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Foxtrot: If you've ever seen any old war movies, where the dance floor is packed but everyone's still dancing around, Foxtrot is what they're doing. It progresses counter-clockwise around the dance floor. Most of Frank Sinatra's songs are foxtrots, as is "It had to be you" by Harry Connick Jr. from the Sleepless in Seattle soundtrack.
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Waltz: This is another smooth dance, which also progresses counter-clockwise around the floor. The musical timing is 3/4, meaning there are three beats in each measure. The drummer playing a 'Boom-tick-tick' beat is a dead-giveaway that it's a Waltz. This is the dance Cinderella and Prince Charming danced to 'Someday my Prince will come'.
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Rumba: Rumba is the dance of Love. It's a stationary dance, meaning that instead of moving around the floor, you'll stand in the center, and dance there. The basic step is a 'box' step, side-together-forward, side-together-back, and the timing is Quick Quick Slow, Quick Quick Slow. There are pretty underarm turns for both man and lady, as well as some open dance steps, where you mirror each other. Sting's "Fields of Gold" is a Rumba. A nice father/daughter Rumba is 'Blessed' by Elton John.
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Tango: Mention Tango, and people immediately throw a rose between their teeth and crouch down with their arm sticking out like an arrow. That's not too far from the truth! Tango is danced with a more flexed knee, and very staccato movement. The arm doesn't stick out though - in fact, the shoulder moves *away* from the arm, giving the appearance of the arm sticking out. There isn't a lot of Tango music out today, but Jefferson Starship's 'Nothing's gonna stop us now' is one I've choreographed for a wedding before.
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Viennese Waltz: A very fast dance, this is the 'original' dance. This is why the progressive dances move counter-clockwise around the floor. The original figure in V. Waltz is a reverse, or leftward moving turn. Done constantly, this brings you in a counter-clockwise moving circle. Change steps and Natural, or rightward-moving turns, have since been added. The American version has a lot of open figures, sways, poses, etc., and can be modified for a smaller dance floor. The Blue Danube is a V. Waltz, and of course, Johann Strauss Jr. is the Waltz King.
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SWING!!! The original American dance. It started out in the Savoy Ballroom in Harlem in the 20s as Lindy Hop, and transformed into the East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, and Jitterbug. It's danced to faster music, and has the same timing as Foxtrot, slow, slow, quick quick. However, it's a stationary dance, like Rumba. Swing and Hustle (formerly known as Disco) are the two dances that turn clockwise instead of couter-clockwise. There are lots of underarm turns, and literally hundreds of different moves in Swing. Some of Frank Sinatra's songs played at a faster speed can be Swing.
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