Ultimate Dance Ballroom Studio offers instruction in International Standard and Latin as well as American Smooth and Rhythm styles of ballroom dance.
Standard and Smooth
Standard and Smooth styles of ballroom dance are danced to smooth, flowing, often classical style of music, and are characterized by “rise and fall” technique and smooth, graceful movement. The differences between International Standard and American Smooth are more apparent.
- International Standard is danced in closed position only, meaning that partners remain connected throughout the dance in a closed position.
- American Smooth has more freedom by dancing some positions in an open frame and can have movements in separate dance position.
Latin and Rhythm
The Latin and Rhythm styles have a distinctive musical genre characterized by powerful, rhythmic, often syncopated music, played traditionally with percussion and stringed instruments. This music embraces a rich cultural mix, derived from countries including Cuba, Brazil, Spain, the United States and areas of Africa. These dances are often characterized by “Cuban” hip movements.
The differences between International Latin and American Rhythm can be less distinct to the untrained eye and involve differences in timing and technique. Finally, you can find that these dance styles — such as Salsa, West Coast Swing, Argentine Tango, Hustle, Merengue, and other “club” dances — have further evolved into social dancing as well as made their way into the dance competition arena.
