Dance Styles
We at Rocky Poonawalas are proud to proclaim that we teach Latin American and Ballroom Dance styles in the most genuine way. Rocky has trained from UK in these styles so once you learn with us you will realize that anywhere around the world the dance steps and style is just the same way you've learnt. And we need not say more about our Bollywood and Hip Hop. All you need to do is just come and watch our students groove to the desi beats.
Salsa-
Salsa is the most popular form of club dancing al over the world.
Salsa's roots are based on the Son dancing (circa 1920s) and are open to improvisation and thus it is continuously evolving.
The basic Salsa styles are:
1. Latin American Styles: "Miami" style which is a fusion of Cuban style and North American version. The styles include "Casino", Miami-Style, Cali-style and Venezuelan Style.
2. North American Salsa: Two major types of Salsa with distinct tempo differences; Los Angeles Style which breaks on the first beat "On 1" and New York Style which breaks on the second beat "On 2".
Salsa is normally a partner dance, although there are recognized solo forms such as solo dancing called as "Shines"
Salsa can be improvised or performed with a set routine.
The tempo of the salsa music is generally between 180 to 210 beats per minute. (Bpm)
Rumba-
The word 'Rumba' is a generic term, covering a variety of names (i.e. Son, Danzon, Guagira, Guaracha, and Naningo) for a type of West Indian music or dancing. The word 'Rumba' comes from the verb 'rumbear' which means going to parties, dancing and having a good time.
There are two sources of the dance-Spanish and African. Although the main growth was in Cuba, there were similar developments which took place in other Caribbean islands and in Latin America generally.
The American Rumba is a modified version of the 'Son'. The first serious attempt to introduce the Rumba to the United States was by Lew Quinn and Joan Sawyer in 1913. 10 years later band leader Emil Coleman imported some rumba musicians and a pair of rumba dancers to New York. In 1925, Benito Collada opened the club 'El Chico' in Greenwich Village and found that New Yorkers did not know what Rumba was all about.
In Europe, the introduction of Latin American dancing (Rumba in particular) owed much to the enthusiasm and interpretative ability of Monsieur Pierre (London's leading teacher in this dance form). In the 1930s with his partner, Doris Lavelle, he demonstrated and popularized Latin American dancing in London. They introduced the true 'Cuban Rumba' which was finally established after much argument as the official recognized version in 1955.
Rumba is the spirit and soul of Latin American dance and music.
Cha Cha Cha-
Originally known as the Cha Cha Cha. Became popular about 1954.Cha Cha is an off shoot of the Mambo. In the slow Mambo tempo, there was a distinct sound in the music that people began dancing to, calling the step the 'Triple' Mambo. Eventually it evolved into a separate dance, known today as the Cha Cha.
The dance consists of three quick steps (triple step or cha cha cha) and two slower steps on the one beat and two beat. The tempo of a Cha Cha Cha song is generally between 110 to 130 beats per minute. (Bpm)
Jive-
In Ballroom dancing, Jive is a dance style that originated in the United States from African-Americans in the early 1940s. It is a lively and uninhibited variation of the Jitterbug, a form of Swing dance. Jive is one of the five International Latin dances. In competition it is danced at a speed of 176 beats per minute, although in some cases this is reduced to between 128 and 160 beats per minute.
The basic step (Jive Basic) is a six beat pattern.
Counts 1 2 - Rock step: left foot step back, right foot replace
Counts 3 a4 - Chasse to the left
Counts 5 a6 - Chasse to the right
The modern form of ballroom jive in the 1990s-present, is a very happy and poppy dance, the lifting of knees and the bending or rocking of the hips often occurs.
Tango-
Tango (the dance with the stop "Baillie Con Carte") is one of the most fascinating of all dances. Originating in Spain or Morocco, the Tango was introduced to the New World by the Spanish settlers, eventually coming back to Spain with Black and Creole influences.
In the early 19th Century, the Tango was a solo dance performed by the woman. The Andalusia Tango was later done by one or two couples walking together using castanets. The dance was soon considered immoral with its flirting music.
The story of Tango as told is that it started with the gauchos of Argentina. They wore chaps that had hardened from the foam and sweat of the horse's body. Hence the gauchos walked with knees flexed. They would go to the crowded night clubs and ask the local girls to dance. Since the gaucho hadn't showered, the lady would dance in the crook of the man's right arm, holding her head back. Her right hand was held low on his left hip, close to his pocket, looking for a payment for dancing with him. The man danced in a curving fashion because the floor was small with round tables, so he danced around and between them.
The dance spread throughout Europe in the 1900s. Originally popularized in New York in the winter of 1910-1911, Rudolph Valentino then made the Tango a hit in 1921.As time elapsed, the dance was finally considered respectable even in Argentina.
The different styles in Tango-Argentine, French, Gaucho and International. The Americanized version is a combination of the best parts of each.
Phrasing is an important part of Tango. Most Tango music phrased to 16 or 32 beats of music. Tango music is like a story. It contains paragraphs (Major phrases), sentences (Minor Phrases), and the period at the end of the sentence is the Tango close. It is important for an exhibition Tango dancer to feel the connection with the music, dance and the audience.
The tempo of a Tango song is generally around 120 beats per minute. (Bpm)
Meringue-
The meringue of the national dance of the Dominican Republic, and also to some extent, of Haiti, the neighbor sharing the island.
There are two popular versions of the origin of the Dominican national dance, the Meringue. One story alleges the dance originated with slaves who were chained together and, of necessity, were forced to drag one leg as they cut sugar to the beat of drums. The 2nd story alleges that a great hero was wounded I the leg during one of the many revolutions in the Dominican Republic. A party of villagers welcomed him home with a victory celebration and, out of sympathy, everyone dancing felt obliged to limp and drag one foot.
It is possible that meringue took its name from the confection made of sugar and egg whites because of the light and frothy character of the dance or because of its short, precise rhythms.
Tempos vary a great deal and the Dominicans enjoy a sharp quickening in pace towards the latter part of the dance. The most favored routine at the clubs and restaurants that run a dance floor is a slow Bolero, breaking into a Meringue, which becomes akin to a bright, fast Jive in its closing stages. The ballroom Meringue is slower and has a modified hip action. The Meringue is not only very popular in the Dominican Republic, but also throughout the Caribbean and South America, and is one of the standard Latin American dances. The tempo of the meringue music generally is between 120 to 160 beats per minute (Bpm)
Bollywood -
Dance to the tunes of our bollywood numbers from different eras and different styles like retro, semi classical and masala.
Hip Hop-
Get down and dirty with hip hop. Get loose, groove to the music and break, pop and lock with our Hip Hop
Hairstyles in Latin Dance-
For Women-
A female Latin dancer's hair should be classy and performance ready and pulled out of the eyes, because she is dancing in front of many people and is representing not only her but the entire Latin dance culture. Acceptable hairstyles for women include a bun, ponytail, braid, or French twist.
For Men-
Male Latin dancers primarily wear their hair short when dancing. However if a man has medium hair that cannot be pulled back, he should slick it back with gel or hairspray. Men with long hair, should slick it back with gel or hairspray into a ponytail. It is essential that the hair does not fall into the eyes while dancing.
Latin Dance Shoes-
For Women-
Dance shoes for women include pumps or sandals with heels within the specified height range. Heels form an important part of Latin dance shoes as they help in achieving the grace synonymous with these dances. Pumps are open at the sides. They have a closed toe box and have an ankle strap that secures the shoe firmly to the dancer's foot. Sandals have straps and are open around the toe area. It is always good to wear proper Latin dance shoes; they accentuate the appearance of the dancer, as well as her steps. These shoes are typically lightweight and have suede soles.
For Men-
Men wear shoes with Cuban heels are 1.5 inches high. These Latin dance shoes can be made from leather, nubuck or patent leather. They usually come in black, white or brown leather or may have a combination of all these colors. These shoes are lightweight and have suede soles.
Shoe Care-
It's important to take care of Latin dance shoes in order to keep them in good condition. They should be oiled and polished to prevent them from cracking. The suede soles should be brushed regularly so that they are not ruined from stones, pebbles and dirt that get stuck to them. The best way to take care of one's Latin dance shoes is to avoid wearing them when not dancing.
Salsa Costumes-
Salsa costumes are particularly known for their flexibility and comfort, which go hand in hand with elegance and style. They are usually full of embroidery work, with sequins hanging around their sleeves and have layers at the ends. These patterns are common for male and female costumes which also have to be coordinated for a performance.
For Women-
There are patterns like crimped halters, one shoulder sleeved dresses, full length and half length V sloped dresses, O ringed halter, mesh skirts, tango dresses and ruffle dresses for ladies and they are available in regular and professional types. The dance costumes for competitions are brightly colored and very rich in sequin work and embroidery.
For Men-
Since salsa originated in Cuba and then Puerto Rico, the male costumes have a traditional touch even today. Thus, traditional Mexican clothes and costumes for men include shirts which are usually full sleeved, silk shirts in colors like yellow, red, black, purple and white, etc. and the pants are simple black or dark brown, made from fitting materials.