I like to Move It, Move It!

These are clearly not all the steps that exist. Visit Google for a list of links that have indepth explanations about several of these dance steps’ origins. For those into technicalities, check out this list of Latin Percussion instruments. Additionally, visit the University of Michigan site on origin of some dance steps.

Know Your Dance Steps

[+]rumba: Latin American ballroom dance originally from Cuba.
[+]tango: slow South American ballroom dance
[+]samba: fast ballroom dance of Brazilian origin
[+]chacha: dance from S. America with small, fast steps
[+]foxtrot: ballroom dance with slow and quick steps
[+]waltz: ballroom dance in triple time performed by couples revolving with sliding steps and a strong regular beat
[+]mazurka: lively Polish dance in triple time
[+]limbo: West Indian dance in which dancers bend backwards to pass under a horizontal bar which is progressively lowered
[+]polka: very quick and simple dance for people dancing in pairs of Bohemian origin
[+]charleston: lively dance of the 1920s with sidekicks from the knee
[+]mariachi: kind of Mexican dance music
[+]zydeco: kind of Cajun music
[+]mambo: Latin American dance like the rumba
[+]breakdancing: style of dancing involving acrobatic movements
[+]cancan: fast dance from France danced by women in a show in which they kick their legs high into the air
[+]fandango: fast spanish or South American dance
[+]tarantella: fast South Italian dance
[+]tap dance: rhythmic dance performed with shoes with metal taps
[+]lambada: fast erotic Brazilian dance in which couples dance with their stomaches touching each other
[+]veleta: ballroom dance in triple dance (Spanish origin)
[+]schottische: kind of slow polka
[+]bossanova: dance like the samba (Portuguese)
[+]bolero: Spanish dance in triple time
[+]paso doble: Latin American ballroom dance
[+]carioca: Brazilian dance like the samba