About dances

        CHA-CHA (in Spanish cha-cha-chá) is a Latin Americandance of Cuban origin.    It corresponds to the Cha-cha-cha music introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrín. See Cha-cha-chá (Cuban dance) for a description of the Cuban evolution of the dance.in ballroom dancing, it is increasingly popular to call the dance cha-cha.

Pre-Bronze syllabus

1. Basic Movement                                                       
2. New Yorker
3. Shoulder to Shoulder
4. Hand to Hand
5. Three Cha Chas Forward
6. Side Steps
7. There and Back
8. Time Steps
9. Compact Chasse
10. Alternative Compact Chasse
11.  Spot Turns & Switch Turns Left and Right

Bronze syllabus

1. Fan
2. Alemana
3. Hockey Stick
4. Natural Top
5. Natural Opening Out Movement
6. Closed Hip Twist

Silver syllabus

1. Open Hip Twist
2. Reverse Top
3. Opening Out from Reverse Top
4. Aida
5. Spiral Turns
6. Cross Basic
7. Cuban Breaks
8. Chase
9. Ronde Chasse
10. Twist Chasse
11. Slip Chasse

Gold syllabus

1. Advanced Hip Twist
2. Hip Twist Spiral
3. Turkish Towel
4. Sweetheart
5. Follow My Leader
6. Foot Changes
7. Runaway Chasse                                                                   

Allan Tornsberg and Serena Lecca - Basic Cha Cha Cha routine

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                                                                          SAMBA

        SAMBA - is a lively, rhythmical dance of Brazilianorigin in 2/4 timedanced under the Sambamusic. However, there are three steps to every bar, making the Samba feel like a 3/4 timed dance. Its origins include the Maxixe. There are two major streams of Samba dance that differ significantly: the modern Ballroom Samba, described in this article, and the traditional Brazilian Samba.

The ballroom Samba is danced to music in 2/4 or 4/4 time. The basic movements are counted either 1-2 or 1-a-2, and are danced with a slight downward bouncing or dropping action. This action is created through the bending and straightening of the knees, with bending occurring on the beats of 1 and 2, and the straightening occurring on the "a".

As a ballroom dance, the samba is a partner dance. Ballroom samba, like other ballroom dances, is very disconnected from the origins and evolution of the music and dance that gives it its name. It is a form created for its suitability as a partner dance. The dance movements, which do not change depending on the style of samba music being played, borrows some movements from Afro-Brazilian traditional dances such those used in candomblérituals and the chamadas of capoeira angola.

1. Basic Movements (Natural, Reverse, Side, Progressive)
2. Whisks (also with Lady's underarm turn)
3. Samba Walks (Promenade, Side, Stationary)
4. Rhythm Bounce
5. Volta Movements
6. Travelling Bota Fogos Forward
7. Criss Cross Bota Fogos (Shadow Bota Fogos)

Bronze syllabus

1. Travelling Bota Fogos Back
2. Bota Fogos to Promenade and Counter Promenade
3. Criss Cross Voltas
4. Solo Spot Volta
5. Foot Changes
6. Shadow Travelling Volta
7. Reverse Turn
8. Corta Jaca
9. Closed Rocks

Silver syllabus

1. Open Rocks
2. Back Rocks
3. Plait
4. Rolling off the Arm
5. Argentine Crosses
6. Maypole
7. Shadow Circular Volta

Gold syllabus

1. Contra Botafogos
2. Roundabout
3. Natural Roll
4. Reverse Roll
5. Promenade and Counter Promenade Runs
6. Three Step Turn
7. Samba Locks
8. Cruzados Walks and Locks

Allan Tornsberg and Serena Lecca - Samba show

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                                                                           RUMBA

         RUMBA - is a dance organically related to the rumba genre of Afro-Cuban music. Throughout the history one may trace several styles of dances called "rumba".

Some dancers considered rumba the most erotic and sensual Latin dance, for its relatively slow rhythm and the hip movement. Rumba is actually the second slowest Latin dance: the spectrum runs bolero, rumba, cha-cha-cha, mambo in order of the speed of the beat.

Pre-Bronze syllabus

1.  Basic Movements (Closed, Open, In Place, Alternative)
2. Cucarachas (LF and RF)
3. New York (to Left or Right Side Position)
4. Spot Turns to Left or Right (including Switch and Underarm Turns)
5. Shoulder to Shoulder (Left Side and Right Side)
6. Hand to Hand (to Right and Left Side Position)
7. Progressive Walks Forward or Back
8. Side Steps (to Left or Right)
9. Cuban Rocks

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   Bronze syllabus

1. Fan
2. Alemana
3. Hockey Stick
4. Natural Top
5. Opening Out to Right and Left
6. Natural Opening Out Movement
7. Closed Hip Twist

Silver syllabus

1. Open Hip Twist
2. Reverse Top
3. Opening Out from Reverse Top
4. Aida
5. Spiral Turns (Spiral, Curl, Rope Spinning)

Gold syllabus

1. Sliding Doors
2. Fencing
3. Three Threes
4. Three Alemanas
5. Hip Twists (Advanced, Continuous, Circular)

Allan Tornsberg and Serena Lecca - Basic RUMBA routine

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Paso Doble

       Paso Doble (or pasodoble) - is a lively style of dance to the duple meter march-like pasodoble music. It actually originated in southern France , but is modeled after the sound, drama, and movement of the Spanish bullfight. Paso doble means "two step" in Spanish.

Pasodoble is based on music played at bullfights during the bullfighters' entrance (paseo) or during the passes (faena) just before the kill. The leader of this dance plays the part of the matador. The follower generally plays the part of the matador's cape, but can also represent the bull or a flamenco dancer in some figures.Paso Doble, like Samba, is a progressive International Latin dance.

The Paso Doble is the Latin dance most resembling the International Standard style, in that forward steps are taken with the heel lead, the frame is wider and more strictly kept up, and there is significantly different and less hip movement. A significant number of Paso Doble songs are variants of España Cañi. The song has breaks in fixed positions in the song (two breaks at syllabus levels, three breaks and a longer song at Open levels).

Traditionally Paso Doble routines are choreographed to match these breaks, as well as the musical phrases. Accordingly, most other ballroom Paso Doble tunes are written with similar breaks (those without are simply avoided in most competitions).

Because of its inherently choreographed tradition, ballroom Paso Doble for the most part danced only competitively, almost never socially — or at least not without sticking to some sort of previously-learned routine. This said, in Spain, France, Vietnam and some parts of Germany to the west of the river Rhine, it is danced socially as a lead (not choreographed) dance.

Pre-Bronze syllabus