Dances We Teach

This dance of love originated at the very beginning of the Cuban and Latin American dance crazes. The romantic music and movement was inspired by a fusion of African rhythms and Spanish melodies making the Rumba the base for all Latin dances including Mambo, Cha-Cha and hip action and, of course, spins and dips. It replaces the 8th grade sway of yesteryear in a whole new way! Because of the slow, sultry beat it’s easy to learn a variety of body movements, spins and turns at a comfortable pace. When you’re ready, you can interrelate those same patterns in the faster Latin dances with ease and confidence.

Feel stiff or awkward on the dance floor? Not only is the Rumba easy to learn, it gets your body active and builds your dance confidence.

Rumba Songs And Artists Include:

• And I Love Her – The Beatles
• It’s Now or Never – Elvis Presley
• BesameMucho – Xavier Cugat
• Neon Moon – Brooks and Dunn
• Under the Boardwalk – The Drifters

The Cha-Cha adds fun to your dancing through its syncopated steps and many open movements. The pulsating Latin rhythms make this dance so fascinating. The energetic rhythm of the Cha-Cha encourages you to cut loose and let your personality show.

Cha-Cha Songs And Artist Include:

• Sexy Back-Justin Timberlake
• In these Shoes-Kirsty Maccoll
• Black and White-Michael Jackson
• Black Magic Woman-Santana

Swing is known as the most uniquely American of all the dances. Characterized by swing-outs, kicks, jumps, and spins, this buoyant Big Band dance is certainly contagious. Since the birth of “Swing” music in the mid 1930′s, the Swing dance craze, which is also known as Lindy, Jitterbug and East Coast has been an American icon. Not only is this dance a staple at weddings, but you can find it anywhere from smoky blues clubs, to the fast paced Big Band sounds of Glen Miller and Benny Goodman. You can’t go wrong big splash on the big screen and in night clubs everywhere – the last on, often featuring the sounds of the Brain Setzer Orchestra, popularized the 40′s style Lindy. Movies like Swing Kids and A League of Their Own put Swing dancing on the top of the “need to know” list!

Learning to dance the Swing is fun and easy! Get ready for your upcoming wedding, reunion or cruise by learning to dance today. You’ll be spinning across the floor in no time at all!

Swing Songs And Artists Include:

• In The Mood – Glenn Miller
• Rock Around the Clock – Bill Haley and the Comets
• Start Me Up – The Rolling Stones
• Jump, Jive, An’ Wail – Lious Prima or the Brian Setzer Orchestra

Merengue is sure to get you feeling the motion right away on the dance floor. It develops Cuban Motion and is the simplest Latin dance to learn. The beats get your hips moving in no time to any Latin rhythm.

Its uncomplicated timing makes it easy to feel the music and adapt to any partner. It is the only Latin dance that combines one-step timing with Cuban Motion and therefore is a help to all Latin dances. The march type beat sharpens timing &coordination and the proper use of the accent will develop a clearer interpretation of musical rhythm.

Merengue Songs And Artists Include:

• Hot, Hot, Hot – Buster Poindexter
• Jump in the Line – Harry Belafonte
• Cuban Pete – Jim Carey

Jive is an international competitive Swing dance with elements of the Lindy Hop and Jitterbug. Characterized by up-tempo single-time music danced with triple steps done primarily on the toes with very lively movement.

The Hustle gives us the fusion of Swing and Disco. You will encounter the hustle at weddings and nightclubs.

Hustle originated in the 1970′s Disco Era and was popularized by John Travolta in the movie “Saturday Night Fever.” Both the music and the dance swept the country like wildfire, and although the white suits and gold chains have faded away, the dance has stayed. It is one of the easiest dances to learn. There are lots of turns and spins which make the hustle exciting and full of energy.

Hustle Songs And Artists Include:

• I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
• Last Dance – Donna Summer
• Believe – Cher

Popular musical groups of today have revived interest in the musical styles from the original Lindy Hop Era and have fired the imagination and enthusiasm of a whole new generation of Lindy Hop dancers. However, the acrobatic style used for exhibitions is not the same as the quietly rhythmic Lindy enjoyed by most dancers on the ballroom floor.

West Coast Swing is a flirtatious dance that combines the mood of the blues with the spontaneity of swing.

This stylized Swing dance popular west of the Mississippi from Kansas to California. Danced to slow or medium tempo Swing or Disco music and characterized by slot movements, taps and shuffles, coaster steps, and push and pull action of the dancers.

In the 1940’s with the wild abandonment of the Jitterbug being banned from dance halls due to too many injuries, Arthur Murray developed and documented several swing steps that he later called “Sophisticated Swing”.

West Coast Swing Songs and Artists Include:

• Some Kind of Wonderful – Joss Stone
• Somethin’ to Talk About – Bonnie Raite
• Take Back the Night – Justin Timberlake
• Addicted to Love-Robert Palmer
• Brown Sugar-Rolling Stones

Sometimes called the South American Waltz, the Samba dance pulsates to a unique Latin rhythm.

The Samba is the national dance of Brazil.

Samba improves the flexibility of the body and helps achieve easy movement and lightness. The Samba rolling action teaches the body to be supple. To move lightly, quickly, and smoothly without effort takes study but only at the start. Although considered a good exercise, Samba should be danced smoothly and in a relaxed manner giving the appearance of effortless movement. Today’s Samba music is influenced by Jazz and Latin rhythms.

Samba Songs And Artists Include:

• One Note Samba – Antonio Carlos Jobim
• Macarena – Los Del Rio
• Copacabana – Barry Manilow
• Quando, Quando, Quando – Engelbert Humperdink

The wild exciting music and rhythmical body movements make the earthy Mambo irresistible.

The overall flavor of the dance is contained in the translation of the word Mambo which means “shake it” or “say it”.

The mambo allows you to develop your own feeling and expressions and is a very popular dance at many night clubs. Because Mambo is such a fun dance, good Mambo dancers are always popular and in demand as partners.

Born from a fusion of Cuban and American dancing, the music is characterized by a stirring Afro-Cuban beat.

Mambo Songs And Artists Include:

• Tequila – The Champs
• Mambo #5 – Perez “Prez” Prado
• Cherry Cherry – Neil Diamond
• Livin’ La Vida Loca – Ricky Martin

This fun, fast-paced Latin dance has been sweeping the nation for several years now! Travel to any city, in almost any country and you’ll see that a good Salsa club is never hard to find, and a good Salsa dancer is always in demand. Composed of quick foot switches and multiple spins and turns, this dance is a must have in your repertoire.

There are indications the term “Salsa” (the Spanish word for “sauce” denoting a “spicy” and “hot” flavor) was coined by radio disc jockeys in Puerto Rico as early as the 1960′s. Later it became associated with a New York sound developed by Puerto Rican musicians. Many of it’s patterns are closely related to Mambo and Cha-Cha. Salsa is considered the national music and dance of Puerto Rico. The fusion of an Afro-Cuban beat with enhanced jazz textures results in an aggressive high energy pulse which has become popular everywhere.

Learning to dance the Salsa is fun. Our dance professionals can have you spinning across the floor in no time at all!

Salsa Artists Include:

• Albita
• Marc Anthony
• West End Mambo
• Tito Puente
• The Latin Explosion
• Celia Cruz

Swing is known as the most uniquely American of all the dances. Characterized by swing-outs, kicks, jumps, and spins, this buoyant Big Band dance is certainly contagious. Since the birth of “Swing” music in the mid 1930′s, the Swing dance craze, which is also known as Lindy, Jitterbug and East Coast has been an American icon. Not only is this dance a staple at weddings, but you can find it anywhere from smoky blues clubs, to the fast paced Bid Band sounds of Glen Miller and Benny Goodman. You can’t go wrong big splash on the big screen and in night clubs everywhere – the last on, often featuring the sounds of the Brain Setzer Orchestra, popularized the 40′s style Lindy. Movies like Swing Kids and A League of their Own put Swing dancing on the top of the “need to know” list!

Learning to dance the Swing is fun and easy! Get ready for your upcoming wedding, reunion or cruise by learning to dance today. You’ll be spinning across the floor in no time at all!

Swing Songs And Artists Include:

• In The Mood – Glenn Miller
• Rock Around the Clock – Bill Haley and the Comets
• Start Me Up – The Rolling Stones
• Jump, Jive, An’ Wail – Lious Prima or the Brain Setzer Orchestra

The Bolero is a smooth, sophisticated, sentimental love dance. The slower music to which it is performed enchances a feeling of romance. It is the slowest of the Latin dances. It combines controlled movement with dramatic expression of the music.

Originally a Spanish dance in ¾ time, it was changed in Cuba into 2/4 time and then eventually into 4/4 time. It is now present as a very slow type of Rumba rhythm. This dance is often said to have the rise and fall of Waltz, the contra-body motion of Tango, and the rhythm of Rumba. It is a favorite of dancers, as it incorporates many techniques similar to other dances to create a slow, sensual, romantic dance.

Bolero Songs And Artists Include:

• Con Los Anos Que Me Quedan – Gloria Estefan
• Perfidia – Nat King Cole
• Sin Excusas Ni Rodeos – Julio Iglesias
• From Here to Eternity – Frank Sinatra

In 1913, Harry Fox, a vaudeville comedian, introduced a trot to a ragtime song that pushed other trots into the background. It became America’s most popular “get acquainted” dance and remains one of the standards of social dancing to this day. The Foxtrot can be danced to a variety of tempos from slow and bluesy to the faster paced sounds of Frank Sinatra and the Brian Setzer Orchestra. A staple at weddings, big band events, and gala balls, the Foxtrot teaches smooth movement, rhythmical timing, and maneuverability.

Get ready for your upcoming wedding, reunion or cruise by learning to dance the Foxtrot today. You’ll be gliding across the floor in no time at all!

Fox Trot Songs And Artists Include:

• New York, New York – Frank Sinatra
• My Baby Only Cares For Me – The Brian Setzer Orchestra
• It Had To Be You – Harry Connick Jr.

Known as the dirty dance of its time, its elegance and grace is a timeless classic. Perfect for your first dance as husband and wife or for that elegant black-tie affair you can’t go wrong learning this flowing movement. Characterized by sweeping turns and gliding movements, when you really learn how to Waltz you’ll feel as though you’re floating across any dance floor.

Do you want to sweep her off her feet? The Waltz is not only beautiful; it teaches amazing balance, control, posture, and grace. Getting married? Have the first dance you envision by learning to dance today.

Waltz Songs And Artists Include:

• Send in the Clowns – Steven Sondheim
• Turn Around – Kenny James
• From my First Moment – Charlotte Church
• Moon River – Andy Williams

The Tango was stylized by the Gauchos of Argentina where they danced it circling the bar tables after a hard day’s work. It became the rage in 1921 after Rudolph Valentino brought its romance and allure to the silent screen in “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse”. Its passion and excitement has most recently been captured in movies such as True Lies, Scent of a Woman and Shall We Dance? The Tango is known as one of the most powerful and dramatic dances, characterized by staccato movements, dips and gancho flicks. It’s commonly referred to as the “dancer’s dance” where the men get to be men and the women love it! Creating amazing leading and following skills, it’s truly a favorite for all that learn it.

Tango Songs And Artists Include:

• Santa Maria – Cotan Project
• La Cumparsita – Julio Iglesias
• Whatever Lola Wants – from Damn Yankees
• Por Una Cabeza – from Scent of a Woman

Picture Cinderella and Prince Charming whirling around the dance floor. Her beautiful ball gown sways back and forth as they both lose themselves in the magic of the moment. This is what dancing the waltz looks like. There are several variations of the waltz, one of which is known as the Viennese waltz, which is danced twice as fast. Step foot into the ballroom and sign up for Viennese waltz dance lessons at Arthur Murray Dance Studio.

A Dance that Never Goes Out of Style

Even though the Viennese waltz has been around for more than three centuries, the elegant spins and turns never seem to get old. Today, it’s actually one of the oldest forms of ballroom dance still practiced. It traces back to 1700s Europe, but it wasn’t until the 1800s when the world really fell in love with the Viennese waltz. That’s when Austrian composer Johann Strauss, known as the “Waltz King,” created beautiful dance music, like The Blue Danube, and other composers followed suit.

In the Viennese waltz, dancers pair up and move in a circular motion across the dance floor. In a hold, they do a series of spins and twirls, making the movements look graceful. It has a fast ¾ time and a 1-2-3 rhythm. While there is some rise and fall, like the waltz, it’s danced with less vertical movement. Because the Viennese waltz is faster, it takes practice to make it look as natural as possible.

Learning How to Dance the Viennese Waltz

If you’re not an experienced dancer, it might be hard to imagine yourself taking Cinderella’s place in the ballroom. But with the help of professional instructors, you, too, can learn how to dance the Viennese waltz. Arthur Murray Dance Studio uses a unique teaching style that helps make learning fun. From mastering the basics of dance to learning how to frame, step and turn, you’re sure to enjoy the process from start to finish.

So whether you sign up for private lessons, group classes or wedding dance lessons, we’ll be by your side as you learn at your own pace.

Welcome to the Ballroom

Experience the thrill of dancing the Viennese waltz today. Sign up for waltz dance lessons at Arthur Murray Dance Studio, and take advantage of our new student offer. Contact our Montclair location to get started.

Ready to start Two-Stepping? Arthur Murray offers Progressive Two-Step sessions six days a week with any of our professional instructors. Private lessons can be scheduled at your convenience Monday through Friday from 1-10pm and Saturday’s by appointment from 11am to 4pm.

Progressive Two-Step Songs And Artists Include:

• When the Wrong One Loves You – Wade Hayes
• What Made You Say That – Shania Twain

Country Western Waltz is mainly a progressive dance, moving counter clock wise around the dance floor. Both the posture and frame are more relaxed, and not exaggerated like the arm gestures of some ballroom styles. Couples may frequently dance in the promenade position, depending on local preferences.

Country Swing is also referred to as 4 count Swing or Pony swing and is characterized by its use of continuous rock steps. This is an easy dance to learn and is often fun for those looking to get out on the dance floor immediately.

In the old Western days when women were not allowed to dance with men, men danced together and that is the reason for the hand on the shoulder holding a can of beer and the other hand to the side. Two-step is a Western dance whose popularity has spread all over the United States.

Two-step can be danced to contemporary country music and is a very popular dance at many country western clubs and social events.

Two-Step Songs And Artists Include:

• All Jacked Up-Gretchen Wilson
• Party of One- Trick Pony
• Down by the Chatahoochee-Alan Jackson

Country Shuffle
Country Triple