music and moves.
If you and your partner don't feel like doing dance classes with others, don't forget that you can still enjoy a more tailor-made experience by taking classes with a private dance teacher. These are a great option for beginners who are worried about showing off their footwork on a busy dance floor in front of other dancers who may be better than them.
For those getting married, a private tutor could help you learn a routine for your first dance. Whether you want to learn a simple waltz, ballroom routine, or an upbeat swing routine, you can get schedule tutorials when they work for you and put together a custom learning plan with your tutor. Don't forget that the tutors on Superprof often offer their first lesson for free so you can see if they're right for you.
This is very useful for those of us who've never learnt a dance routine in their life, are an absolute beginner, or just have two left feet!
Discover now how you can learn to dance as a couple!
When we dance we touch the essence of who we are and experience the unity between spirit and matter. Angeles Arrien
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Muy iilustrativo, ameno y bien fundamentado técnicamente