Dancing Basics

Dee Dee Sharp was a female American R&B singer born in 1945. At age 13, she got a job as a background singer while living with her family in Philadelphia. Her vocals were added to a Chubby...

"Dancing with the Stars," "America's Best Dance Crew" and similar shows have become popular on TV as viewers have been mesmerized by the shows' choreographed dances. Viewers watching contestants...

Instead of searching for your black tights in the last minute you can mentally prepare to shine on stage! With this list of to-do's preparing for your or your child's dance performances will be a...

Do you want to dance with your special someone but are unsure of how to hold them? A formal dance position is the best way to take your partner in your arms and will give you maximum control on...

Have you ever wanted to learn Shag dancing but was worried about how you would ever get all the steps? Well, it is not as hard as you think. If you can step forward and back then you are almost...

Slow dancing burns almost 51 calories in 15 minutes for a person weighing 150 pounds. Fast dancing burns nearly double that amount, according to the calorie counter found at the livestrong.com....

The chassé step is one the the most basic moves in dance. Upon mastering this step, one can use it to perform more difficult dance steps.

For tom-girls and drag-boys, learning to walk with a five-inch spike on your heel can be difficult. Here are a few tips on how not to embarrass or injure yourself.

Ever wished you and your friends could jump up and dance to those Irish tunes you hear, and actually know what you were doing? Here's your chance! Ceili dancing is a fun, laid-back, social form...

This pattern is one of those "evergreen" basics that will always be part of any routine. That's true whether it's social or competitive. It can be done to the left or to the right, and it can also...

The American Cha Cha is a cheeky little dance that is great for social venues anywhere you go. It is much easier to learn compared to its sister, the International Cha, and the patterns do not...

The twist lock to the right, like it's sister the twist lock to the left, is a great technique you can utilize in your Cha Cha back locks to enhance the overall look and feel of the pattern. It is...

Footwork is always the first thing you learn in any dance and lays the foundation for the movement you are about to do. The American Cha Cha, although not nearly as complex as her foreign sister...

The 3 step turn to the right is slightly rarer than its sister to the left. However, it is still a necessary basic to practice so that you are a well rounded dancer. It can be an exciting pattern...

The twist lock is a relatively new and very exciting technique that can be applied to your Cha Cha dancing to really give it some attitude. The traditional back lock, once mastered, is not as...

American Rumba is among the easiest of the social and competitive ballroom dances, and can be mastered much more quickly than other dances in the same category. Because of its simplicity, it is...

The alemana is one of the most popular techniques ever utilized in Latin dancing, and can be seen with its full power in the slow dance of Rumba. Although it can also be done in Salsa and Cha Cha,...

The right underarm turn is a great turn you can use to spice up your portfolio of patterns anytime you go social dancing or if you are writing a routine with a partner. It is a fun turn that is...

The right underarm turn, or reverse turn, is a rarer pattern than its sister the underarm turn, or alemana. Although it is not seen as much in traditional choreography or social dancing routines,...

The American Cha Cha is a great social dance you can expect to be doing quite often, and a Basic Bronze level routine will take you far in any venue. Below is a description of the specific...

The cross body lead is a pattern seen in many social dancing environments and venues, and because of its relatively simple nature yet "pattern payout" of changing direction, it is a fun step that...

Ibiza is known world-wide as the premier destination for clubbing and nightlife. Large clubs and small bars featuring rock, techno, house, hip hop, electronica, R&B and underground music...

Argentine Tango is a challenging dance, though it's also fun, since partners feel each other’s movement to determine what step to take. While this sensual dance only has 5 basic steps, it...

A grapevine is a combination of steps performed in both ballroom and jazz dance. In ballroom, the grapevine is often seen in the quickstep and the lindy hop, both fast dances. It is also slowed...

One of the characteristics that sets Bolero apart from other Latin dances is the rise and fall that occurs throughout the dance. All other Latin dances are danced completely level—you...

Here's a pretty easy dance for all who love dance music. It's fun, it's easy, and it looks pretty cool. This is Scooter's music video for "Jumping All Over the World."

Dancing is as easy as one, two, three. We all attend functions where we are expected to dance. If you don't know how to dance, it can be a very long night for you. The good news is that...

Belly dancing is a beautiful, sensual and alluring dance technique. Many want to learn this dance, but it is easy to get overwhelmed when watching the complex dances that are done. There is no...

The polka is a dance step that can be used in a variety of ways. You could dance the polka with a partner in standard dance position, or you could use it in a line dance or even aerobics. Once you...

When you do lyrical or modern dance you need to stretch to warm up, cool down and increase flexibility. Stretching is as important as perfecting the dance moves, because without that flexibility...

Dancing is a lot of fun as long as you don't trip over your own feet. You need to learn the steps so you can move along the dance floor with grace and confidence. You can do it remember the steps...

Dancing freely is a relaxing and therapeutic way to put all sorts of emotions and feelings into movement. Learning to do so is easy. Explore your own inner rhythms by dancing as if no one is...

Mambo is a form of Cuban dance that has become popular in the United States among young and old people alike. Instructors often teach the mambo at dance clubs and weddings because the dance starts...

East Coast Swing, a basic dance for both men and women, is one of several fundamental types of swing dancing. If you want to start swing lessons, East Coast, also called the Lindy, was very...

East Coast Swing, also called the Lindy, is an easy type of swing to learn. For the woman, the basic step mirrors the man's basic step. Simply triple step to the right, then back to the left, do...

The cha-cha is a traditional Latin dance that migrated from Cuba with Cuban immigrants in the early 1900s. This dance, however, is not an old-fashioned one. The cha-cha transcends generations...

Body control is an element every serious dancer should master. Once you attain body control, you can add moves and broaden your choreographic choices. Even if you just want to dazzle your friends...

The tango is a dance that originated in Argentina and Uruguay. Today, it is a popular ballroom dance that, at times, dancers incorporate into other art forms, such as dancing, gymnastics and...

Combining belly dancing moves is called layering. This basically mean that you start with one basic movement and add other movements to it. It is the start to creating different moves in a dance...

The flutter is a fast technique that pushes your stomach in and out repeatedly, very quickly. It takes focus on the diaphragm muscles to create. It is a technique that is also reserved for more...

The fusion of swing and Cuban music led to the creation of the mambo in the early 1940's. The salsa craze of the 90's brought the mambo and other Latin dances back into popularity in ballrooms and...

Dancing, no matter what the style, rests on the dancer's ability to keep pace with the beat and, if a partner dance, to keep that flow going with each other as complements rather than obstacles....

A chest lift and chest drop is a basic move in belly dancing. A chest lift basically requires you to sharply lift your rib cage upward using your stomach muscles. A chest drop does the opposite,...

To do the chest circles motion in belly dancing you must keep the lower half of your body immobile and move only your rib cage. This requires the use of the stomach, back and side muscles. This is...

Knowing a few of the basic steps of country dance is often the difference between remaining a spectator and having a go yourself. Once you have mastered a few of these moves it's only a matter of...

Ballroom dancing constantly remains fascinating in many people's eyes, due to its constant flair for passion, romance and sometimes non-traditional motions. Unlike most genres, this form of...

The tango, an intimate dance that many couples want to learn, is a dance with a long history. The basic two-step is pretty simple and can be learned quickly.

The robot dance is a crowd favorite and a fun routine to perform. However, the movements can get quite intricate if you do them properly. Master these steps to be the best dancing robot on the floor.

Dance is one of the most expressive art forms human beings can create. However, choreographing a routine can be a bit more challenging than it seems. Dance routines range in difficulty from the...

The grapevine consists of a series of side steps. It is used to bridge together other steps in dances such as ballroom, club and folk. The feet and legs will cross in front or behind each other...