Dance Styles

Latin American

DID YOU KNOW that the term Latin American is an abbreviation for Latin and American rather than a reference to the geographic area of Latin American? The reason for this is that the Samba, Rumba and Cha Cha originated from Latin America. The Paso Doble from Europe and the Jive from North America.

Ballroom

DID YOU KNOW the word Ballroom donates a room where a Ball may be held? Balls were important social events in the days before radio and TV. “As in having a BALL!” The word ball derives from the Latin ‘Balare’ meaning to dance.

Speciality

DID YOU KNOW the Merengue, Mambo, Bolero, Salso, Macerena and Lambada originated in Latin America? These Latin American dances were only introduced in Western European society in the 20th centaury and have some diverse origins in previous eras.

Until recently these dances were mostly done for fun and exercise, however since the inception of the Social Dance Faculty in 2004 our students have been able to compete in various competitions demonstrating these dances and their talent and flare.

Freestyle

DID YOU KNOW Freestyle originated from the early disco days and wise quite evident in the years between the late 60’s and early 70’s. SADTA and it’s committee have been responsible for the syllabus of the associated styles for the past 70 years. Freestyle caters for both competitive dancers as well as those merely wanting to get fit.

Hip Hop

Believe it or not, rap has been around for over 23 years, in fact the first ever rap tune to be pressed on vinyl was ‘Rappers delight’ by the Sugarhill gang in the late 70’s. Since then rap has evolved from a fad to a street party. Rap music is an element of larger culture that encompasses rap, baggy clothing, break dancing, graffiti, vocabulary and a general lifestyle. This popular culture is generally referred to as Hip hop. Rap made it to our shores in the early 1980’s.

Line Dancing

DID YOU KNOW Line dance climbed into bed with country music when Billy Ray Cyrus wrote Achy Breaky Heart in 1992. A clever marketing trick, Melanie Greenwood's dance was written to promote the song. Five years later the Achy Breaky Heart has snowballed into the biggest dance craze ever, line dancing choreographed to country music. Not the legacy of bold frontier settlers with the American Dream in their hearts, but an ingenious ploy to sell records.

Bang goes the fairy tale. Enjoyable, straightforward to learn and not requiring a partner, line dance was bound to spread. In many countries, particularly across continental Europe, the US military laid the first foundations, sharing line and country-dance with the locals. A long-standing affection for country music in the UK was a powerful springboard, and line dance rapidly became a part of the holiday camp country music scene.

Belly Dancing

DID YOU KNOW contrary to what many Westerners believe, Oriental dance (the correct name for belly dancing) did not originate as a dance of seduction done by concubines to titillate the Sultan.

For centuries, the role of Oriental dance in Middle Eastern society has been that of a folk dance that people would do at joyous occasions such as weddings, the birth of a child, community festivals, and other events that bring people together to party. It was a dance that men, women, and children did for fun, not a "performance" done to entertain an audience.

Just as Americans at a modern-day wedding reception might do waltzes, two-steps, or even the chicken dance, so people in the Middle East would get up with their friends to shimmy to their favourite music.