Latin dances are a vast set of dance genres unified by their roots in Latin America and their typically impassioned rhythms and performances. The ardour, the enthusiasm, the vitality! Latin dances are renowned for their seductive swagger and chemistry between dance partners. If you're interested in learning a lively and energising form of ballroom dancing, this article lists the seven most popular Latin dance styles that you can perform as well!

1. Salsa

Salsa is a Latin American dance with origins in Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. In the 1960s, a new rhythm was created by combining numerous different Latin dances, such as the cha-cha, rumba, and mambo. Salsa appears to have been created by Cubans and Puerto Ricans residing in New York during the 1960s, although there are a variety of theories on its exact beginnings. People migrated to other regions and absorbed into new cultures, resulting in the evolution of new salsa dancing forms. The salsa dance consists of several turns, revolutions, and crossbody lead motions. Numerous different ballroom and dance styles impacted it. If you seek a popular Latin dancing style, then Salsa is a fun and popular choice!

2.Merengue

The Merengue is a couple dance with Dominican Republic origins. There are numerous ideas on the specific origins of modern dance. After his ascent to power in the 1930s, Dictator Rafael Trujillo made it the official Dominican dancing and musical style. Haiti, a neighbouring country, uses a comparable method. The Merengue is one of the well-known Latin dances that has evolved over the years and is famous throughout the globe. This simple Dominican dance is centred on marching, with partners rapidly shifting their weight from foot to foot. Once again, the Cuban movement style makes this dance hot. However, the Merengue is accompanied by simple strolling and Chasse (side) steps.

3.Bachata

Bachata, like many Latin dance genres, has a sensual aspect. Bachata is a famous dance form that originated in the Dominican Republic and is now recognised globally. Since it is danced worldwide, the style has various variations. Bachata dancing is distinguished by its energetic steps and hip movements. It is a highly social dance that is frequently performed by couples.

At every fourth count, there is a tiny accent in the beat of bachata; this is when the pop should occur. The pop is a movement performed in the opposite direction of the previous step and reversing the direction of the dance after every fourth count. Although the Bachata dance is a derivative of the music, the music has grown more slowly in recent years than the dance.

4.Rumba

The rumba is a relaxed, sensual, and seductive ballroom dance. It developed in sixteenth-century African slave communities in Cuba. Rumba is a combination of son music from Cuba with African influences. Son is a refined version of a slower version of the African slave dance made more conservative by middle-class Cubans. The rumba's original style was a bit more forceful and brisk, but the dance we know today is still full of passion and fire. Numerous popular Latin American dances, such as the cha-cha, have been influenced by it.

5.Tango

The tango is an extremely slow dance performed by two individuals. This sensual slow dance started in the mid-1800s in Buenos Aires. Many cultures from Spain, Italy, Russia, Poland, Portugal, and enslaved Africans mingled together. They were sharing their dancing traditions, and developing a new one based on their own cultures led to the creation of an early form of tango.

For this dance, a partner is required. The leading partner will take two steps forwards with his left foot, followed by two steps ahead with his right foot. Next, take a one-count forwards step with the left foot, followed by a one-count forwards and to the side step with the right foot so that both feet are at an angle for one count. The left foot is brought to the right foot for two counts.

6.Cha-Cha

Cha-cha is one of the most commonly taught dances in the world. This dance has its origins in Havana's Afro-Cuban community. When American big bands visited the island and its famous clubs, they fused rumba music with American jazz to create a new style. Currently, we refer to this style as the rumba. With compact steps derived from portions of the mambo and rumba, dips, turns, and slides are sure to excite. The amusing, flashy, and rapid quality of the dance made it appealing then, and it indeed adds to its allure now. The true Cuban style is seductive, slightly provocative, and infectious.

7.Samba

Samba is a dance with a long history and a reputation for expressing joy. The Samba as it is known today originated in Rio near the end of the nineteenth century. In 1917, the Samba became recognised as a distinct dancing style. In 1930, Ballroom Samba became an acceptable kind of ballroom dance; it has had a lasting impact on partner dancing worldwide.

Both men and women known as Sambistas perform the joyful rhythmic dance across the city during the festivities. The Ballroom Samba differs substantially from the majority of forms yet retains some traits of the Brazilian Samba. Ballroom Samba is one of five partner dances accepted by the International Style of Latin Dancing.

Interested in busting a move on the dance floor as well? Feel free to visit Charismatico to view our range of Latin dance costumes so you can groove and jive to the beautiful Carribean beats in style! There’s no shame in wanting to look the part, so you can look, feel, and act the part of a sensational Latin dancer!