Ballroom and Latin dances are two exciting styles that bring rhythm, elegance, and energy to the dance floor. While Ballroom dances like the Waltz, Foxtrot, and Tango focus on grace, posture, and smooth movements, Latin dances like Salsa, Cha-Cha, and Rumba are more rhythmic, expressive, and dynamic. Each style has its own charm, technique, and cultural influence, making them both fun and rewarding to learn. Whether you’re drawn to the elegance of ballroom or the fiery passion of Latin, dancing offers a fantastic way to stay active, connect with others, and express yourself through movement.
Ballroom and Latin dances differ mainly in the following two ways:
1. The way they travel or rotate and
2. Techniques applied to them
1) Travel and Rotation
a. Does the dance travel around the ballroom in an anti-clockwise direction or does it stay more or less on the spot and rotate?
b. If it travels around the room it is most likely in the ballroom category
c. If it is more stationary with rotation it will most likely fall under the Latin/swing category
2) Techniques Used in Ballroom and Latin dance
Ballroom Techniques
- Heel Leads and Toes Release
- Ball Flat Footwork
- Drive
- Sway
- Rise and Fall
- Hover
- Head positions
- Closed Dance Position
- Contra Body Movement Position
Latin Techniques
- Sliding Action
- Ball Flat Footwork
- Hip Movement
- Rib Leads
- Spotting
Ballroom Dances
- Waltz
- Foxtrot
- Ballroom Tango
- Quickstep
- Viennese Waltz
Latin Dances
- Rumba
- Salsa
- Cha Cha
- Argentine Tango
- Merengue
- Bolero
- Mambo
- Lamabada
- Samba
- Bachata
Swing (sub-category of Latin)
- Swing (triple step)
- Rock N Roll (single step)
- Jitterbug (double step)
- Hustle
Samba – Why is it different? Samba is sometimes referred to as the Latin waltz as it uses all of the Latin techniques and has the Latin American origins but travels around the floor the way a ballroom dance typically would.
Swing – Why is it in the Latin category ? Swing is a category all of it’s own but it’s often thrown in with Latin as it stays on the spot and rotates and also shares many of the same techniques in terms of footwork.
Bolero – Why is it different? Bolero is a Latin dance but occasionally uses ballroom techniques. It is a very strange and wonderful dance all of its own.
Argentine Tango vs. Ballroom Tango – Why is one style ballroom and the other Latin? These two styles of tango are worlds apart. once again it mainly comes back to the technique and travel. Ballroom Tango travels around the room constantly following the line of dance whereas Argentine Tango uses Latin techniques and rotates and moves more or less on the spot with bursts of travel in any direction.
