DANCE TYPES

Dancing has evolved and progressed a lot like everything else in life. New dance routines, modern choreography continues to grow and thrill all dancers.  To have a good time in the Houston area, the following dances are the most popular and important to know:

Two-Step
Two-Step is by far the king of Country Western dances. Most Country Western Dance Clubs in the Houston area play Two-Step music for at least 30% of the time.  Two-Step is a very pretty dance with an abundance of attractive socially lead-able and easily executable moves.  Two-Step is the favorite of many dancers.  The Two Step is a must learn dance for Houstonians.  Two Step is characterized by lots of fun turns and spins for the man and the lady.

Polka
Polka is also very popular and a fun dance, particularly here in Texas. With its fast beat, one can easily burn a lot of calories with Polka.  Many moves from Two-Step also work in Polka.  Most Country-Western clubs play Polka music also about 30-40% of the time.  Interestingly, the majority of Country-Western songs match the Polka beat and hence it is easier to find Polka dance beat than most other dance beat.

Waltz
Waltz is a romantic, graceful dance – a perfect dance for a weddings or special events.  Developed in Germany during the 17th Century, the Waltz has always been popular.  Waltz music has a very distinctive "One-Two-Three" tempo.  The dance is characterized by rise and fall which gives a smooth, graceful movement around the dance floor.

West Coast Swing
West-Coast-Swing dance grew in California but has gotten increasingly popular in other states.  Unlike Two-Step and Polka which go in a circle, West-Coast-Swing is a slot dance.  It is a very hot and sexy dance and goes well with Hip-Hop, Disco, R & B and Country music.  You can have fun with West-Coast-Swing in both Country-Western and Disco/Hip-Hop clubs. Instead of just free-style dancing, West-Coast-Swing is a fun way to dance while allowing you to interpret the music with some hot moves.

East Coast Swing
East Coast Swing is characterized by an up-tempo and relaxed style, easily adaptable to both slow and fast music.  Often known as the Jitterbug, the East Coast Swing has fun spins and intricate patterns.

Salsa
Salsa is the king of Latin dance.  Salsa lovers are very fortunate, as Houston is a hot spot for Salsa - there are plenty of excellent Latin clubs and awesome Salsa dancers.  Salsa with its sexy hip movements along with the flashy turns and spins is one of the most sensual and energetic dances.  Salsa is said to be the most danced dance in the world.

Merengue
Merengue is the sister dance to Salsa.  Merengue originated in the Caribbean around the 1850's and has grown in popularity as a worldwide dance due in part to the simplicity of the dance.  It is an easy dance to learn and a lot of fun.  The Merengue basic is just a walking step taken on every beat of music.