LATIN DANCE
Salsa (from Cuba & Puerto Rico), Bachata & Merengue (from the Domincan Republic) - energetic and passionate dances, they can also be subtle and sensual. In Ithaca, there is great latin dancing at several venues: Common Ground, Level B, Castaways, Olivia's, Tompkins County Latino Civic Association annual events. There are big salsa venues in Syracuse, Binghamton, and Rochester. Check the CNY Dance Calendars. In addition to the usual focus on footwork and moves, ithacadance classes focus strongly what to listen for in the music, on movement styles, and how both ladies and guys can have fun as dancers, not just as "leaders" & "followers!"

SWING DANCE
Jumpswing, Lindy Hop/Jitterbug, West Coast Swing, East Coast Swing, Balboa, Carolina Shag, St. Louis Shag, Push Whip, Imperial, Hand Dancing... This is a very short list of the swing dance styles to evolve out of the 1930's and 1940's - there are plenty more regional styles, both USA and worldwide. In Ithaca, the first four styles are the most known. Teens on American Bandstand danced a simplified form of what is now called East Coast Swing - it is recognized worldwide. It is a good place to start for older beginning dancers, and worth knowing by all dancers. Swing dance is America's perfect marraige of African & European temperments, and music/dance traditions. I have written a lot about this at www.cornellswing.com . My DVD set has a charming history segment on this topic.

MUSIC: Not just Benny Goodman, Count Basie, etc., not just Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, etc. Great jitterbug music by the Beatles ("Can't Buy Me Love"), Stevie Wonder ("Part Time Lover"), Martha Reeves ("Heat Wave"), Kenny Loggins ("Footloose"), Billy Joel ("For The Longest Time"), Madonna ("Hanky Panky"), John Travolta/Olivia Newton-John ("You're The One That I Want"), etc, etc.

Venues for Swing include Ithaca Swing Dance Network, Jumpswing Club Rooftop Mayhem, Cornell Swing Dance Club, Cornell and various monthly and annual events, such as Grassroots and Ithaca Festival. Check the DANCINGCNY.com calender of details. Rooftop Mayhem's annual February big band valentine's dance is a local highlight.

BALLROOM DANCE
The worldwide ballroom craze can justifiably be traced back to ex-slapstick comedy vaudevillian Vernon Castle and his wife, actress Irene Castle in the pre-World War One era. They tamed the wild dances of the time, adapted various ethnic folk partner dances, made them attractive to more reserved and refined temperments, and defined lead-follow style dancing for generations to come. The Castles ushered in an era when social partner dances were THE entertainment phenomenon of society. TV was not yet even dreamed of in the wildest imagination (except in the mind of Nicola Tesla).

Some of the dances that the Castles created/adapted have become extinct, and some have evolved into modern ballroom standards with the original or changed names. Their student Arthur Murray took the Castles' creative and adaptive work towards even further lengths. The most popular modern social ballroom dances include Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, Swing, Merengue, Salsa/ Mambo, Cha cha. More dedicated ballroom enthusiasts also enjoy, Samba, Quickstep, Paso Doble and Viennese Waltz. Our experience has shown that the Castle Foxtrot, one of the earliest American ballroom dances, is a most excellent beginner dancer strategy. It is enjoyable, easy to learn, and very practical. See info under each dance on this page.

WEDDING DANCE
Most couples prefer a nice slow song for their bridal/wedding/first dance (although a few want an uptempo tune!). Slow songs are played more at weddings than at clubs, since slow songs tend to draw larger numbers of guests, especially older couples, on to the dance floor. There are a vast number of wonderful slow tunes to choose from in all eras of popular music. Out of all the dance styles, we feel that the Castle Foxtrot, created by Vernon and Irene Castle, is the easiest access point to ballroom dance for the beginner, as well as the most practical dance style to learn. The Castle Foxtrot is also very satisfying and fun, and open to endless variation as one advances in dancing. One can learn it quicky, making it suitable for bridal couples starting just a few months or less before their wedding.

SALSA
Salsa is the core of club latin dancing in Central NY, New York City, Los Angeles, and many other areas. Salsa derives from African, native Caribbean Taino, and Hispanic origins, and more specifically from Cuba and Puerto Rico. It can be danced energetically (the staple style one sees in clubs) or intimately (seen less often). There are circle dances variations (Casino Rueda), and line dance (Salsa Suelta) variations. We like the partner dance style by far the best!

Ballroom Mambo is similar to Salsa, and despite technical descriptions of their differences, the real main difference is in style - classic ballroom exaggerated stylized body movement vs. the freer club styles that dance heavy into the clave and tumbao rhythms.

Movement ! Stepping in rhythm is a start, but there is more - legs, hips, torso, shoulders, arms, hands, head! We show you ways to move your body that gives all the latin dances their flavor - responding to the key rhythms: tumbao & clave (see below). Salsa movement is about sinking towards the earth, and drawing energy up from the earth. Salsa has strong African roots - it is an earth-centered dance. For those so inclined, we have easy methods to lightly relax key torso areas that really work. However, one can can enjoy salsa with very full body movement, or with very little.

There is a lot of modern Salsa music. A certain amount of it is hard to dance to, although it is nice to listen to in the car (which is why composers write it, and record companies put it out). We sift very carefully through the available material to select real danceable salsa, and our selections have received high praise from the best local dancers.

Know something about Salsa already? Then you know that the "break" is commonly on 1, or 2, or 3, or 4, or 5... and some people have a strong feeling about this! I asked the main professor in a top Cuban dance school in Santo Domingo. He told me that this topic was completely unimportant to them. They don't even have a name for "the break." I have seen many very good latino dancers shift the break point from one song to the next, or even sometimes in the same song. Most ladies are happy to go along with the leader's interpretation. Because the music is polyrhythmic in nature, it can often lend towards these different interpretations. For example, dancers on 1 usually express the tumbao in other apects of body movement.

The tumbao rhythm, played on the congas, is the driving force behind the whole ensemble. Often it is echoed in the cowbell, or other insruments. It is the classic "backbeat"or "upbeat"pattern, emphasizing beats 2 & 4. This is really the heart of salsa. It is something you want to tune into for the "feel" of salsa.
+ 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +    5 + 6 + 7 + 8 +

The African-derived clave rhythm is the heart of salsa. The famous call and response "Bo Diddley Beat" is precisely the 3/2 clave.
the 3/2 son clave rhythm: ("shave & a haircut - two bits.")
+ 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +    5 + 6 + 7 + 8
the 2/3son clave rhtyhm (reversing the 4-beat measures):
+ 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +     5 + 6 + 7 + 8
Salsa musicians prefer not to count an intro "5678..." Rather, they listen to the clave pattern given by the leader. What does this mean for us dancers? We should listen also! Good dancers tend to zero in on rhythm patterns in the music - a lot more fun than abstracting a numbered count from the music, and dancing to that instead! One of the best web articles on clave I have found is at the Latin American Folk Institute.


MERENGUE
From the Dominican Republic, where it is the National Dance, Merengue has a tremendously strong and joyful groove. Merengue clearly influenced the creation of standard USA club dance music. Madonna, Michael Jackson, Donna Summer, Earth Wind Fire, etc.etc. all owe that disco groove to a fusion of Merengue and 60s R & B Motown. If you like the afore-mentioned artists and dance grooves, merengue is a very practical dance to learn, since it easily morphs into a 2 step hustle!

As a dance, Merengue is easy to learn. The music derives from a cultural melange of African, Hispanic, and Polish-German-Russian musical temperments: polka got into the mix! It got a big push in th 1940s with President Trujillo made Merengue the national dance, hiring orchestras and composers, and promoting Merengue ceaslessly - he loved it. The population did also.

Learning the subtle hip, rib cage, and body movement styles takes a bit more attention, but we have methods for those that want to get a deeper, more satisfying experience of the dance. The music is very exhilerating, and you really want to move! Merengue moves can be dynamic, or slow and sexy, although local dancers seem to favor the more energetic style. Merengue has a wide range of tempi - 120-170bpm. There is plenty of really great merengue music. It is always mixed in at club dancing in Ithaca. Sometimes you see Dominicans emphasizing one side of the weight shift, the famous Merengue "limp," but not always. It is sometimes simplified by naive anglo instructors as "marching in place." The Domincans used to laugh at the stiff-hipped U.S. Marines in Santo Domingo in 1964-65 attempting to march the Merengue.
Merengue movement emphasizes the quarter-note pulse: +a1 +a2 +a3 +a4

HUSTLE
The dance attained its defining characters in the disco era, but the music lives on through Madonna, Michael Jackson, and the house music and techno of today. Classic 70s-early 80s artists are Bees Gees, ABBA, Donna Summer, KC & the Sunshine Band, Earth Wind & Fire, Barry White, etc. Most music historians agree that the music is a mating of Dominican Merengue with Rhythm & Blues/ Motown.

The dance style is clearly swing-derived, but with a strong ballroom flavor. The "one-step" hustle, the simpler version, certainly owes itself to Dominican Merengue. The 4-step hustle, often taught and danced +123 or 12+3 makes more sense when taught and danced +123+456, since hustle music is very different from waltz! Hustle music emphasizes the upbeats (even beats) of the music - that is an aspect of its R&B roots.

BACHATA
From the Dominican Republic, Bachata is related to Merengue as a slower dance with a strong rhythm, yet with its own very distinct character. Specific instruments such as bongos and acoustic guitar, dominate a lighter musical texture, and there is also a particular type of guitar style. The light rise of the hip, alternatively a toe or heel tap or flick or leg raise, on the 4th and 8th beat of the 8-count phrase is uniquely characteristic of the dance, with very pleasurable body motion. Bachata definitely has its fans for that reason. Bachata can be danced tight and very sexy, or with plenty of space between the partners - both are common in its country of origin. The 2006 movie Santo Domingo Blues is a must for bachata lovers.

We teach Bachata in the style of Jorge Elizando and Edie "The Salsa Freak" Lewis - classic Dominican street style with added sophistications, and three temperature levels: cool, warm, and hot, as per the inclinations of the class. Real street style bachata is way too hot for most anglos. However, we like it plenty.

CHA CHA
Cha Cha is Cuban in origin. During the 1950s, the Cha Cha became a craze due to popularization by Arthur Murray, who spent considerable time in Cuba. He also changed the name from CHA CHA CHA to CHA CHA! The distinctive triple beat is quite pleasurable to dance to, and you will often see a lot of hip motion. Cha Cha can be thought of as a slow Salsa, with many of the same patterns, replacing the salsa "hold" with triple steps. From the 1950s on, it became a common simplification to "break" on the first beat of the measure, and music was written for those dancing in this way. But many people find that the break on 2 is more satisfying to authentic style cha cha music. Cha cha is always played in the mix on club latin nights. It has become a ballroom staple as well, with a decidedly different look and feel than club style. As with all dances, Cha cha can be danced vigorously, or in a very mellow style. Check out Angel & Reyna dancing street style in Cuba: video

AMERICAN TANGO
The American style of Tango is popular all over the world, including in its native Argentina , and is quite accessible and enjoyable. American Style (in contrast to Argentine style) is easy for beginners. It has an easy-to-understand basic step, which works very naturally and satisfyingly to the musical phrase. The music has strong Spanish Flamenco and Italian connections (especially in the bel canto vocal style). The musical arrangements often have light textures, with violins and bandoleon (a type of accordian) and piano, conveying subtleties and passionate intensity. Born in Argentina 's working class dance halls, then adopted by the red light districts, tango's original flavor often expressed theatrics of lust, passion, dominance and submission. Hence, it was at first shunned by the upper classes, later embraced by them.

Tango took the lead-follow concept to a much higher level of sophistication. Young aristocrats of Buenous Aires brought Tango to France in the pre-World War One era. European dance instructors (and Vernon & Irene Castle, living in Paris at the time) were fascinated by the style and sophisticated lead-follow concept. Tango has since evolved into a very subtle partner dance, in which the lady is given considerable display and opportunity to create. American Tango has become a favorite romantic couples dance, and is a consistent all-time favorite in the ballroom classes at Cornell. Of all the ballroom dances, tango lends itself to very entertaining theatrics, which students enjoy greatly.

SLOW DANCE - CASTLE FOXTROT
Out of all the dance styles, we feel that the Castle Foxtrot, is the easiest access point to ballroom dance for the beginner, as well as the most practical dance style to learn. The Castle Foxtrot is also very satisfying and fun, and open to endless variation as one advances in dancing.

There are innumerable wonderful slow tunes in all eras of popular music. The Castle Foxtrot follows the natural phasing of most music, making it quite enjoyable as a dance style, and easy to expand with improvised figures. It is strongly rooted in Tango, although consdierably easier to learn. Compared to the commonly taught simple "sway basic," it is more interesting, more expressive, follows the music in a more satisfying way, and lends itself more to endless variation. We love the Castle Foxtrot - it is the perfect wedding dance, far beyond "hug & wobble."

Foxtrot was created in 1914 by ballroom instructor and exhibition dancer Oscar Duryea, and named after popular vaudeville dancer Harry Fox (born Arthur Cunningford). The dance immediately became the most popular dance in the ballroom and cabaret. Vernon and Irene Castle created a slower version of it, and although greated with enthusiasm, the dance did not continue in the studios when Vernon & Irene stopped teaching later in 1914, when Vernon went to Europe to fly with the RAF in WWI. The Castle Foxtrot is a great slow dance! Surprisingly, the International and American Ballroom Syllabus,contain NOTHING for slow dance (except rumba, which is very sophisticated and requires a very particular rhythm of music.) So we revived the Castle Foxtrot. DVD coming in late September ! California instructor Buddy Schwimmer invented the "Night Club Two Step" for slow music, but it is like a slow hustle, and not as romantic, or near as easy and relaxed as the Castle Foxtrot.


WALTZ
Originally a French/German folk dance, it became popular in European dance halls in the 19th century, and was considered very risque, due to the close hold, and the turning and turning and turning! Vernon and Irene Castle brought elegance to the waltz, and paved the way for its popuarity amongst the more cultured classes, who had previously shunned it. Viennese Waltz is fast; standard American Style Waltz is slow, and quite pleasant. It is one of the few ballroom dances that have crossed over into Country Western and Cajun dance halls, where its own "sway and walk" style has emerged. In Country and Cajun style Waltz, the characteristic "rise and fall" of ballroom style is omitted. Waltz has a wonderful gliding feel, and is very enjoyable. Although written in 3, the feel of the dance is in 6, as is the waltz musical phrase.

FOXTROT
During the swing era, Foxrot was the most popular dance in the ballroom, until the ballrooms started teaching swing! Foxtrot is still quite popular, having come a long way since the Castles and Harry Fox. Arthur Murray invested a lot of development into the dance. Foxtrot glides smoothly around the floor, much more so than any swing style swing, and has a lot of room for improvisation. Foxtrot became the basis for the Texas Two-Step, a dance was created by Houston ballroom instructors.

JUMPSWING
My personal feeling is that Jumpswing is the easiest and most satisfying entrance into Swing Dance for beginners of any age. It includes Charleston, Jazz, Jitterbug, Jive and Lindy. It is more Lindy-rooted than single-step, toe-step or triple-step 6 count swing. It is more natural, relaxing, rhythmic, and just plain feels better and more musical.

Jumpswing includes Jitterbug, Charleston, Jive, Jazz, and Lindy. Having tried everything, we feel that this is the easiest access to swing for the average beginner of any age level. Please don't get scared by the name if you are an older dancer - it doesn't have to jump. The energy level is up to the dancers' choice. But Jumpswing gets people dancing to the uptempo music that they like much sooner, and feels better than any swing style that we have seen or tried for beginners. Our students are not the ones sitting down when the music is faster! Cornell students liked Jumpswing so much that they started a club, ( I am the advisor) so they could dance to it on a regular basis.

EAST COAST SWING
Arthur Murray is mostly responsible for the ballroom adaption of common practice swing era Lindy Hop/Jitterbug patterns and styles. East Coast Swing with its 6 and 8 count patterns works quite well and is very enjoyable. East Coast Swing

LINDY HOP
Hugely popular among modern dedicated swing dancers, Lindy Hop was born in Harlem NY. It was developed by the top show dancers of Harlem's Savoy Ballroom for themselves. Everyone within eyeshot copied it and created their own variations. Often felt to be the Mother of all swing dance styles by its afficianados, actually it is not, since other styles emerged quite independently of Lindy Hop - Balboa and Shag to name a couple. Lindy Hop lends itself to individual interpretation of the music, depending on how deep one responds to music and hears it.

Like any other dance, beginners do patterns, period, in ever increasing complexity. Advanced dancers hear more and respond and create and become a part of the music. Lindy Hop has a steep learning curve, due to its characteristic move, the notoriously sophisticated SWING OUT. However, we have developed methods whereby one can learn it well and enjoy it without constantly evaluating "Is this right?" IF one is willing to practice. Once it becomes a part of you, Lindy Hop is fun. Although there are classic gestures, the very natural of this dance is massive freedom, improvisation, humor, creativity, individuality, and play. Losing sight of this is losing sight of Lindy Hop.

WEST COAST SWING
West Coast Swing is the state dance of California. It was originally called Sophisticated Swing in the late 1930s. And has it ever lived up to its name! It is a favorite of dance professionals with extensive training in ballroom. West Coast style gives the lady plenty of room to express herself to the max. But, without full body movement and musical expression, West Coast style is a flat, tedious-looking dance. We use a variety of tehcniques to explore greater body awareness. But the real dancers are "musicians of the body" if this means something to you. Nowhere is this more evident than in West Coast Swing.

CAROLINA SHAG
Carolina Shag is the state dance of North Carolina. Hundreds of thousands of shag fans reside in the Southeastern states, compared to a handful in the Northeast. Shag has a great look. Beach Music is its music, a name that is virtually unknown in Northern music stores. Beach Music is essentially R & B, but with a kind of flavor that you would have to hear a bit of, to know what I mean. Beach songs tend to be R&B type, nostalgic of the Carolinas, the South, the Beach. I went down to Myrtle Beach and Georgia specifically to study Shag and to see it in a large group of dancers of mixed abilities. We teach it, but now only in private lessons. Today, I feel that Shag is very much a regional dance, whose feel is rooted in Southern Culture, and largely non-transplantable for that reason. Carolina Shag is not just a dance, it is a cultural celebration.