DANCING in a Winter Wonderland!

Check out our staff Javier and Daisy dancing recently at the local Sherman Oaks Galleria!

Cutting Loose!

Sometimes you gotta gotta gotta cut loose.  Check out our staff and students dancing recently at the local Sherman Oaks Galleria!

Swing

First known as the Lindy (in honor of Charles Lindberg and his historic hop across the Atlantic), this perennially popular dance emerged in the late 1920's. It combined steps from the Black Bottom; it was also called the Bop and Push, the Hustle and Boot Scoot, Shag, Charleston and Hop. During the war years it emerged on the East Coast as the Jitterbug-jive and on the West Coast as Swing. You can truly Rock & Roll with Swing.

Tango

Rudolph Valentino single-handedly danced this Latin import into nationwide popularity beginning in 1910. Although widely believed to have originated in Argentina, it actually may have come from Spain. It's dramatic, exciting and known as the "Dancer's Dance." The Tango with all its sticatto movements, greatly improves a man's lead or a woman's ability to follow (respond) and develops a strong sense of feeling for music.

Salsa

A more flavorful (no pun intended) version of the Mambo laced with steps from other Latin dances, the Salsa is performed to a fiery, faster beat. Some call it a form of Latinized Rock and Roll. It's high-energy and all fun.

Rumba

The Rumba is an ever-increasingly popular romantic Latin dance dating back some 400 years ago, and is better known as the Latin “Get Acquainted” dance or the dance with the wiggle. The Rumba sometimes substitutes for those in-between tempos a subtle or relaxed (lateral) hip motion and Latin styling. Rumba hip movements are used in most of the popular Latin dances as well as the free-style of disco and night club dancing.

Cha-Cha

An offshoot of the Mambo, the Cha Cha evolved out of popular movement in slow-tempo Mambo called the Triple Mambo. By 1954, it had evolved into a dance all its own. It's a favorite style to know; the all time favorite Latin dance.

Fox Trot

Created in 1912 by Harry Fox, the Fox Trot was the first dance that permitted people to hold each other closer than arm's length. If you think the term "dirty dancing" was a product of the 80s, think again. The Fox Trot was the first to be tagged "indecent behavior". Today it's still the most popular of all social dances. Some people refer to the Fox Trot as the "Slow Dance" or the "Two-Step", or a "Conversational Dance" because of its enjoyable social aspects. The Fox Trot is good for developing smoothness and ease of movement.